“And every fair and every good
Known in part or known impure
To men below,
In their archetypes endure.”

From Celestial Love by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Archetypes are universal forces originating at the highest levels of creation to shape the physical world of nature as well as the human soul. Larger than a single "thing," they are the prototypes or patterns that emanate from the spiritual world and are revealed in symbols, images and gestures. Flowers are an exquisite expression of these archetypal forces. The unique forms, colors, aromas and textures of each flower are larger than any single part—each flower emanates an over-arching quality. It is these archetypal forces that transcend physical chemistry and are to be found in the unique healing pattern of each flower essence.

One of the aims of the FES certification program is to help each student come into greater awareness of archetypal reality, both in the language and images of the soul, and in the larger soul expressions of Nature. The ability to become articulate in this language is fundamental to practitioner skill in flower essence therapy. A core assignment involves exploration of an archetype that can be clearly evidenced in visual art, literature, film, human biography or larger culture, and how this archetype is reflected in the context of a particular flower archetype.