Dark moon, Sacred Basil flower, and heylo there, Obsidian gem, essence ponderings...

It's Dark Moon, the time in her cycle when our shadow places and issues can indeed surface. Have they ever! I'm pondering, as you do at such times, where things are at personally. I was kinda triggered into little choice but to! How and where to refocus my energies in alignment with hers, and what supports this. 

Do you hear the whispers of the green folk? Those who both oxygenate our world, and fill it with such abundance. I find, when I'm calm n heart centred, with a sense of belly humour about, that's the best timing for such soul listening. If I can carry this energy into making remedies, like the flower essences, which I seem increasingly to be crafting, it effects the process in a magic way. Usually then as I come close to a plant, it's messages are audible, but at times nigh on shouting is required, even with one who considers herself relatively open...

 Most recently personified, (scuse my anthropomorphism, how rude!) by our 'Sacred' or 'Tulsi' Basil plant, her flowers seen gloriously pictured above. Ocimum  sanctum, what a beauty name! Her flowers, as part of the mint family, rise  up on spikes. She sent up a couple of them at first, some months back, and quietly suggested I brew a flower essence from them. 'To bring the sacred in' she informed me. Then when I didn't, she sent up a few more, and finally, in an ongoing display of gratuitous generosity, she virtually screamed 'DO IT!!'. So bit slow off the mark ol me, did it, and infact I've been taking it morning and night, for some weeks now. Easing the depression I can tend towards when I forget to turn towards my dear flower essences, in her own ways of reconnection to the divine. We say plants don't move! Ha! It was obviously the right move, cos she's kept happily, right on flowering away!

Last dark moon a gemstone dialogued similarly with me, to a plant, somewhat although not altogether to my surprise! 2 shards of Black Osidian, who had been sitting upon one of my altars for some months. For this very purpose. A volcanic rock, looking almost like black glass, this is a stone potently connected with shadow work, so it kinda made sense to pop some on my outdoor altar in the garden under the bright stars of the dark moon. In Scorpio, for a double whammy!

I had never made a gem essence before, but I presumed t'would be a similar process. Appears so, this baby feels potent. The Obsidian also happens to be the foundational bed rock of the culdera around Wollumbin/ Mt Warning we dwell in, so I imagine will be fab for supporting connecting to locale. Mayhaps, its part of the reason some folk dance through this area so transitionally, and still others are drawn to come work on their shit?

When I first read Edward Bach's wee book 'The Twelve Healers and Other Remedies', (originally published in 1933) I found it rather harsh and judgemental in the signifying emotional qualities it ascribed to each flower. Then I had it reframed. Discovering that each of these, he acknowledged he had himself experienced (sometimes along with physical symptoms). Both before, and whilst, seeking the appropriate plants to create the flower essence remedy. I realised, these remedies were supportive of a 'process' based approach, not finite declarations laid down like law, but very much developed through a lived experience of challenging times. Quite exquisite really. Life's work from a one time doctor who wanted to create a 'medicine chest' for every home. That could be accesible, and affordable. Made and used, to support well being.

Although Bach is probably the name most familiar for being 'called' to this way of vibrational, or energetic medicines. Indigenous peoples such as the Nyoongah, or Bibbulmun peoples, of South Western Australia have an ancient lineage of flower essence medicine, going back through time, at least ten thousand years....

Folks connecting to plants, flowers, and gems, in different landscapes at differing times. Listening for their messages, and working towards increasing their sensitivity to them. Gotta be a good thang! Bach himself predicted that as times changed, remedies would reveal themselves to suit. On the Australian land, the bush here, offers up wonderful wildflowers with properties, just as England did for him. Look to which plants are close by, or catch your attentions, when you are in a particular process....

 
I feel these coworkers are here to assist us in the growth pains that come as we make shifts, and heal ourselves, and the land. Sometimes shit gets harder before it moves, but if we can hang in there and allow the inner portals to open, in safe space, it's a pretty cool journey. Bonus is they can be used pretty safely in combination with other modalities.

This is only my experience, so use your inner wisdom when making health choices, and be aware of knowing plants, or rocks, that may bear poisons. Identify em. Enjoy!

Some resources you can choose to checkout your intuitions with n such:

Edward Bach 'The Twelve Healers and Other Remedies' note: try and locate a pre 1970 version, as this will include instructions for making flower essences (mayhaps I'll do a post on my version o this?) A link to youtube videos by Dr Bach Healing Herbs, with discussion of 'Twelve Healers' https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBC827CEF3DD326EE

Vasudeva and Kadambi Barnao 'Australian Flower Essences for the 21st Century'. note: Some of the info from this book is included in this report https://www.yorgum.org.au/assets/Uploads/Annual-Report-2016-2017.pdf for the Yorgum Aboriginal Corporation.

If you feel to get a bit more woo woo, as my partner describes it, try 'Gurudas' channelled through Kevin Ryerson 'Flower Essences and Vibrational Healing' 1983 note: it has some adaptable cool ideas on amplifying essences using copper pyramids in combo with quartz crystals.  

Candy Hillenbrand 'An Online Short Course in Bach Flower Remedies' note: some parts under construction https://www.aplaceinspace.net/bachflower/course/lesson1

Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz 'Flower Essence Repertory' published by the Flower Essence Society, Nevada, California

Marion Leigh 'Findhorn Flower Essences: Straight to the Heart of the Matter' 1997
 
Ian White 'Australian Bush Flower Essences' series of books

Depression and Bush Flower essences, part 2

Finding out what makes your life worth it, what ignites you, is kinda the antithesis of depression. Oh ok, I'll just write a to do list shall I? I don't mean to over simplify, especially where energy and motivation have often left the building. For me though, working with flower essences, indeed herbs, touch me, as I mentioned in the previous post. Bonus is, if needed you can often use them whilst also on pharma. It doesn't have to be either /or.

