plant spirit essences

8/8/2019 Plant Spirit Essences

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Plant Spirit Essences

Contents:

Introduction.3

1. Four leafed clover Talk with NatureSpirits8

2. Five leafed clover DynamicWill..8

3. Hawthorn Innocent Heart

84. Wild Thyme Mother ofIntuition...8

5. Stinking Iris Finding invisibleLimitations..9

6. Comfrey Cut pastnegativity.10

7. Rosa Rugosa Sense ofSelf..10

8. St. Johns Wort Wakeup.109. Nasturtium Protect

Happiness..1010. Purple Foxglove Doorway to Faery

Realms1111. White Foxglove Doorway to Spirit

Realms..1112. Mountain White Gentian and Dakini Kaleidoscope of

theFuture.12

13. Touch-Me-Not Protect theHeart12

14. Blue Morning Glory Power PlantAlly..13

15. Datura Power PlantAlly..13

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16. Pennyroyal Purifier..15

Snowdrop Simplicity1517. Cowslip Give upOverwhelm.16

18. Sunflower Grow into Yourself17

19. Papaya Make my own decisions...17

20. Flamingo Lily PleasurePrinciple..18

21. Vipers Bugloss UnbindingPower.1822. Ivy Leafed Toadflax The Spirit of the

Gate..1923. Lily of the Valley

Notice..2024. Periwinkle Dynamism.

.2025. Cuckoo Pint Astral strength

2026. Gorse Object of Desire21

27. Hedge Woundwort Spiritguardian..21

28. Nine-petalled Buttercup Adaptability..21

29. Water Forget-me-not Ethericconsciousness.22

30. Self-Heal Dreamexperience..2331. Oxtongue Find sense in suffering.2332. Chickweed I am good enough...2433. Black Tulip Unique & Individual2734. Cornflower Vision2735. Centaury Balance.2836. Rose Bay Willow Herb Grow anew..2837. Scarlet Pimpernel Create with laughter....29

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38. Yellow Archangel Basic Sanity..3039. Bluebell.....31

40. Honesty..31

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Introduction

We human beings depend entirely upon the plant life on thisplanet for our very existence. Plants are the basis of all thefood we eat, even the air we breathe. The Plant Spirit is trulythe greatest of all friends to humanity. All the medicines ofmodern medical science have their origin in plants. Plantsand flowers gladden the heart with their beauty and raise ourspirits when we are down. We give nothing to plants, mostlynot even our love or respect, we take them completely for

granted yet still they give us everything including their ownlife-force.

Working with the Plant Spirits will not only help us to heal, itwill gradually awaken in us the love and respect for all ofMother Earth and her inhabitants, bringing us the realizationthat we all depend on each other. Beyond personal healing,the message from the Plant Spirit is that we need to wake up(and fast) to the global pollution and destruction of natural

habitats that we are causing or we humans may not surviveat all.

These Plant Spirit Essences have been made with thegreatest of care under the direction of each Plant Spirit itself.It has taken a year and many thousands of miles of travellingto put together this small collection. The range will graduallybe expanded and explained more over time.

The explanations in this booklet use the language of myparticular training and experience this is how I havetranslated what each plant spirit told me. With experienceyou will find your own words and explanations. As above, sobelow is a universal doctrine your words may differ frommine, yet the essence will be the same.

Plant Spirit Essences work at the level of spirit. That is to saythey work powerfully, yet subtly in the background, helping

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us to understand our situation, providing us with tools tomove through our difficulties. Taking the essences is really a

process of learning, empowerment, and change. Healing,mental, emotional, and physical, happens as a result of thisprocess.

The Essences are not like pills, they do not work at all likeconventional medicines and it would be a mistake to think ofthem in this way. They contain none of the physical plantmaterial and are simply spring water containing the vibrationof the Spirit and brandy to stop the water spoiling. Physically

there is nothing to see, nothing to react with (unless you aresensitive to brandy). They work purely at the level of Spirit(where your spirit meets the plant spirit) and the subtle bodysystems. I have chosen, therefore, to explain some of theiractions in terms of Oriental Medicine acupuncture, thechakras and so on.

How to Choose Essences

The general principle when choosing Essences is to choosethe ones you want. Not the ones someone else says, not theones you feel you ought to have because someone says youare a certain way. Choose for yourself. Work on the thingsthat you want to work on, in the way you want to work onthem.

Here are a few methods which may help:1. Read the explanations in this booklet. I am confident

that the explanations, though by no meansexhaustive, are good ones.2. Look at pictures of the flowers or see them in your

minds eye. Which ones call you? Which ones feelright?

3. Use your intuition to guide you to each essence. Talkto the plant spirit in your mind and ask for help. Holdit in your hand does it feel right? If your mind is nottoo busy you may even notice a message from the

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plant spirit itself an image, a word, a feeling, asensation, maybe more.

4. Ask for help from your Guide, or Angel to direct you towhat you need. If you have not consciouslycommunicated with your Guides before, know andtrust that they are always with you and allow them toshow you.

5. Take Four leafed clover essence for a month. This willimprove your ability to resonate with Nature Spirits,including these plant spirits. Choosing will be easier. Ifyou also allow yourself some quiet contemplative time

each day, you will really begin to realize the amazingpotential that working with plant spirits holds.

How to use the Essences

Take 4 drops 4 times per day. Either drop straight into themouth or put in a glass of water.

Taking the Essences is a spiritual practice in itself. Firstly it is

a practice of discipline and of mindfulness. Secondly, it is apowerful act of magick, empowering the vision and intent ofa positive future. Thirdly, you are working on the interrelationof your beliefs with your experience, realizing after a whilethat they are interdependent and moveable, not fixed.Dedicating any benefit you receive from taking the Essencesfor all beings (including yourself!) is a powerful way toprotect and multiply that benefit.

