The Many Faces of Flowers

Denice Moffat

14 years ago

Talk by Dr. Denice Moffat 1069 Elk Meadow Lane Deary, ID 83823 USA (208) 877-1222 drmoffat@NaturalHealthTechniques.com

Things to bring: Appropriate Flowers, Green Tourmaline crystal, Rescue Remedy, Crystal glass, Scent Balls

Because this is such a huge topic I first confined the talk only to flowers and left the rest of the parts (stems, seeds, roots, tubers, and rhizomes) out of this discussion. I also tried to choose only those flowers that were still in bloom at the time of this talk. There are literally hundreds of flowers that are used in medicines. This is only a taste….

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DEFINITIONS:

Creams—A mixture of water and fat or oil that blends with the skin.
Decoctions—A water-based preparation of bark, roots, berries, or seeds simmered in boiling water.
Essential Oils—Extracted substance from flowers or plant parts through the process of pressing, distillation or extracting. Used in natural medicinal ways for all kinds of things.
Extracts—A concentrated preparation of a substance which is used to make other preparations.
Flower Essences—A preparation made from soaking flowers in spring water then diluting it with brandy. Used for emotional and energetic work.
Infusions–A water-based preparation in which flowers, leaves or stems are brewed in a similar way to tea.
Homeopathics—A small bit of substance prepared, shaken 100 times and diluted (over and over up to several hundred times) which, when taken eliminates the symptoms of what the substance originally caused in toxic levels.
Ointments—A blend of fats or oils that form a protective layer over the skin.
Salves—A thick ointment.
Tinctures—A plant medicinal prepared by macerating an herb in water and alcohol.

INTRODUCTION:

The body always seeks balance—you are attracted to foods, colors, sounds, smells, people and situations that promote this balance called homeostasis. We have many types of energetic fields in our bodies that respond to color, vibration, and the nutrition that plants give to us. Some ways flowers are used are in Flower Essences, Medicinal Remedies, Essential Oils, and in Homeopathics. Even the color of the flower and their vibration are important. There is so much we know about all the things God has gifted us with in this world….but so much we don’t know. It’s an amazing world that we live in.

I use a process called kinesiology (muscle testing) to test which products to send home. Although there are many uses for each product, if your body tests that it vibrates specifically for a product, then it needs it. You can be sure that it will use it for something very specific to correct something in your body’s vibrational field that is not working just right.

HOW COLORS FEED OUR BODY:

Colors nourish our body in many ways. We can view them by having flowers around us inside and out, by painting rooms we spend time in with the color we need, by wearing jewelry of that color or by eating foods of the colors our body needs to find balance.

Each color nourishes certain parts of our body and the organs in that area because each color has a different vibrational frequency. Although we may not see the color because we have made some kind of healing remedy from the flower, the vibration is contained within the remedy.

The Chakra system is a grouping of energies from the sacrum up to the ethers above your head. These energy centers spin in a clockwise fashion with equal speed if we are balanced and healthy. The spinning generates an electromagnetic or auric field around the body. When we are connected to Spirit and doing our Life Purpose (things we are passionate about), the energy field is very large and healthy. When our Life Force (will to live and passion) is low, our bodies need lots of recharging. We can do this with flowers.

