Camellias are famous in Japan, Korea and China, and are a sign of good luck during the Lunar New Year. Japanese Camellia dissolves worry, callousness and indifference. It inspires a deeper capacity for love, compassion and appreciation of everything around. It helps us connect to our hearts and radiate from the face and heartspace.
The ornamental Pear tree has delicate white blossoms in springtime and blood red leaves in fall/winter. Its elixir helps us explore themes of belonging. An antidote for feeling like we don’t belong in any of the environments we’ve chosen, it dissolves frustration, the kind that makes us want to pull our hair out. It magnifies our sense of belonging and helps us find our roots, whether that’s through family, where we live, a spiritual path or what we’ve committed to in life. It deepens our recognition of stability, wisdom and maturity.
Commonly known for its soothing gel for burns, Aloe Vera is a succulent with 500 different varieties that grow worldwide in tropical and arid climates. Its flower essence relaxes jaw tension, gritting one’s teeth and sensitivity to loud noises. It dissolves anger, irritation and wanting things to be a different way. When we start to feel out of control, it helps us stay cool, calm and collected. It inspires gratitude and being happy with the way things are.
The Lemon Lime Prayer Plant flower essence dissolves thoughtforms like: ‘I don’t have a place. I don’t belong. What is my calling?’ It magnifies a profound understanding and acceptance of one’s offering to the world, along with a desire to be of service.
At the root of much of our patterning lies a subconscious thread of self-hatred. Ruby softens hardness, irritation and self-sabotage that intertwines with our glitches. It magnifies softness of the heart and character, helping us be more gentle, affectionate and loving with ourselves and others.
A sunset-colored cactus flower that blooms in the Arizona desert, Buckthorn Cholla helps us reconnect to the inner wisdom that arises within us when we’re silent. It slows us down so we can see the beauty and deeper meaning in everything around us. It dissolves static and distraction so we can perceive our interconnectedness with the natural world -- and be nourished and fulfilled by that connection.
I spotted the Spider Orchid growing on a tree on the edge of the dense Monteverde rainforest in Costa Rica, opening a doorway into a new world. In life, whenever we’re faced with the unknown, we may experience an adrenaline rush mixed with panic or survival fear. Spider Orchid helps us embrace and step into the unknown with a sense of safety and even adventure. It helps us move through uncharted territories and see the world as supportive and benevolent.
The Northern Green Orchid is a rare, terrestrial orchid only found in Iceland, Greenland and Akimiski Island. A powerful antidote for feeling invisible, it helps us treasure our own unique qualities when we feel our presence is not making an impact, or that our words are not penetrating. When we surround ourselves with people who don’t understand our potential, we may start to feel insignificant. Northern Green Orchid teaches us how to seek out environments that support the depth of who we are as spiritual beings.
The Monteverde Rein Orchid is a terrestrial orchid that uproots subconscious fears of persecution, fear or panic. When we perceive ourselves as alone, weak or vulnerable, we get amped up into fight or flight mode. Rein Orchid softens our hypervigilance and fixation on details so we can feel comforted, safe and at home. Our minds release their grip on minutia, so we can attain a bird's-eye perspective.
Also known as the wild soybean, this tall yellow wildflower is found in the grassy fields of Yilan, Taiwan. The Taiwanese Wild Lily dissolves the habit of being too tight and rigid. When we hold on too tightly and repress emotions, we run the risk of becoming physically ill. Alternatively, we can learn to loosen up and release our tension. We can be like water and roll with the punches. Being fluid and flexible helps us experience more ease in everyday life.
One tiny little Johnny Jump Up popped up by itself one year in the backyard of our building. Knowing that flowers grow exactly when & where they’re needed, I jumped into action and made an essence of it. This pansy-like wildflower dissolves unworthiness, playing small and reluctance. When we have limited thinking, hide behind routines, and expect the very least, it magnifies our capacity to be more OUTRAGEOUS!