Specific Flower Essences for Relief and Recovery
by Patricia Kaminski

For practitioners providing individualized programs of therapeutic assistance, the following flower essences are the most important to consider. The descriptions here emphasize the most common symptoms and phenomena related to relief work and natural disaster aid.

Please consult the Flower Essence Repertory for a full discussion of each of these flower essences and other essences that may be indicated for each individual situation.

Some essences listed here, part of the Range of Light series, are in our research category which can be fully reviewed in the members’ section of our web site at www.flowersociety.org/mb.

Angelica

Natural disasters often disrupt the soul’s ability to feel protection and guidance from spiritual beings. Deep feelings of aloneness, isolation and grief create a barrier in the consciousness and can disrupt spiritual connection when it is needed most. Angelica is one of the most important essences for restoring this soul-spiritual alignment.

Arnica

Arnica is featured in several of the formulas mentioned above for persistent trauma, disassociation or dysfunction. It is a powerful remedy for many forms of energetic healing, such as meridian balancing. Also consider Arnica Alleve Herbal Oil for topical applications for bruises, wounds or scarring.

Bleeding Heart

This flower addresses the grief and heartbreak of severed relationships. The aching emptiness of the heart is bolstered with Bleeding Heart so that one can gradually reclaim internal strength and emotional equanimity. This flower essence is highly indicated for both people and pets.

Borage

This is a significant depression remedy to restore and uplift the soul. Primary indicators are congestion or energetic blockages in the heart and related meridians, stemming from grief and despair. A persistent feeling of emotional heaviness or sluggishness is also predominant.

Chamomile

This is a calming remedy especially indicated for babies, young children and animals who are challenged to retain their emotional center during times of dislocation and stress. Indications include extreme bouts of crying, irritability, hypersensitivity and moodiness. These emotional symptoms are typically accompanied by pronounced tension in the solar plexus and/or stomach, including digestive upset, flatulence or bowel disturbance and related sleep disturbance. Chamomile is often indicated in tandem with Pink Yarrow .

Chaparral

This is an important detoxifier for some cases of post-traumatic stress trauma. Chaparral is a deep level clearing essence for those who may be plagued by horrific images and memories that are resistant to release, or are lodged in the sub-conscious and play out in repetitive stress nightmares. This remedy is equally important for people and animals.

Echinacea

This flower essence rebuilds core immunity, reclaiming a strong sense of Self when one feels shattered by trauma and stress. Indicators include poor immune function, vacant presence and a splintered or disassociated sense of Self.

Fireweed

This flower essence, derived from a plant that literally grows like a phoenix out of the ashes of destructive fires, is enormously regenerative for the body and soul at times of extreme disruption or healing crisis.

Forget-Me-Not

This flower helps the soul to visualize and connect with loved ones beyond the veil of the material world. Despite the tragedy of death, the soul realizes that the loved one is still available in spiritual realms. Forget-Me-Not increases the flow of consciousness and connection between earthly and spiritual realms, in dreams, meditation and other transcendent states of consciousness.

Glassy Hyacinth

A botanical sister of Star of Bethlehem, the rare Glassy Hyacinth grows exclusively in volcanic outcroppings. It is a remedy of great depth, literally helping to retrieve the soul when it has descended into shadow regions and remains gripped or paralyzed. It is a significant recovery remedy for those who have suffered near-death experiences and strong psychic events that continue to devastate and overwhelm the consciousness.

Green Gentian

This flower essence is indicated for those who feel despair not only on a personal level, but also a collective one. One feels besieged by the overwhelming enormity of destruction and loses hope in one’s ability to remain positive. This is a remedy that is particularly helpful for those who feel the pain of the Earth herself and the weight of karmic responsibility within all of humanity.

Love-Lies-Bleeding

In natural disasters, the soul can be overwhelmed by the enormity of personal suffering, asking “why me?” Despite the heart-wrenching circumstances of one’s pain, it is important to realize transcendence and selfless surrender. Love-Lies Bleeding encourages such an emotional realization, enabling the soul to move forward in the life-building process.