The effects of taking the Essences is enduring, yet theprocess is flexible. If the spirit is taking you through changeat a rate you are not able to withstand then stop taking it.What you have gained so far will stay with you, and thecontinuing influence of the plant spirit will diminish very fast being mostly gone within a day and completely gone within3 days.

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You can use many Essences together they do not interferewith each other. You can also take the Spirit Essence of any

plants that you are taking as herbal extracts. Commerciallyproduced herbs have lost their spirit. Taking the SpiritEssence as well as the herb will greatly enhance theeffectiveness of the herb. St Johns Wort, Evening Primroseand Hawthorn herbs benefit especially well.

A Note on Meditation and the Ego

There is no greater gift that you can give yourself thanlearning how to meditate. Start today and continue for therest of your life. It doesnt matter what your religion, whatyour spiritual path, how you choose to express what you find,meditation will empower you in this life, in death, andbeyond.

People mean many things these days by meditation. When I

mention meditation in this booklet I mean shamatha andvipasyana. That is to say Calm Abiding through the Practiceof Mindfulness and Insight. It is the basic (ie forming the baseor foundation) meditation, explicit or implicit, of all spiritualpaths.

This is not the place to talk in depth about meditation soplease refer to some of the many books available on thesubject and find a teacher.

When I mention the ego I mean the negative ego. That isthe smug, selfish, limiting, dualistic ego. The demon ego,you could say. The ego always works against our bestinterest and continually tricks us into adopting its agenda asour own.

Ego is also used, by for example the psychoanalyticaltradition, to mean sense of self (from the Latin ego I am).

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At no time in this booklet do I use ego to mean sense of self.A healthy sense of self is very important and we should

distinguish carefully between our sense of self and the ego.This distinction as I use it comes from the teachings of theBuddha Dharma and further study in that system will makethe meaning clear if you dont already understand.

And finally

It is my sincerest hope and wish that these Plant SpiritEssences enrich your life and help you to develop the

qualities and abilities to overcome your difficulties andlimitations whatever they may be. The process of bringingthem to you has been sometimes joyous, sometimes difficult,yet always fulfilling. I hope your experience of taking them isjust as fulfilling.

David HarrisWarwickshire Sept 2006

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The Spirit Essences

1. Four leafed clover Talk with Nature Spirits: Our4 leafed clover essence is made with 4 plant spiritsfrom high in the Kaueranga valley in New Zealand.The presence of the 4th leaf shows that a nature spirithas made its home in the clover. I have found it to bevery helpful and well-disposed towards human beings.It helps open us to the dimension of wonder andmagick in nature, teaching us how to talk with naturespirits direct and bringing us a certain type of stability

and peacefulness. It gently and progressively opensthe door to our psychic nature in general. It can betaken continuously over a long period and willconstantly bring you fresh insights into the miracles ofNature and how you are a part of that miracle!

2. Five leafed clover Dynamic Will: Our essencecontains the spirit essence of 5 5 leafed clovers allfound within 5 minutes in a very magickal spot in the

Kaueranga valley. Five leafed clover is always red andworks with the dynamic of Fire it is very dynamicand transformative! By itself it strengthens andbalances the Will. It works with what it finds in theintention so take it with a specific purpose in mind. Itstrengthens the effects of any essence(s) that it ismixed with.

3. Hawthorn Innocent Heart: Protects innocence.

Connects with the deepest heart essence of pureintent. Eases the heart through spaciousness,reminding a very deep part of us that truly we existbeyond cares and concerns; that we are unlimited,beautiful and free. Helps rebuild self-value, trust andlove of self and others. In this way, helps heal thedeep cause of heart problems.

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4. Wild Thyme Mother of Intuition: Awakens andstrengthens psychic and empathic abilities. We learn

more and more how to use our intuition. Taken overtime builds penetrating psychic awareness togradually widening spheres. The spirit of Wild Thymereminds us (and shows us!) that the more we open touniversal love and genuine compassion, the more ourpsychic abilities (which are a natural part of us)develop.

Psychic abilities (siddhis) develop as a matter of

course with the progressive integration of thepersonality, or as obscurations are removed (which isanother way of saying the same thing) on the spiritualpath. The energy of Wild Thyme is beautiful andethereal, lunar and feminine. Take it under a NewMoon on top of a hill in as wild/ natural a place in thecountryside as you can find. Maybe ask Bluebell forhelp in composing a prayer to the Goddess (orwhatever your vision of the Creator is). Then relax in

the stillness. Alternatively, dance with the Wild Thymespirit under the Full Moon, then sit or lie down and justfeel. These simple exercises will bring much greaterbenefits and insights than you may presently believe.

5. Stinking Iris Finding invisible Limitations:Saturnine. Underworld. Metal Element (esp LargeIntestine meridian). Brings clarity concerningproblems where we always get stuck and have no idea

why. The gate to the underworld, though notparticularly a protector. Brings knowledge of ancestralpatterns which have come down to the present. Goodto show the cause of eg Fertility problems and seeingthe root of a problem. Taking this essence can bequite challenging. Begin first with Comfrey if you haveno experience of Underworld working. CombineComfrey with Hedge Woundwort and Snowdrop for awhile before taking Stinking Iris. This establishes your

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Guides and Allies at the level of the Heart andempowers your sense of inspiration in the Now, in

simplicity. Then when the previously invisible patternsof your Underworld become visible, you willcomprehend them and re-integrate them easily.Combines well with talking therapy also.

