A Case History of Epic Proportions
Sometimes a case comes along that enriches the fiber of an entire flower essence company. Its vastness is expressed in its scope and ability to illustrate the important concepts about the workings of a particular range in their magnitude.
This is the story of Marni. Her name in several cultures means rejoice, which summarizes her giving nature. Marni had never taken flower essences before though she has always enjoyed a keen interest in herbs. Her only experience 10 years earlier with homeopathy caused a “bad reaction,” and yet she was willing to try another holistic approach: flower essences.
For whatever reasons, it took forever to schedule our first consult. Pressing situations kept popping up to prevent us from connecting. As anything but coincidence would have it, we finally managed to schedule and keep our phone consultation in December of 2014 – a mere 10 hours before an event that, in the most dramatic ways possible, would change her life forever.
Marni’s signature essence at that time was Peach, for unselfishness; for concern for the welfare of others; and for understanding the nature of true giving and how, in that act, we receive in the process without being drained because we are the one closest to the source of giving. (Note: a signature essence is the one we most closely resemble in its positive qualities.) We are nurtured by its flow within us. True to her signature nature, Marni confided that she loved peaches. In fact, 95% of the time, people exhibit a strong and yet often unusual connection with their theme essence food, preferring it in very particular ways – perhaps fresh, not cooked, or seasonal but not canned.
“I feel the need to tell you these things,” she said. “I want my tombstone to say: ‘I have known great love.’ I find the world to be a joyful place, and people are kind. I can’t even think of the last time someone was rude to me.”
Happy Wife, Happy Life
Marni had been happily married for twenty-three years with two teenage girls, both with learning disorders. The mix of cultures – hers being Eastern European while Charles was from China – worked well, in her opinion. Their mutual deep love of family had forged a strong bond between them.
Our first session was strengthening for Marni – and timely. Ten hours later, Charles went into cardiac arrest triggered by a seizure. He was rushed to the hospital. Shortly after, they added “DNR” (do not resuscitate) to his medical chart. The tumor found in his right temporal lobe was diagnosed as an aggressive malignant cancer that required immediate surgical removal. His symptoms were those of a stroke victim. Some weeks later, he emerged from a coma. He smiled, said he missed his wife, and then began spouting the unpredictable bouts of anger that had plagued him all his life. His birth family had hoped he’d awaken from the coma in a state of all-inclusive forgiveness, but that was not the case.
Charles was in his late forties. It wasn’t until two years later that Marni was able to disclose what was perhaps the most significant piece of information in this scenario. As her husband lay unconscious before surgery, she’d searched his wallet for any information that might prove helpful to his physician and caregivers. Instead, she found a woman’s phone number – a friend with whom he’d been having an affair for the past eleven years.
For the next three years, Marnie remained with her husband for the sake of the children. She then initiated divorce proceedings. Indeed, the surgery to remove the tumor had been successful; Charles was completely healed of the cancer. But the operation had left him with the mentality of a teenager who needed discipline and constant monitoring. He was prone to wandering off or indulging in internet shopping sprees, after which Marni would cancel all the items he’d purchased.
Flower Essences for Self-care
How does one survive such a catastrophic crisis? Marni found comfort in the flower essences, several in particular. Orange Essence, for enthusiasm and hope, especially brought her great comfort. The 20 Spirit-in-Nature Essences are defined by a keyword or two and then many secondary definitions explained in a ten-page chapter in The Essential Flower Essence Handbook.
The Orange Essence chapter states:
Orange embodies the vibration of not giving up, or giving in, no matter how convincing the case in favor of despair. Orange is indicated for any experience which leaves us feeling as though we can’t go on – the death of a loved one, divorce, miscarriage, thoughts of suicide, a disfiguring accident, or surgery or a chronic, lingering illness. Orange embodies hope and leads us through even the most long-term suffering to the light at the end of the tunnel.
The dictionary defines depression as a hollow or low place. Certainly for all of us, this describes those times in our lives when we have felt empty inside and hopeless. In the negative Orange state, it is easy to find justification for this absence of enthusiasm. Orange is like a ‘vibrational fork-lift’ that scoops us out of the doldrums.
At one point, Marni wrote: “Yikes! This past weekend was a doozy and yesterday, I cried and cried – so unlike me. I’m feeling very depleted physically, and it’s really starting to affect me and those around me. Goodness! I know the girls are watching me carefully, as I am their rock now. They feed off my energy, as children tend to do with their primary caregiver. Orange, Orange, Orange! Mostly because of the image you gave me in December of an orange tree’s branches not breaking with the weight of fruit on it. I like the thought that there’s fruit weighing the branches down.”
Marni has since moved into a new signature essence with a new expression of her inner dignity, which is the keyword for Strawberry Essence. This flower essence is truly magnificent, as are the fruit and the blossoms. It helps us to draw respect from others, as we become more respectful of ourselves and of all expressions of life. The strawberry plant is considered a perennial herb whose fruit is not botanically considered an actual berry because its seeds rest on the outside of its skin. The strawberry itself nurtures us with a sense of self-knowing and grounding, as it grows on the ground. Our pets too can express the noble qualities of this flower essence. It reflects their innate, nature-given majesty.
In Flower Essences for Animals, Chapter Five states:
The Strawberry signature (then called a theme essence) is a graceful, noble, and dignified animal who handles himself with a sophisticated poise. A quiet pet, he possesses a strong sense of his own beauty, which also touches those around him. Many purebred animals are Strawberry themes. They exhibit a maturity both at rest and at play that is rather extraordinary to watch. One feels in their presence a level of royalty. And although dignity is a quality inherent in all creatures of the earth, the Strawberry theme energizes this characteristic with a special flare.
In Closing
This remarkable woman reports that she is learning to be very strong in herself. For instance, if Marni senses that someone has: “criticized me or a choice I’ve made, I’ll pause and re-evaluate what I’ve done. Unless I am being unkind or causing harm, I don’t feel the need to grovel or to explain myself in great detail. I’m moving away from being a people-pleaser. I’m moving into standing in my truth and doing what needs to be done, hopefully, from a place of calmness and wisdom.”
With compassion toward others and as well as herself, she has rebuilt a fulfilling life, with people to befriend and children to mother. And life, with flower essences, is good.