Cultivating News
From "Maple Street Co-op News", Oct/Nov 2007
The Essence of Australian Bush Flowers
By Mary Meadows
On the weekend of 15-16 September, I attended an Australian Bush Flower
Essences Workshop at Noosa with 33 other women and but one man. The
workshop was held in the Annex, a building that is part of the Bicentennial
Park Community Centre. The grounds also have a football oval and other
playing fields.
On the Saturday afternoon there was a rugby grand final happening. Lively
cheering and comments drifted our way, though didn't prove an interruption.
However, as we settled into a meditation, visualising peeling off a
full set of heavy metal armour, the sounds of the bugle player set off
the crows, who were unfamiliar with that sort of 'bird call', and guffaws
of laughter soon followed. The meditation was postponed until we all
settled down to the business of the day.
The flower essences we focused on over the weekend related to anger
and sadness. Our first exercise was to visualise a native flower and
then draw this from memory. Each participant chose a different flower,
mine being the Bush Iris (Patersonia longifolia). Some participants
had difficulty putting shape to paper, but everyone had a clear recognition
of the flower that they had visualised.
Here is an overview of some of the 24 essences we covered over the weekend:
Red Lily (Nelumbo nucifera)
This plant is part of the lotus family and grows in swamps in the northern
end of Kakadu. It has a very large flower and a long stem that rises
up out of the water. It is a remedy for grounding and for holding spiritual
energy.
Sundew (Drosera spathulata)
Grows along the east coast of Australia, also in swampy, boggy ground.
This essence is for grounding 'space cadets', or people who are vague
and flaky. It also has a long stem with a very small flower and five
white petals, and is a carnivorous plant.
Rough Bluebell (Trichodesma zeylanicum)
This is found at Kata Tjuta and has a tiny flower with a spiky yellow
lance. It is for those who resort to bullying and manipulation. Its
other common name is Camel Bush. Apparently camel drivers let their
herds feed on this rather than have them take their anger out on the
drivers!
Mountain Devil (Lambertia formosa)
This is the number one remedy for anger, jealousy, rage, hatred, suspicion
and paranoia. The flower has five turrets or leaves that are quite spiky,
with vibrant red petals. The flower transforms all of the above into
unconditional love and forgiveness. Some people may need to take it
in twice-weekly doses over a long period of time if their condition
is acute.
Boronia (Boronia ledifolia)
This is a flower for obsession or circular thoughts; especially when
a thought process or song keeps repeating itself in your mind. It is
also good for dogs if their owner dies, or if they are left alone for
long periods of time. It is one of the first flowers of spring, and
as the flower dies it wraps itself around a leaf.
Bush Gardenia (Gardenia megasperma)
This 30-cm-high tree grows on the floodplains of Kakadu in the centre
of Australia. It is said to have Viagra-type qualities and is good for
low libido and emotional intimacy. It assists with clearing mental staleness
by renewing interest and communication. The flower has six or seven
white petals and looks very similar to the common garden gardenia.
Dog Rose of the Wild Forces (Bauera sessiliflora)
Found in the Grampians in South Australia, it is one of the ingredients
in Emergency Essence, the Australian Bush Flower remedy for panic, fear
or distress. The flowers from this plant were collected from a plant
overhanging a waterfall, and in the Emergency Essence it assists with
the fear of being swept away. Its twin in the Bach Flower Remedies is
the Rock Rose. It has upright flowers growing along a long stem. It
is good in crowd situations where a panic attack can manifest, and it
can be used for addictions where people feel that they will fall back
into an addictive pattern.
Pink Flannel Flower (Actinotus forsythia)
This is a very rare flower that grows in the Blue Mountains, west of
Sydney. When it was collected, it was the first recognised specimen
flowering in 40 years. It has a pink centre with fluffy white petals
and green tips. It is an ingredient in the Australian Bush Flowers'
Abundance Essence and works on balancing the heart.
Rather than travel back and forth to Noosa, I decided to stay in the
Ivory Palms Resort. Having a spa bath two nights in a row was not too
hard to take!
The Resort's grounds are manicured within an inch of their life, so
wildlife is a bit thin on the ground, but the pond and mini-waterfall
outside my room attracted some Pacific Black Ducks (Anas superciliosa)
and one White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae).
While most of the workshop participants worked in some form of healing,
it's not necessary to be a practising healer to take part; a number
were doing the workshop to help family and friends. If you're interested
in doing a Bush Flowers workshop, contact Linn Wiggins on tel (07) 5485
2724 or visit the Australian Bush Flowers website: www.ausflowers.com.au.
[From "Maple Street Co-op News", October/November 2007; published
by The Maple Street Co-operative Society Ltd, 37 Maple Street, Maleny,
Qld 4552, Australia, tel (07) 5494 2088, email maplest.co-op@serv.net.au,
website http://www.maplestreetco-op.com.au]