Grey Spider Flower

Grey Spider Flower image from ausflowers

The Grey Spider Flower, or grevillia buxifolia, provides an essence of great value. The plant is used in gardening, and can withstand both drought and a degree of frost. Yet many find the appearance of this flower ugly or even frightening; indeed the spidery shape suggests a kind of primordial fear.

However, similar to attraction, revulsion indicates a vibrational connection. This means the essence can help a person who hates the image as much as the one who finds it attractive. One good way of working with the Australian Bush Flower cards is to make up a combination remedy of the flowers the client is most and least drawn to.

Associated with the soul and astral planes, the Grey Spider Flower essence can move the mind away from terror and panic in the direction of faith and courage. The remedy is useful to combat terror arising from nightmares, panic and psychic attack.

Green Spider Orchid

Image from ausflowers

The botanical name of this Australian orchid is caladenia dilatata. The essence made from the the Green Spider Orchid, or green comb, is of benefit to those seeking higher learnings and deeper insights. It may be used by spiritual teachers to attune themselves psychically, not only to other humans but to other living beings.

It may happen that people have nightmares or terrors from past lives, and in these cases, this essence is beneficial too. Green Spider Orchid supports the Brow or Third Eye Chakra, and is associated with the mental and astral planes.

You have chosen to remember, says James Blanchard Cisneros

Cover image from Barnes and Noble

Part memoir and part manual, this book lays out practical strategies for those motivated to expand inner peace.

Venezuelan-American James Blanchard Cisneros also explains "soul families," and why we sometimes feel a sense of recognition of someone we are meeting for the first time. The human race is one, and Cisneros reminds us to behave accordingly, not getting caught up in the machinations of ego.

He also tackles such challenging topics as what happens to the soul in case of suicide, miscarriage, abortion and sudden accidental death. He even provides some explanation of what happens after we die and reach "the other side." Overall, an interesting read.

Fringed Violet

Image from ausflowers

The botanical name for the Fringed Violet is thysanotus tuberosus. In Greek thysanotos means fringed, and tuberosis refers to the tuberous roots of the plant. This lovely essence is used mainly for psychic protection. It can be resorted to where there has been abuse or attack, also sudden shock or grief. This essence benefits those who tend to absorb people's physical and emotional imbalances and consequently lose their energy to others.

The Fringed Violet supports the Heart Chakra and is associated with the astral and etheric planes.

Freshwater Mangrove

Image of Freshwater Mangrove from ausflowers

Freshwater Mangrove essence is made from barringtonia acutangula. Related to the Brazil nut, this tree grows near water. It is also called the Indian oak. Known in Sanskrit as Hija or Hijala, it has long been used in traditional  Ayurvedic medicine. The name of the fruit can be translated as nurse's fruit.

This remedy supports the Root Chakra and Crown Chakras. It is very beneficial for those who want to open themselves to new experiences. It strengthens our willingness to question received beliefs and old prejudices which are inaccurate and inappropriate.

Flannel Flower

Flannel flower image from ausflowers

As its name suggests, the soft fuzzy Flannel Flower begs to be touched. The botanical name is actinotus helianthi. It is a useful remedy for people, usually men, who feel uncomfortable being touched, or who fear intimacy in general. The remedy promotes open expression of feelings and the ability to enjoy physical activity as well as sensitive touching. It supports the Sacral and Throat Chakras and is associated with the soul and astral planes.

Five Corners

Five Corners image from lightgrid

The Australian Flower Essence Five Corners essence is made from a flower called styphelia triflora. The plant is a kind of heather, and the scented flowers are followed by fruit. From a certain point of view, this five-cornered flower suggests the human form with head and spread limbs, as the picture shows. The virtue of the Five Corners remedy is to combat low self-esteem and a tendency to hold oneself back. It promotes self-acceptance and celebration of unique individual strengths.

This essence expands the ability to see one's own beauty and experience physical and bodily joy. It strengthens the Solar Plexus Chakra and is associated with the causal, emotional and physical layers of the aura.

Dog Rose of the Wild Forces

Image from ausflowers

Made from baueria sessiflora, or Grampians Bauera, Dog Rose of the Wild Forces essence brings relief to those suffering from strong emotions over which they fear losing control. It promotes a calm, centred feeling, even in the midst of turmoil. By supporting the Base Chakra, this essence returns the person to a state of emotional balance. It is associated with causal, astral and etheric subtle energy bodies.

