Ask A Witch: What Are Flower Essences?

This is Ask A Witch, NYLON’s column with Indigenous healer and herbalist Napaquetzalli Martinez that answers your questions on the esoteric, the spiritual, and so much more.

Every flower on earth contains a unique and specific medicine — not just physically, but spiritually. Flowers are high-vibrational and are considered as the tangible incarnation of cosmic energies. The beauty and gift of flowers may brighten our day and home, but the energy they carry influences us powerfully on a soul-level. As Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo once said: “Flowers are the moments representations of things that are in themselves eternal.”

In ancient Mesoamerican philosophy, originating in the Toltec and Aztec empires, flowers held extreme spiritual significance and were seen as a literal representation of our purpose here on earth: to make the world beautiful during the temporary illusion of embodiment. Flowers don’t live long; just like these flesh bodies we inhabit, flowers are always in the cycle of decay. The beauty we create here on earth, however, can extend beyond our lifetime. Our purpose on earth is to bloom and blossom into our highest selves, leaving behind memories to be carried on by future generations.

Although the magic of flowers has long been known and used worldwide, the first flower essences (as we now know them) were developed in the early 1900s by Dr. Edward Bach, a British homeopathic doctor. Bach was seeking a more intuitive and subtle form of healing, a method that addressed the core “soul” issues as he deemed them. Bach theorized that the root of all emotional imbalance and disease stemmed from these core soul issues, and that flowers held the spiritual codes for this specific type of healing. He developed the first 36 flower essences known as the Bach remedies that are still used and beloved worldwide.

Flower essences greatly differ from other forms of herbal medicine. Unlike teas or medicinal extracts, essences don’t contain any physical plant matter, nor do they have a scent or strong taste. When making an essence, the vibrational energy of the flower is imprinted in water, which then absorbs the spiritual message of the flower. The process can be compared to the work of Dr. Emoto, the Japanese scientist who studied the way certain words and intentions affected the molecular structure of water. When making essences, it’s important to only use organically grown or wild flowers that are in natural settings; water picks up the energy of the surrounding environment, which may include toxins and pesticides. Imagine dew drops nestled inside a perfect rosebud on a sunny morning: that is a flower essence in its purest form.

The colors, textures, and shapes of flowering plants give us clues to what their message is for us. Flowers reflect the landscapes in which they grow, the environment and conditions that surround them, and will even carry the unique medicine needed by that community. There are now wellness brands and spiritual healers worldwide studying their local flora and observing their emotional effects following the processes developed by Bach. It’s inspiring to see the scope of study these remedies have taken globally and how their messages meet such specific and unique human emotional states of balance and imbalance.

If you’re struggling with a sudden shift, or feeling stagnant in some area of life, consider finding a flower essence that can help uplift your perspective and transform your energy around the issue. I find that we can always find a remedy that addresses how we experience a difficult emotion and most importantly, the root causes of the energetic blockage. Ahead, find the best flower essence remedies for emotional healing.

Wild Rose

One of the original 36 remedies, used to bring joy and life back into one’s heart. Rose essence is an invaluable support for grief, heartache, and trauma. You can instantly feel the healing, astringent nature of rose mending those open wounds.

Borage

Known for courage, to strengthen our resiliency and find our inner power. Borage essence can especially aid those suffering from low self-esteem or depression..

Calla Lily

For balancing our inner masculine and feminine energies. This elegant, sensual white flower can assist in coming into alignment with our self image and identity.

Yarrow

A popular essence remedy for protection and strengthening boundaries. The close knit white flowers of yarrow help those who tend to have porous aura and absorb the energy of others.

Lotus

Like their brilliant geometric blooms, this essence helps to open our third eye, our connection to intuition, and vision. Lotus elevates us to higher levels of awareness and consciousness.

Pine

The buds of the wise pine tree supports those who carry excessive guilt and shame, and helps release those with self-limiting beliefs to accept themselves unconditionally.

California Poppy

Helps those that are easily enthralled by excessive substance use or guru worship to instead find and follow their inner light and guidance. We are all the main characters of our lives.

Cherry Plum

The gentle cherry plum flower is for fear of losing control, and is especially helpful for finding mental clarity in the midst of chaotic moments. This essence is one of the ingredients in the popular Rescue Remedy blend that is often used for acute shock and trauma.

For more information on flower remedies, check out the following resources: Flower Essence Society, Sister Spinster Apothecary, Desert Alchemy, and Findhorn Flower Essences.