Mariposa Lily

This is a primary remedy for babies, children or pets who have been separated from, or are experiencing the death of their mothers or primary caretakers in a natural disaster. It is also an important nurturing remedy for pregnant women and mothers with young children who have been traumatized and uprooted during a catastrophe. The Mariposa Lily is a foundational remedy to help the soul in all instances where family bonds of nurturing and sustenance have been severely disrupted.

Olive

This flower is important for both victims and relief workers who suffer from deep exhaustion or physical collapse usually due to extreme demand on one’s physical forces. Olive should be combined with Aloe Vera when the body needs to accept deep rest, while the mind may be pushing beyond physical limits.

Penstemon

Penstemon is a strength-building remedy, especially for those who are in physical rehabilitation and need to cope with life-altering physical disabilities. This flower essence promotes perseverance and endurance, despite adversity or pain.

Pine

For those who are besieged by inappropriate second-guessing or guilt, feeling that they could have done more, or should have made other decisions. They may be consumed by feelings of self-blame that they were not able to save a loved one or a pet. While these feelings are typical for anyone in a natural disaster situation, the Pine essence is indicated for those who are paralyzed by such feelings, morbidly depressed and dysfunctional.

Red Clover

This flower essence promotes a calm and steady presence in emergency situations characterized by mass hysteria, panic or anxiety. It can be included with Five-Flower Formula when working in intense social situations. It is a very important remedy in animal rescue work.

Sagebrush

This important essence addresses existential feelings of loss and emptiness. One feels loss as a quality of annihilation (I have nothing and therefore I am nobody.) The transformational process engendered by Sagebrush enables the soul’s “empty container” to become a fruitful vessel for new spiritual forces and life direction.

Self-Heal

This is a fundamental remedy to enhance and encourage self-healing. Despite everything that can be given to the body and soul from the outside, an inner conviction that one can regain health and life force is necessary. This is the great gift of the Self-Heal flower essence. The Self-Heal Cream can also be used in tandem, applied to key energy centers that need replenishment, or to physical wounds that need healing.

Splendid Mariposa Lily

Related to the Mariposa Lily , the Splendid Mariposa Lily addresses the mothering impulses at a higher octave. It helps the soul to retain connection to the nurturing qualities of the Divine Mother, even in the most extreme conditions and circumstances. It also replenishes those who are serving in humanitarian efforts, so that the qualities of mercy and loving embrace can flow through hands and heart, even in the most dire and depleting circumstances.

Star of Bethlehem

This exquisite white star flower restores the soul’s union with its spiritual identity when shock, trauma and injury have severed the connection. This remedy is especially noted for its quality of healing comfort as well as restoration of dignity and integrity to the battered soul.

Sweet Chestnut

For those who may suffer at deep levels of spiritual identity and faith when encountering disaster or inhumane conditions. This condition of pronounced despair and agony is often referred to as a “dark night of the soul.”

Sweet Pea

This flower essence addresses the soul’s feeling of uprootedness from home, community and land in a natural disaster. These painful feelings of alienation, confusion and dislocation are addressed by helping the body-soul to find new connections in the physical-etheric, so that there is a sense of rootedness and a renewed feeling of “home.” This remedy is equally beneficial for people and pets.

Walnut

Called the “link-breaker” by Dr. Bach, the Walnut is enormously strengthening, helping the body and soul to make transitions. This flower stimulates the “forward” trajectory of the soul so that it can move into the future despite overwhelming influences of the past.

Yarrow and Pink Yarrow

These flower essences are especially important forhealers and relief workers who may feel intense psychic overload as they encounter the myriad emotions of those around them. These flowers are also important for those who are too sensitive and innocently receptive during a humanitarian crisis — such as babies, children or animals. As a general indicator, use Yarrow for upper chakra stress such as mental absorption and related phenomena like headaches. Use Pink Yarrow for heart and solar plexus trauma stemming from sympathetic absorption and related phenomena like stomachache, heart palpitations, nervous depletion or anxiety.

Part 1
Key Flower Essence Formulas for Humanitarian Relief