Flower Essences

I will be adding the following Flower Essences to my perfume: 

Buttercup:
Positive qualities: Radiant inner light, unattached to outer recognition or fame; self-assured
Patterns of imbalance: Feelings of low self-worth, inability to acknowledge or experience one’s inner light and uniqueness; self-deprecating 

Pretty-Face:
Positive qualities: Radiant inner beauty; self-acceptance in relation to personal appearance despite handicaps or blemishes
Patterns of imbalance: Feeling ugly or rejected because of personal appearance; over-identified with physical appearance


Self-Heal:
Positive qualities: Ability to tap into health-giving forces for body and soul; lifestyle choices that lead to wellness and wholeness
Patterns of imbalance: Inability to take inner responsibility for one’s healing, lacking in spiritual motivation for wellness, overly dependent on external advice for health choices

The following is an introduction to Flower Essences by the Flower Essence Society, which is much better than anything I could write!

Flower Essence Repertory by Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz - A Comprehensive Guide to North American and English Flower Essences for Emotional and Spiritual Well-Being

Flower essences are subtle liquid extracts, generally taken in oral form, which are used to address profound issues of emotional well-being, soul development, and mind-body health. While the use of flowers for healing has many ancient antecedents, the precise application of flower essences for specific emotions and attitudes was first developed by an English physician, Dr. Edward Bach, in the 1930’s. Today, flower essences are gaining world-wide professional recognition for their significant contribution to holistic health and wellness programs.

Flower essences are generally prepared from a sun infusion of either wildflowers or pristine garden blossoms in a bowl of water, which is further diluted and potentized, and preserved with brandy. Quality preparation requires careful attention to the purity of the environment, the vibrancy and potency of the blossoms, celestial and meteorological conditions, and sensitive study of the physical and energetic properties of the plant through its cycles of growth.

Although flower essences resemble other health remedies which come in dropper bottles, they do not work because of the chemical composition of the liquid, but because of the life forces derived from the plant and contained within the water-based matrix. Like homeopathic remedies, flower essences are vibrational in nature. They are highly dilute from a physical point of view, but have subtle power as potentized substances, embodying the specific energetic patterns of each flower. Their impact does not derive from any direct bio- chemical interaction within the physiology of the body. Rather, flower essences work through the various human energy fields, which in turn influence mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

The action of flower essences can be compared to the effects we experience from hearing a particularly moving piece of music, or seeing an inspirational work of art. The light or sound waves which reach our senses may evoke profound feelings in our soul, which indirectly affect our breathing, pulse rate, and other physical states. These patterns do not impact us by direct physical or chemical intervention in our bodies. Rather, it is the contour and arrangement of the light or sound which awakens an experience within our own soul similar to that which arose within the soul of the creator of the musical or art form. This is the phenomenon of resonance, as when a guitar string sounds when a matching note is sung. In a similar way, the specific structure and shape of the life forces conveyed by each flower essence resonate with, and awaken, particular qualities within the human soul.

Another model which may be useful in understanding the vibrational resonance of flower essences comes from holography. A holographic photograph consists of light-wave interference patterns, any portion of which contains information from the whole and can be used to re-create the original three-dimensional image. Thus, we can describe the water containing the blossoms as receiving a kind of holographic imprint of the essential qualities of the plant. Each drop of water contains the whole configuration of the plant’s archetype. As we dilute the flower essence, we attenuate the physical substance of the infusion so that it is no longer biochemically significant. However, the full etheric “message” of the plant essence remains in the few highly dilute drops we take into our bodies.

Working with flower essences requires a stretch in our thinking beyond the materialistic assumption that “more is better.” Flower essences, like other vibrational remedies, illustrate the principle that “small is beautiful.” They are part of an emerging field of non-invasive, life-enhancing subtle therapies, which promise to make a major contribution to health care in coming years.

Recipes My Grandmother Gave Me

I’ve been thinking about my grandmother a lot. She taught me so much. I’ve never seen a more positive attitude in my life.

Gogo, as I called her – her real name was Josephine – lived to be 96 years old, and to the day she died she was as beautiful as she ever was, with the most gorgeous skin. Gogo was the person who taught me about skincare. Back when we lived in Texas we would make skincare potions in her kitchen. Here are some masks that we used to make:

For DRY SKIN

Avocado Mask: Mash an Avocado and apply to clean skin. The unsaturated fatty acids will soften your skin and stimulate your skin’s natural oil production. Leave on for 15 minutes and then rinse off with warm water.