6. Comfrey Cut past negativity: Whatever we havedone in the past, and whatever the past has done tous, in a negative way, we carry with us in the present either in conscious awareness or slightly submerged.

Comfrey brings the perspective of a type of non-attachment which allows us to cut the cycle ofrepeating negative patterns. Releases the LargeIntestine meridian and empowers the Lung meridian.Good all round Metal Element remedy. Modernmedical research is looking at Comfrey as a curativein cancer the correlative of this in its spirit is itsability to help us release limiting conditionedbehaviours, especially those with roots in very early

childhood.

7. Rosa Rugosa Sense of Self: Brings protection tothe Heart in the sense that it helps us distinguish oursense of self from the ego. Just as the roses beauty isprotected by its thorns, with a strong sense of self wevalue the beauty of life and know when it isappropriate to protect ourselves.

Red Rosa Rugosa: Better for those who need morepassion and involvement with life.

White Rosa Rugosa: Better for those who need tofind more time and space for the beauty of simplicity.

8. St. Johns Wort Wake up: Sunshine. Strengthensthe pineal/ spleen connection and solar plexus chakra.In this way helps connect us with our inspiration and

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enthusiasm to rebuild positive expectation. Helpsdepression, especially that stemming from giving

away power in interpersonal relationships. Also goodfor helping us re-establish good relationships withfood where these have gone awry.

9. Nasturtium Protect Happiness:The Will to liveand enjoy. Restores Will and Faith in life and love aftersuffering from abusive people or situations. Raises thevitality of the Gao Huang (the palace of the life force,situated below the heart) and thereby acts as a shield

from psychic vampirism and/or emotionalmanipulation. Sets a shield in the aura, thus allowinglesions to heal from within. This nasturtium essencealso includes a Sentinel or guardian spirit that activelydeters people from interfering with you.

10. Purple Foxglove Doorway to Faery Realms:Thisessence has been used as a doorway & guide to theFaery realms and to empower Astral projection

generally. The herbs association with helping theheart is a reflection from the power of the spirit toconnect us with the Void space of peace beyond egoattachment. This space of peace arises naturally whenwe connect to the harmony of Nature. And this is whatpurple foxglove enables us to do, if we have lost thatconnection, teaching us in the mean time to love andprotect our Mother Earth.

11. White Foxglove Doorway to Spirit Realms:Sister of the purple foxglove, her sphere of operationis above the Void in the realms of spiritualmanifestation. She may ask you for a password beforeshe guides you in her realms. This word is secret inthe real sense that it is incapable of being told toanyone else. It is linked to the 3rd Eye/ Ajna chakraand in finding it you will find what is necessary andhow to be in order to link with the White Foxglove and

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your own higher spiritual nature. Work first with PurpleFoxglove and then with White Foxglove and they will

show you how to find your word.

White Foxglove is closely connected with the energyof the Governor meridian in acupuncture and bringsyou vision from the overall perspective of your spirit.Her assistance is very helpful in divination and in theover-view of creating new systems and strategies. Theactual implementation from the realm of spirit is thenfacilitated by, eg White Gentian.

She protects the outer layer of the aura like a bellcover: you are clad in spirit and lower energies donot see you or do not comprehend you.

12. Mountain White Gentian and Dakini Kaleidoscope of the Future: Gathered from theslopes of Mount_________, the most active volcano inNew Zealand. This is a unique and very special

essence as a White Dakini appeared and blessed itwith her energy (of purifying clarity). In Chinesemedicine, the energy of this plant spirit would appearalong the wood-metal axis. The virtue of this essenceis to widen our view of our possible futures. Throughnegativity we close down our expectations andeventually lose sight of any possibility in our Future,settling instead for an uninspired present and a vaguebelief that we are somehow fated to be miserable

and unfulfilled. This essence opens us again to thekaleidoscope of possible futures that are ours alreadyand helps us to realize that we are free and able tochoose whichever we will. It opens the door to thefuture with uncompromising clarity ground yourselfwell and if its still a bit much, take an essence suchas Hedge woundwort to re-establish the awareness atthe Heart Centre.

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13. Touch-Me-Not Protect the Heart: This essencewas gathered from Far North Queensland in Australia,

during monsoon the prevailing environmentalconditions enhancing its natural qualities of balancingFire & Water Elements. In acupuncture terms this isthe essence to bring discriminating awareness/discernment (Water) to the Heart Protector (Fire). Ifour Heart Protector is over-sensitive we can shut downand withdraw into ourselves at the slightestprovocation, feeling hurt, confused and unloved.Touch-me-not strengthens the Heart Protector,

enabling us to talk through the painful situation, thusre-establishing the links of loving communication at alllevels, that is so necessary for our well-being. TheHeart Protector is also called the Circulation Sexmeridian and touch-me-not helps re-establish the rightbalance between Will and Flow (Fire and Water) toempower sexual energy.

14. Blue Morning Glory Power Plant Ally: When we

wish to escape from where we are or even what weare, we can become depressed, dreaming utopianfantasies, wishing upon a star, wishing we were faraway, better, different, hankering after the land ofmilk and honey. This state is all too often acceptedand indulged in our society, even encouraged as somekind of nave optimism. It is nothing of the sort.Naivety as innocence, and optimism as hope, maywell be virtues escapism, however, traps us where

we are (ie where we dont want to be) its message ispessimism (the utopia is distant and unattainable).This is exploited by consumerism (to keep usunhappy, yearning for what we dont have andtherefore buying stuff) and all too often results in thedreadful sweetness and light kind of spiritualitywhich is really neither sweet nor light!