Red—Feeds the 1^st or Root Chakra which is responsible for your sense of belonging, safety and security in the world. The health of our blood, immune system, bones, joints and spine is dependent on the emotions associated with this chakra. Feeds basic needs for safety, money, sexuality, groundedness and boundaries.
Orange—Feeds the 2^nd (Spleen or Navel) chakra which includes the ovaries, adrenal glands, spleen, uterus, urinary system, prostate gland, cervix and lower bowel. The color orange helps you to take responsibility for your actions and feeds your creative side.
Yellow—Feeds the 3rd or Solar Plexus Chakra. This chakra is associated with self-esteem, confidence, our sense of adequacy, issues around responsibility and feeling deprived of the sweet things in life. Yellow feeds our power center and helps us have more will power and from being too overly critical of ourselves. Yellow helps us overcome diseases associated with the stomach, upper bowel (Crohn’s disease, diverticulosis, malabsorption/maldigestion), kidneys, gall bladder, liver, addictions, pancreas (diabetes) and adrenal glands.
Green—Feeds the 4th or Heart Chakra. When this chakra is out of balance, diseases such as tuberculosis, arrhythmias, hypertension, coronary heart disease, asthma, high cholesterol, breast cancer, fibroids, shoulder and esophagus problems, selfishness and envy occur. Green brings this chakra back into balance and heals it while nourishing feelings of love, balance, harmony, peace, brotherhood, hope, growth and healing.
Blue—Feeds the fifth or Throat Chakra. This is a common chakra that is blocked in people with thyroid disease. Women especially don’t like hurting people’s feelings, so they keep their opinions and emotions inside. By not expressing them they end up with thyroid, neck, ear, eye, larynx, and sinus conditions. The color Blue feeds this area. Women who need blue have trouble communicating their thoughts and feelings, are not expressing their creativity, are not speaking their truth or releasing their past emotions. If you walk with your palms facing back (a sign of thyroid problems) or speak softly, you may try using the color blue to strengthen this chakra.
Indigo—Feeds the 6^th or Third Eye Chakra (also called the Brow or Spiritual Eye). The color Indigo helps strengthen focus and intuition. There is a relation between this chakra and people who have life threatening diseases such as genetic problems, ALS, MS, frontal headaches, inability to think clearly, and scattered or confused thinking. These people will respond to the color indigo.
Purple/Violet/White—Feeds the 7^th or Crown Chakra. This chakra is responsible for alignment with your Life Purpose and connection to God. The 7^th chakra is associated with the hair, top of the head, central nervous system and pineal gland. These colors nourish this area helping us to reconnect with unconditional love, compassion and peace.

What are your favorite colors of flowers? Which colors will you bring to your friend or family member when they are sick? Which colors do you want more of in your yard?

FLOWER ESSENCES:

Flower essences are used as oral remedies, on the skin, in the bath water, as a body splash or a room spray.

How to Make Them:

“Flowers for making essences are ideally picked very soon after they come into bloom. Freshly picked and undamaged flowers are floated in a glass bowl filled with spring water so that they cover the surface. The bowl is then left out in the sunlight on a clear, cloudless day for three to four hours (or less if petals show signs of fading). Bach, the father of flower essence therapy, believed that during this process a flower’s energies were transferred to the water. Sunlight plays a role in charging the water with an energetic imprint of the flower’s vibrational signature. The blooms are then lifted out with a twig and discarded. The energized liquid or “essence” is then poured into bottles with an equal volume of brandy to form the flower stock. The brandy acts as a preservative which stabilizes and anchors the flower’s energy.”

Note: These homemade essences should be stored in the refrigerator. I noticed a bit of mold on the ones I made after a year stored on the shelf.

Rescue Remedy, my favorite Flower Essence, is a combination of 5 flowers. Cherry Plum for loss of control, Clematis for unconsciousness, Impatiens for stress, Rock Rose for panic/terror, and Star of Bethlehem for shock. It comes in several forms (cream, drops and spray) so can be used by almost any living thing. A little goes a long way. Works especially well for the grieving process. You can purchase it at any local health food store. The cost is about $10-15.
Aster—Promotes strength within and gentleness without. Increases powers of concentration and encouragement to promote loyalty and honesty in others. Stimulates the immune system to cleanse the internal environment of toxins in cases of disease.
Harebell—for feeling a part of nature enabling you to acquire gentleness, clarity and strength from living close to nature.
Impatiens—For deep emotionalism concerning family, nation and race. For upsets when the link is broken. Bestows the need for humility and increasing capacity for compassion.
Lobelia—For those who have no patience with themselves or no kind feelings towards themselves. Gives you the courage to accept yourself, as you are, imperfections and all.
Marigold—For those with rigid, materialistic approach to life, often with a total denial of their psychic and spiritual dimensions.
Morning Glory—Supports withdrawal and rehabilitation. Helps us become conscious of our negative living habits and addictions.
Nasturtium—For those who know they need to make changes in their lives but seem unable to make the first move. For vitality, sensitivity and broadmindedness. Good for the eyes, meditation and vision on all levels. Makes you feel alive with vital energy.
Pansy—Hardy resistance for anyone feeling low or vulnerable, or susceptible to frequent viral illness. Balances the immune system. Encourages strength, resistance, and the will to overcome illness.
Pumpkin—For integrating femininity. Brings harmony during pregnancy, promoting bonding between mother and child.
Zinnia—Stimulates childlike humor. Helps us relax and loosen up emotionally, so we re-learn how to laugh and see things less tragically.

