Flower Remedies 101 with Carlisle Hodges
This month, we sat down with Carlisle Hodges of Wild Intuitives and formerly of Blackberry Farm, to talk about her wellness approach to her practice with flower remedies. She sees flowers and their remedial essences as the missing piece in the modern healing process, and we’re thrilled to have her join us for some remarkably special sessions coinciding with the October Harvest Moon on 10/28 at Well Room.
In our conversation, we discussed what flower remedies are, her new moon rituals, and ways to push your higher self into place for the upcoming season. Read on to learn more…
First off… The History of Flower Remedies
Dr. Edward Bach, a pioneering British physician, discovered Flower Remedies in the 1930s, resulting in 38 transformative flower essences that emphasize the profound "mind/body connection" embraced by Western medicine today. These remedies offer an alternative approach to nurturing positivity and dissolving negativity, serving as preventative medicine and providing relief for conditions believed to have emotional underpinnings.
What do Flower Remedies treat?
Bach believed that healing negative emotions helps the body heal itself. His system contains 38 remedies that each address a specific negative emotion. The emotions are grouped into seven broad psychological causes of illness:
Fear
Uncertainty
Lack of interest in present circumstances
Loneliness
Oversensitivity to influences and ideas
Sadness or despair
Cares for others at the expense of self
Bach’s full chart of Flower Remedies, broken out by his categorization system.
Carlisle’s Journey & Words
My journey with flower essences began the winter I decided to move off of Nantucket. I was working for a dear friend who had access to a lot of holistic education. I was studying flower essences and aromatherapy. It was a full body yes, I was so inspired and thirsty to learn everything I could. I had also started taking the flower essences that I was learning about. At that time I had done quite a bit of healing work and I had a strong yoga practice. I was teaching and practicing almost every day. I felt in tune, but I was not connected enough with my subtle energy body to really have the awareness of the flower essences working their magic. I laugh as I look back - (knowing what I know now about how they work) - now I understand the chain of events that unfolded- it makes a lot of sense.
I have struggled with chronic nervous tension and pain since I can remember. It presents as auto immune issues, inflammation, and social anxiety. I have found over time working with the essences, almost all of them help relieve that nervous tension, which reduces the pain, which then allows me to be more available to my community.
The first significant thing I noticed about my subtle energy body on flower essences were my tears. The way I cry started to change. Now I can feel my heart opening and the weight of the tears falling is a completely different sensation than how it used to be. The release feels amazing.
The flower essences will reveal truth to you. Once you see the truth in yourself you will see the truth in others. Sometimes it’s hard to witness, but the essences give us the courage to stay true to our own hearts. Learning how to prioritize our dreams and needs first. There have been many moments of walking away, setting hard boundaries, and practicing courageous honesty to create change. Each essence will help you bloom in a new way. After a while the process becomes refreshing.
Carlisle’s Tips for Autumn Healing
Prioritize slowing down, find time to be quiet and still
Incorporate tea into your wellness ritual, trust what you are drawn too
Follow the phases of the moon to sync your pace with nature
Eat warm nourishing foods
Infrared sauna, yin yoga, and sound bathing for wellness practices
Eclipse season is a good time to "clean the closets" and get rid of stuff that's taking up space in your life and collecting dust
My flower of choice right now is Rose, roses are said to be the purest and highest vibrational frequency, of pure unconditional love. I like to be surrounded with roses- such as fresh roses in the house, Rose essential oil, Rose candles, Rose face serum, etc..
My remedy of choice for fall into winter is Moon River. This remedy is calming, helps us go with the flow, creates radiant clear skin and balances hormones. Moon River is a supportive ally during times of transition and change.
Connect with Carlisle: