Edward Bach was an English doctor, bacteriologist, homeopath, and spiritual writer, best known for developing the Bach flower remedies. He found that when he treated the personalities and feelings of his patients their unhappiness and physical distress would be alleviated naturally as the healing potential in their bodies was unblocked and allowed to work once more. He used his natural gifts as a healer, allowing his intuition to guide him to the right plants finding, one by one, the remedies aimed at a particular mental state or emotion.
Dr. Bach identified seven emotional groups:
Fear
Uncertainty
Insufficient interest in present circumstances
Loneliness
Over-sensitive to influences and ideas
Despondency or despair
Over-care for the welfare of others
The 12-7-19 Method
Twelve Healers
The Twelve Healers are the plants that Dr Bach associated with personality types. While attending a formal dinner, Dr Bach observed individuals as belonging to distinct personality groups. This insight provided the keystone of his new healing system. The twelve healers – “primary types of personalities” - relate to one's essential nature and associated with particular failings and qualities.
Agrimony – mental torture behind a cheerful face
Centaury – the inability to say ‘no’
Cerato – lack of trust in one’s own decisions
Chicory – selfish, possessive love
Clematis – dreaming of the future without working in the present
Gentian – discouragement after a setback
Impatiens – impatience
Mimulus – fear of known things
Rock Rose – terror and fright
Scleranthus – inability to choose between alternatives
Vervain – over-enthusiasm
Water Violet – quiet self-reliance leading to isolation
Seven Helpers
The Seven Helpers are the support essences and are selected for long-term emotional states. Dr. Bach observed that certain people did not seem to fit the twelve soul types reflected within the Twelve Healers and that some new essences would be required. He concluded that these essences would be for those who felt hopeless after chronic illness and had come to believe that change was not possible. The Seven Helpers invite one to change their conditioned minds about everything we have been taught, and to think and act independently.
Gorse – hopelessness and despair
Heather – talkative self-concern and being self-centered
Oak – the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion
Olive – exhaustion following mental or physical effort
Rock Water – self-denial, rigidity and self-repression
Vine – dominance and inflexibility
Wild Oat – uncertainty over one’s direction in life
Second Nineteen
In March 1935, Dr. Bach started work on his third and final group of essences, which are known as the Second Nineteen and are the essences that reflect one's emotional responses to traumatic events. They help one to develop greater inner strength and fortitude and bring out one's best qualities. They are clearly focused on immediate issues.
Aspen – fear of unknown things
Beech – intolerance
Cherry Plum – fear of the mind giving way
Chestnut Bud – failure to learn from mistakes
Crab Apple - the cleansing remedy, also for not liking something about ourselves
Elm – overwhelmed by responsibility
Holly – hatred, envy and jealousy
Honeysuckle – living in the past
Hornbeam – tiredness at the thought of doing something
Larch – lack of confidence
Mustard – deep gloom for no reason
Pine – guilt
Red Chestnut – over-concern for the welfare of loved ones
Star of Bethlehem – shock
Sweet Chestnut – extreme mental anguish, when everything has been tried and there is no light left
Walnut – protection from change and unwanted influences
White Chestnut – unwanted thoughts and mental arguments
Wild Rose – drifting, resignation, apathy
Willow – self-pity and resentment
Five Flower Remedy (Rescue Remedy)
The Five Flowers Remedy is used as a single essence and can be added with others to make individual Bach essence combinations. It was specifically designed to:
Rock Rose - bring about stabilization and calmness
Clematis - to draw one back into present time
Impatiens - balance and soothe away impulsiveness and irritability
Cherry Plum - bring about inner peace and stillness which allows us to ease the contraction felt in the body
Star of Bethlehem - help us regain our composure" and 'for learning and mastery of our lives
The empirical data from the study, "A Physiological and Metaphysical Study of Dr. Edward Bach's Flower Essence Stress Formula" by Jeffrey R. Cram, Ph.D. "clearly suggests that the Five Flower Formula works primarily on the centers for calmness (Throat Chakra) and love and desire (Heart Chakra). It appears to assist us in letting go of our attachments and desires, while promoting a sense of calmness."
There are a number of approaches to selecting flower essences, many of which are intuitive, such as dowsing or flower cards. However, the traditional way, recommended by Dr Bach, simply involves exploring how we feel about the problems we are facing and watching for key emotional words that act as a guide to the required essences. Want to learn more? Enroll in the free Bach Flower Learning Programme on the Healing Herbs website.
Which Bach Flower do you need today?
Find out, which of the 38 Bach Flower Remedies resonate with you today. Click on the Bach Flower Inspiration image and use the cards for choosing the Bach Flower essence that needs to be in your personal Bach Flower remedy or just for a fun inspiration.
Learn more about Dr. Bach and his remedies in these books:
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