FLOWERS AS MEDICINAL HERBS:

Flowers can be used for tinctures, decoctions, infusions and in making creams, ointments and salves. See definitions above.

Calendula—Used in early Indian and Arabic cultures, and in ancient Greece and Rome, as a medicinal herb and as a colorant for fabrics, foods, and cosmetics. The common name “marigold” is used for various species and the different species are used for different things. Calendula (Pot Marigold) is used medicinally in infusions, creams and ointments for various ailments including: gastric and duodenal ulcers, colitis, diverticulitis, hepatitis, swollen glands, menstrual problems and pelvic inflammatory disease. Externally it is used for eczema, conjunctivitis, thrush, herpes, gingivitis, athlete’s foot, varicose veins, cysts, minor injuries and skin problems. Calendula is also used as a general antiseptic and can be used where the skin is broken.

Red Clover Blossom (Trifolium pratense)—Internally used for skin complaints (esp. eczema and psoriasis), cancers of the breast, ovaries and lymphatic system, chronic degenerative diseases, gout, whooping cough, and dry dough. Red Clover Blossoms are contained in the original and current Jason Winters immune tea which you can find at most health food stores.

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)—Internally used for enuresis (bedwetting), anxiety, nervous tension, menopausal disturbances, premenstrual syndrome, shingles, sciatica and fibrositis. Externally used for burns, bruises, injuries (especially those that involve nerve damage), sores, sciatica, neuralgia, cramps, sprains and tennis elbow. Note: May cause sun sensitivity of the skin.

ESSENTIAL OILS:

Essential Oils are used in a healing technique called Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy takes into account the mind, body and spirit of the person as well as their lifestyle, eating patterns, relationships, etc. We use aroma therapy every day when we are attracted to certain odors. Aroma therapy has been around for thousands of years before the process of distilling was ever discovered. Archeologists have found traces of many plants of known medicinal value in the burial places and living sites of early humans. This knowledge was handed down from medicine man/woman to the next for centuries. Essential oils are mentioned many times in the bible both in the new and old testaments. They used them for embalming bodies, fumigating sick rooms, and for other healing processes such as anointing.

Starwest Botanicals (one high-quality herb company) carries about 80 different essential oils. I use some of these essential oils in cooking, as room sprays, in room deodorizer scent balls, and in massage oils, but there are many other ways to use essential oils as well.

For an inexpensive (and safe) room deodorizer add 10-20 drops of essential oil to 2-4 ounces of distilled water. Shake and spray as needed.

For use in massage oils use a few drops in olive, avocado, sesame, apricot or almond oil. Some essential oils (like cinnamon and balsam fir) may cause skin irritation, especially when used “neat” (undiluted). If you have questions, fee free to call me.

How do Essential Oils work?

Essential Oils are the regenerating, oxygenating and immune defense properties of plants. They contain oxygen molecules, which transport nutrients to the cells of the body. They also have a bio-electrical frequency which is greater than the frequency of herbs and food. An unhealthy body vibrates at a low frequency. Essential oils vibrate at very high frequencies. Therefore, when you breathe them in or are exposed to them through massage, you oxygenate your cells and raise the cells vibration so healing can occur. Essential oils follow the fat in your body, which allows them to be transported directly into the center of the cells.

Why are some essential oils, like Absolute Rose, so expensive?