Dog Rose

Image from doc-nature.com

The Dog Rose, Bauera rubioides, is a remedy for nervousness and fear. It grows near water, which symbolizes strong emotion. In Chinese medicine, Australian Bush Flower Essences creator Ian White, water is associated with the kidney meridian.

This essence can help children overcome bed-wetting and is also beneficial to those suffering from nightmares.

Because insomnia and compulsive eating are associated with fear, these conditions can also be helped by taking this essence. Unresolved grief is another indication for the remedy, and Dog Rose can even be used to soothe the fear of injured animals.

When fear blocks the flow of life force, we lose access to energy and vitality, and are prevented from giving and receiving love. Dog Rose supports the Solar Plexus Chakra, allaying anxiety and instilling confidence. It is associated with the causal, astral and etheric bodies.

One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson

Cover image from About.com

This is one of Atkinson's Jackson Brodie novels. The protagonist, ex-army, ex-police, ex-sleuth, and bundle of contradictions is now divorced and retired. Predictably, he stumbles on trouble at the Edinburgh Festival, where his girl friend, Julia, is acting in a play.

A frequently hilarious and madly exaggerated genre romp with a crime wave that puts Jackson's "having a bad day stakes," through the roof, this novel also contains realistic characters and scenes and philosophical riffs on the human condition.

Zany jokes and slapstick scenes alternate with moments of touching  poignancy. As in the works of Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith, Edinburgh comes alive as a setting that is practically a character.

The reader of this novel cannot help but speculate about the feelings of this brilliant writer doing genre fiction. Like her novelist character Martin Canning, would she perhaps prefer to be working on something "more serious?"

And indeed she has. Her most recent opus, Life After Life, is a historical novel that spans and pans the 20th century. It won the Costa Award and the 2014 International Booksellers IBW Award. 

When her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Prize, fellow fiction writer Hilary Mantel was justifiably outraged in the London Review of Books when the Guardian used a headline that not only failed to mention Atkinson by name, but undermined the writer and the book.

Regardless of past reviews, I'll be reading that book, along with all Atkinson's other work. Besides being a great storyteller, she's a wicked social commentator and a comic genius.

Dagger Hakea

Image of Dagger Hakea from ausflowers

The essence is made from the barbed Dagger Hakea, or Hakea teretifolia. The leaves, shaped like sharp daggers, suggest the resentments we carry, often unconsciously, against old lovers or close family members. The remedy brings relief from this hidden negativity. Dagger Hakea supports the Heart Chakra and is associated with the Mental and Emotional planes.

Crowea

Image of Crowea from the unified field

The Australian Bush flower essence Crowea is a useful remedy for those feeling out of balance. It alleviates the unfortunate tendency to continuously look for the next thing to worry about. By releasing worry, the person can find greater vitality and achieve inner peace. This essence is also good for digestion; it helps balance the acid/alkaline balance in the stomach.

Made from Crowea saligna, this essence supports the Solar Plexus Chakra and is associated with the Emotional and Astral planes.

Christmas Bell

Christmas Bell image from ausflowers

This essence is helpful to those who believe in scarcity and have difficulty maintaining stewardship over their own resources. Instead of focusing on lack, a person needs to be grateful for abundant blessings; this attitude also helps manifest desired outcomes.

The botanical name of Christmas Bell is Blandfordia nobilis.

Bush Iris

Image of Bush Iris from ausflowers

The essence of patersonia longifolia, the Bush Iris, supports the Base and Brow Chakras and is associated with the Soul Plane. This essence supports awakening spirituality and alleviates the fear of death. Bush Iris can help promote trust and move an individual away from unhealthy attitudes including materialism and avarice, as well as resistance to spirituality.

Bush Gardenia

Image of Bush Gardenia from ausflowers

The Bush Gardenia, or gardenia megasperma, is often referred to as the relationship essence. This wild flower, native to northern Australia, has a delightfully sensuous perfume.

The essence improves communication, and thus relationships, not only between couples, but between parents and children. It also promotes a better relationship with the self.

Bush Gardenia essence supports the Sacral Chakra, and is associated with the Mental, Emotional and Astral bodies.

Bush Fuchsia

Image from ausflowers

The Bush Fuchsia, Epacris longiflora, is a beautiful bell-shaped flower, rich red with a white tip.

Its essence is beneficial for stutterers and those nervous about public speaking. It balances the two hemispheres of the brain, as well as the male and female aspects of the personality.

It also connects individuals with their natural intuition and allows them to trust gut feelings. This remedy benefits the Throat and Brow Chakras, and is associated with the Causal and Etheric bodies.

