Flower Essences are used to help transform emotions, attitudes and patterns of behaviour which hinder the person's full development or potential.

The Spring Essences are used to help with emotional growth and transformation.

For each Flower Essence there is a negative mental state, and its corresponding positive aspect.

Opening and Unfolding

As you look at the Spring Flowers, you will find a gradual progression of flowers used, from "beginning to open and unfold" with the Anemone, and "discovering and expressing one's wholeness" with the Azalea.

The flowers that follow represent in many ways the path that an individual pursues on the way to personal development

 

Camellias are on the whole about fear of changing, and fear of making the necessary changes for further development.

Clematis is for the ability to flourish in the present.

Daffodils are for different aspects of bringing energy, joy and enthusiasm into one's life.

Rhododendrons are to do with the issues of presenting oneself clearly to others in the three ages of man, or woman — in youth, maturity and old age.

Flower Essences for Specific Situations

There are also a number of Flower Essences for specific situations and of course any of the Flower Essences can be used in any order or in any combination.

Daphne is for a situation where there are constant or long-term responsibilities, to help balance these with an all-round balance of activities, and Plum is for when one is disheartened after seemingly futile effort, to give enthusiasm to continue, and eventually claim the fruit of one's endeavours.

Grape Hyacinth and Hyacinth represent destructive relationships as seen from both the male and female viewpoints. So Grape Hyacinth for when there has been an abuse of one's power, and Hyacinth for when one has allowed oneself to be used for a false sense of security.

Of course, these are not the only situations when these Flower Essences can be used — for example early on I used Hyacinth for an adolescent boy. It is more that the essence of the Flower Essence must be matched to the essences of the person.

Flower Photographs

The photographs can be used as a reference to the Flower Essence, as an aid for choosing which Flower Essence to use, to increase the practitioner's attunement to the Flower Essence, or as a meditation aid. Some people have commented that they can have some of the effect of the flower itself, and its Flower Essence, by just looking at the photo.

Indications for Personal Growth

The wording of the indications has been specially chosen to give as much depth and resonance to their meaning as possible, and there are many references, illusions and indeed puns in the wording.

For instance the Primrose, "to develop one's true image", as all written in photographic jargon, and if you look at the photograph itself you will find that I never did manage to get that flower in focus! Similarly the White Magnolia (Magnolia denudata), for "delicate flowering of femininity", is really about the stage in young woman's life when deflowering occurs.

As well as the individual use of words, most of the indications can be used in their own right as therapeutic tools. So in most cases for the Spring Flowers there is a negative condition mentioned, then a transformative key, and then a positive outcome, which is really the initial problem in its transformed state. One example of this Maple: "For when one is subject to swinging moods and emotions. So that one may pull a balance into the various aspects of one's being, and so provide a framework for positive emotions and behaviour."

I hope that in this way there are many keys to personal progress just sitting in the pamphlets waiting for people's discovery.

Parallels with Bach Flowers