Some essential oils, like Rose Absolute, are made from flower blossoms that cannot be steam distilled. When this is the case, a process called enfleurage is used. Enfleurage is a time-consuming, expensive technique of making fine perfumes from delicate flowers. It may take several hundred or thousands of pounds to produce one pound of oil. Glass trays are lined with lard and scattered with flowers picked early in the morning. The flowers rest in the lard overnight. The next day the flowers are removed from the fat and replaced with fresh ones. This cycle is repeated for 4 to 5 weeks! The lard is then scraped from the trays and mixed with alcohol, which removes the fat. This alcohol is then distilled off leaving the highly scented essential oil (also called absolute) behind.

Here are some examples of flowers that are made into essential oils and what they are used for:

Chamomile, Roman—To instill a clear mind and courage. Used medicinally for cuts, burns, depression, hair care, inflammation, insomnia, joint inflammation, menopausal problems, menstrual problems, migraine headaches, nerves, stress, teething pain, toothaches. Chamomile essential oil may also help with skin conditions like acne, boils, dermatitis, eczema, rashes, and sensitive skin. May neutralize allergies.
Jasmine—Used for instilling confidence, energy, euphoria and optimism. Helps reduce anxiety, apathy, depression, indifference and listlessness. Also helpful for mucus, coughs, hoarseness, laryngitis, lethargy, menstrual pain, muscle spasms, nervous exhaustion, pain, sprains, uterine disorders, and dry/greasy/irritated/sensitive skin
Lavender—Used for infection, inflammation, burns and spasms. Helps with allergies, arthritis, balancing body systems, cramps, dandruff, flatulence, hair loss, headaches, irregular heart rhythms, high blood pressure, hysteria, indigestion, insect bits, bee stings, influenza, insomnia, stimulating the lymph system, nausea, painful veins, PMS, respiratory problems, skin conditions, scarring, stress, stretch marks, sunburns, tension, thrush and water retention.
Rose Absolute—Used for stress, grief, pain and anti-aging costs about $36 for 1/6 ounce!
Helichrysum—Used for pain, mental clarity, sinuses and mood uplifting runs about $24 for 1/6 ounce

SOME FLOWERS USED IN HOMEOPATHY:

Homeopathy involves taking a miniscule dose of a substance and diluting it thousands of times to create a potion that contains just the vibration of the substance. These substances are then used to eliminate symptoms the patient would have if they were taking toxic doses of the same substance. For example, Apis mellifica, made from bee sting venom, is given to relieve insect bites and bee stings. When taken, the body recognizes that same vibration within the body and eliminates it. Homeopathics come in doses of X and C strengths. The more times it has been diluted, the stronger it is. Strange concept, but exceedingly effective.

Traditional homeopathic doctors use single formulas (like those below). I am not a traditional practitioner. I use many “combination formulas” and find them very effective for treating all kinds of things such as allergies to grasses, tree pollens, foods, insect bites, viruses, bacterias, yeast and many other health challenges. I had asthma for 13 years, took Viral Immune System Stimulator drops and it cleared up in two weeks. I have also used homeopathics to shift emotional traits I did not appreciate in myself. Some of the emotional remedies are combined with flower essences, which we talked about already.

Here are a few examples of some flowers we use in homeopathy and what we use them for:

California Poppy (Eschscholtzia californica)—Helps weakness, rapid heart rate, paralysis, and slowing of the circulation.

Snapdragon (Linaria or Toad Flax)—Used for burping, nausea, salivation, pressure on the stomach, jaundice, enlarged spleen and liver, great drowsiness, bedwetting, rectal symptoms, rough tongue, dry constricted throat, confusion, irresistible sleepiness, and symptoms worse when walking in open air.

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) for pain and inflammation caused by nerve damage

THE MANY FACES OF SOME FLOWERS:

I thought it would be interesting to take some of the flowers and compare their uses for those used in a variety of ways. Here are a couple examples of those:

FE= Flower Essence MH = Medicinal Herb EO= Essential Oil H=Homeopathic

GERANIUM USES

FE Geranium—For those lacking joy and happiness. Helps you to see and bring more color into life.