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The initiation of morning glory puts us beyond theneed to escape by gradually awakening in us the

understanding that we are beings who exist withinand also beyond time and space. The perspective ofinfinite space and time, beyond the level of normalconceptual awareness, brings a willingness tocooperate with our circumstances as well as a naturalunderstanding that we can change things if we wantto, that the problems that we are escaping fromarent as real or solid as we may have believed.

It also enables communication with extra-terrestrialintelligences and combines well with Moldavite crystalessence for this purpose. (For people who haveexperienced unwanted interference from Aliens thereare protectors that are very efficient please contactthe author)

15. Datura Power Plant Ally:Taking this essence is ajourney of initiation. It opens the central channel of

the subtle body system, which is another way ofsaying the same thing. The Herb has traditionallybeen used as a kind of astral-projection rocket fuel!Opening the central channel has the effect of allowingcommunication between the chakras. Up to Ajna(brow) chakra this allows for gradual integration of thepersonality. It is therefore very useful to use with anykind of self-development work.

In order to travel with Datura we have to let go of ourlimited self. This is what Datura teaches. It brings ourawareness to the part of us that is beyond death. Asthis awareness strengthens, the dream-like quality oflife (and death) becomes more apparent and themovement of kundalini through the upper chakras isempowered. The practical upshot of working withDatura Spirit the mechanics of how it works are this:it sounds very nice to let go of our limited self (and it

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is), yet if we look at what constitutes this limited selfwe will get an idea of the process involved. The

limited self is all the negativity, the paranoia and fear,the greed and apathy, the hatred and the reassuringsmallness and so on. To let go of these things meansthat they rise strongly in the mind and we dont getcaught out by them, but see through them. In otherwords, seeing their lack of substance (reality) we canlet them die and move beyond.

To use Datura safely in its herbal form, the would-be

shaman goes through a death-rebirth initiation. Thisdeath-initiation so-called, is a powerful way of fixingin the psyche a view of beyond-death to allow us tostay sane & aware through the most powerful ofmental/emotional risings.

For us, working with the Spirit essence rather than theherb, we can expect gradually to see beyond thelimited self and to gain this view especially when our

more difficult emotions and attachments/ aversionsrise.

Datura daytime essence: collected during the lateafternoon allows the process to begin while thesunlight of reason maintains a certain control.

Datura nightime essence: collected at night under theparticular influence of Sirius, takes the process

beyond reason, developing our intuition as a guide,unlocks our deepest fears and blocks, carrying usbeyond to an abiding sense of a greater reality.

Remember this is a Power Ally. The power of Power isalways Love and Love is in essence One, yet manifestsin many ways. Uncompromising clarity is certainly thelove expressed by Datura so hurry slowly!

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16. Pennyroyal Purifier: Links the crown and basechakras. The process is one of integration of the

personality by recognizing and working with our ownpatterns and also by seeing where we have adoptedthe attitudes, beliefs and traits of others as a rescue.In other words where we have lied to ourselves andsubmerged our true character through confusion andadopted the view of an external strong Will (either of aperson or of a system).

Pennyroyal gives us the vision and the strength to

undertake the journey which is actually a purificationof karma. It interrupts the process by which the egohijacks our consciousness. The same vision andstrength is applied successively to each of the chakrasin turn bringing many benefits including the releaseold patterns and limiting concepts. Pennyroyal willhelp you identify where you habitually go wrong andby helping you understand it/ experience it in adifferent way, help you get past it.

17. Snowdrop Simplicity: A great Buddhistmaster once said that the trouble with Western peopleis that we are very lazy. When it was pointed out tohim that we rush around doing thousands of thingsand in fact are hardly ever still at all, he replied, Yes,that is exactly the way in which they are lazy. Whathe was referring to is the neurotic compulsive way werush around, our heads full of thousand stories we

want happiness, yet we seem to do our best to avoidit. For Buddhists the ultimate happiness comes withthe enlightenment of Buddhahood. Snowdrop essencecant give you that! It can, however, open the dooragain to our innocent nature and the happiness thatcomes from our contentment simply to be, rather thando. This is the first way we can use it: to empower oursense of simple happiness in being even amidst thehurry-scurry of our daily lives. Secondly, this

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innocence empowers our confidence from beyond therealm of the conceptual/ neurotic mind, allowing us to

act and react in a straightforward uncontrivedmanner. It is therefore useful when our neurotic mindhas entangled us so much that we feel somehowinauthentic and dont know what to do for the best.The Buddhists would say that this is all to be gainedfrom shamatha anyway and they are right! And thisis another clue.

18. Cowslip Give up Overwhelm: When we

feel overwhelmed by life, we desperately pusheverything and everyone away, We do this obviously,or (more often) subtly we begin to mis-time eventsand meetings to avoid people and situations (makingit look all the time like we cant help it). We build apersonality of being downtrodden to manipulate thosearound us and justify internally by telling ourselvesthat I do so much to help others all the time. Wedont take anything in and we dont really give

anything out we just want everyone else to think wedo. This is what drains us of energy. Cowslip restoresthe vitality of the Stomach meridian and the Earthelement generally, working at the level of the solarplexus chakra and its association with the spleen. Inother words it helps restore our centre, freeing usfrom the sense of overwhelm and restoring genuinecommunication (give and take) with those around us.This is an initial step in re-building Will. (see also

Papaya)

19. Sunflower Grow into Yourself: Sunflowerbrings us the qualities of courage, optimism,motivation and joy strengthening the basis of thesequalities: a worthy sense of self. It teaches us to makethe best of what we already have/ are whileencouraging personal growth born out of enthusiasm.Just as a sunflower seed will produce a perfect mini-

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sized plant if left in a small pot and grow rapidly to agiant if planted in the ground, its spirit essence

teaches us to display joyfully and proudly what we arewhile realizing that it is good and natural to getmotivated about our goals and growth. It combineswell with periwinkle to get us moving; with orchid tobring our desire and passion back when they aredulled; with Alfalfa or Dandelion to deepen our root togive us the basis for further growth. It helps us tobuild confidence and very importantly to realize thatcontentment is kin with gratitude/ generosity and not

with stagnation or any kind of smug self-satisfaction.Sunflower helps us to shine!

