Italy is commonly called worldwide, the “Country of the Sun.” This name, which is mostly related to the beautiful sunshine of the summer months, is true only in part. Indeed, the summer time to which most European countries switch over yearly from mid-March on, ensures longer daylight with bright days. However, the scenario from early September slowly begins to turn—as does the Soul in this same transition—with shorter days of less light intensity; this fosters an inner journey of introspection that finally radiates new aspects arising from the depths.

Depression and grief as a result of reduced daylight

But the meaning of this soulful process is not always acknowledged by the personality, which on the other hand, often shows imbalances and grief arising from reduced daylight. This then, can lead on a physical level to a seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder. Notwithstanding the temporariness of the event, that normally lasts no more than two months, in my practice I have noted that the acuteness, as well as the emotional involvement, are so intense to often overwhelm any other emotional issues the person is actually dealing with. These can vary from a constant, unpleasant “lump in the throat,” which can easily turn into weeping even without a real reason, to a deep, dark feeling as if the person has fallen in a black hole, from which he/she is longing for the embrace of light again.

The different levels of despair shown seem to be helpless and the person feels alone in his or her battle against something he/she is not able to consciously understand. In its essence, the soul loves freedom and has no boundaries; running freely throughout her immensity is natural for her. But when the personality has no awareness of either his/her soul or this activity, the soul descent toward the depth is often perceived as a descent to the dark, to the nothingness. And, the consequent feeling of abandonment and profound alienation in the personality turns into the more commonly known feeling of “depression.” So, it was really a great joy for my heart as a therapist, when I discovered the Illumine Light Balancer Flower Formula in June of 2005.

The Illumine Light Balancer Formula

Before reading about each individual flower essence, I went through the combination diagram first, which just on its own, showing the colours of the flowers as well as explaining their qualities of the essences, was already self-explanatory for me. Two beautiful yellow flowers, Saint John’s Wort and Mustard, as a lighthouse for the human soul on the pathway downward from her inner light fading, into the blue depth of her spring represented by the blue colour of Explorer’s Gentian and Borage. The explanation of the Pine essence, intended as the core of the combination, was revealing. This enabled me to see this essence with different eyes, thus gaining a different understanding. Through its silica-rich needles, this evergreen tree is a constant, radiating light also present in the flower essence. This constant light means transformation, as what is hidden and old can be seen and released, so that new aspects of the Self can be manifested.

A new understanding of Pine flower essence

This particular quality of transformation and moving to the new draws my attention as Pine essence is usually related to a sense of guilt. So with this different understanding, I could then experience the Illumine formula carrying out its action in some cases far beyond any expectations and its original intent for seasonal depression. In early September 2005, the combination was proposed to those clients showing a yearly recurring issue of lack of light that, besides the “blue” feeling or depression in some cases, also caused a remarkable mental and body fatigue. They happily reported quick relief in a few days.

Case study: Illumine Light Balancer helps to build confidence and the strength to move forward

At that same time I was still working with Angela, a young-looking woman aged 42, on her deep-rooted issues of depression and fear of taking on responsibilities in her life. Her partner had asked her to live together and she went into a panic about the decision and the sense of guilt she felt toward her parents, as she was afraid they would not have accepted her companion. She was still very uncertain and showed lack of self-confidence, despite some important results achieved in the past (she finally managed to leave her family in 2003 to live on her own).

The phase of the work we were carrying out was focused on her deep identity so that she could see herself as a capable, reliable person also able to take care of herself and her life, make decisions and interact with the others on the same level rather than on the lower one on which she usually placed herself. Indeed, the program was very ambitious for a person who had always depended on parents who did not encourage and foster her self-sufficiency.

This aspect was very evident during our updates during telephone conversations. In fact, she passively complained quite often with a plaintive voice, rather than showing changes or reactions to the situations she did not like. In particular, she was complaining about some aspects of the behaviour of her partner, which she pointed out to him more than once, and each time he gave the impression of understanding. Consequently, she was expecting to see some changes. During a further telephone conversation, while she updated me with a ringing voice on the details concerning her healing path and the flower essence combination she was taking, she spoke about a different depression, one “with a lump in her throat” occurring at every change of seasons.

She emphasized how this condition was really overwhelming and difficult to tolerate. So, we decided to make a break with the combination she was taking to address this new issue. After that, we would carry on with the “old path.” Angela began with the Illumine formula on September 24. Our two following telephone conversations in October started with Angela, who after saying not to have noticed anything new and that maybe the composition had no effect on her, talked again about her old issues of fears and uncertainty concerning her relationship with her partner, her life, etc.

But I could hardly recognize in November, the person with whom I used to talk when she called for our regular updates. She started by saying, with an unusually firm voice, that she had the improvement desired with the combination as all symptoms and emotions initially reported had disappeared. Then she went on saying with an incisive-sounding voice, that now she had understood what she wanted in her life and what was good for her. She would always remember this henceforth. Regarding her partner, she said she could not accept his behaviour any longer as she deserved someone different. So, she would tell him that unless he would comply with her wishes, “he could take all his things out of my house,” Angela told me with an imperative voice.

It was amazing to see that dramatic change that I had been looking forward to since our first meeting in 2002….

Without any doubt, Illumine Light Balancer receives credit for this transformation giving support and strength to Angela’s soul. And in particular, the Pine essence was a determining factor in setting her free and affirming her true personality.

Donatella Tordoni has been a practicing flower essence therapist for more than 10 years. Since 1996, she has been a Member of the Managing Committee of Unione di Floriterapia of Milan, a well known association in Italy. For the association and within the context of its three-year Professional Training Program in Flower Essence Therapy, she conducts the sessions on FES flower essences as well as workshops for professional practitioners.

Donatella’s training in FES essences with Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz starting in 1998, led her to join FES in 2000 in their ongoing research work focused on the healing assessment of the new flower essences. Her research report “Joshua Tree – A Spiritual Structure within the Human Soul” was published on the FES website in October 2003. During this same period, Donatella was invited to speak at the National Day of the Italian Register of Flower Essence Therapy where she presented the paper “Values and Aspects in FES Research Activity.”