Australian bush flower essences

Australian bush flower essences are a complementary therapy derived from flowers and plants, generally but not exclusively Australian. They are similar to Bach flower remedies, which came earlier, and are a further development of that form of therapy.

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Christmas Bell

Origins

The Australian flower essences were developed by Australian wiccan naturopath Ian White. White began working in New South Wales as a naturopath and took a keen interest in using the English flower essences. At the same time, he was also aware of the possibility of using Australian flowers in the same way. Things developed further when White took part in a weekly healing and meditation circle with his wife and friends. He claims that, after a couple of months, guidance on the Australian flower essences started coming through to him. This came to him while he was meditating and took the form of mental pictures of a certain plant, plus a place in which he could prepare its essence. He felt he was given an understanding of the healing properties of the plant; if he was unfamiliar with a plant, its name would appear beneath the image in his mind. He would then go out and prepare the essence from that plant.

In this way, White kept preparing plant essences until there were fifty of them. He used them in his naturopathic practice and says he found them to be very powerful. He claims there was a synchronicity in the essences, by which he would prepare a particular essence in the morning and, later that day, he would get a patient who needed that essence. His conclusions were taken up by other practitioners, who also began using the essences. Their anecdotal experience served to confirm and verify White's work on the essences to them and to some believers in complementary medicine. However, apart from anecdotal evidence, scientific studies have not achieved any results other than the placebo effect. White continued developing more essences.

Professor Edzard Ernst states that all the available randomised trials show that flower essences "have no clinical effects beyond placebo". Trials have centred on the Bach flower remedies.

Preparation and Use

The Australian flower essences are prepared in much the same way as the Bach flower remedies. The normal method is to place the flower or plant in a bowl of spring water and leave it in the sun for a few hours. (An alternative method is simply to boil the flower in spring water for thirty minutes.) In this way, an "essence" is said to transfer from the flower to the water, which results in the first stage of preparation: the "mother tincture". Seven drops of this tincture are then added to a 15 ml bottle containing a mixture of one-third purified water and two-thirds of brandy to create a stock bottle. A normal treatment bottle is then made up by putting seven drops of the stock in a 25 ml bottle of water (with approximately one-third brandy).

Normal treatment then consists of taking seven drops in the morning and seven drops at night. (This differs slightly from the Bach remedies, in which the normal treatment is four drops 4x daily.) Naturally, one has to first decide which essence is needed; most of the essences address various emotional issues, although some are said by proponents to help with physical conditions.

Original Fifty Essences

The original fifty essences and the conditions they are claimed to help are as follows:

Bauhinia

Bauhinia is said to help people who are resistant to change or new ideas, to aid them in becoming more receptive and open, both to new ideas and new people.

Billy Goat Plum

Billy Goat Plum is claimed to help people with feelings of self-disgust or self-loathing, especially but not exclusively in regard to sex. It is said to help them overcome such feelings and develop a healthy acceptance of the physical body and enjoyment of sex.

Black-Eyed Susan

This essence is said to help people who are impatient, always "on the go", overcommitted and rushing. The essence is said to help them be more patient, peaceful and "centred".

Bluebell

Bluebell is said to help "open the heart". It is for people who are cut off from their feelings and cannot express them, often afraid to let go of possessions, and often controlled and rigid. The essence is supposed to help them open up, to be more trusting and sharing.

Boronia

Boronia is said to help in situations where someone cannot get someone out of their head, situations where they are pining for a lost love or something similar. It is also said to help people who are obsessively thinking about something and cannot obtain peace of mind.

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Bottlebrush

Bottlebrush

This essence is said to help in situations where someone is having difficulty adjusting to major changes in life or substantially new and challenging roles, eg parenthood, major career change, impending death and so on. The essence is said to help them cope with new changes and give them the ability to move on.

Bush Fuchsia

Bush Fuchsia is said to help with problems of self-expression, inhibition, dyslexia, nervousness and similar problems. It is supposed to give people a new calm, clarity and fluency in expressing themselves.

Bush Gardenia

This essence is claimed to help couples find a new interest in each other and inject new energy into their relationship if things between them have been going stale. It is said to help with families as well as romantic relationships.

Bush Iris

Bush Iris is said to aid in spiritual awakening, to promote spiritual awareness and open the door to further spiritual growth. It is claimed to enhance meditation and similar disciplines and, for people who are materialistic, to help them to have a more balanced outlook.

Crowea

Crowea is said to help people who are worried and anxious, often for no apparent reason. It is said to help them feel calmer, more "centred" and more peaceful. It is also said to have a general "balancing" effect on the body and feelings in a way that is similar to a treatment of Kinesiology.

Dagger Hakea

This essence is said to help resolve feelings of resentment and bitterness that have accumulated.

Dog Rose

Dog Rose is said to help with everyday, niggling fears, anxieties, shyness, apprehension and insecurity.

Five Corners

Five Corners is said to help with feelings of low self-esteem, self-dislike and lack of self-acceptance.

Flannel Flower

This essence is claimed to help with a dislike of physical closeness and intimacy, dislike of being touched; and to promote a liking of physical activity.

Fringed Violet

Fringed Violet is said to help people recover from shock and trauma, as well as fear and fragility after an attack.

Grey Spider Flower

This essence is said to help with feelings of extreme terror, as distinct from more niggling fears and anxieties.

Hibbertia

Hibbertia is supposed to help people who are always accumulating knowledge because it gives them a sense of superiority over others.

Illawarra Flame Tree

This essence is said to help people who are afraid of rejection and hold back as a result.

Isopogon

Isopogon is said to help with a variety of mental and intellectual issues, including the need to learn from mistakes and the need to recall learned skills.

