your way in edgewise so you can reach a bit fur-
ther. Then suddenly you realize you can’t move.
The long branches of the blackberry plant are
wrapped all about you, and each has thorns that
curve back in toward the plant. No matter which
way you move, some of those thorns dig in
deeper. You are stuck. The essence of the black-
berry flower is used as a remedy for those who are
at a point in their lives where they feel stuck—
unable to find a way to move. Whether it’s a job
or relationship one feels stuck in, the flower
essence blackberry supports the effort to disentan-
gle oneself from the situation. Perhaps the most
valuable aspect of the homeopathic remedy is its
ability to have a therapeutic effect on the mind
and emotions, promoting the process of personal
evolution” (Radical Healing, New York: Harmony
Books, 1996).
Others believe the flower remedies and other
natural medicinals may work as placebos, if they
are effective at all. The 38 essences created by
Bach derive from agrimony, aspen, beech, cen-
taury, cerato, cherry plum, chestnut bud, chicory,
clematis, crab apple, elm, gentian, gorse, heather,
holly, honeysuckle, hornbeam, impatiens, larch,
mimulus, mustard, oak, olive, pine, red chestnut,
rock rose, rock water, scleranthus, star of Bethle-
hem, sweet chestnut, vervain, vine, walnut,
water violet, white chestnut, wild oat, wild rose,
and willow. Essences may be combined to treat
more than one problem and are said to be thera-
peutic in producing support during a crisis, alter-
ation of one’s mental outlook during a chronic
problem or disease or crisis state, and prevention
of emotional imbalance attributable to common
stress and individual circumstances. Flower
remedies do not interfere with any other treat-
ment, do not work in a biochemical way, are not
addictive or dangerous, and may be taken safely
by people of all ages, including babies. They may
be given to animals and plants as well. (Bach
tested all his remedies on himself.) However,
people who are alcohol-intolerant or who are
recovering from alcoholism should not take
flower essence remedies with the alcohol in
them. Used for preservation purposes, the alcohol
may be removed from the remedy by putting the
diluted drops of a remedy into a boiling hot drink
such as tea, so the steam can make the alcohol
evaporate. When cool, the drink may be sipped
throughout the day.
Essences—unlike herbal preparations, in that no
actual part of the plant remains in the tincture—
are to be taken until the patient feels relief and
begins to notice the stimulus of his or her own
healing mechanism. Each flower or plant addresses
one or more emotional imbalances:AGRIMONY: Hiding one’s feelings by putting on a
happy face; denying the existence of prob-
lems; lacking ability to express problems and
feelings
ASPEN: Fear of the unknown or unexplained
BEECH: Perfectionism; intolerance of others’
beliefs
CENTAURY: Over eagerness to please others; inabil-
ity to say no
CERATO: Lack of self-confidence and trust in one’s
own judgment; constant seeking of advice
from others
CHERRY PLUM: Fear of losing one’s sanity; anxiety;
inner turmoil
CHESTNUT BUD: Making the same mistake over
and over; being unable to learn from past
experiences
CHICORY: Overprotectiveness; possessiveness; inabil-
ity to let go without feelings of rejection
CLEMATIS: Daydreaming; absentmindedness; inat-
tention; boredom
CRAB APPLE: Feelings of being infected, unclean,
impure either physically, emotionally, or
spiritually
ELM: Feelings of inadequacy and of being over-
whelmed by responsibilities or commitments
GENTIAN: Pessimism; loss of faith after a failure or
setback; discouragement
GORSE: Feelings of being born to suffer; pes-
simism; feelings of hopelessness
HEATHER: Excessive talking about oneself; self-
obsession; lack of listening skills
HOLLY: Feelings of hatred, jealousy, suspicion,
resentment
HONEYSUCKLE: Excessive nostalgia; loss of interest
in present-day activity
HORNBEAM: Mental exhaustion; feelings of being
stuck in a rut, uncreative, or in the wrong line16 Bach Flower Remedies