by Patricia Kaminski

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) is one of the oldest FES essences, already rising to prominence in the early 1980s. For example, Dr. Lauren DeRock, DVM, reported that Red Clover produced a remarkable calming effect in her spay clinic. She even conducted an informal single blind study, observing that the group of animals who did not receive Red Clover exhibited far more symptoms of stress and agitation.

I  had a profound “Red Clover moment” in September 1988, when the “Forty-Niner Fire” swept through Nevada County, California and threatened to consume our property. My heart was pounding as I raced pall-mall to gather belongings. As items fell out of my hands and I nearly tripped, I remembered the Red Clover flower essence in the kitchen. (I had recently used it to help a trapped wild animal.) Almost from the moment of taking the remedy, I could feel a response in my heart and then throughout the wildly rushing blood coursing through my body. Within a minute or two, my breathing returned to a more normal rhythm. I could think and observe more clearly and calmly. I noted that the prevailing winds outside were shifting and I knew with inner certainty that the fire had turned course. This was confirmed shortly afterwards through official means. But even if the fire had continued to approach, I know that I would have been able to act with far greater equanimity after using the Red Clover flower essence.

The Red Clover Plant Signature: A Marriage of Air & Fire

Red Clover belongs to the Legume family of plants. This family is highly attenuated to the air element, with a particular ability of these plants to draw nitrogen (the major component of air) into the earth, thus acting as a natural fertilizer for the soil. This signature of air expresses itself in differing ways throughout the Legume family. One finds air-filled seed pods and other inflated cavities; many members (like the Sweet Pea) have spacious spreading, opening and closing movements in their tendrils and blossoms, or profound sensitivity to light, wind or contact.

A striking example is the Mimosa tree, with leaves that immediately curl inward when touched.

A notable feature of this family is its blossoms with their bilateral symmetry rather than the radial symmetry of most flowers. Bilateral symmetry of form belongs to animals and humans, giving them more expressive faces and other “soul” or astral features. The Legume family is characterized by its proclivity to make connection with this “anima” or soul-astral sensitivity in its entire make-up. Even the nutritional protein content of many Legume members such as beans and peas, resembles that of animal protein.

The flower head of the Red Clover is a global inflorescence of many tiny flowers all clustered together, whereas most flowers within this family are quite singular and distinct. It is as though the “individuality” of the flower is subsumed in the group identity of the flower head, which appears as a kind of flame. Even the unique marking of the chevron on its leaves suggests the upward ascent of a flame. The chevron is related to the ancient alchemical symbol for the ascending forces of fire and air. Thus the symbol of the chevron is also found with similar meaning on military shields and uniforms, and other heraldry such as the coat of arms; it is also known in Scandinavia as a sparre; closely related to the English word of “spear.”

A Renowned Herbal Healer for Blood Circulation & Heart Balance

While called “Red” Clover – the color is not the bright classic red one might expect. Rather it is a magenta-hued red, suffused with purple, indicating a cooling, containing and calming quality. Indeed, the healing action of Red Clover is that of a “tamed flame” in which air and fire forces are balanced and re-directed. In this way, we can understand its role as a blood cleanser and heart healer in traditional herbalism. The natural affinity for Legume plants toward movement and air is further directed in the Red Clover toward the fire element of the circulating blood.  It becomes a healing force in the metabolism, mitigating excess heat and agitation, and re-energizing the healthy flow of blood so that waste product can be eliminated. In a similar manner, this estrogen-rich herb works to re-balance feminine hormonal fire when the menstrual blood ceases to flow. It is especially efficacious for alleviating the  “misdirected blood and heat” symptoms of menopause, such as heart palpitations, hot flashes, night sweats and accompanying feelings of restlessness, unease and anxiety.

