Plant essences provide a wonderful way of tapping into the healing and restorative power of Nature. When you think about it plant and us, we're not so different. We are all made from the same stuff: plant, tree, person, bird…each of us a bundle of atoms and cells and energy. We eat a carrot and well, we become just a little bit carrot! The ancients of Egypt and Greece described this shared form as ‘prima materia’ and said it is what connected us with the rest of nature and the cosmos.
"Plants and us, we're not so different"
In the same way that we find physical traits and characteristics passing down through families, plants also hand their characteristics down from one generation to the next. And so it is that we learn about the healing qualities of different plants and harness them to aid our own health and wellbeing. We can also find that depending on our own energy state, we may find ourselves drawn to different plants and natural environments at different times.
Working with plant essences (also known as flower essences) is one way to tap into that energy, to find the plants that can support you at different moments, those that can bring balance, clarity and comfort. You may be already doing this with the popular plant essence remedy known as Bach’s Rescue Remedy. Dr Edward Bach brought the concept of plant essences into the mainstream with a range of plant remedies he developed in England in the first half of the 20th Century.
I make plant essences from a wide range of plants from tiny flowers and herbs, to shrubs and large trees, and when I do consultations with people (you can book that here) I will draw from that broad range of plant allies.
But here is the list of plants that feature in the plant essence blends, (which I love to call elixirs as it feels l just a little bit magic!) that are available on this site.
Aquilegia – Bot. name Aquilegia vulgaris
The name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin Aquila (an eagle) as the spurs of the flowers are said to resemble an eagle’s claws. Its other name, Columbine, comes from the Latin columba for a dove or a pigeon. This plant is also known as Granny’s Bonnet and is a favourite in cottage gardens.
While it is no longer used in herbal medicine, I love working at a quantum level with this essence and the medicine wheel. For me, this essence is about stepping into our women’s wisdom, owning our stories, our sense of who we are in this world, and with that ownership and knowledge, we can step into a new day with profound inner wisdom and spiritual guidance. I love this essence – I find it joyous, confident and wise.
Borage – Borago officinalis
Borage is regarded as a medicine for melancholy. Feeling blue? This is a beautiful ally for ‘calming the aches and passions of the heart’.
The ancient physician and naturalist Pliny the Elder described how borage flowers would be put in salads to ‘make the mind glad’, and that borage would ‘drive away sorrow and increase the joy of the mind’. So if things are getting on top of you, or dragging you down, tap into that long lineage of plant wisdom and let borage help you bring things back into balance again.
Calendula – Calendula officinalis
In herbalism calendula is one of our favourites as it is so gentle yet so effective as an antibacterial and antiseptic agent. Its golden petals create rich golden oils and tinctures. We see this energy extended into the plant essence derived from it. Its sunny disposition helps strengthen and comfort the heart and its sunny confidence is delightfully infectious.
Evening Primrose – Oenothera biennis
Sacred to the Goddess Freya, evening primrose is associated with the feminine. In natural medicine evening primrose is a popular remedy for PMS in pre-menopausal women, and joint care in older women. In the garden evening primrose starts off spreading her leaves out wide and almost pushing others away (a bit like when in the grip of PMS!), but as it grows it starts to get tall and will go out of its way to avoid getting into the ‘personal space’ of other plants. When I observe this in my garden I think about how flexible and thoughtful evening primrose is, and that those are qualities that would be great to have in abundance.
Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia or stoechas
Lavender is a popular choice for skin care and aromatherpay and is rich in antiseptic and relaxing properties. Energetically lavender can help calm ragged emotions and bring a sense of piece to life. The name lavender comes from the latin 'lavare' or 'to wash'. Let it wash away your worries.
Mallow – Malva sylvestris
Beautiful mallow is used in herbal medicine to soothe, particularly the digestive tract, or babies’ gums as they are teething. Energetically, mallow can help you calm and recover after a shock, illness or other intervention. We have used this beautiful essence with people at key life transitions such as birth, postpartum, perimenopause shifts and even at the end of life, to help bring calm and safe passage. From the teething babe to the departing - this is a plant for the circle of life and safe journeying through times of change.
