Bach
Flower Remedies
Making
the mother tinctures Knowledge of the plants used to make
the Bach Flower Remedies was passed by Dr Bach to his assistants
Nora Weeks and Victor Bullen, and they in turn passed on this
information to John Ramsell who has entrusted it to his daughter
Judy Howard.
Some of
the plants used grow in the semi-wild gardens around the house,
while others come from the countryside round about. The trustees
know of and still use locations first identified by Dr Bach
himself in the 1930s.
Two methods
are used to make the Bach Flower Remedies. Most of the more
delicate flowers are prepared using the sun method, which
involves floating the blooms in pure water for a number of
hours. More woody plants, or flowers which bloom when the
sun is weak, are prepared by boiling for half an hour. In
both cases full-strength 40% brandy is used as a preservative,
mixed 50/50 with the prepared tincture. Drops from the preserved
mother tincture are further diluted in brandy to make the
stock bottles that can be bought in the shops.
Up until
a few years ago the Bach Centre bottled and diluted most of
its mother tinctures at Mount Vernon itself. But as world
demand grew for Dr Bach's remedies it became impossible to
continue doing this, so the trustees arranged for the bottling
and distribution of the remedies to be performed by an independent
company called Nelsons, leaving the Bach Centre free to go
on with its main tasks: making the mother tinctures, educating
people in the use of the remedies and providing free help
and advice to those who need it.
Here is
a list of the 38 remedies and their indications.
Agrimony
- mental torture behind a cheerful face
Aspen
- fear of unknown things
Beech
- intolerance
Centaury
- the inability to say 'no'
Cerato
- lack of trust in one's own decisions
Cherry
Plum - fear of the mind giving way
Chestnut
Bud - failure to learn from mistakes
Chicory
- selfish, possessive love
Clematis
- dreaming of the future without working in the present
Crab Apple
- the cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred
Elm -
overwhelmed by responsibility
Gentian
- discouragement after a setback
Gorse
- hopelessness and despair
Heather
- self-centredness and self-concern
Holly
- hatred, envy and jealousy
Honeysuckle
- living in the past
Hornbeam
- procrastination, tiredness at the thought of doing something
Impatiens
- impatience
Larch
- lack of confidence
Mimulus
- fear of known things
Mustard
- deep gloom for no reason
Oak -
the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion
Olive
- exhaustion following mental or physical effort
Pine -
guilt
Red Chestnut
- over-concern for the welfare of loved ones
Rock Rose
- terror and fright
Rock Water
- self-denial, rigidity and self-repression
Scleranthus
- inability to choose between alternatives
Star of
Bethlehem - shock
Sweet
Chestnut - extreme mental anguish, when everything has been
tried and there is no light left
Vervain
- over-enthusiasm
Vine -
dominance and inflexibility
Walnut
- protection from change and unwanted influences
Water
Violet - pride and aloofness
White
Chestnut - unwanted thoughts and mental arguments
Wild Oat
- uncertainty over one's direction in life
Wild Rose
- drifting, resignation, apathy
Willow
- self-pity and resentment
Rescue
Remedy... ...is the most famous of the remedies, but in fact
is not a remedy at all, but rather a mix of five different
remedies (Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose and
Star of Bethlehem) which together help deal with any emergency
or stressful event.
Taking
a driving test, exam nerves, speaking in public, after an
accident or an argument - there are countless uses for Rescue
Remedy. In an emergency Rescue Remedy can be taken neat from
the bottle, four drops at a time, and as frequently as required.
Otherwise put four drops in a glass of water and take frequent
sips until the emotions have calmed.
The Dr
Edward Bach Healing Trust, The Bach Centre, Mount Vernon,
Bakers Lane, Sotwell, Oxon, OX10 0PZ, UK
For more
information visit www.bachcentre.com
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