Dividing the 38 Bach Flower remedies into families
Dr. Edward Bach, the creator of the Bach Flower system, divided the 38 different Bach Flower remedies into seven different families:
- Fear
- Uncertainty
- Insufficient Interest in Present Circumstances
- Loneliness
- Oversensitiveness to Influences and Ideas
- Despondency or Despair
- Over-Care for the Welfare of Others.
Although in the past I didn’t pay too much attention to the significance of the Bach Flower categories, I am increasingly finding them to be highly useful in better understanding my clients’ (and my own) needs.
Example: the Loneliness category
An example: one of the seven Bach Flower categories is Loneliness, and contained in it are three different tinctures: Water Violet, which I wrote about here, Heather, and Impatiens. On the surface, none of the three explicitly points to loneliness: Water Violet is for independent folk, Heather for chatty ones, and Impatiens for those with little patience.
But let’s look at them more closely, as a way of understanding the category of Loneliness, and why it’s so useful:
#1: Bach Flower Water Violet
Water Violet: this is a Bach Flower used with people who are self-sufficient and like to be alone. Water Violet types tend not to need much help from others nor to ask for it. At least on the surface, they are content with solitude, and others may even view them as unapproachable or snobby. In my years as a Bach Flower practitioner, I don’t recall anyone ever complaining to me of symptoms that would call for the Bach Flower Water Violet; rather, I have suggested it to clients only as a result of me seeing recurring patterns underneath the stories they tell me.
#2: Bach Flower Heather
Heather: this Bach Flower essence is for people on the other end of the spectrum: those with a strong need to be around others. Sadly, this desire is rarely reciprocated. This is because others often experience the stereotypical Heather personality as draining to be around, for they talk a lot, particularly about themselves and their concerns. This creates a vicious cycle – their focus on themselves tends to cause others to avoid them, leading to increased isolation and therefore even greater chatter when they finally do find themselves company.
#3: Bach Flower Impatiens
Impatiens: this is the third of the Bach Flowers that is in the Loneliness category and it’s for speedy, impatient and sometimes irritable people who prefer doing things alone rather that wait for others to catch up to them. You can easily identify Impatiens personalities both in the office or at home: they’re the ones getting things done quickly and efficiently on their own rather than waiting for others to get up to speed.
How to use the seven Bach Flower categories
Extrapolation: use a Bach Flower to understand loneliness
Back to Dr. Bach’s Loneliness category and why I increasingly am finding it and the other Bach Flower categories interesting and useful: when I see that a client could be helped by one of the three Bach Flowers that are in the Loneliness family, I now ask myself whether it could be that they are lonely. This opens up new directions for our conversation, gives me a richer perspective as to how I can help them as a Bach Flower practitioner, and also allows solutions to develop that may not even have anything to do with Bach Flowers.
Use loneliness to understand a Bach Flower
The opposite is also true – sometimes stories of loneliness lead me to one of the Bach Flower tinctures in the loneliness category. An example of this: I talked here about a client who came to me because she suffered from sleeplessness. I don’t talk about all of these details in the video, but one of the Bach Flowers I put into her Custom Formulated blend was Heather. This is because the stories she told me led me to understand that she felt lonely, and that she was experiencing the symptoms of a person who could be helped by the Bach Flower Heather.
Use another essence from within the same Bach Flower category
If you select your own Bach Flowers, you might also want to consider this: if you find that one Bach Flower tincture from the loneliness category is a good fit for you, could it be possible that a second one also is? Sometimes we don’t notice the symptoms in ourselves and so it helps to think outside of the box. (That’s also why I frequently consult with a dear friend and colleague with whom I studied at the Bach Centre in England when I want a new Bach Flower blend for myself – because it is normal for us to miss in ourselves what is so clear to others when they consider us. It’s human nature.)
The seven Bach Flower categories
For your reference, here are Dr. Bach’s seven different Bach Flower categories, and the remedies that are under each of the families:
Fear
- Rock Rose
- Mimulus
- Cherry Plum
- Aspen
- Red Chestnut
Uncertainty / Indecision
- Cerato
- Scleranthus
- Gentian
- Gorse
- Hornbeam
- Wild Oat
Insufficient Interest in Present Circumstances
- Clematis
- Honeysuckle
- Wild Rose
- Olive
- White Chestnut
- Mustard
- Chestnut Bud
Loneliness
- Water Violet
- Impatiens
- Heather
Over-sensitivity to Ideas and Influences
- Agrimony
- Centaury
- Walnut
- Holly
Despondency or Despair
- Larch
- Pine
- Elm
- Sweet Chestnut
- Star of Bethlehem
- Willow
- Oak
- Crab Apple
Over-care for the Welfare of Others
- Chicory
- Vervain
- Vine
- Beech
- Rock Water
Any questions? I’m here.
~ Sat-Sung
A bit more about Sat-Sung: my passion and profession is all about supporting my clients who feel stuck, confused, or uncertain within a situation or relationship. I help you see what is really going on under the surface, including the patterns that are driving the situation, in a way that becomes clear and makes sense to you.
With this information you are then able to make accurate decisions and take appropriate action in relation to that situation or relationship, helping you get unstuck and bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.
Two of the main tools I use are Bach Flowers and Human Design for they are powerful, highly customizable tools that support lasting change. I like to combine Bach Flower essences and Human Design, but my clients also have the option of working with one and not the other. Other tools my clients can take advantage of include Access Bars, Essential Oils, and mindset.
I’d love to stay in touch. I invite you to join the community and receive my Monthly Newsletter (yes, you get only one a month, and sometimes even less than that). You can join the community here: https://sparkle.sat-sung.com/52306/newsletter-en-0225
