Australian bush flower essences
Encyclopedia
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.
B.Sc.,N.D.,D.B.M. White began working in New South Wales as a naturopath and took an interest in using the English Bach Flower Remedies. As a fifth generation Australian herbalist, he was also aware of the possibility of using Australian flowers in the same way. In the early 1980s White took part in a weekly healing and meditation circle with his wife and friends. He states that, after a couple of months, guidance on the Australian Bush Flower Essences started coming through 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 was given an understanding of the healing properties of the plant; if he was unfamiliar with a plant, its botanical 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 flower essences until there were fifty of them. He used them in his naturopathic practice and says he found them to be very powerful. He relates that there was a synchronicity in the Essences, by which he would prepare a particular remedy 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 documented case histories served to confirm and verify White's work on the Essences and began to build an extensive body of work in the form of evidence based complementary medicine, research that is ongoing. White has continued developing more Essences and to date there are sixty nine individual remedies .
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.
Australian Bush Flower Essences founder White carried out a scientific study on one of his products. This study was not published in any scientific journal nor peer reviewed. It showed that the combination essence Electro had an effect greater than the control group. This was a randomised trial. Contingent: Electro Essence was recommended to children, whose level of incorporated radionuclide activity exceeded 20 Bk/kg on the day of their arrival to the sanatorium; the children having come from the regions most heavily affected by the accident at Chernobyl atomic power station, with highest levels of accumulated body radiation. The children were treated twice daily for 2 weeks. Results: "Electro Essence reduced accumulated body radiation levels by 43%, compared to a 25.3% reduction with Spirulina, and a reduction of 3.5% in the placebo group. Conclusion: "The nutritional supplement Spirulina and Electro Essence are reliable and efficient antiradiation preparations. Wider use of these preparations is expedient at the sanatorium phase of health improvement but these preparations should be prescribed separately. Use of Electro Essence, prescribed to children for the purpose of speeding up radionuclide elimination from the body, also contributed to normalization of vegetative state." What the owner of this company and author of the article, White, meant by the unit quoted in the study (Bk/kg) is unclear, as no scientific unit has this abbreviation. The recognised unit for measuring radiation is the Becquerel
.
. The normal method is to place the flower or leaf 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, the healing qualities of the flower transfer to the water, which results in the first stage of preparation: the "mother tincture". Seven drops of this tincture are then added to a 30 ml bottle containing a mixture of one-third purified water and two-thirds of brandy to create a "stock strength" bottle. A normal "dosage" bottle is then made up by putting seven drops of the stock in a 30 ml bottle of water (with approximately one-quarter brandy and three-quarters spring water).
Normal treatment then consists of taking seven drops in the morning and seven drops at night for two to four weeks. (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.
.
Bach flower remedies
Bach flower remedies are dilutions of flower material developed by Edward Bach, an English bacteriologist, pathologist and homeopath, in the 1930s. Bach believed that dew found on flower petals retain healing properties of that plant...
, which came earlier, and are a further development of that form of therapy.
Origins
The Australian flower essences were developed by Australian naturopath Ian WhiteIan White
Ian White may refer to:* Ian H. White, first Van Eck Professor of Engineering* Ian White , BBC presenter* Ian White , English darts player* Ian White , Canadian ice hockey player...
B.Sc.,N.D.,D.B.M. White began working in New South Wales as a naturopath and took an interest in using the English Bach Flower Remedies. As a fifth generation Australian herbalist, he was also aware of the possibility of using Australian flowers in the same way. In the early 1980s White took part in a weekly healing and meditation circle with his wife and friends. He states that, after a couple of months, guidance on the Australian Bush Flower Essences started coming through 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 was given an understanding of the healing properties of the plant; if he was unfamiliar with a plant, its botanical 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 flower essences until there were fifty of them. He used them in his naturopathic practice and says he found them to be very powerful. He relates that there was a synchronicity in the Essences, by which he would prepare a particular remedy 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 documented case histories served to confirm and verify White's work on the Essences and began to build an extensive body of work in the form of evidence based complementary medicine, research that is ongoing. White has continued developing more Essences and to date there are sixty nine individual remedies .
Professor Edzard Ernst
Edzard Ernst
Edzard Ernst is the first Professor of Complementary Medicine in the world, at the University of Exeter, England....
states that all the available randomised trials show that flower essences "have no clinical effects beyond placebo
Placebo effect
Placebo effect may refer to:* Placebo effect, the tendency of any medication or treatment, even an inert or ineffective one, to exhibit results simply because the recipient believes that it will work...
". Trials have centred on the Bach flower remedies.
Australian Bush Flower Essences founder White carried out a scientific study on one of his products. This study was not published in any scientific journal nor peer reviewed. It showed that the combination essence Electro had an effect greater than the control group. This was a randomised trial. Contingent: Electro Essence was recommended to children, whose level of incorporated radionuclide activity exceeded 20 Bk/kg on the day of their arrival to the sanatorium; the children having come from the regions most heavily affected by the accident at Chernobyl atomic power station, with highest levels of accumulated body radiation. The children were treated twice daily for 2 weeks. Results: "Electro Essence reduced accumulated body radiation levels by 43%, compared to a 25.3% reduction with Spirulina, and a reduction of 3.5% in the placebo group. Conclusion: "The nutritional supplement Spirulina and Electro Essence are reliable and efficient antiradiation preparations. Wider use of these preparations is expedient at the sanatorium phase of health improvement but these preparations should be prescribed separately. Use of Electro Essence, prescribed to children for the purpose of speeding up radionuclide elimination from the body, also contributed to normalization of vegetative state." What the owner of this company and author of the article, White, meant by the unit quoted in the study (Bk/kg) is unclear, as no scientific unit has this abbreviation. The recognised unit for measuring radiation is the Becquerel
Becquerel
The becquerel is the SI-derived unit of radioactivity. One Bq is defined as the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second. The Bq unit is therefore equivalent to an inverse second, s−1...
.
Preparation and Use
The Australian Bush Flower Essences are prepared in the same way as the Bach flower remediesBach flower remedies
Bach flower remedies are dilutions of flower material developed by Edward Bach, an English bacteriologist, pathologist and homeopath, in the 1930s. Bach believed that dew found on flower petals retain healing properties of that plant...
. The normal method is to place the flower or leaf 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, the healing qualities of the flower transfer to the water, which results in the first stage of preparation: the "mother tincture". Seven drops of this tincture are then added to a 30 ml bottle containing a mixture of one-third purified water and two-thirds of brandy to create a "stock strength" bottle. A normal "dosage" bottle is then made up by putting seven drops of the stock in a 30 ml bottle of water (with approximately one-quarter brandy and three-quarters spring water).
Normal treatment then consists of taking seven drops in the morning and seven drops at night for two to four weeks. (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.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 KinesiologyKinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
.
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.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.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.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
- AngelicAngelAngels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
Essence