Amid the myriad of ways that herbs can be used to support us, flower essences differ from other forms of herbal therapeutics, such as aromatherapy and tinctures, in that they are energetic in nature. Flower essences are formed by capturing the energetic signature of the flower into water whose powers of conductivity bring the essence through the physical body and into the causal body. When we consider the disease process and the significance of our thoughts, emotions and spiritual practices, flower essences are one of the first lines of defense in preventive work.   Often when teaching flower essence classes, I tell my students that if I could only have one herbal medium to work with, it would be flower essences, for through the years of my practice and personal use, I have found that these subtly powerful tools masterfully support, validate and teach us about ourselves and our relationships to others.

Flower (and gem) essences trace their use back to the times of Lemuria (which some believe to be Atlantis) and in modern times were rediscovered by Dr. Edward Bach.  Since Dr. Bach’s work in the 1920’s, which coincided with the rediscovery and development of homeopathic medicine, flower essences as a therapeutic agent have expanded in use and number. There are flower essence practitioners, flower essence conferences and many flower essence producers and products. 

One of the most important pieces of flower essence therapy is to support the work of the soul.  The soul’s journey is to take experience and translate it into an expression of love, through our expression we learn who we are, what works, what doesn’t and our truth.  The profiles that accompany flower essences are beautifully written, sometimes channeled information that helps us to accept ourselves, see the beauty in our soul and help with positive expression of life experience.  What does that mean?  Let me give you an example from my own journey with flower essences. For any of you that know me, you may have noticed that I am passionate and driven about herbs, I have a tendency to work harder than my body can sustain, (just ask my chiropractor), I have a habit of working overtime to reach my goals, and one of my favorite sayings in the past was “I’m not built for speed but for endurance” which comes from way back in my college swim team days when my event was the mile swim.  Now these qualities on their own are not “bad” and have been elements of my personality that have supported me and enabled me to get past some of the hardships I have experienced in my life, but when out of balance can become a source of dysfunction.  When I first began to work with flower essences, the Oak essence was recommended.   Let’s look at what the Flower Essence Repertory says about Oak

“Positive qualities – balanced strength, accepting limits, knowing when to surrender

Pattern of imbalance – iron-willed, inflexible, over-striving beyond one’s limits

Oak addresses many positive masculine soul traits of endurance, strength, and perserverance.  These are the admirable qualities of the Mars-like hero, but they become a source of illness and dysfunction when they are not balanced with Venusian grace and gentle surrender.  The oak personality presses the limits of endurance; such persons are capable of enormous achievement.  They are able to truly serve and help others because of their tremendous wellspring of willpower.  However, this very strength can also become too rigid: the unrelenting demands and expectations which they have for themselves eventually take a toll on the physical health and inner happiness of the soul, until finally the individual is forced by circumstances to acknowledge that he/she is not all-powerful.  Oak flower essence teaches such persons the positive attributes of surrender and acceptance of limitation.  Through Oak the naturally strong capacities of the soul are balanced with the inner feminine Self, which learns to yield and to receive help from others when necessary.”  Flower Essence Repertory, Kaminsky,Katz

Fortunately, I started my journey with the Oak essence back in 1994, and although I consider it a ‘core’ or ‘personality essence’ for me, I need its gentle reminding much less often than I did in the past. I also have a plaque in my office which reads, ‘A mighty oak was once a little nut that stood its ground’. 

So I know that the Oak serves me, supports me and reminds me to have balance.

What we learn from the flower essences is up to us, all we have to do is open to their gifts.

Sources:

Flower Essence Society of North America

The Bach Flower Essence Society

Perelandra Flower Essences

Woodland Essences

Books:

‘Flower Essences, Reordering Our Understanding and Approach to Illness and Health’ Machaelle Small Wright

“Healing with Flower and Gemstone Essences” Diane Stein

“Flower Essences and Vibrational Healing”, Gurudas

“Vibrational Medicine, New Choices for healing Ourselves”,  Richard Gerber, M. 

CANNING- forgotten art or the way of the future

Many of us remember the days of cautious trips down into dark cellars with friends or family, passing rows of mysterious jars, sporting labels and dates, on the way to other cellar treasures.  But is canning and preserving important now in our abundant times?