Bottlebrush

Image from ausflowers

Bottlebrush or Callistemon linearis is a member of the myrtle family and is associated with the Sacral Chakra and the Mental and Physical planes.

The virtue of the bottlebrush is to assist with major life transitions, including marriage, childbirth, moving house or job, menopause, and retirement.

This remedy also helps in accommodating the subtler changes that accompany the natural seven-year cycles of our lives. Bottle Brush essence helps us to flow through the changes that life brings, allowing us to let go of the past and move forward to experience new things.

Physically, it acts on the large intestine to open this important channel of elimination. It can also help with pain relief in general, and is thus sometimes used with the combination Emergency Essence (a combination of Angelsword, Crowea, Dog Rose of the Wild Forces, Fringed Violet, Grey Spider Flower, Sundew and Waratah.)

Boronia

Boronia image from ausflowers

Boronia (Boronia ledifolia) is a great remedy for resolving stuck thoughts and obsessions. It helps us to peacefully allow others to be who they are, and promotes mental clarity and focus. Associated with the Mental plane, it supports the seat of expression, the Throat Chakra. To help combat addictive behaviour patterns, Boronia  can be combined with Bottle Brush.

Boab

Image from ausflowers

Once dismissed as mere emergency "bush tucker," the boab tree has many nutritious edible parts, including the root. Young boab roots are now being cultivated in Australia and sold as gourmet food.

The flower of the Boab tree has the virtue of clearing negative family patterns, and the one who takes it is aided in moving away from limiting and dysfunctional behaviours.

In families, emotional baggage can be passed from one generation to the next. The Boab remedy helps resolve destructive family history, allowing the person to lay down burdens caused by old unhealthy coping strategies.

The tree grows in an interesting way. A circle of younger trees surround the main trunk, and these commonly merge into the adult bole. The trunk of the Boab, also called the bottle tree, holds fresh water. Water symbolizes emotion, and the Boab remedy can resolve deeply enmeshed emotions.

The fragrance of the Boab resembles that of the tuberose. The remedy is beneficial for those who are victims of prejudice, persecution and abuse. A spray can be made of this essence which is useful in clearing a space of negativity. To such a spray, Angelsword may be added to counteract heavier energies from darker sources.

Boab supports the Root or Base Chakra, and is associated with the Mental, Astral and Etheric planes.

Line drying interrupted by a welcome attack of rain

After many days of hot dry weather, I felt safe hanging the laundry on the clothes line late last night.

But the weather changed before morning. Uh-oh, I thought, when I heard the sound of rain on the roof. But at least the garden will be happy.

Anyway, even wet with rain, the bright towels look pretty hanging out. Guess I'll just have to leave them there till the weather improves.

Bluebell

Image from ausflowers

The Bluebell. a member of the Campanulaceae family, is the classic Australian Bush Flower remedy for opening the heart. It aids those who have cut themselves off from their feelings.

This coping strategy assumes that good feelings are limited. Those who need Bluebell try to hold onto positive emotions, for fear they will run out.

When emotions remain unexpressed, the individual is at risk for heart attack, and cardiac wards are full of people who are finally shedding tears and releasing their long pent-up emotions. Indeed, this crying, says Ian White, improves the prognosis following heart attacks.

Bluebell also helps people who are so afraid of lack that they remain unwilling to let go of their possessions, even those they no longer need. A shorthand reminder for those who need Bluebell is that "Love is Letting go of Fear." This remedy is associated with the Mental plane and the Heart Chakra. It is also beneficial for circulation.

Bluebells often grow under trees, and in spring their bloom creates a carpet of brilliant blue.

The picture on the right, from TrekEarth, shows what a bluebell woods looks like in County Down, Ireland.

Black-eyed Susan

Image of Black-eyed Susan from ausflowers

In North America, when we hear the name Black-eyed Susan, we think of yellow flowers. However, the Australian version (tetratheca erisifolia) is purple, and it is from this flower that Ian White's Bush Flower Essence is made.

This remedy is used to combat a condition of extreme impatience and constant striving. After taking it, the person is able to slow down, look inward and relax into a more balanced and peaceful state. In other words, it's great for those with Type A personalities.

It can also be taken by those under the pressure of great demands from outside, or in situations where people are too busy because they are unwilling to delegate work to others.

Black-eyed Susan, a great remedy for stress, has the ability to return the person to his or her natural rhythm and Inner Self.

