I have so far had three noteworthy experiences with FES' Cayenne. Their
booklet describes it as follows:
Positive qualities: Fiery and energetic, inwardly mobile, capable of
change and transformation
Patterns of imbalance: Stagnation, inability to move forward toward
change
This description has REALLY been true for me. I've suffered from
serious
depression for years and have had a real glut of emotional issues
to deal
with. If you're familiar with this sort of thing, you know the
feeling of "paralysis" that even becomes a way of being. Thinking
gets caught in vicious circles of negativity and escape seems
impossible.
I've taken Cayenne twice in combination with other essences to
deal with specific issues. Both times I intended it as a sort of
toner
for the blend . Each time,
a few days after I began Cayenne, I experienced intense
emotions -- feelings of acute anger, profound despair, and a lot of
crying -- so it temporarily felt as if things had gotten worse. I think external
support such as a therapist, counselor or support group is really important in
situations like these. I did it without any support, and I will admit that
suicidal feelings came to the fore pretty strongly. The psychic pain was severe,
but I didn't act on those feelings, and I continued to take the essence.
I've been taking essences for four years now and, on one level, I knew it
was an awareness crisis. I lessened my frequency though, and took it for another week.
Then, I woke up one morning, and the day felt different. I experienced concrete
changes such as being able to write freely and un-self-consciously after months of being blocked. It seemed more like I was getting on with things instead of "getting ready to get on". I had a feeling deep inside that things ARE getting better, and I felt able to let my spirit take its
own healing course without "worry" from me. It's really quite remarkable and for me, only Cayenne has been able to so dramatically release that feeling of "paralysis".
I should mention that the Bach remedy Walnut is another essence for transformation
that has had a noticeable effect on me. It was different from Cayenne. I started to dream a lot; colorful and
even epic dreams about happy childhood memories -- which, given that there weren't
many such happy memories, is remarkable. I also cried a lot -- not in a despairing
way, but more in a sentimental way. I cried buckets for months and really enjoyed every tear.
I didn't know at
the time where it was leading me, but I made some major changes
in my life the following year. I never connected it with Walnut
and actually still don't know if the major changes I made were
wise decisions. In short, Walnut had a distinctly catalytic effect, but I've
yet to understand to what end.
Right now, I'm still amazed at Cayenne. I felt somewhat
exhausted after this cathartic experience and decided to give
Cayenne a rest and go real simple with just two essences after
this, but I did have one other notable Cayenne experience. I was
writing a paper (after months of creative block) and it was going
wonderfully. At one point though, I got stuck. My mind went blank
and everything I had written seemed incomprehensible. I felt that
familiar terrifying feeling of, "Oh no, I'll never finish this
now". I stared at it for half an hour, walked about a bit, no go.
I started to feel I was going back into paralysis.
And then (Eureka!), I put two drops of Cayenne straight from
the stock bottle under my tongue and waited. Within TWO minutes,
the ideas and words were flowing again. I didn't lose my thread
or get stuck after that. I finished the paper -- it is one of the
best pieces of work I have ever done. So, whether in a long term
or a short term context, for anyone suffering from that "paralyzed"
and powerless feeling where escape seems impossible, Cayenne's worth a shot.
Editors' Note:
A few explanations are in order for those who are new to
flower essences. Mukumbe's responses to both the Cayenne and Walnut essences
were unusually strong and cathartic, perhaps because of her
long-standing depression. However, a catharsis of varying degrees does sometimes happen
as part of the releasing and healing process when beginning to take an essence that works deeply on
a core issue. This reaction is known among essence practitioners as a
healing crisis
or crisis of awareness. It is possible, also, that the other essences in the mixture
may have contributed to Mukumbe's response. Please see our discussion of situations where
flower essence therapy could be contraindicated.
We salute this reader's courage, but fully agree with her recommendation
that in such situations external support is extremely important. |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: She is a Vibration reader who asked that
this article be published under the pseudonym, "Mukumbe",
but adds that she may be reached by email.
ART CREDITS: From ClipArt.com. The
chili tile is based on fabric from a wonderful collection by
86 Weeds.
The World Wide Essence Society does not mean to imply any recommendation of nor give certification to any individuals or companies above. This article is provided purely for informational purposes. We ask consumers to make their own determination as to quality of the services and products offered above. This article is not meant to be advice, and the information is not meant to replace medical or psychological treatment.