20. Papaya Make my own decisions:Theenergy of the Papaya spirit is very strong and direct like all tropical plants. Its main virtue is in expellingparasites from the solar plexus and unhooking usfrom the grab of those who attempt to dominate us byimposing fallacious moral/ ethical codes on us for

their own ends. These parasites appear in the mindas should/ shouldnt rules and are accompanied byan emotional discomfort, a sense of struggle as ourown will tries to oust the invading will. When we fail(it feels like this) to oust the invader it shows we arecarrying one or more psychic parasites. Theseeffectively prevent us from experiencing our own lifein an authentic way. The physical correlative of this isstomach/ digestive problems we cannot take in

experience (food) satisfactorily and so cannot makeproper decisions and value judgements (digestion)based on that. These parasites stay in the systemuntil removed. Related to this main function, Papayassecond virtue is to increase our sense ofrighteousness (related to the Metal Element inChinese Medicine) whereby further attempts toparasitize us are repelled.

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Male Papaya is useful for problems now. FemalePapaya is particularly suited to dealing with these

issues when related to Ancestral limitation patternsconcerning eg purity and sin especially thoseattached to heavy judgementalism and control-through-guilt.

21. Flamingo Lily Pleasure Principle: Pleasureis an ever-rolling dynamic between desire andfulfilment. It is different from happiness (seesnowdrop) yet happiness and pleasure together

produce a synergy, actually an alchemy, which is avibrant life-force expressed in enthusiasm and joy.Flamingo lily connects us with this exuberant force inNature. The main effect of this is to increase ourpersonal magnetism. More therapeutically, Flamingolily connects the Heart centre and the gonads (inwomen & men) so is very useful especially for couplesengaged in tantric work or Taoist dual-cultivationmethods.

22. Vipers Bugloss Unbinding Power: Aproblem often encountered in developing the psychicpart of our nature is that our sensitivity can developbefore our strength. In this case, strength developsout of necessity it has to develop for us to carry onfunctioning. This is not a comfortable process.Commonly we lose our Root and our View this canlead to extremes mentally, emotionally and physically.

We learn from Vipers Bugloss that Power is Love. Webegin to understand that the Power of Love is thesame as and different from the Love of Power: it is thesame inasmuch as it is the Love which is Power; it isdifferent insofar as the ego perverts it into dualismseg tyranny/ slavery. The ego has done such athorough job of enslaving us that we can even besuspicious or afraid of developing our Power.

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It is this perversion of Power by the ego that taps our

insecurities as our psychic abilities develop. It is out ofthese insecurities that we can strike with venom,injuring those around us. Or, indeed, feel as if we havebeen terribly wounded because we are over-sensitive.

The snake and spider signature of Vipers Bugloss isakin to that of the scorpion in other cultures notablythe Tibetan and Egyptian. The sting is always that ofthe ego. Vipers Bugloss helps us see through this

illusion and taken over time raises the vibration of thesoul in its journey on the Path of Return (of theKabbalah), also known as the rise of the KundaliniShakti. In this way it unbinds us gradually from theego, which is another way of saying that itprogressively unbinds the chakras.

Use this remedy to help in balancing your psychicdevelopment, and/ or if you are perhaps over-

sensitive. It can also unbind you from charms andglamours thrown by others.

23. Ivy Leafed Toadflax The Spirit of theGate: It is related to all acupuncture points with dooror gate in their name especially those on Water(will), Wood (decision), and Metal (discernment)meridians. A gate links two spaces and also keepsthem separate. To pass through the gate is a type of

death/ re-birth experience leaving one realm behindand entering a new realm, a new experience of life. Ifyou are ready to move to a new space literally ormetaphorically yet somehow seem blocked then theGuardian of the Gate is blocking your way. Ivy LeafedToadflax brings you awareness of what you need towork on to pass through your gate and helps you to doit. Good also for shape-shifting. Very good whencombined with White Gentian.

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24. Lily of the Valley Notice: Firstly Lily of the

Valley disconnects the train of the consecutivethought process and then allows our awareness toexpand into the layers of our aura. This brings anenriched experience of our interaction with the worldaround us we notice what is going on more fully andin more detail. If you take this essence whilecontinuing in your daily life, you will notice its effectsmore and actually enhance them, when you sitquietly.

While we see/ experience our mind and brain as onething, no higher abilities can develop. The paradox isthat while the mind and brain remain undifferentiatedthey cannot be synchronized by seeing/experiencing them as separate, it is obvious whetherthey are synchronized or not. It is this synchronicitythat allows access to that particular sort of calm inwhich higher abilities develop.

Incidentally, the sort of calm which is the balancebetween tension & relaxation/ tone & spaciousness/cognisance and emptiness is the calm of the Heartspace in Chinese medicine. No wonder then, that as aherb Lily of the Valley has been used as a heart andcardiovascular tonic.

