Aromatherapy and Flower Essences

Making a Mother Essence

Although many flower essences may be bought in stock bottles at a store, it is possible to make them from scratch in your own backyard or nearby environs. In fact, this was Dr. Bach's original intent. The materials needed are simple and easily obtainable and it only takes a few hours time. Making a new flower essence is fun and rewarding.

When making an essence, care should be taken to identify the flower as to correct species. References (such as the Peterson Field Guides) are helpful in this.

The most common technique for making flower essences is the "sun infusion" method. For this, you need the following in your essence making kit.

Your Essence Making Kit

* Warm, sunny weather (spring to late summer). You will need uninterrupted sunshine from early morning to early afternoon (about 3-5 hours, usually). You should pick a place that is protected and somewhat secluded (so the emotional environment is controlled). An occasional cloud is not a problem, but considerably cloudiness (or shadows from trees or buildings) can noticably weaken the remedy.

* A glass pan without designs or patterns. It doesn't have to be very big.

* Water. Preferably spring water, especially if it's allowed to "charge up" in the sunlight first. If from a natural spring, be sure it is pollution-free! Tap water is not acceptable.

* Brandy (about 80 proof) to use as a preservative.

* Plants with the appropriate flowers. They should be at the peak of their bloom. Use only healthy looking flowers; avoid any that "feel" wrong intuitively. Don't take too many flowers from a single plant.

* Scissors to cut the flowers.

* Storage bottles for storing the essence. Should be dark colored to protect the remedy.

* A funnel (preferably glass) for pouring liquids.

* A big pan or pot for sterilizing all equipment in boiling water. Stainless steel or ceramic is excellent; avoid aluminum or plastic at all steps of the process. All equipment should be sterilized about 20 minutes and air-dried before starting to make the essence.

The Sun Infusion Method

To make the essence, find "your spot" on that sunny morning near the flowers you will work with. You should be started by 8 or 9 o'clock in the morning, at the latest. As the person's state of mind is considered important to the process, you should make sure the setting is peaceful and protected; your own emotional state should be calm and receptive. Place the pan on the ground and pour in enough water to cover the bottom (it doesn't take much). Quartz crystals may be placed around the pan to focus the energies, but should not be placed in the pan (the remedy would pick up the crystal's energies as well as the flower's).

Next, pick the flowers and add them to the glass pan of water. You should "tune into the plant" before cutting any flowers, to sense which ones should be used. Ideally, cut the flowers and let them drop right into the pan, without touching or handling them. If this is infeasible cut them and transfer the flowers immediately to the pan, with a minimum of handling or waiting (no more than a minute or two). Cut enough flowers to cover the bottom of the pan. Choose flowers from a number of plants. And make sure to thank the plants for their gifts afterwards!

Return the pan to its "spot" and let it sit in the sun for 3 to 5 hours. It's best to stay with the flowers throughout this stage of the process -- gardening in the backyard is a good way to pass the time and stay in tune with the flowers. Let sit until early afternoon or until the flowers "feel tired" or "ready to wilt." Remove the flowers (preferably with a leaf from the same plant, so you don't touch the flowers or the water) and set them aside. Pour the water from the pan into a storage bottle (using the funnel); add an equal portion of brandy, as a preservative. The bottle should be shaken between your hands for a minute or two to "fix" the remedy.

Mixing Stock Bottles

The mother essence is rarely used by itself, but is diluted to the stock potency or medicine (dosage) bottle potency. To make a stock bottle, you need:

* One ounce eyedropper bottles, preferably dark colored. Sterilize all bottles!

* A mixture of 1 part brandy, 3 parts water (spring or distilled) for the inert carrier substance.

* 2 to 7 drops of the mother essence.

Put an ounce of the brandy/water in the bottle and add 2 to 7 drops of the mother essence. The exact number of drops is not too important, though some people love to argue about it. The bottle should be shaken in your hands for a minute or two (or until it "feels" done) to potentize the stock bottle. This "dilute and shake" technique is more or less the standard method in homeopathy for potentizing a remedy.