The Magical Gifts of Flowers – How to Make an Essence

Summer becomes a time to work on ourselves and our ability to be the light even when it seems uncertain. This is the rhythm of nature and mother nature is in full bloom right now, gifting us with an abundance of vibrant, precious flowers. Flowers are like magical gifts from the Divine and can help to support us in many ways. One way is through flower essences and this is an amazing time of year to make your own. 

“Flowers don’t tell, they show.” Stephanie Skeem

“Flowers, more fleeting, more ethereal, and more delicate than the plants out of which they emerged, would become like messengers from another realm, like a bridge between the world of physical forms and the formless.” Eckhart Tolle

What is a Flower Essence?

A Flower essence is a subtle energetic medicine made of highly diluted infusions of fresh wildflower blossoms and spring water mixed with a preservative.

What Flower Essences Can Do:

Support changes in emotional and soul patterns

• Amplify our emotions and physical awareness
• Attune us to nature
• Help to develop a clear path and direction in life 
• Enhance creativity
• Help us to better understand relationships in our lives
• Result in a renewed connection to spirit

What Flower Essences Don’t Do:

Prevent, alleviate, or cure disease. Flower essences are not a substitute for medical or mental health care. If you have a concern, talk to a licensed professional. Flower essences are very safe for any age and can complement other protocols or medicine that is being taken.

How to Make an Essence:

Take a flower essence for at least 28 days to release an emotional or soul pattern. It can take a month for every year the issue has been with you, but everyone and every situation is different.

Flower essences are usually taken by mouth. They can also be sprayed in a room, dropped into a bath, or added to a cream or oil for topical application.

When taking an essence, drink plenty of water and incorporate regular self-awareness exercises such as meditation, journaling, or drawing.

An essence can cause physical or emotional discomfort. Physically, you may experience short lived discomfort such as fatigue, rash, changes in sleep patterns, nausea or headaches. You may experience a strong emotional or mental perspective that intensifies your awareness of an attitude or belief.

What You Will Need to Make a Flower Essence:

• A medium sized clear glass or crystal bowl
• Spring water
• One large dark glass bottle (for mixing the essence with the preservative)
• Chopsticks (to take the flowers off the surface of the water when the essence is done)
• Preservative: Brandy, Apple cider vinegar or Vegetable glycerin
• Note: Using apple cider vinegar or vegetable glycerin instead of alcohol will shorten the shelf life of your essence to one year and this should be stored in the fridge. 
• An essence made with alcohol can be stored for six to ten years.

How to make a flower essence:

• Start in the morning on a sunny day
• Fill your bowl with spring water
• Gather your flowers. Gather flowers you recognize and are known to be safe. Only pick flowers you recognize, can name, and know to be edible.
• Place your flowers face up on the surface of the spring water, covering the entire surface.
• Place the bowl in direct sunlight avoiding any shadows, including your own.
• The essence of the flowers will be infused into the water through the sun’s energy.
• After three to four hours, skim the flowers off the water using chopsticks (So as not to add your own energy into the essence.)
• The water left in the bowl is now the “mother essence.” 
• Pour the essence into a clean, dark colored glass bottle.  You are filling the bottle halfway with the essence and halfway with a preservative. 
• Don’t forget to label your mother essence. With the date, ingredients and where it was made. Store it in a cool, dark, dry place. 
• When using your mother essence to make a stock essence add 10 drops of one mother essence or 3 drops of multiple essence but no more than 5 into a 2 oz sanitized dark coloured bottle and fill with 50:50 spring water and alcohol, vegetable glycerin or apple cider vinegar.

Flower essence information taken from “Flowers That Heal” by Patricia Kaminski

Calendula: 

Positive qualities – Healing warmth and receptivity, especially in the use of spoken word or dialogue with others.
Patterns of imbalance – Using cutting or sharp words: argumentative, lack of receptivity in communication with others.

California Poppy:

Positive qualities – Finding spirituality, within one’s heart; balancing light and love; developing an inner center of knowing.
Patterns of imbalance – Seeking outside oneself for false forms of light or higher consciousness, especially through escapism or addiction.

Chamomile:

Positive qualities – Serene, sunlike disposition, emotional balance.
Patterns of imbalance – Easily upset, moody and irritable, inability to release emotional tension.

Dogwood:

Positive qualities – Grace filed movements, physical and etheric harmony
Patterns of imbalance – Awkward and painful awareness of the body: emotional trauma stored deep within body

Lavender:

Positive qualities – Spiritual sensitivity, highly refined awareness.
Patterns of imbalance – Nervousness, overstimulation of spiritual forces that depletes the physical body

Wild Rose (Pink):

Positive qualities – Love for the earth and for human life, enthusiasm for doing and serving.
Patterns of imbalance – Apathy or resignation, inability to catalyze will forces through the heart.

Yarrow (Golden):

Positive qualities – Remaining open to others while still feeling inner protection; active social involvement that preserves the integrity of the self
Patterns of imbalance – for outgoing people who are influenced by their environment and by other people; protecting one’s self from vulnerability to others by withdrawal and social isolation.