Flower Essences for Healing, Recovery & the 12 Steps
This post is based on a workshop I taught on Flower Essences for Recovery at the Mandana House in Oakland, CA.
Flower Essences are a form of vibrational or energetic medicine. They address the emotional, mental, and spiritual components of wellness. By connecting the individual to the spirit of Nature, flower essences help awaken the beneficial and healing qualities within us. Flower essence remedies are safe and effective for adults, children, the elderly, animals and plants.
Rescue Remedy/ Five Flower Formula
Crisis: Desert Emergency Formula- Encourage calmness and stability in any time of shock, trauma, stress, or injury. Great for all levels of recovery, whenever in place of extreme stress, transition, or crisis.
Cherry Plum- For fear of nervous breakdown, or losing control of the mind. Helps one to connect and surrender to their Higher Self/Higher Power. (To “Let Go and Let God”.)
Sweet Chestnut- For the “dark night of the soul.” Helps cultivate courage, as well as and faith and trust in a Higher Power/Goddess/God/Spirit World. Indicated when one has reached “rock bottom” in their addiction.
Self-Heal- To connect to one’s innate ability to heal. Helps cultivate a strong sense of wellness. For taking responsibility for one’s healing.
Sacred Datura- For disintegration of a known form of reality. Feeling as if your being/identity is dissolving. To help see beyond one’s present view of reality to a much more expanded state.
Angelica- For connecting with one’s Higher Power/Higher Self, as well as benevolent angels and spirit guides in one’s life.
Centaury- For an unhealthy need to serve or please others, a remedy for those working with co-dependence.
Sticky Monkeyflower- For deep fear of intimacy and sexuality, which can manifest as either sexual addiction or anorexia. Helps build balanced integration of human warmth and sexual intimacy.
California Poppy- For those who are attracted to the glamour of spiritual highs that come from outside of the Self. For addiction to narcotic and hallucinogenic drugs, materialism, and fame. For cultivating a true spirituality centered in one’s heart.
Black-eyed Susan- For penetrating insight into the painful and buried aspects of personality. Cultivates ability to consciously acknowledge all aspects of self, including the “shadow”.
Holly- Remedy for a closed heart. For jealousy, suspicion, anger. Opens the heart, develops compassion.
Willow- For feeling resentful, bitter, like one is a victim. Encourages acceptance and taking personal responsibility for one’s life.
Pine- For guilt and self-blame. Promotes self-acceptance and forgiveness.
Mimulus- For known fears, and shyness. Helps with courage and confidence.
Mariposa Lily- For healing emotional wounds around childhood, especially issues around mother and mothering.
Saguaro Cactus- For feeling powerless, and not trusting one’s inner wisdom. Helps us access our deepest inner wisdom. The “true father” remedy that helps us to empower ourselves.
Scarlet Monkeyflower- For repression and fear of intense emotions, such as rage and powerlessness.
Buttercup- For low self-esteem issues. To cultivate self love, and a knowing of one’s inner beauty.
Wild Oat- For finding one’s true calling and vocation. For developing a life and work that is a true expression of one’s inner values.
California Wild Rose- A remedy for apathy. For enthusiastic love for and service to All Our Relations.
Iris- For creativity and divine inspiration. A remedy for feeling dull and uninspired.
