Bach Flower Essences Practitioner

  Flower psychometry was once used as a tool to predict the future, rather like reading tea leaves or Tarot cards. Flowers have long been used to communicate messages, but there is also a history of folklore using flowers for inner communication and divination. This is known as ‘flowermancy’ or ‘flower psychometry’.  Flower psychometry was a form of Earth Magic that originated from ancient times and was used by healer priests and shamans. Later in history, it was applied by the Celtic tribes who used all sorts of plants and flowers in prediction rituals and customs such as foreseeing your fortune in love, health or wealth. Most of the knowledge has been lost, but some still remains in children’s games such as blowing the seeds off a dandelion or making daisy chains. Other parts of flower psychometry have been passed down the generations by traveling Romany Gypsies who still sell posies of wild flowers and herbs and who still use flowers for fortune telling.

  There are a number of simple drying techniques to choose from. The trick is to choose the right technique to suit your flowers. Here are five of the most common methods… 1. HOW TO DRY FLOWERS… IN THE AIR One of the easiest ways to dry out a bouquet is to hang it upside down and allow the moisture to evaporate into the air. This is great for robust flowers, such as roses, and long-lasting varieties, like lavender. Strip away any excess foliage, secure your stems with an elastic band and hang in a dry, shady spot away from direct sunlight. TIP: Once completely dry, spray with unperfumed hairspray for protection. 2. HOW TO DRY FLOWERS… IN THE MICROWAVE Pop your flowers in the microwave if you want to dry them fast. This technique is also ideal if you want to preserve single flowers, such as gerbera daisies and chrysanthemums. All you’ll need is a microwavable container and, strangely, some cat litter (if it can dry out what the cat left behind, it can dry out fl...

  Make Your Own Orange Flower Water The Traditional Way to Make It The traditional method of making pure orange flower water requires steam distillation in special copper equipment known as a still or  katara  in Moroccan Arabic. Since a still is not a common kitchen gadget, you can try this easy home method instead. It calls for infusing freshly picked blossoms in distilled water, using everyday kitchen equipment. While not as intensely flavored as it's a steam distilled counterpart, it will still yield orange blossom water fragrant enough to try in Moroccan recipes. Seville orange blossoms from the Mediterranean are traditionally preferred, but you can try other varieties. What You Need Gather these ingredients to make your own orange blossom water • Orange flower petals, preferably from Seville orange trees • Distilled water • Bowl, strainer, and fresh water for washing the petals • Stone or porcelain mortar and pestle • Large glass jar wit...

  How to make lavender water There are 2 main methods of making lavender water that I recommend; using fresh lavender flowers or using dried lavender buds. This means that you can make your own lavender all the year round, and I recommend that you only make a small quantity at a time and try and use when it’s as fresh as possible, as after a few weeks storage we find it can get a little past its best. Making your own lavender water is very easy though, simply follow these steps: • Bring 100ml water up to a fast boil. • Pour this over 2 tablespoons of fresh or dried lavender flowers in a non-metallic bowl. • Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature at least until it is cool or up to overnight. • Strain the mixture using a really fine sieve or piece of muslin. • Decant into a very clean glass bottle (ideally dark coloured) and we like to keep it in the fridge. Uses for lavender water Lavender water has a real myriad of uses for personal cleansing and grooming: • Per...

  THE GENERAL BENEFITS OF ROSE WATER • Roses, in general, have a lovely smell which can be used to  reduce anxiety  and help you to  relax  – meaning it’s great to be used as a room spritz! You can even spray it onto your pillow at night to help you  sleep better. • Similarly , some have found that rose water can be used against  depression.  Both ingesting it and using it for it’s scent. • Rose water apparently has some fairly powerful  antiseptic properties , which can help  prevent and treat infections . THE BENEFITS OF ROSE WATER FOR BEAUTY • Rose water has amazing  anti-inflammatory properties , which makes it great for treating  skin irritations, eczema, rosacea – reducing redness  and can even have a positive effect on  acne. • It can actually help  maintain your skins pH balance,  c ontrol excess oil  and is great to use as a cleanser to  remove oil and dirt  from your pores, as ...

  • Prep Time: 10 mins       Cook Time: 30 mins       Total Time: 40 mins       Yield: 3 jars       Category: preserved       Method: stove top Looking closely at the wild rose petals, you will notice something quite incredible. Each petal, surprisingly, is shaped like a heart! T heir intoxicating scent melts away all tension. Sift and sort through the rose petals carefully, for creatures may make their homes there. Once sorted, then they are ready to bring into the kitchen. The recipe is surprisingly simple, and highlights the lovely rose flavor. For this recipe, you’ll need to collect about two cups of rose petals, just lightly packed,  pressing down on the petals just enough to make a perfectly comfortable “fairy bed”. Or, for more accuracy, weigh out two ounces of fresh petals. You can also use dry petals...