MH Geranium robertianum (the red kind)—Both the flower and roots are used. Effective against stomach ulcers, inflammation of the uterus and as a potential treatment for cancer.

EO Geranium—May help to discharge toxins from the liver. Helps circulatory problems, depression, diabetes, diarrhea, eczema, gallbladder, gastric ulcers, hormonal imbalances, jaundice, kidney stones, menstrual problems, neuralgia, sore throats, sterility, urinary stones. Regenerates tissue and nerves. May also be used for skin care and shingles. Excellent for expectant mothers.

H Geranium (Crane’s-bill)(the purple kind)—Used for sick headaches, profuse hemorrhage, ulcers, symptoms aggravated by summer, double vision, tip of the tongue burning, constant desire to have a bowel movement with inability to pass anything for a long time, chronic diarrhea, and sore nipples.

LOBELIA INFLATA (INDIAN TOBACCO)

FE Indian Tobacco (Lobelia inflata) For perceiving growth processes as opportunities, not hindrances. Encourages a heightened perception of depth and meaning, as though seeing below the surface of things. Fosters peace.

MH Lobelia inflata (Indian tobacco, Asthma weed, Pukeweed) Pale blue flowers found in acid soils and on the sides of roads. Internally used for asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, and pleurisy. Excess causes nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and respiratory failure. Do not give to pregnant women or patients with heart complaints. Externally for pleurisy, rheumatism, tennis elbow, whiplash injuries, boils and ulcers. This herb and its alkaloids are subject to legal restrictions in some countries. Used as fresh, or dried in decoctions, infusions, liquid extracts and tinctures. Lobelia was thought to have magical properties by the Indians in that it was used to ward off ghosts. An important ingredient of antismoking tobaccos as it imitates the effects of nicotine and cough mixtures. The Indians also used it to cut the tobacco they got from the white man to extend tobacco use.

H Lobelia inflata—Used for asthma, smoking addictions (not that effective I’ve noticed), vertigo, fear of death, shooting pains, deafness due to eczema, shortness of breath after eating, tightness of the chest following exercise, pain in the sacrum, and urine deep red in color with red sediment. Used for nausea, vomiting and dyspepsia (acid stomach) worse in the afternoon to midnight time period. Works best with light-complexioned patients. Remember that too much of the tincture would cause these symptoms? Well, you can reverse symptoms of toxicity of a particular item by giving a homeopathic dose, or you can get rid of symptoms that are similar to an overdose of something by giving a homeopathic. That’s the way they work.

YARROW USES

FE Yarrow, Pink—For those who are too easily influenced by the emotions of others. Improves protection of the heart and emotions.

EO Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)—Used as an essential oil to treat congestion. Powerful decongestant for the prostate gland and helps to balance hormones.

MH Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)—Seems to be needed by many of my clients as an infusion (tea). It is used as an antispasmodic, astringent, bitter tonic, increases sweating, lowers blood pressure, reduces fever, diuretic, urinary antiseptic, stops internal bleeding, promotes menstruation and as an anti-inflammatory. Doesn’t taste very good so is often mixed with other herbs such as peppermint and elder flowers.

H Yarrow (millefolium)—Used for hemorrhages (like bleeding hemorrhoids), small-pox, great pains in the pit of the stomach, after operations for stones, after falling from heights, nosebleeds, vertigo, the feelings like you have forgotten something, convulsions and epilepsy from suppressed menses, piercing thrusts of pain, and violent palpitations.

HELPFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES:

The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. A Practical Reference Guide to more than 550 Key Medicinal Plants and Their Uses. © 1996 by Andrew Chevallier
The Herbs of Life. Health and Healing Using Western and Chinese Techniques © 1992 by Lesley Tierra, L.Ac., Herbalist
The Chakra System: /HealingTechniques/chakra_balancing.htm
Essential Oils: /HealingTechniques/aromatherapy1.htm
Homeopathics: /BasicsofHealth/homeopathic_history1.htm