Jacaranda

This essence is said to help people who are scattered and unfocused, dithering and undirected.

Kangaroo Paw

Kangaroo Paw is said to help people who are socially inept and need more social skills, sensitivity towards others and general social awareness.

Kapok Bush

This essence is said to help people who give up easily, are easily discouraged, do not follow through.

Little Flannel Flower

Little Flannel Flower is claimed to help people discover the "inner child", to counteract excess seriousness and lack of a sense of fun.

Macrocarpa

This essence is said to stimulate the adrenal system and thus provide renewal and freshness to people who are burned out.

Mountain Devil

This essence is said to clear strong, negative feelings like anger and hatred, so that "unconditional love" can come through.

Mulla Mulla

This essence is said to be associated with heat and fire and thus allegedly helps to clear up any trauma associated with burns.

Old Man Banksia

Old Man Banksia is said to help people who feel sluggish, worn out, over-committed and low in energy, possibly with low thyroid activity.

Paw Paw

Paw Paw is said to promote intuition and guidance from "Higher Self", thus helping particularly when people feel overwhelmed by an important decision.

Peach-Flowered Tea-Tree

This essence is said to help people who have mood swings, tend to lose enthusiasm and not follow through, and are sometimes hypochondriacs.

Philotheca

This essence is said to help people who have trouble accepting praise and acknowledgement from others, and recognising their own qualities.

Red Grevillea

This essence is supposed to help people who feel stuck, have trouble moving on, and are often too reliant on others.

Red Helmet Orchid

This essence is said to help men bond with their children, and also to help resolve resentment towards male authority figures.

Red Lily

Red Lily is said to help people be more grounded when they need more balance in the "spiritual and earthly planes"; for people over the age of 28.

She Oak

This essence is said to help with female problems, including women who have trouble getting pregnant for no apparent reason.

Silver Princess

This essence is supposed to help people find their aim in life when they are listless, directionless and uncertain of their direction.

Slender Rice Flower

This essence is said to overcome prejudice and narrowmindedness, thus promoting tolerance and harmony.

Southern Cross

Southern Cross is supposed to help with the "victim mentality", with a sense of powerlessness, lack of control and of getting nowhere.

Spinifex

This essence is said to have a cleansing action that can help with candida, parasites, micro-organisms and waste products.

Sturt Desert Pea

Ian White describes this as one of the most powerful essences, which is said to help in resolving long-term sadness, pain and sense of loss.

Sturt Desert Rose

This essence is said to resolve feelings of guilt and low self-esteem, and to help people be true to themselves.

Sundew

This essence is similar to Red Lily and is said to help with grounding, especially for people up to the age of 28.

Sunshine Wattle

This essence is supposed to help people who are gloomy and pessimistic, especially as a result of a long history of bad luck.

Swamp Banksia

This essence is said to help people who are suffering from a temporary loss of energy, enthusiasm and interest.

Tall Yellow Top

This essence is said to help with feelings of alienation, not belonging, of feeling that one was born on the wrong planet.

Turkey Bush

This essence is supposed to put people in touch with their creativity and help them overcome blocks and lack of believe in their abilities.

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Waratah

Waratah

Waratah is said to help with depression and to also help people remember and utilise old survival skills when needed.

Wedding Bush

This essence is supposed to help people who have trouble making commitments, whether in relationships, marriage, employment or even life goals.

Wild Potato Bush

This essence is said to help people who feel weighed down and encumbered by any kind of physical restriction or limitation.

Wisteria

Wisteria is said to mainly help women, specifically with feelings of sexual frigidity and general tension and inhibitions about sex.

Yellow Cowslip Orchid

This essence is said to help with a tendency to be excessively critical, nitpicking, judgmental and officious.

Later Essences

More essences were developed by Ian White as time went by. The following are a small sample:

Green Spider Orchid

This essence is said to help with nightmares, phobias and negative reactions to the sight of blood.

Red Suva Frangipani

Said to help with grief and sadness caused by a dying relationship or the loss of a loved one, or general turmoil.

Sydney Rose

This essence is said to help with feelings of being separate, alienated, unloved and isolated.

Christmas Bell

Said to help with feelings of lack and material deprivation.

Companion Essences

These essences are referred to as 'Companion Essences' because they are prepared in the same manner as a flower essence, however, are made from plant material rather than a flower.

Autumn Leaves

This essence is said to help those who are dying and to aid them in letting go.

Lichen

This essence is also said to help those who are dying and having trouble making the "transition" from this world to the next.

Green Essences

Said to help with any yeast, mould or parasite, and to have a purifying effect.

White Light Essences

These essences were collected by Ian White over a period of four years and were gathered from various places around the world. Ian White claims that they were "brought through by Spirit to help us invoke and access the realm of Nature and Spirit within ourselves." There are seven White Light Essences. They are taken the same way as the other essences.

• Water Essence
• Earth Essence
• Fire Essence
• Air Essence
• Higher Self Essence
• Devic Essence
• Angelic Essence

See also

• Bach flower remedies
• Depression and natural therapies

External links

• Official Site

Australian Bush Flower Essences, Ian White (Bantam Books) 1991, p.xii

Australian Bush Flower essences, p.xii

Australian Bush Flower Essences, p.xiii

http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/119-1233/1953/ New Zealanders’ love affair with “alternative” medicine: reason for concern?

Australian Bush Flower Essences, p.177

Australian Bush Flower Essences, p.178

Australian Bush Flower Essences, pp.44-176

Australian Bush Flower Essences Info Sheet (Bush Biotherapies Pty Ltd), pp.2-3

White Light Essences, Ian White (Bush Biotherapies Pty Ltd) 2002, p.5

White Light Essences, pp.6-65