A Balm for Troubled Times

As we closed out one of the most intense years I can remember in terms of bad news, stress and strife on the world scene I found myself wishing for a flower essence aromatherapy formula specifically designed to help people, like myself, who have felt a bit raw from it all. I got caught up in the pain of the children and teachers massacred in Connecticut and just could not get the thought of what it must have been like for the parents and friends and families to go through that out of my head. Going through it together would have been the only comfort, I think. And that it could be a world-changing event in terms of opening hearts to what's needed now. The young woman brutally raped and murdered in India along with the public outcry there brought that home to me, too. And then there was the enormously divided civil war-like political campaign that we've been subject to in the United States. A lot of things have been deeply upsetting to me — there are days when my Facebook newsfeed reads more like a litany of all that's scary and wrong in the world and it takes diligence to look for the stories of courage and hope and change that is there as well.

But, of course, I do have a Mama Love formula specifically made for this purpose. I made it for coping with a personal crisis in my life but I knew very well back then that it was inspired by two special flower essences that were not readily available to the public at the time: Splendid Mariposa Lily and Green Cross Gentian. Those were only offered as research essences from the Flower Essence Society back in 2003 for flower essence practitioners who wanted to participate in experimenting with them. But I was absolutely convinced that I wanted to make them available in a healing formula as soon as I knew of their existence.

Splendid Mariposa Lily is for those whose need for comfort is so great it would have to come from the Great Mother herself. The Flower Essence Society describes the pattern of imbalance it addresses as "Orphan state of consciousness as a root condition of humanity, soul pain and feelings of abandonment due to world trauma and warfare; divisions in the human family due to race, religion, nation, class, ecological disaster or warfare."

Green Cross Gentian is for courage, hope and great resolve for healing and world service despite enormous setbacks and challenges. The Flower Essence Society describes the pattern of imbalance addressed as "Feelings of overwhelm, despair and defeat with regard to the condition of the earth...due to natural or man-made catastrophe."

I was guided to add Star of Bethlehem and Self-Heal, too. Star of Bethlehem is the famous essence used in Edward Bach's Rescue Remedy. It is for shock or trauma with a deep need for spiritual comfort and healing. Self-Heal inspires healing from the inside out. It helps people reach into their own inner reserves, and not just external sources, for healing and help. It adds the last ingredient for full recovery: a renewed sense of inner empowerment which is essential in learning to stand on your own feet again.

Add to this a most wonderful blend of Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Angelica and Rosewood— a potent and luscious-smelling set of essential oils for easing emotional grief and pain. They were especially chosen to help you feel loved, safe, grounded and protected. It's just what a person needs to heal from a deep pain and trauma of any kind. I make this formula in batches and then channel Reiki, healing life force energy, into each batch to take the healing up an even higher notch. I never originally intended to start a flower essence aromatherapy business with multiple formulas at all.... although I was inspired to much later on. I originally just wanted to bring Mama Love for Troubled Times into the world because I believed it would be the most valuable formula of all.

1 Dram Oil

1 oz. oil

2 oz. Oil

1 oz. Spray

2 oz. Spray