The Basics

What are Flower Essences?

Flower essences are gentle yet powerful liquid infusions of flowers, generally taken orally from glass dropper bottles, which assist in the support and healing of emotional and spiritual imbalances, which often underlie behavior and health problems. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and have no side effects or contraindications with other medications.

For centuries, the healing properties of plants have been used in various forms to support the physical, emotional and spiritual health of humans and animals: Herbs and herbal tinctures are typically used to support physical health, using any or all parts of plants including leaves, roots, stems and sometimes flowers. Essential oils, often utilizing our sense of smell to heal, are also created using various parts of plants. Flower essences are different from both of these in that only the flower of the plant is utilized and the physical flowers are actually removed after solarizing in a bowl of water--so there is no physical plant matter in flower essence--just the healing energy of the flower. There is no scent, and they assist primarily with the healing of emotional and spiritual imbalances, versus the physical. Each quite powerful in their ability to heal.

We are very fortunate to be living in a time when many hundreds of flower essences are available for our use. Though Dr. Edward Bach pioneered the use of the well known Bach flower essences in the 1930’s in England, in more recent years dozens of others have developed flower essences in various parts of the world. Because I have studied the essences from FES, Perelandra, Desert Alchemy, I tend to recommend them the most. All of the English essences typically known as “Bach remedies”, are also available from FES in their Healingherbs line.

When to Take Flower Essences

In emergency or crisis situations For conscious, temporary symptom relief For specific situational support For healing root causes of long term issues

Dilution and Dosage Bottles

The flower essences that are co-created by nature and humans are called Mother Essences. These are typically not for sale. The flower essence bottles we buy are diluted one level down from the Mother Essences and are called stock bottles or concentrate bottles.

Flower essences can be taken either directly from this stock or concentrate level, or, can be diluted one more level to what is called a dosage level:

This would include when we place drops in our animals' water bowls, or in our own water bottles.

We can also place four drops each of several essences into a glass dropper bottle filled with spring water and preservative (brandy, apple cider vinegar, or vegetable glycerin). This is called a dosage bottle.

An essence should be diluted only one level from the stock or concentrate bottle to remain effective.

Sacred preparation of the Shooting Star Mother Essence, co-created in the Sierra Nevada mountains during the FES practitioner program in 1989. Shooting Star is a profoundly healing essence for animals and humans who feel alienated and not at home on earth. It helps us find our sense of belonging on earth and comfortable participation in earthly life.