It’s sort of a hobby of mine to pay attention to unusual upticks in sales of flower essences that seem to be at least partially driven by things happening in the world at large. There’s A LOT going on in the world right now! Two wars—between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas. Plus the almost complete disruption of government process in the United States, which isn’t exactly new in recent years but has certainly reached new extremes. Add that to the new normal backdrop of inflation, climate change weather extremes, gun violence, and political divisions among ordinary people (not to mention whatever is going on for you at work or in your personal life) . . . and there’s a lot going on. But I suspect the new war in the Middle East is probably putting things over the top because that, to us in the United States, seemed to come from out of the blue. It certainly started with a surprise attack and a horrifying one at that.
So in the last couple of weeks I have seen multiple orders for:
• Ocotillo (and multiple other flower essences and combos I associate with anger such as Beech, Impatiens, and Soothing the Angry Heart)
• Elm
• Multiple flower essences related to fear (especially Releasing Worry and Fear)
The ones for fear are not unusual—sadly, that’s a perennial favorite category in my shop (and for me, too). My Releasing Worry and Fear formula is my hands down best-seller for a couple of decades now.
Seeing sales of Pink Yarrow isn’t as common but it’s not unusual either. You, my dear customers, tend to be a compassionate and sensitive bunch! But it’s been requested a bit more in the last couple of weeks. Pink Yarrow is for when you are feeling like an emotional sponge who is taking on the suffering of others a bit too much for your own good. It helps to healthily tighten your aura, especially when the woes of the world, or people closer in your life, are throwing you off your emotional horse. It helps you feel more grounded and calm so you can be a supportive influence without as much overwhelm.
Speaking of overwhelm, there has been a sharp uptick of requests for Elm. If you are an original Bach Flower Remedy fan, that is the one you would turn to in order to cope with many of the same feelings a person using Pink Yarrow needs. But it is less specific to feelings taken on from other people. It’s for when you have lost perspective, especially if you are a person who normally is trying to do good work in the world. It’s for those who feel like the task has just become too much! The root cause is actually a kind of despondency or despair, wishing you could help, but feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of what is going on. Elm helps you regain your focus, knowing that whatever seemingly small thing you can add to help is enough when combined with the actions of others.
Now I want to address anger. And I want to remind everyone that anger is so closely related to grief and fear, it’s almost like 1) you get sucker punched 2) you’re enraged and want to punch back . . . but in between 1) and 2) was an experience of hurt, pain, shock, and fear. So you’re not just punching back in justified anger—you are, but you’re doing so as a result of hurt, pain, shock, and fear. The impulse to pick a flower essence to deal with your rage is appropriate. But, almost definitely, you will need to address the trauma itself in the process. (And that might make you cry—let it out, you’ll feel better.)
Ocotillo and Beech rarely sell in my shop. Beech is more common—that’s for feeling like you can’t tolerate the actions or words of other people anymore. It can help you find glimmers of goodness and develop the capacity to be more tolerant and understanding of the different ways people respond in the world.
And now we come to Ocotillo because multiple sales of this is what caught my eye and led to me wanting to write this post. Oh, dear sweet customers! We all try so hard to be loving and kind and good. We would never want to hurt anybody by responding in anger, but when you have to push down so much, the anger can become a burning rage that erupts—or threatens to erupt— to burn that m@#%$^@!&er down! Or, conversely, it could be hurting yourself—raising your blood pressure and threatening to burn your own house down. Ocotillo can help you feel grounded, safe, even protected and in touch with unconditional love. Let me remind you again of the heartbreak behind the anger. This flower essence might help you gain insight into your emotions and accept them. But it can also be very calming . . . and I think that’s what all these flower essence choices are for.
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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.