Grace in a Bottle: A Journey with Flower Essences

​Desert Marigold. When we think that someone else has power over us, Desert Marigold helps us
 recognize how we actually give the power to them. For taking responsibility and transforming victim consciousness. (excerpt from The Alchemy of the Desert by Cynthia Athina Kemp Scherer)

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​Greetings Star Seeds,
 
I recently returned from the Sonoran desert after a 5-day flower essence residential retreat led by my teacher Cynthia Kemp of Desert Alchemy  This retreat, entitled The Essential is Invisible to the Eye, marked the culmination of a two-month sabbatical where I (un)wound my way from ocean to desert and back again. Twice. I paused my career to allow spaciousness and grace to inform my experience. Consciously and intentionally. There were times of navigating labyrinthian paths of the psyche and moments of unraveling and descending. There were uplifting moments of insight and there were not so subtle invitations to stop and pay attention to the energies of the crossroads. This time offered me a chance to live in nature where the wind and the trees spoke to me and I was still and quiet enough to hear their messages. I was dismembered so that I could re-member who I was. This time gave me the gift of gratitude and embodiment as a life choice.  And it left me with generous material for further pondering and integration as I returned to the deep knowing that my heart is the primary organ of perceiving the invisible.

“Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small. We haven't time, and to see takes time - like to have a friend takes time. “Georgia O'Keeffe
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Flower essences were a constant support on my journey. They accompanied me during the transitions and assisted me in feeling all the emotions with discernment, clarity and presence. My most consistent, compassionate, and wisest teachers, flower essences have been mentors of expanding perception and perspective. For me, they are alchemists of the heart, roadmaps of consciousness and midwives of the soul.

Saguaro Cactus helps us know and trust our inner wisdom and authority. It restores the will to live, to heal and to be the best that we are. It assists us in accessing the perfect inner father who encourages us on in life.(excerpt from The Alchemy of the Desert by Cynthia Athina Kemp Scherer)

Teddy Bear Cholla cactus helps with deep fears of intimacy and allowing others close enough to see our perfection. It is also for when we feel impatient with our perceived level of growth or development (excerpt from The Alchemy of the Desert by Cynthia Athina Kemp Scherer).

​Even after two decades of co-creating flower essences and using them personally and professionally, I am awed each time I consciously attune with a flower and open to its wisdom. Flower essences provide opportunities for personal growth, evolution and healing root causes of disharmony in mind, body, and spirit. They do so in divine perfect timing and never force anything to happen that isn’t in alignment with one’s soul evolution. I know of no other system that works so gently yet powerfully and effectively on so many levels with zero side effects, other than bringing in the light of awareness and the ability to deeply know oneself. When we welcome profound presence to an experience or an emotion or a trauma, transformation becomes possible. In my experience they are like a guide who holds open a door to infinite knowing and offers a vista into personal divinity. It is always our choice to walk through that door. In surrendering to the heart of nature, we are able to be still and know. Flower essences encourage living a more conscious life, with joy as a template. I think of flower essences as a portal into our own sacredness. They are truly the gift of Grace in a bottle!
 
Working in reciprocity with nature via flower essences is like immersing yourself into deeper levels of intimacy with a new friend or suddenly discovering a quality you hadn't noticed before in someone you have known for a lifetime. It doesn’t mean that quality didn’t exist before, but it may have been invisible to you until there was an opening to perceive it from a lens of expanded consciousness. There is a richness and profoundness to their healing that takes time, attention and participation. Similarly, to know ourselves more intimately requires attention, desire and devotion. Flower essences can shift us into alignment and harmonize the sticky places within us. They bring light to the shadows by moving us toward resonance with whatever vibration we wish to inhabit.  

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Using flower essence therapy for personal evolution requires a clear intention: What do you wish to shift in yourself ? It also calls for a focused and dedicated practice. It takes personal participation and work. But it’s the most important job we have! This can look like any of the following: noticing, observing, journaling, taking time, being present, witnessing the discomfort and feeling the emotions it brings up. Working with a trusted friend or practitioner that can be a clear mirror and help you track shifts is invaluable.  Finally, invoking spiritual/universal assistance allows the Divine to help support us with our process and joins our personal will to universal energy. It is a three way relationship between myself, my higher self, and nature. And it is powerful alchemy!
 
Healing happens one step at a time. Celebrate the small victories. We can't heal every layer at once. Flower essences are a vibrational therapy system for healing that works in accordance with your soul design and supports the blooms that are wanting to emerge. Grace is the ability to surrender to the perfection of what is. 

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​If you wish to work with flower essences and would like a guide, I am available for consultations over the phone or in person in San Francisco.
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A portion of proceeds from all flower essence sessions booked between now and Thanksgiving will be donated to disaster relief organizations that are providing services to victims of the northern California “Camp Fire”.

With infinite love and gratitude,

​Claudia

“Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything.” – Albert Einstein
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