As we, as a culture, explore issues of food safety, sustainability and local food sourcing, canning can be a great way to provide for your family, make meaningful gifts, and start new traditions.  Canning, for me, was the natural progression of a bountiful garden, after my first try I was hooked! 

Like anything done in the kitchen, canning combines art, science and taste.  The art of canning survives to this day and though there are freezer pickle recipes, and instant brining packets available on the market, they pale in comparison to the taste of time honored recipes and procedures.  Science plays a big role as well.  The process of canning has been refined into strict guidelines to keep us safe from food contamination.  The final element, taste, is where the creativity involved in making a recipe your own can really be challenging.  My friend and I have a salsa recipe that has been evolving for the past ten years!  Our personal taste dictates our choice in the effort, is it relish, pickles, salsa, or chutney that you crave to bring back the taste of the sleeping garden.

Canning is a labor of love with immense personal satisfaction that begins with the proper equipment, a proven recipe and the willingness to try.  When I first began canning in the mid ‘80’s, I followed guidelines in Joy of Cooking and information provided by the County Extension Service.  The most time consuming part is assembling equipment, jars, produce and spices, once the process begins you don’t want to have to run out for things, organization is key.  Only the best produce, scrubbed clean and dried should be used for canning, hopefully within 48 hours of picking. I also find that having more than is called for on hand a good idea.  Measuring produce before chopping or processing can be very deceptive.  Even after all these years I find it hard to match the amounts called for and the recipe yields of finished jars.  So I have extra jars on hand as well.

Canning equipment needs to be glass; enamel or stainless steel and sparkling clean to start.  Dishwashers can be handy to clean jars, as all should be washed before sterilizing.

I find wide mouth jars easier to fill,  ‘must haves’ include a canning pot, with removable insert, for boiling water bath processing, and a jar grasping tool which enhances safety. Food processors can be labor saving, and create uniform pieces which is important.  However, be careful not to over-process.  Texture and shape is important in some recipes, when I make piccalilli I like long thin pieces, which can only be done by hand.

When looking for recipes, terms like short brine (1 to 24 hours), boiling water bath (the process by which jars are sealed), pickling salt (additive free), 5% acetic acid vinegar (most prepared apple cider and distilled white vinegar) should be understood and followed.  Guidelines for filling jars, washing, sterilizing, maintaining proper head space (1/4” – ½” between liquid and lid), and creating a sterile field for working space are also important.

Some recipes can be done in a short time, requiring the packing of hot, sterile jars with raw produce then pouring a prepared, hot brining solution to the proper level in the jar before processing.  Other recipes require salting down the produce overnight, then simmering in the brining solution for up to an hour before packing into jars.  I always wipe the top of the jar with a clean damp cloth or paper towel before putting on the sterilized top so that the sealing surface is clean.  The screw band is then put on and just tightened enough to hold the lid in place.  Then, keeping the jar level, it is put into the canning pot insert.   When full with jars the insert is submerged in the boiling water for 15 minutes. 

After processing the jars are taken out- again keeping as level as possible, and I set them gently on a doubled towel on the countertop.  I blot away any water sitting on the top of the jar and leave them to cool.  It is important not to bump the jars, as they may break easily when hot, they should also not be set in a drafty spot, as quick temperature changes may cause cracking.  With proper care jars will last a lifetime, bands and lids should be replaced each batch.  As the jars cool you may here popping sounds, this is normal as the metal lids seal. 

When totally cool, inspect each jar, hand tighten the bands, and gently tap the center of each lid.  You should hear a dull thud.  If it sounds hollow or is raised in the center, it didn’t seal.  Unsealed jars can be put into the refrigerator and eaten right away.  Store any sealed jars in a cool, dark place after labeling and dating.  Most recipes benefit from resting for 4-6 weeks before serving. 

I hope you’ll try canning and start a secret recipe of your own.  It’s fun to do with a friend or two and split the results.  After a few times of practice you can fill your pantry in a week end or two, I usually have two or three recipes going at once, timing them out so that as one batch simmers another is being processed, while the third is salting down.  The rows of jars still hold mystery for me that my taste buds love to explore!