25. Periwinkle Dynamism: Periwinkle is about

getting going! It can help to bring us the dynamismneeded to move forward with projects and in our lifegenerally. It has an affinity with the throat chakra andcan thus bring this dynamic quality to our speech helping us to say what we need to say, when we needto say it. It can help with all problems characterized bystuckness and lack of energy flow (and in this regardis useful for Liver qi stagnation).

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26. Cuckoo Pint Astral strength: Cuckoo Pintstrengthens the astral body in all its aspects and is an

infallible guide on the astral plane, if we gain itscooperation there. It naturally retrieves parts of oursoul that we may have lost. The sign that this ishappening is that memories and feelings that we hadlong forgotten surface again. With a little thought youwill see many possible uses for Cuckoo Pint in yourmagick.

27. Gorse Object of Desire:Just as the orchid

spirits can help us re-connect with our desire when wehave lost it, Gorse can help us to define or refine thatdesire into what we actually want: it is connected withdetermining the object of our desire. Desire isoriented towards the future (and in its positivemanifestation, empowers the present). Gorse helps usto channel that desire into what we want. This is thenatural expression of energy running through theStomach meridian. The Stomach meridian of our

culture generally, you could say, has gone mad: weare super-consumers of many more things (food andalso objects) than we can really use/ digest. Gorsehelps us to differentiate between what we want andwhat others have hypnotized us into believing wewant. To know what we want is very useful itempowers us in many ways and also makes us lesssusceptible to giving away our power.

28. Hedge Woundwort Spirit guardian:Hedge Woundwort heals old emotional wounds. Itsparticular connection with the heart centre also bringsknowledge of and communication with your own spiritguardians and power allies. These may manifest inmany ways, all positive and life-enhancing. The egouses old emotional wounds to keep us trapped in thepast and in pain, encouraging us to blame andmanipulate others. When wounded we can be

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desperate and vicious, uncaring of ourselves orothers. Hedge woundwort is the essence of loving care

that gives us the supportive internal space to heal.

29. Nine-petalled Buttercup Adaptability:The virtue of this essence is adaptability theparticular sort of adaptability that is needed when wetend to plan our life and goals in a rigid fashion,becoming upset or irritated when we have to change(usually it is someone elses fault!). Buttercup alsohelps us to recognize our inner passion and bring it

forward in word or deed.

30. Water Forget-me-not Ethericconsciousness:The transmission of qi (energy) inthe body depends upon the relation of the etheric andthe physical: they need to slide over one another likemembranes. Busy-ness in the mind causes the ethericto adhere at places to the physical and the qi cannotflow. Under great mental stress or mental disquiet for

a long time, the etheric becomes more and moretightly stuck to the physical almost like shrink wrap.The qi flow is greatly reduced and illness is not faraway. Certainly there will be tiredness, a lack-lustreappearance and a lack of enthusiasm. We may eithergive in to this or (typically) re-double our efforts,producing periods of frenetic activity followed bycollapse.

WFMN separates the physical & etheric slightly,mimicking deep relaxation or the early stages ofsleep. It is the essence of water moving slowly andgently its power is coiling, sinuous and silken. Thisdoes not mean that we become sleepy or relaxedautomatically as with eg Lily of the Valley, you willnotice how WFMN is working more when you sitquietly or do qigong. During the day, when you aremoving around and busy WFMN works away in the

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background. Its virtue is in bringing awareness to theetheric body in oneself and others. It allows energy

from the breath, from the higher parts or our natureand from the environment to restore the etheric body.It is thus good to use in conjunction with Taiqi practiceand for Energy working/ healing at the level of the qi.

Mentally and emotionally WFMN allows the awarenessto expand at the level of the etheric. It also bringsforward an innate knowledge of how the breathconnects with the energy of the body.

31. Self-Heal Dream experience: In dream theorganization of our conscious awareness changes inemphasis from a great involvement of the linear-rational mind to much more associative andemotional.The emotional content of normal dreamsrelates to the successive suppression of emotionsthrough the glandular system. This is similar to wakinglife, except that in dreams we have less control so

that the habitual emotional states are stronger, morevisible. If we have more consciousness in the dreamstate we can experience the layers of suppression ofemotions, arriving at the clear space of resolution orfreedom. We do not need to be fully lucid in dream forthis to occur we need a background awareness thatwe are dreaming and a willingness to experience theemotions without denying them or over-indulging inthem. These qualities are what Self-Heal bring. In this

way all dreams, even the worst of nightmaresbecomes useful and even welcome. This trulyempowers our sleeping and also waking life. This, veryvaluable attribute of Self-Heal has not been publishedbefore.

32. Oxtongue Find sense in suffering:Oxtongue brings a sense of equilibrium andstrengthens the Hara. It is easy to meditate and do all

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kinds of self-development work when we feel goodand inspired. All too often when we feel down we let

everything drop. Oxtongue brings a type ofequanimity which is stability. In meditation this is notto be swayed by the fantasies of our mind andemotions: it is a perspective, a view, a ground ofordinariness. We can carry this into our daily life.

Deciding to tackle our tricky mind, our suffering, ourdepression is a step in the right direction. This showsthat we have not fallen completely for the story of

depression. Already we see a possibility, some kind ofhope in the situation. What we do next is usually try toescape somehow from where we are. This involvestrying to deny, somehow, that our depression exists that we can feel better by just fantasizing that we are.We go for all kinds of treatments looking for a magicpill. This like the old saying: we leave our elephant athome and look for its footprints in the forest. In otherwords we wander off into the projections of our mind.

This inevitably ends in disappointment and wecollapse back into depression and dullness again.