Banana Mask: Mash an overripe Banana and apply to clean skin. Bananas are rich in potassium and vitamin A, which are great for dry skin. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

For OILY SKIN

Strawberry Mask: Mix in a blender or stir with a fork: ½ cup of fresh Strawberries, 1 Egg White, and 2 teaspoons of Honey. Strawberries are rich in Salicylic Acid which great for acne. The honey is very hydrating while being antibacterial. Leave on face and neck for 20 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Cucumber Mask: Mix with a blender or fork ½ cup Plain, Organic Yogurt and ½ cup grated Cucumbers. Cucumbers are mildly astringent, calm redness, and reduce puffiness. Yogurt is full of protein, calcium and vitamins, and softens your skin amazingly. Apply to face and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse of with cool water.

For NORMAL SKIN:

Oatmeal Mask: Mix all ingredients into a smooth paste: ½ cup cooked Oatmeal, 1 Egg, 1 tablespoon Almond Oil. Oatmeal is rich magnesium, protein, iron, and silicon. It is super softening and very gentle. Eggs are full of protein, and Almond Oil is a very light, penetrating oil, full of antioxidants. Apply to clean skin and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Carrot Mask: Mix ¼ cup grated Carrot with 1½ teaspoons Organic Mayonnaise. Carrots are exfoliating, hydrating and full of pro-vitamin A and beta-carotene, while Mayonnaise has oil (hydrating), eggs (full of protein and lecithin), and Vinegar, which balances your skin’s pH. Apply to clean skin and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Gogo is with me everyday. I remember her smile and her laugh, which reminded me of bells. She met the challenges in her life head-on. When she was 29 she contracted polio, while pregnant, and was hospitalized in an iron lung for a whole year. She learned to walk with only the use of a cane when they told her it was impossible. When she was 40 she was widowed. To make a living, she chaperoned groups of girls on trips to Europe. In the ‘70s she moved down to Mexico from Texas. She loved it there. Back then it was rather primitive compared to the United States. It was a long trip to visit her; a three-hour drive from Mexico City on roads frequented by bandits. She had no problem driving herself around. (I would pity any banditos who tried to mess with her). She was a lovable maverick. I miss her terribly.

Natural Perfumery

I started making natural perfume after reading Mandy Aftel's book Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume, which is one of the best books on Natural Perfumery out there. I was inspired. I fell in love with it. Natural Perfumery is an art; an alchemical and sensory experience like no other. The creation of a natural perfume evolves, it takes you on a journey, so that you never know what the end result will be. It's a meditation, a dream.

There are less ethereal reasons why I got into Natural Perfumery. Commercial perfumes are full of toxic chemicals, like phthalates, which are solvents that extend the staying power of perfume. They have been shown to harm the liver, kidneys, and lungs, along with the reproductive system. They are easily absorbed through the skin. Commercial perfumes also have synthetic fragrance oils rather than pure essential oils; fragrance oils just smell lousy to me, overbearing and chemically. I love pure essential oils and I search far and wide to find the most beautiful rose, jasmine, bergamot, etc.

Now when I smell commercial, mass-market perfumes, I am overpowered and I get headaches. Natural perfume is never overpowering, it lasts as long as it lasts, two hours or so. It develops on the skin from top notes to base notes. If you want it to last longer, you reapply it.

I love every aspect of making natural perfume. It is a transcendent experience that takes me out of myself into a world of sensory discovery.

Reinventing Valentine's Day

I absolutely love Valentine's Day now that I'm in my 40s. I could care less if I have a date. In fact, I prefer to be without one, as my experience with men on this "holiday" has never been stellar. Even the most loving guys I've dated have felt that doing anything romantic on Valentine's Day was an onerous duty; they would much rather have escaped into their man-caves until it was over.

Of course, I used to get upset by this attitude, and would use it to feel sorry for myself, or let it affect my self-esteem. When I turned 40, however, I made a conscious choice to turn the day around for myself, and it has made a big difference in how I approach it.

Now I share the love with my parents, my sister, brother, and nieces and nephews. I send silly cards. The night of Valentine's Day is spent with my girlfriends. We laugh and get hilarious, tell stories of love gone bad, and love gone good. We eat chocolate and drink champagne, but mostly we share the sisterhood; we celebrate our ability to be vulnerable with one another without judgement. There are no substitutes for my girlfriends. I can count on them, and they can count on me.

And as far as men are concerned? I love men! But now that I love myself, I believe I will attract the right relationship with someone who will be loving no matter what day it is.

I guess that's what it's really about for me. Being able to show that I care, and that I'm there for the people I love. Giving beats receiving every time.

Check out out Valentine's Day Skin Care Collections! We'll be adding new ones daily. We have one for every price range, and we even have one for men.