Red Clover Flower Essence: Centering the “I” Forces within Heart & Blood

When Red Clover works at the level of a flower essence, these healing qualities of fire and movement are directed to the soul identity itself. It is within the warmth of the blood that the “I” or I-dentity of the individuality resides. The healthy “I” must know itself from within itself. This is reflected even within the structure of language, for the word “I” can only be used with reference to oneself. At the same time, each of us exists within a myriad of other familial, cultural and environmental identities that can impinge on the internal clarity of our core I-dentity. This is what happens with the onset of panic during a natural disaster, as destructive environmental forces impinge around us; or during social upheaval when waves of collective fear, paranoia or shock move through a crowd of people around us. During these times, we lose connection to our own solid core of Self and especially to our own calm inner knowing. The heart loses its natural rhythmic harmony and blood courses chaotically through us, subsumed in an astral conflagration of fear, panic and anxiety. It is Red Clover that restores a calm “I-knowing” within the heart and blood, thus helping to re-instate the sense of Self that has been disrupted.

Pandemic Panic and Related Stress: The Calming Ability of Red Clover

During these challenging times when humanity is experiencing a world-wide pandemic, as well as many natural disasters and social upheavals, Red Clover has never been more important. For example, Dr. Mark Wells of Melbourne, Australia, regards Red Clover flower essence as a primary remedy for the first stage of treating all his clients dealing with pandemic stress “…to protect them from the hysteria, and not to get sucked into the panic.” He finds that Red Clover enables them to “carry on with their lives and still have some autonomy…remain a little calmer and keep to what they were trying to achieve.”

Many people report using Red Clover flower essence with Five-Flower Formula (Dr. Bach’s original remedy for stress and trauma) for a more comprehensive effect. For example, B.N. of San Diego, California noted struggling with “palpable fear and anxiety” as the pandemic escalated. Her therapist muscle-tested both essences as beneficial for her. B.N. then found she was able to “stay neutral and not absorb the stress, fear and anxiety” surrounding her.

A further important development of the Red Clover is its main role in the Fear-Less Formula, blended with other calming and stabilizing flower essences and essential oils to address the constitutional tendency toward fear, panic, anxiety, restless agitation or disturbed sleep accompanied by anxiety.

Discover more about the following flower essences and formulas here:

Red Clover Flower Essence

Five-Flower Formula

Fear-Less Formula

Red Clover Flower Essence: Differences and Similarities with Related Flower Essences

(Note: the flower essences below can certainly be used with Red Clover flower, but it is helpful to know their distinct qualities and modes of action.)

California Valerian – Both flower essences help to quell anxiety. However, California Valerian works to clear the kind of anxiety that predominates in the mental field and its consequent effects on the nervous system. In these cases, debilitating anxiety is associated with strong mental pictures about future events that are interpreted with foreboding or related negative outcomes. By contrast, the Red Clover state is one of immediate overwhelm in present time. Panic and anxiety arise due to the intense swirl of forces around one that disrupt the clear thinking and knowing of the core Self.

Green Rose – The Green Rose and Red Clover both work on profound states of fear from forces that one feels to be arising outside oneself. The Green Rose stimulates compassionate qualities within the heart that need to find new understanding and embrace of what one interprets as “other” and therefore arouses fear. By contrast, the Red Clover calls upon the core forces of the Self-identity to be more present and empowered when negative or destructive forces from the environment or social culture impinge.

Lavender – Both flower essences instill calming qualities. In the case of Lavender, the nerves are depleted and frayed from over-stimulation of the mental forces. Lavender helps those who are “cooler” tempered – they are more inclined to spiritual or cerebral activities rather than social ones. They tend toward nervous depletion due to strong use of higher forces and therefore need adequate rest and relaxation. On the other hand, the Red Clover type is typically far more involved socially and is generally more active and expressive. Their disposition is warmer, to the point of becoming overly-inflamed and lacking in grounding when events around them swirl out of control.

Rock Rose – Red Clover and Rock Rose both provide strong grounding and centering forces in times of extreme stress. The Rock Rose provides sun-like strength that helps one encounter adversarial situations with new forces of courage. With Rock Rose it is a matter of coming up “against” challenging forces and transforming or taming them. With Red Clover it is a matter of re-claiming one’s core identity, or Sense of Self so that one is not subsumed by destructive outer forces. Thereby, one re-establishes a center of calm and clarity and can think and act freely.

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