Billy Goat Plum

Image from ausflowers

Depending on climate, the Billy Goat Plum (also called the Kakadu plum, murunga or gubinge) can be a small spreading shrub or a large tree. The form of the fragrant flower is unusual; numerous long stamens rise out of an attractively coloured base. The Aborigines, with their ancient knowledge of plant material, employed the bark to treat burns, boils and sores. The roots, when soaked in water, were used to relieve itchy rashes on the skin.

In contemporary culture, people are often fed the idea that certain aspects of their bodies, such as flawed skin, are ugly, unclean or disgusting. This remedy relieves feelings of physical shame and revulsion that may accompany eczema, psoriasis or any bodily discharge that is perceived as unpleasant.

In short, this remedy aids people who must learn not only to accept but to delight in the physical body; in a similar way, it helps to promote open-mindedness.

It is associated with the Sacral Chakra and the Mental and Physical planes.

Bauhinia

Image of Bauhinia from ausflowers

The Bauhinia, widespread in Australia, has also been called the Bohemia Tree, botanical name Lysiphillum cunninghamii. This honours the botanist Allan Cunningham, a protege of Sir Joseph Banks of Kew Gardens fame. A relative of the citrus trees, Bauhinia has an interesting use: it can help people to come to terms with those who irritate them. It is also beneficial for those who rigidly resist change.

Associated with the Mental and Astral planes, the Bauhinia remedy supports the Throat and Heart chakras nnd opens the mind to acceptance of other beliefs and ways of doing things.

Banksia Robur, or Swamp Banksia

Image from ausflowers

This plant gets its name from the well-known botanist and plant collector Sir Joseph Banks. Found near creek banks, it can be used to infuse an energizing bath as well as taken in drop form.

The remedy is uplifting for those who feel drained, disheartened, or frustrated. It renews interest, enthusiasm and enjoyment of life.

The Australian Bush Flower Essences are associated with specific chakras; this one supports the Base or Root Chakra. Energetically, it is related to Soul, Astral and Etheric bodies.

Angelsword

Image from ausflowers

A type of Lobelia, Angelsword grows as a native annual all over Australia. What is the meaning of the interesting and ambiguous name? Angel's word, or angel sword? Possibly both. Angelsword, an important Australian Bush Essence, cuts through to the inner knowing we apprehend with heart and intuition. It's associated with the Brow Chakra and the Soul, Etheric, Mental and Astral energy bodies.

This essence also helps disconnect outmoded energetic cords that persist between individuals and function in an unhealthy way. Cords can allow one person to constantly drain the energy of the other to replenish his or her own. 

Alpine Mint Bush

Image from ausflowers

Australian herbalist Ian White first made up this remedy in the skiing area of New South Wales, the Snowy Mountains. It also grows in Tasmania. Alpine Mint Bush is a spreading shrub of the Labitae family that gives off a calming and uplifting scent. By working on the emotional and mental levels, this essence can prevent physical exhaustion.

A great remedy for the many aging baby boomers, this essence has the virtue of rejuvenating those who take care of others. This group includes health practitioners and those responsible for making decisions that affect others, as well as well as those on 24-hour call while taking care of their own family members. It can be a great help to those in danger of burnout.

The essence is helpful for those who find it difficult to set boundaries. It is associated with the Mental and Astral energy bodies and the Crown Chakra.

Flowers of the Australian Bush

Bantam edition 1991 image from ausflowers.com

In 1991, Australian naturopath Ian White published his first book on Australian Bush Flower essences. The work was the culmination of years of research. For complex geographical reasons, Australian plants are quite unique, and this native son, a descendant of generations of botanical remedy enthusiasts, spent years tramping through the bush, seeking plants to heal the body, mind and spirit.

Our era is witness to the rapid development of a variety of new healing modalities. In his introduction, White speaks of the crossroads of human history that we now occupy. He considers the bush essences he has discovered to be "among the major keys that will enable us to advance."

The original fifty essences, as explained in the book, generated a great deal of interest. The volume was reissued yearly until 1998, and also published in Auckland, Toronto, London and New York. Dr. White has now produced a companion volume, Bush Flower Healing, which provides more information on the original remedies, as well as the applications of the newer ones.

Along with the descriptions of the remedies themselves, White relates tales of some of his plant hunting expeditions into the remote corners of his homeland. One detail that struck me was the fact that the Australian bush gives out a unique fragrance detectable some way out to sea.

As I study the nature and power of these vibrational healing essences in the coming weeks, as part of my learning process I will be posting information about each of the bush flower remedies. Meanwhile, Ian White's first book makes fascinating reading.