Bloom

The

Book
A F LO W E R E S S E N C E G U I D E
TO COS M I C B A L A N C E

HEIDI SMITH
I L LU S T R AT I O N S B Y C H E L S E A G R A N G E R

BON U S CO NTENT
Why Use Flower Essences?

L E T ' S S T A R T W I T H W H A T F L O W E R E S S E N C E S A R E . Flower essences

are a type of plant and vibrational medicine that is used to address emotional and spiritual
concerns, promote overall well-being, and support shifts in consciousness to help the whole
self come into greater alignment, on deep soul levels. Each plant has an energetic signature,
a specific blueprint for our healing. Flower essences are potent allies to bring us into greater
balance with ourselves, each other, and our Earth. They are made by energetically harnessing
a plant within spring water, and a bit of alcohol or apple cider vinegar as a preservative. They
are odorless and can be taken orally, applied topically, or used in mist form.

Affordability, Accessibility,
and Sustainability
We need to get smarter with how we utilize plant medicine or
else we risk exploiting the plants, land, and people who help us
connect with our medicine. When used respectfully, flower
essences are highly safe, nontoxic, sustainable, and affordable.
They can be made by anyone who can access clean water and
wildflowers in nature for a few hours. You do not have to physi-
cally harvest living plants to make flower essences, making them
highly sustainable. You can also purchase flower essences rather
inexpensively from a wide range of producers.

Connection to the Natural World

Plants are living beings that have guidance to share with us if we
are open to it. Flower essences provide that connection to the
natural world, which holds manifold opportunities for us both as
individuals and as a planet.
Enhancement of the Co-creative
Process of Healing
Healing with flower essences is a co-creative process, meaning the energy you put into
your healing plays a role in the flower essence’s efficacy. It also means that the healing is
reflexive, and when we embark on a relationship with a plant, we gain the opportunity to
be in service to the plant kingdom in new and unexpected ways. Many times, the relation-
ship you develop with a plant is just as important as, if not more important than, choosing
“the best” flower essence.

Assistance in the Ascension Process

As the physical world continues to change rapidly, we are invited to remember the vibra-
tional nature of all life. As we ascend, we become more aware of our vibrational or subtle
energetic natures. Flower essences reinforce this deep knowing and evolutionary process
from a vibrational level. They serve as a bridge between the 3-D physical world and the
subtle and energetic dimensions of our reality, and are guides for living within more
cosmic balance.

Potential for Holographic Healing

Vibrationally, shifts can occur beyond time and space under the right conditions, e.g., when
we gather together and hold a shared intention. Therefore, flower essences make an excel-
lent complement to group and distance healing beyond the level of self: for the plants,
animals, or any situation where physical intervention is not possible.

Support for Planetary Challenges Through

Enhanced Awareness
It’s more important than ever that we cultivate awareness: of our inner state, of our surround-
ings, of what is happening in the world and how to best respond to the increasing challenges
we are facing as a collective. Flower essences show us we always have choice in how to
respond to life from an expanded, heart-centered place. They also help us to strengthen
our intuition and ability to be present—states we must access increasingly in these
times and beyond.
How to Integrate Flower Essences
into Your Life

IF THEY CALL TO YOU, THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO INCOR-

PORATE FLOWER ESSENCES INTO YOUR LIFE. Remember, as vibra-
tional remedies, their potential is enhanced the more intentional time and space you can
offer the remedy to work its magic with you. While flower essences can be used in a simple
this-for-that format (e.g., essences for anxiety or grief), they really shine as allies to deep
inquiries and barriers to alignment—where they can be applied intentionally. This inten-
tionality underscores the vibrational nature of all life and healing.

Name the Kind of Energetic Support You Need

If you are needing support around a specific situation or problematic state (e.g., anxiety),
refer to the flower essence producer repertories that list states and corresponding essences
for each. The flower essence producers I reference in my book are Alaskan Essences, Bach
Flower Remedies, Bloesem Remedies Nederlands, Delta Gardens, Flower Essence Society,
and Woodland Essence.

Notice Where You Are Curious

It might be the beauty or mystery of a particular flower, or perhaps you are curious about
which plants have historically been used for protection. It can be rewarding to research the
historical and ethnobotanical uses of plants before you embark on a relationship with a
particular flower.

Create a Prayer or Intention

Enhance the potentiality of your medicine by creating a simple prayer or intention
each time you take your flower essence. It could be something like, “I am safe, I am
loved, I am present.”
Create a Ritual
Healing with flower essences is a
co-creative process. Whatever expres-
sion you give your ritual becomes part
of the medicine’s process with you.
You could include your aforemen-
tioned prayer or intention, and add a
simple breathing exercise and visual-
ization, such as breathing deeply into
your belly and feeling your feet rooted
into the Earth.

Complement a
Healing Practice
Flower essences are awesome comple-
ments to other healing modalities or mindful-
ness. I love to take mine before a yoga class and
again right before savasana.

Experiment with Application

Flower essences can be applied orally in the form of a few drops as needed. They can also
be added to a cream or oil and applied topically. A particularly luxurious application of
flower essences is to add them to a bath, where you could add a few drops of essential oil
such as lavender or neroli. Another effective application is in mist form, which can be used
in your work or home space to purify, lighten, ground, and/or protect. In between clients,
I like to use a mist blend of angelica and sagebrush with cedar essential oil.

Bring Them to Work with You

Whether you work alone or in a group, flower essences can support the professional
domain in a number of ways, including creatively, interpersonally, boundaries, energy, and
enhancing group cooperation. Additionally, flower essences are potent allies for healers
and helpers, teachers, activists, and all those who are committed to creating positive change
in the world.
RIT UA L | Creating a Protective Mist

For this ritual, you will need a glass bottle and mist nozzle. You may work with
either store-bought essences, ones you’ve wildcrafted yourself, or both. You can
select one or a few of the essences from the accompanying list, if you aren’t sure
what to use. I like to add a few drops of essential oil as well, such as rose, neroli,
or violet.

1. Ground your energy and say your prayer (if you have one). Ask for permission
to connect with the spirits of the plants you are calling on. Call on the spirit of
divine protection to be part of your ritual.

2. Fill the mist bottle up with 70 percent spring water and 30 percent brandy.

3. Add a few drops of essential oil to the bottle.

4. Add the flower essences you’ve selected. (Three drops of stock essence per half
ounce of water and brandy solution.)

5. Close the bottle and swirl three times clockwise and three times counterclockwise,
while asking for the remedy to be purified and blessed. I also ask that it be of the
highest potency and used for the highest good and the highest healing.
Beginner Essences for Inviting Grounding, Safety, and Protection

Alaskan Essences Soul Support—a blend of cattail pollen, chalice well, cotton grass,
fireweed, Labrador tea, malachite, river beauty, ruby, and white fireweed; brings strength
and stability during emergencies, stress, trauma, and transformation, while providing
support to rejuvenate and restore balance on all levels.

Flower Essence Services mountain pennyroyal—protection against negative programming

and psychic bonding.

Flower Essence Services pink yarrow—for appropriate emotional boundaries;

overly absorbent auric field; dysfunctional merging with others.

Delta Gardens or Flower Essence Services rue—repels negativity directed toward

us by others; containment of psychic forces.

Delta Gardens Protection Set—a blend of angelica, cinquefoil, garlic, pennyroyal,

rue, St. John’s wort, and yarrow; protection blend of all seven essences.

Delta Gardens red cedar—offers stability, wisdom, and rootedness during

times of turbulence.
 HEIDI SMITH, MA, RH (AHG),
is a therapist, registered herbalist, and flower
essence practitioner. She maintains a private
practice called Moon & Bloom and is the
co-creator of Spirit Shop. She lives in Brooklyn
with her partner and two cats. For more, visit
© FRANCES F. DENNY

moonandbloom.com.

AVAILABLE JULY 7, 2020 FROM YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSELLER