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...

  THE BLUE LOTUS "Nymphaea caerulea", better known as the blue lotus flower, is actually a gift to the world.  Originally found on the banks of the “River Nile”, the Nymphaea caerulea, also called the "blue lily", and also called “Sacred Blue Egyptian Lotus”, today it is found all over the world including the Indian sub-continent. This beautiful blue "flower" is considered sacred by Indians, especially the "Buddhists". Historians have always considered the blue lily symbolically rich and associated it with ancient "Egyptian culture". Egypt has carvings that depict the prominent usage of this flower for various purposes. The Blue Lotus Flower is well respected as a holistic substance for centuries, with its ability to enhance meditation and promote relaxation. In recent years this flower and its parts have been used in items such as perfumes. Traditionally, Blue Lotus was consumed after being soaked in warm water or wine. The dried fl...

  Mandala is a spiritual symbol in Buddhism and Hinduism. Mandalas have magical qualities that are intrinsic to its creation — no beginning and no end. Mandalas are often used as a meditative tool. When creating mandalas it’s a way to center ourselves and focus our thoughts. The meaning of the word mandala is a sacred circle and it signifies the cycle of life. Creating a mandala out of real flowers and flower parts is an ephemeral art that will wilt, die and return to the earth. This process is a very symbolic and theraputetic tool to connect to whatever we may be struggling with internally; help us gain perspective; and then let it go. – The most typical model mandala form is a square with four gates containing a circle with a central point. Mandala often has an outer circle. – This basic form can be found in many ancient mandalas but there are endless variations which all include flow. Materials: – Flowers, petals or leaves – Flat work surface How: – You can adhere to...

  You can use almost any herbs you’d like, but hardy herbs that hold their shape when they dry out, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and bay leaf, work best. What You Need • 24-gauge floral wire • Double rail wreath frame (we used these from Maine Wreath Co. in 8 and 10 inches) • Fresh herbs (we used rosemary, thyme, and sage) • Ribbon Follow These Steps • Wrap the wire around the two rails of the wreath frame, spacing the wire at about 1-inch intervals. • Wash the herbs and dry them thoroughly. Note: Any moisture left on the leaves can cause them to mold quickly. • Gather the herbs into small bundles, cut to approximately the same length. We created bundles that were about 3 to 4 inches long and wide enough to hide the wreath frame underneath. Wrap the end of each bundle with floral wire, leave a 5- to 6-inch wire tail, then snip off the excess. • To attach each bundle to the wreath frame, tightly wrap the wire tail around the frame. Cover over the end of each bu...

Cornflower : A sweet-to-spicy clove-like flavour. Dahlia : Flavours range from water chestnut and spicy apple to carrot. Hibiscus : Great addition to fruit salads or to make a citrus-flavoured tea. Honeysuckle : Enjoy the nectar fresh, or use petals make a syrup, pudding, or a tea. Magnolia : The young flowers can be pickled or used fresh in salads. Nasturtium  : Tasting peppery, like watercress, these make a lovely salad addition. Pansy : Mild and fresh-tasting, they’re great in a green salad or as a garnish. Rose : Lovely in drinks, fruit dishes, jams, and jellies thanks to its delicate fragrance. Scented Geraniums :  The flavours range from citrussy to a hint of nutmeg. Cape Jasmine : Extremely fragrant, they’re ideal for pickling, preserving, and baking. 10 Unusual edible flowers Forget-Me-Knot : Delicious as a trail snack on its own or as a garnish. Sunflower : The mild nutty taste makes the petals good in salads or stir fries. Hollyhock : Remove the centre st...

  Not to be confused with flower essences, nevertheless where would we be without perfume? What are the origins of perfume? The word perfume today is used to describe scented mixtures and is derived from the Latin word "per fumus" meaning 'through smoke'. Many ancient perfumes were made by extracting natural oils from plants through pressing and steaming. The oil was then burned to scent the air. Perfume is simply a mastery of some of the most frequent scents, and the artful combination thereof to produce a unique smell for the individual. To understand perfume we would need to start at its inception back in the time of the ancient Egyptians. Egyptians were responsible for the origin of perfume with the earliest records dating from 2000BC, where incense was offered at the burial of mummies and perfume was believed to be the sweat of the sun god Ra. Other origins of perfume are thought to be Mesopotam...

Plants have been used as symbols for thousands of years. The Turks in the 17th century developed formal flower meanings, as a way for the concubine women who could not read or write to communicate with each other. In 1718 the wife of the British ambassador to Constantinople, Lady Mary Wortley Montague, wrote a letter expounding on the “Secret Language of Flowers” that she had discovered during her visits to Turkey. Europeans quickly picked up on the concept. In 1819 Louise Cortambert, under the pen name, Madame Charlotte de la Tour, wrote and published what seems to have been the first dictionary of the flower language entitled, Le Language des Fleurs. It was a small book, but it became a popular reference on the subject. During the Victorian era, the meaning and language of flowers became increasingly popular. Victorian women especially picked up the silent language that allowed them to communicate feelings and meanings that the strict propriety of the times would not allow. In 18...

  For : Inner Peace / Expressiveness  Negative qualities  : Inner turmoil / Putting on a brave face 

  For : Trusting the unknown / Calm Negative qualities  : Apprehension  / Unfounded fears / Panic 

  For : Tolerance / Leniency / Understanding  Negative qualities  : Intolerance / Arrogance / Perfectionism 

  For: Assertive / Strength  Negative qualities  : Servile / Dominated / Subservient 

  For people who lack faith in their judgement. Faced with the need to make a choice they can come to a decision without too much trouble – something which differentiates them sharply from people in a Scleranthus (Bach Essence #28) state. Problems come after the decision is made. Doubts creep in and they are no longer sure if what they have decided is right. They go around asking for the opinions and advice of others, and end up confused or doing something that they know in their hearts is not right. Cerato helps us have more faith in our judgement so that we can listen to our inner voice and trust our intuition.