Motherwort – Leonurus cardiaca
Motherwort has long been known as an herb that calms the nerves and the heart. Its botanical name means ‘lion hearted’. It’s a key herb for women as they journey through menopause. Motherwort helps calm rage and nerves, giving the user a sense of strength and purpose. This is an herb of attitude, a don’t mess with me herb, an herb of crone wisdom (we mean this as a compliment) and an embrace of all that is woman. She is a powerful ally for women stepping through menopause and into their own power.
Rose – Rosa damascena
Rose makes powerful love-magic for oneself as well as for others. This is a beautiful energy for when you need to believe in yourself, when you need to love yourself more and recognise and celebrate the beauty you have inside and out. Rose can help create calm in times of emotional stress and reminds one not to be too hard on oneself. It is also a beautiful energy for people who have been abused as it helps shine light on the beauty within us. It shows us that we are not dirt.
Sage – Salvia officinalis
The root word of Salvia (the botanical name of sage) is ‘salvare’ which means ‘to heal’. Across landscapes and cultures, sage has a history of use for healing of body, mind and spirit. Sage has been used traditionally as a plant of purification and cleansing and it is this energy we tap into via sage plant essence. Imagine it helping you create a safe and sacred space to help you in difficult times. It cleanses body and soul and creates a pathway to the divine.
Silver Birch – Betula alba
Silver birch has a variety of medicinal uses with parts of the tree being used to help heal skin infections. An infusion made from the leaves can help fight viral infections, and the birch tar is a rejuvenating tonic drunk in the spring.
In legend and folk tales, silver birch is known as the ‘lady of the woods’ and is regarded as a deep and protective feminine spirit. Sitting near birch trees is calming and cooling and their essence has this same energetic effect. She’ll cool you down when you are getting hot and bothered, calm you when jittery, and help you feel protected. She helps us dig deep down into our relationship with nature for our own well-being.
Tōtara – Tōtara podocarpus
Tōtara is a magnificent tree with a deeply protective energy and a protector at doorways or thresholds. Tōtara watches out for you. Trees are Standing People and they see all around. Surveying everything. Tōtara reminds us there is wisdom in stillness. You can find confidence in observation and that when we are connected to the healing power of nature we have the strength and resilience for whatever life puts in our path.
Yarrow – Achillea millefolium
The three words I would use to sum up Yarrow are: Stop. Disperse. Eliminate. Yarrow’s name comes from the legendary warrior, Achilles. It is said he gave a pouch of yarrow to his soldiers to carry into battle as a first aid kit. Yarrow is a styptic, which means it staunches the flow of blood. I’ve used it on many occasions for just this – I quickly pick some yarrow leaves, quick them a quick chew, and place them on the wound. The results are amazing! In herbal medicine, yarrow is also used a diaphoretic, which means that it helps the body eliminate toxins via increased sweating. The 17th Century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper spoke of yarrow’s drying and binding qualities. Let yarrow help you dry those tears. Energetically Yarrow can step up for us in a number of ways. If we are wounded in life and love’s battles, yarrow comes to our aid.
Creating Plant Essence Elixir Blends and my approach to consultations
When I work with plants, I always start by identifying the major underlying issue for the person and the plant that will best meet that need. But from there I find plant allies to build out and augment the healing and vibrational field. Sometimes I think of this like creating a musical chord from a series of notes or composing a painting. I look for complementary actions and harmonic resonance.
1: I start with the major issue presenting. I think of this in a physical sense, and I called it the ‘Coarse Level’. How does the client present? What are the physical manifestations of their issue? What are the plants that can help at a physiological level with this?
2: Then I move to the Mind Level. This is the level of connection and emotions. How does the client present? What is their primary negative attribute? What plant or plants can resonate with that attribute as well as their coarse level needs?
3: Then I move to the Spirit Level. This is the level of oneness. It is the level of circular time and stepping outside of time. This is the level of universe and lineage. What would be of benefit to the client in the bigger scheme of things, in the acknowledgement that their soul is part of the oneness of things. What are the plants that can connect them to this oneness in a way that resonates with their soul? What do they need right now for support? What energies would they benefit from being connected to?
Archeus Plant Essence blends
I have created a small range of plant essence blends (I like to call blends elixirs) that are made in response to the conversations I have with others about the trials and tribulations, hopes and fears of navigating life transitions. They are:
I also offer half hour zoom consultations and your own custom blend which you can book at my other website georginalangdale.com.