The energy of Oxtongue connects us with a sort ofcourage or fearlessness so that we can experience ourdepression, our dullness fully, without being thrown byit without believing it and without running away fromit (both of which strengthen it). Out of this a claritydevelops where we see the pattern of how we were

tricked by the ego, how we fell for it. This in itself is aliberation and further, we begin more & more to trustin our own ability to cope with whatever life throws atus.

33. Chickweed I am good enough: Culpepperindicates Chickweeds use in skin problems. Our skinis our point of contact with the world. It defines thelimit of what we normally consider to be us, as

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opposed to everything else, not us. More than this, itis the face that we show to the world. When there is

conflict between the face that we want to showoutwardly and how we feel inwardly, this can manifestin skin problems.

As always, the ego is at the root of the problem telling us we are not good enough as we are. We aredealing with a Heart chakra imbalance and itsmanifestation in the Fire and Metal elements. Whenwe try to move forward in our life, personally,

professionally or in any other way, the ego attacks usat our weakest points to impede or dissuade us. Oftenit arouses our sense of not being worthy or goodenough to create a conflict between what we wantand what we feel we are capable of. These are thehorns of this particular dilemma. The Heart isdisturbed and the agitation causes disturbance in theWind/ Air of the body (this manifests as itching). Animpulse arises from the Heart centre (from the right

side, the father side) to seek reassurance from theoutside, through words or physical contact, to try tosoothe the feeling of not being good enough.

This is a no-win situation. Either we get thereassurance we crave in which case the control, theredemption, appears to lie outside o f us, and wecontinue to be dependent for our self-esteem on thewhims of others. Or, we are rebuffed and the negative

fantasy is fulfilled the reality that we arent goodenough is strengthened.

From this view of ourselves as unworthy also comes agreat dislike of saying no. There are a few commonways this comes out; we make a policy not to say noand decide this is because we are a Good Person (thatis, we want to appear to be so, to the world at large).We say yes, when we really want to say no and decide

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that this is because other people are more importantthan us. We say no and feel terrible about it, going

almost immediately into compensating behaviour.There are more versions, but you get the idea.

The root is that we feel unworthy/ not good enough aswe are, and we want so much for others to reassureus that we are terrified of doing anything that maymean they wont. One upshot of this is that we dontallow ourselves to get ahead in life, to try, or really toachieve (Metal doesnt feed Water; or Air doesnt feed

Fire).

This equates with a build up of toxins in the LargeIntestine and a gathering of suppressed emotions thatmanifests in problems of water balance (ie too muchor too little), intestinal problems and either weightgain or gauntness.

Because ego is always two sides of a coin, there is the

opposite behaviour an overzealous, even rigidadherence to saying no as a matter of principle. Thisis the same pattern except that no is used as ashield. By saying no we are proclaiming (we think) tothe world: I am somebody. I am valuable. Quite oftenpeople fall for it and only we know the truth what weare really saying is: I feel like a nobody. Please tellme I am valuable. We can be on both sides of thiscoin at different times.

The external manifestations of this ego-conflict arisein the skin (conditions characterized by itching,redness etc) and the joints (rheumatism, tendon &ligament problems) what we look like and how wemove are common areas where we make judgementsabout ourselves and others worth. (NB not allproblems of the skin and joints arise from this pattern,of course).

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Incidentally, we are drawn to stimulants of all kinds in

order to suppress (ie maintain) this pattern.Stimulants tax and eventually fry the nervous system(see also Rose Bay Willow Herb). The stimulantsinclude dietary stimulants like tea & coffee, as well asother things like smoking and more extremely,amphetamines, diet pills and so on. More subtlestimulants include anything that keeps our mindmoving and unquiet from addiction to television, toover-concentration on activities like working.

Removing at least dietary stimulants will help first toclarify and then to resolve this pattern. The addictionto more subtle stimulants will be disempowered byremoving dietary stimulants and by Chickweedessence. Shamatha will further empower you in thisprocess.

Chickweed helps resolve this ego-conflict byconnecting us more strongly with our innate sense of

self-esteem and value. If you are stuck because ofsuch a superiority/ inferiority complex, or if yourecognize yourself in the above paragraphs, useChickweed essence. Combine it freely with, forexample, Five leafed Clover, Periwinkle, WhiteGentian, Snowdrop.

34. Black Tulip Unique & Individual:Thepurple-black colour of this tulip is the colour of the

ajna Chakra, the Eye of Shiva. The third eye is not justabout visions per se, in the psychic sense it is aboutour View how we see the world. The vision of the 3rd

Eye, of Shiva is an experience of seeing everything asit really is not as it is filtered through ourconsciousness of duality. When the Eye of Shiva openseverything is destroyed its not that anything goesanywhere, its that the limitations are destroyed.Everything is different, yet the same.

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Black Tulip is connected with this sort of View, but in a

more limited, more material sense. You could say thatit is a channel for this View, like people are, but in aslightly different way from people.

The 3rd Eye opens in the Causal Plane and it is fromthis level that our view of reality changes. Thefreedom from restriction means that we realize howwe create our own reality. Black Tulip connects uswith this potential we realize our uniqueness and our

individuality, expressing our originality and Will aspowerful tools to shape our life and destiny.

Prosaically Black Tulip can be used to free us fromdominating wills. More profoundly it connects us withthe reality expressed in deep sleep. This realm isbeyond normal personal conventions: it is the level ofthe unconscious where the personal meets thecollective and is expressed in the waking mind as

images of Archetypes. Bringing even partialawareness to this realm will empower your life verysignificantly and is, in fact, a key for manifestationand great magick.

