Let’s talk about polarity and the union of opposites (and what that has to do with using flower essences).
How do I explain this succinctly? A thought occurred to me in the bathroom so it’s probably not the most delicate analogy, but I think you’ll get the point:
Sometimes we have diarrhea. Sometimes we have constipation. Those are both polarities on either side of the continuum of pooping! There is a positive function to the extremes: diarrhea helps to quickly rid the body of something doing it harm (like bacteria, toxins, something you ate, etc.); constipation alerts you to a different need for change (again, diet or other habits). Being in one of those polarities for a brief period of time is no big deal; being stuck in either of these polarized positions will eventually kill you.
What is important to understand is that the middle place consists of various combinations of soft and hard, fluid and not fluid, etc., where aspects of the polarized extremes mix in very dynamic ways in response to a wide variety of external and internal stimuli—which is how it is supposed to work. This is also an example of yin and yang and how that functions.
From a Chinese philosophy, everything is about the dynamic interaction of opposites on a continuum. Hot and cold, day and night, male and female, and everything in between, all the time, changing in various ways through the changing seasons of daily, yearly, and overall cycles of life. The extremes serve a purpose (for example, times of rest and play). But things move towards death in the extremes. Stay too long in the ultimate extreme of cold, dark Yin and you’ll freeze to death. Stay too long in the ultimate extreme of the active hot light of Yang and you’ll burn to death. So, according to ancient Taoist principles, all things in nature depend on the proper balance of Yin and Yang, and the skillful integration of opposites.
This holds true when it comes to human health and well-being and in our interrelationships as well. The “Tao Te Ching“ says, “Know the white but keep the black. Know the strength of a man but the concern of a woman.” And the “I Ching” says, ““The oppositions of heaven and earth, spirit and nature, man and woman, when reconciled, bring about the creation and reproduction of life.” The “I Ching,” by the way, extends that advice to conflicts within yourself and with others.
Polarized belief systems and living in the polarities can’t ultimately sustain life on their own because they are missing the whole picture. Both sides may think the other side is wrong or even deluded. But “the truth is out there!” and it lies somewhere in the middle, and that requires the union of both of those opposite ways of being and points of view.
The Union of Opposites
So let’s go more in depth about the union of opposites when it comes to emotional, mental and spiritual well-being and our relationships with others. I talk a lot on this blog about using flower essences to work with imbalances in the human psyche—stuck positions that interfere with our well-being. Analytical psychologist Carl Jung believed that human beings contain within themselves both conscious and unconscious aspects and that these aspects often manifest as opposites. The dominant position is the conscious stance or pattern of behavior that we hold either purposely or through long time habit, while the opposite lies in the unconscious (often called “the Shadow”) which is usually hidden from view. The Shadow consists of what we don’t want to be or something we’re trying to avoid experiencing or experiencing again. We were either taught to abhor that position by family or societal strictures or because we experienced something so harmful that we’re trying to protect ourselves from bringing that on in the future. Jung believed that if we remain stuck in the dominant polarized emotional stance too long, that it can become an energetic blockage later in life. He thought the only way to heal from that is to bring the unconscious opposite we are guarding against into conscious view so the polarity can be resolved. It’s like a battery that contains a polarity through a so-called positive and negative charge. The battery only becomes useful when those charges are integrated—the integration point is the source of power.
Dr. Edward Bach, inventor of the Bach Flower Remedies, talked about the flowers flooding the psyche in an imbalanced state with the opposite. That’s how he thought flower essences worked. But sometimes we find that in the process of healing, old memories are brought to conscious view. We frequently learn WHY we chose our imbalanced stance. “Daddy was so mean, I’m never going to act like him!” or “I made a BIG mistake and it took a really long time to get over—I can’t afford to make mistakes like that again!” or name the appropriate life issue that applies to you.
And there’s nothing wrong with us for having chosen those stances. The problem is getting stuck there because part of our power is hidden in the Shadow along with the negative aspects we have been trying to guard against.
As an example, let’s talk about this using the flower essence Centaury. The person who needs Centaury tends to act like a doormat because they can’t bring themselves to say “no.” They’re so busy trying to people-please that they neglect themselves and are easily dominated and taken advantage of by others. The positive aspect of that stance is the ability to be of positive service to others. What’s repressed in the Shadow is their abhorance of being a selfish, dominating person who abuses their power. They either were taught to uphold the opposite virtue or they witnessed or experienced the damage caused by people caught in that more selfish stance. But stuck in the Shadow along with what is being opposed is the positive expression of that behavior—the ability to honor and protect one’s self! What Centaury does is help a person reconcile those opposites. It can help a person serve others from a place of strength, purpose and will, maintaining a balance between the positive use of self-assertion and the ability to protect one’s self and the ability to provide care for others.
Frequently, with the use of flower essences this reconciliation can proceed without any need to process old repressed memories hidden in the unconscious. But sometimes, that is EXACTLY what happens. Memories pop up or are presented in dreams that make it very clear where the distress you need help with came from. And sometimes, in rare cases when the resistance to what has been hidden away is very strict, physical responses like headaches, fatigue or even mild rashes might occur. I always recommend taking a break when that happens so you can address what you fear might happen. That might be the time to call a therapist or trusted friend to help you gain clarity. Or ask yourself that question and see what comes up. Sometimes a flower essence to address that can help before or instead of the one initially chosen.
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Flower essences are used to assist with mind-body-spirit interactions and individual results may vary. They are extremely dilute which makes them quite safe. But because so little physical substance can be detected in a flower essence solution, these products are presumed to work on an energetic or vibrational level—something that cannot be adequately tested by western scientific methods. Claims made by me, therefore, are based on personal experiences and the evidence of the combined multiple decades of case notes by Dr. Edward Bach as well as Healing Herbs and Flower Essence Services (the companies who make the ingredients I use in my products). This is not, however, accepted medical evidence or substantiated scientific evidence from a modern allopathic point of view. I am not a medical doctor or licensed healthcare practitioner.
Statements made have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided on my blog, websites or by this company are not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a health care provider, and should not be construed as individual medical or mental health advice. Consulting with a health care provider is a must for anyone taking medications or working with a medical or mental health condition, and highly recommended before using any herbal product. Please consult your doctor or health care provider for any possible contraindications and/or interactions with current medications. I trust you to seek the medical guidance you need to use any of my herbal products healthily at your own risk.