As the Winter solstice approaches and themes of darkness and light are felt in this seasonal shift, I would like to talk about hope and will.
Dr. Bach, to whom I am so grateful for discovering the flower remedies, wrote a lot about the power of hope and how important it is in recovery. In his daily medical practice and work in hospitals, long before he began his new venture in healing, one thing was very clear to him: hopeful patients had a much higher recovery rate and hopeless patients relapsed or remained in a chronic state of illness.
This was perhaps where the first seed was planted in his awareness of the power of our emotions over the body and how the two are not really separate, as we are taught to believe.
GORSE FLOWER REMEDY FOR HOPE
Hopelessness is a state of very low vitality. We have all felt the body give out when we are hopelessly depressed over a life situation, something that seems to have no possible solution. The body feels heavy, tired and drained of life force. Once in this state, it is hard to pull oneself out of it.
The remedy Gorse is the bright gold flower whose essence can bring faith and hope back to us when we have given up. It has been useful in chronic illness when the person has tried one thing after another and nothing has worked, so they give up the belief that anything can be done. They may even continue trying treatments (usually for the sake of their loved ones), but inside they know it’s no use. Gorse may also be used when just hearing a diagnosis can rob you of your belief in recovery, like the word “cancer.”
Gorse can bring you out of the depths of hopelessness, restoring faith and helping you to see new possibilities, whether you have a chronic physical illness or you have a challenging situation in your life that has gone on for a long time. That spark, that life force, slowly returns and the body and soul now believe they can heal. Other treatments seem to be more effective and recovery picks up. Gorse is a foundational remedy for anyone embarking on a journey of deep healing.
CENTAURY FLOWER REMEDY FOR STRENGTHENING THE WILL
The other quality that is essential for healing is will. The desire to get better must be there, as the body will cooperate with whatever thoughts you feed it. I know it may sound strange that someone may not want to get better, but sometimes when we are so tired, physically and spiritually, we can feel like it would be better to just not fight anymore.
This may be seen in the elderly or in anyone who, in their recovery, seems to not have a strong enough will to get better. This can be frustrating to family members, who perceive the lack of receptiveness to advice as stubbornness.
This weakness of will may be a habit that was in place before illness set in. People who resonate with the Centaury (remedy), are by nature weak willed. They may have a hard time saying “no,” love to serve others and wear themselves out doing so . Their self-preservation instinct may not be very strong and sometimes you will see them fight much harder for a loved one than for themselves. Here we see how remedies may be used, both for types of people and conditions. You may use Centaury for a healthy person who has these traits, to help them put themselves first or break from a dominating personality, or you may use this remedy for anyone where their will needs strengthening.