If you are drawn to work with them, I'd recommend mostly a single, or two, essences to start off with. So that you can feel out what, if any changes or shifts are occurring. As you get to know how that feels, you could introduce another. Some folks say 3-5 essences can be combined, I find that's a bit too much information for me.

Do know that things may become more challenging, or amp up before they ease, and allow for this. It just seems the way of things, like the death throes of ol shit, but hang in! The effects can be worth it.  

For most people with mental health issues, often our auras have been damaged by abuse or trauma, this is where I've experienced the Australian Bush Flowers, 'Fringed Violet' (Thysanotus tuberosus) can help. To reseal and mend these tears. It's a way of reweaving the energetic scars, or wounding caused. So, that's where my friend had started me off, with a mix of Fringed Violet, and 'Angelsword'  (Lobelia gibbosa). The 'Angelsword' can assist with releasing psychic entities that may have entered where the aura was open, or simply attached to us in daily life. As they do. Which is a whole post in and of itself. Without sounding like an infommercial, I found these flowers really helpfull. They quietened things down enough for me to begin to connect with local flowers. Perhaps you will have your own ways to do this, or be drawn to different flowers. Take what feels right, leave the rest eh.

Over the last few days I've been walking along the beach and  there growing in pure sand, blooming away is Wild Sea Rocket! She waved her low growing, succulent flower spikes at me :) Cakile maritima is the British Isles plant, and Cakile edentula the American. Both occur in Australia, seeds washed upon our shores. The main identifying difference being in the fruit. Lucky for me, she's covered in them, and the wee horns on her lower section tell me we have maritima growing here!

Now I knew Scotland's 'Findhorn' Flower Essences have their interpretation for this plant, but I wanted to feel out my own. So I sat with her, and listened for messages. Well, actually after sitting a whiles watching the waves and getting 'I ground you enough to witness emotions', I lay down. Surrounded by her abundant growth gazing at passing clouds, rather like the succulent groundcover herself does, laying low as needed. A few tears came. Saline stuff, wouldn't bother her. She grows where salt spray and sand are her nutrients. I made two 200ml bottles of mother essence ;)

Mental health is a process, this isn't a finish line type situation. It's adjustments and changes made with lifes ebb n flow. Diversity is however, something I experience plants seeing the beauty of, embodying and helping to emerge. Bush flower essences can hold some of that space for us, preserved in a wee dropper bottle o sunshine and a dram o booze. So too, it seems do those arriving by ocean from places far away, like Sea Rocket :).

Depression and Bush flower essences...

These words are slightly belated in their posting, but I'm popping them up anyways....

When a dear sister hit the road travelling to more southerly climes, she left her collection of Australian Bush Flower essences with me to baby sit, with the words work with them, simply replace what you use. It had been years since I had made or worked with these medicines. At the time I was in a quandry as to whether to go back onto the antidepressant medications I had not so long ago withdrawn from. I decided to try working with the essences first....

 Flowers are a plants spunky bits, the pollinator attracting, reproductive part. They also speak of the plants personality, their strengths, focus and character. This is the aspect I see flower essences connecting with. Not that the whole plant doesn't hold these messages for us, indeed they do, but flower essences can touch us in unexpectedly subtle, yet potent ways, for medicines which hold little of the 'physical' constituents of a plant. Perhaps they can effect emotional and spiritual challenges, particularly where other resources may have not touched the sides. Simply because, who doesn't look at a flower with wonder, and a little fascinated awe? They contain a concentrated imprint.

Drinking the dew, or indeed nectar of flowers, is a phenomena that has been going on for as long as passers by thirsted for cool drinks. Indigenous Australians drank the nectar of bottlebrushes, dryandras, grasstrees, grevilleas, hakeas, red-devils, tea trees and wild honeysuckles. Flower heads were shaken, or soaked in water. Other flowers simply tapped across the palm of the hand and then licked. There are many tales that involve the gifts, and symbolism, of native flowers like the Waratah. Medicine ways often arise from lore, and its not such a leap to personally listen to the messages of the plants, and then hear affirmations in these tales.

Dr Edward Bach, in modern times, a homeopath and sensitive who is known for his self named flower essences, apparently acknowledged that remedies would come, following his own, for and in different places and times. This has been shown to be true, with the Californian Flower Essence Society, Findhorn Flower Essences, Australian Bush Flower and Living Essences of Western Australia, amongst many beautyfull, go you, smaller scale makers :).

Recently walking in nearby bush, a dew covered flowering Styphelia plant, waved to get my attention, and whilst noticing the unusual greenish colouration of her flowers, I pondered. Taking note of where she was growing, and with permission having a beverage stop. Later on returning home, I pulled out Ian White's, Australian Bush Flower Essences books and there she was. Named 'Five Corners' for her fruit form, relating to building self esteem, love and acceptance of self and joyousness. Hhhmmm....

When I delved into the kit I was care taking, she was missing, so my partner, Miles, and I returned to her the next day with our medicine making gear :). Me with gear, he with feet, and phone camera.

   

There's some good resources online about making flower essences, so I won't go into the processes here too much, except to say it's not too hard, and a lovely process. If someone says don't touch the plant, use tweezers, go ho haa, its a dialogue. That by connecting with the plant, a healing relationship forms. You can make your own medicines. Again!!

Now, I'm not saying flower essences replaced an antidepressant, they work in compleeeetteely different ways. Firstly, I had to be out and about walking to connect with Styphelia, if only just making it there. The beauty of her forms, and colours, were enough to stop me in my tracks. She got my attention, and shifted it, to asking if I could sip her dew, and indeed make some medicine, to later share with others. She helped me identity dance. Reclaim :)