35. Cornflower Vision:The basis of anger isactually clarity/ discernment ie vision. Cornflowertransmutes the heat of anger, allowing a clearervision of events and situations. It is good when, during

times of stress, you cant see the wood for the treesand are prone to outbursts of anger, a generaltetchiness, or are feeling so wound up that you cantrelax. In this way it is good for the deep causes ofnervous system damage. It is also good for peoplewho are biologically set up to live in cool/ temperateclimates (ie were born there or whose ancestry isthere) who choose to live in hot climates. Cornflower

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offers a cooling nature to the Gallbladder spirit andthus helps protect the heart.

Cornflower is good for developing diagnostic ability forthose engaged in treating others. This functionextends to bringing our awareness to areas of life thatwe need to work on and letting us see what needs tobe done eg in terms maybe of diet or lifestyle.

36. Centaury Balance: When we find ourselvesbitter and resentful we have allowed past experiences

to build up as a kind of toxin in the Liver andGallbladder systems. We are bitter and resentfulbecause we believe our future is limited by the past.Quite often we intellectualise our predicament as away of anaesthetizing our emotions. The resultingblame shows us that we have lost authorship in ourown lives. We view ourselves as a victim ofcircumstances or people and our self-pity drowns outany hope or real trust in ourselves or others. Centaury

brings us out of self-pity and engages the reason in agood way. Centaury empowers the temporal areas ofthe brain (associated with the Gallbladder meridian)and the inner ear. As cornflower is good for lookingdiagnosis, centaury is good for listening diagnosis.

37. Rose Bay Willow Herb Grow anew: Burn-out can be characterized as a condition of nervouscollapse and partial soul-loss predicated upon a

neurotic (over-) drive to prove oneself valuable orworthy (see also chickweed). Burn out differs fromother types of exhaustion in this way.

As chickweed disconnects the neurosis of how we lookto the outside world (especially via the skin & joints)thus empowering us inwardly, Rose Bay Willow Herbreconnects us with our inner world the positiveemotions of self-nurturing and compassion (we often

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forget that compassion is about looking afterourselves as well as others), providing the basis for

empowering us outwardly.

Here the soul loss isnt so much as loss as a starvingor drying-up of the fuel or pathways of positivegentle emotions that nurture our soul, by the heat ofneurotic over-action.

Rose Bay Willow Herb thus provides the spiritual levelsupport for conditions involving paralysis and nervous-

system disorders, especially those accompanied bysigns of dryness or heat.

38. Scarlet Pimpernel Create with laughter:Scarlet Pimpernels botanical name is derived fromthe Greek word to laugh.A full blooded laugh,sometimes called a belly laugh actually extends insidethe body from the genitals up to the level of the 3rd

Eye. Our attention tends to focus on the belly (we

laugh until our stomach hurts) because of the actionof the largest diaphragm (the one under the bottom ofthe ribs) yet with a little attention we can easily feelthe upward pull on the pelvic and genital diaphragmsand the easing of tension from the chest, throat andhead as the laughter energy pours into and out of us.Incidentally laughter tonifies all the organs and inoverload (we laugh until we cry) actually cleanses theglands of suppressed emotions.

Animals dont laugh. Ha is breath plus a particularlyhuman emotion it is a window to the spirit and aninvocation of our essential nature as humans.Kabbalists will understand this. As will Dzogchenpractitioners. This is why laughter feels so good and isso healing.

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The natural home of Scarlet Pimpernel is in the navelchakra, just as the home of the belly laugh is the

belly. However, just as the plant itself follows the sunand opens and closes according to the light and thetemperature, Scarlet Pimpernel spirit will act on anychakra to empower it when directed there by the lightof consciousness and the sun of humour.

Scarlet Pimpernel is a sexual tonic and aphrodisiac. Itsqualities are enriching, magnetizing and creative. Theeffect on your over-all energy will be to make you

highly attractive.

39. Yellow Archangel Basic Sanity: We need amethod, a tool with which to approach the duality ofrelative existence and the seemingly inescapable ego-trap where we are always in the horns of a dilemma,constantly faced with the choice of this or that. Wehave been caught in this trap of conditioned mundaneworldliness for a long time. The point of all spiritual

paths as we know them, has been, will be and is tofree us from this trap. Yet where to start?

The start of all paths, whether evident or disguised ismindfulness. This has two parts: i/ mindfulness and ii/awareness (which mindfulness is based on). YellowArchangel spirit energy is about being mindful andaware. It is about starting at the only place it is reallypossible to be where we are. It introduces the

possibility which exists within us of being basicallysane even in the midst of craziness.

The practical result of this is that we becomeprogressively more and more unshakeable in a basicsort of sanity. The negative emotions and confusionstill rise in accordance with cause and effect, themachinery of duality and the negative ego continue tofunction. We see everything, we feel everything yet

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the ploys of negativity become less & less able tomove us off-centre. This is not only a very useful tool

in life, it prepares us for the work ahead on thespiritual path.

For those engaged in meditation practice or wishingto, a common problem is that whilst in the meditationsession we may be quite mindful but on getting upand going out it is as if we never even bothered wego straight back to being dumb. As one Tibetanmaster once said: Practice is only the practice of

practice. Put another way: formal spiritual exercises(like meditation) are only the training for the mainevent which is all the rest of your lifes activity. YellowArchangel will help extend the benefits of shamatha(meditation) beyond the actual meditation session.

Yellow Archangel is attributed by Culpepper to Venus.Just as love transcends duality by union, YellowArchangel helps us to transcend the opposites of ego-

conflict by synthesis or at least introduces us to thisas a real possibility.

40. Bluebell: Singing and dancing with the faeries41. Honesty: Connects us with the Blue Green

Spirit and nourishes the soul.

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plant spirit essences

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