  For : Composure / Security / Self control Negative qualities  : Fear of losing control / Irrational / Explosive 

  For : Perceptive / Reflective / Observant Negative qualities  : Unobservant / Failure to learn

  For : Secure / Selfless / Unconditional love Negative qualities  : Smothering / Possessive / Clingy 

  For : Focused / 'Engaged' / Creative / Clear  Negative qualities  : Inattentive  / Absent minded / Clumsy 

  For: It is known as the cleansing remedy, and as such is the added ‘sixth ingredient’ in the cream version of Dr. Bach’s original crisis formula. Its main use is to help people who dislike some aspect of their appearance or personality or feel that they have something unclean or poisonous about them. Sometimes in a Crab Apple state, we disregard genuine problems and concentrate obsessively on one thing that we have fixed on – sometimes a quite minor aspect of the whole. We might take Crab Apple to cleanse obsessive, repetitive behaviour such as hand-washing, re-checking that appliances are unplugged, and so on.

  For: Capable / Restored dependability  Negative qualities  : Overwhelmed by responsibilities 

  For : Optimism / Positive attitude  Negative qualities  : Pessimism / Negative attitude  / Sceptical 

  For : People who have given up belief and hope. Gorse represents a stronger kind of downheartedness than the Gentian state, because Gorse people wilfully refuse to be encouraged, so certain are they that their case is hopeless. If ill, they may think themselves incurable, and that nothing can be done. Nevertheless, Dr Bach classified Gorse as a remedy for  uncertainty , and not as a remedy for  despair  alongside Sweet Chestnut. This demonstrates that the main problem with Gorse people is a loss of faith: if we can be persuaded to see things in a different light there is usually a way forward. This is what the Gorse remedy helps to achieve.

  For : People who  are obsessed with themselves but do not like to be alone. Dr Bach called them ‘buttonholers’ because they latch onto people, all the time talking at exhaustive length about their problems, great and small, until people begin actively to avoid them. Thus the thing Heather people fear – loneliness – is brought about because of their behaviour. The remedy helps us see our own concerns in the context of other people’s. Having suffered ourselves from the need to talk, we become good listeners. As a result people seek us out for our compassion rather than avoiding us because of our self-centredness.

  For : Acceptance  / Forgiveness  / Love Negative qualities  : Anger / Jealousy / Revenge / Hostility 

  For : People who live in the past instead of the present. People in a Honeysuckle state feel that their best days are behind them and that there is little to look forward to, and as a consequence they prefer to dwell on past happinesses (or past misfortunes). In  a more minor key, homesickness and nostalgia are also Honeysuckle states. The remedy helps us to learn from and recall the past without needing to relive it, so that we can progress into the present and take joy from today and tomorrow.  

  For : Clarity / Lucidity / Revitalised  Negative qualities  : Mental fatigue / Apathy / Overburden 

  For : Patience / Tolerance / Ease Negative qualities  : Impatience / Irritability / Frustration  / Pain 

  For : Confidence  / Self-assured / Self-esteem  Negative qualities  : Lack of confidence  / Inadequacy  / Failure 

  For : Courage / Safety / Security  Negative qualities  : Timid / Shy / Known anxieties (phobias)

  For : Lightness / Joy Negative qualities  : Periodical gloom / 

  For : Strength  / Recharged / Endurance  Negative qualities  : Overworked  / Tired / Serious  / Brave 

  For tiredness and exhaustion after an effort of some kind, such as hard physical or mental labour, or the long struggle against illness. Olive can be usefully contrasted with Hornbeam (Bach Essence  #17)  which is the remedy for tiredness felt before an effort has been made. The remedy gives us what we need to restore our strength and the faith we need to continue an effort. We may feel energised; or we may at last be able to rest properly.

  For : Self-forgiveness / Self-worth / Objectivity  Negative qualities  : Guilt / Over conscientious  / Unworthy 

  For : Trust / Positivity / 'Letting go' Negative qualities  : Worry for others  / Anxious predictions 

For : Bravery / Calm Negative qualities  : Terror 

  For : Flexible / Fun / Gentle / 'Easy-going' Negative qualities  : Rigidity / Martyrdom / Self-sacrifice  This essence is the only essence of the 38 essences not made from flowers but fresh water 

  For : Decisive / Stable / Balanced Negative qualities  : Indecisive  / Fickle / Unbalanced  / 'Dizzy' 

  For: Balance / Comfort / Solace  Negative qualities : Deep emotional trauma  / Distress

  For: Comfort / Light / Support / Hope Negative qualities  : Despair / Deep anguish of the heart 

  Feeling: You enthusiasm for a cause consumes you. The positive potential of Vervain is to unwind and accept others views with wisdom and tolerance not feeling the need to impose your views on others.

  For : Compassion  / Respect / Positive leadership Negative qualities : Tyrannical / Wilful / Ruthless / Hard-hearted  People in the Vine state are dominating and take control of situations. They can be hard-hearted bullies, but the real reason they lack compassion is often to protect some inner weakness. Vine people may be domineering, unscrupulous, ruthless and cruel, perhaps to disguise a weak inner centre. The Vine essence is ideal for individuals who crave power, and for those who are controlling and bully others. It is also helpful when suffering from mental and physical inflexibility. This essence can bring forth inner strength, natural authority in teachers and leaders, and respect for others. Indications for using Vine: For the child who is a bully at school and on the street For those who give orders and expect instant obedience For those who order others about, even when ill.  F or those who dominate the weak