When it comes to vibrational healing, flower essences and homeopathy are but two strands on a single DNA strand. Homeopathy MAY be the older of the two, though the aborigines of Australia and some other ancient cultures apparently worked with something akin to the essences. We often get queries from those under the care of homeopaths as to whether flower essences can be used at the same time as homeopathic remedies. Here is a recent discussion on this subject from Vibration's Online Essence Forum.

A reader, Robyn, recently posted the following query: "I've been taking flower essences for a while, but recently I went to a homeopath and started taking a single homeopathic remedy in a high potency. My question: should I continue with the flower remedies or will it 'confuse' things?"

Gael and Martin from the UK answered: "It depends on what you were being treated for: if, for example, your homeopath is helping you with mental/emotional problems, then it's possible that taking essences at the same time could muddy the waters for your therapist. You might get better, but you wouldn't know what therapy had helped you. Your homeopath might not be very happy. You, on the other hand, might not care too much, as long as you are feeling better! It doesn't always matter which rung of the ladder got you to the top, as long as you got there.

"'Muddying the waters' in that way is the only possible 'down side'. What we have found in practice is that when working with physical problems homeopathically, flower essences can actually enhance the work done by the homeopathic remedies. They seem to have a catalytic effect (this is an area researched by Dr Cornelia Richardson-Boedler, whose book "Applying Bach Flower Therapy to the Healing Profession of Homeopathy", published by B. Jain Publishers, is very interesting reading). Certainly, in no way will any flower essence or essence combination interfere with or 'antidote' any homeopathic remedy, so you are OK there."

Vibration Editor, Deborah Bier, contributed the following: "Gael's perspective is wise and I just have a little to add. If you have been taking an essence for a period of time now (more than 2-4 weeks), then I would say it provides a constant enough background that you should be able to see the change brought about by the homeopathic remedy more easily than if the essence is brand new. I would not begin a new essence at the same time as a new homeopathic remedy or within two to four weeks of one another. Otherwise, it would be hard to know which of the two helped if the same issue comes up again in the future.

"Gael is in the UK, where I believe homeopaths are more and more using both essences and homeopathics in their practices without fear the essence will antidote the homeopathic remedy. However, over here on the US side of the Big Pond, I have almost never found a classically-trained homeopath who accepts what their British counterparts already experience: that flower essences and homeopathic remedies work beautifully together. In fact, they empower and catalyze each other when used well. Over here, I have been told time and time again how essences do not belong within a mile of homeopathic treatment -- that they are in fact inimical. I agree that for you, if you feel better that is mostly what counts! Hope this helps and doesn't in and of itself 'muddy the waters' any further!"

Annabeth Meister draws this homey analogy: "My sense of it, and this is drawn from the old homeopaths going back to the 1940s or so, is that flower remedies are a good support for homeopathic treatment in a major emotional clearing. Say you are grieving because someone important to you has died, and that death sets off a host of unresolved issues from the past. One old homeopath told me that it's a bit like when your plumbing springs a bad leak. Just relying on towels to sop up the water on the floor isn't all that effective, because you've still got the leak. You need to call in a plumber, for sure. But you do also need those towels to sop up the water, for just letting it evaporate naturally will take an unnecessarily long time. This is an apt analogy, if not a glamorous one, as the water represents the emotions, flower remedies the towels, and a homeopath is the plumber."

Richard L. Farr added the following: "As a homeopathic consultant for the past 21 years, and as a homeopathic educator (lecturer in homeotherapeutics, American University of Complementary Medicine, Los Angeles) I can inform you unequivocally that flower essences may be used along with homeopathic remedies. Dogmatic prejudice in the education of 'classical homeopaths' (especially here in the U.S.) accounts for their 'teaching' that homeopathic remedies and flower essences cannot be used at the same time. Believe me, this is only a myth!

"Flower essences do NOT 'mask' anything; they act causally on underlying aspects of whatever your problem may be, just like homeopathic remedies do. Homeopathic aggravations and healing crises of all types are NOT to be considered desirable, although they do frequently occur. Indeed, Hahnemann (the founder of homeopathy) continually experimented with different dilutions and methods of administering homeopathic remedies in order to lessen the likelihood of homeopathic aggravations, which he believed were an obstacle to cure! It was only the later 'classical' homeopaths--influenced by James Tyler Kent and his followers -- who began to believe that homeopathic aggravations were a good thing!"

After digesting these replies, Robyn gave the following update: "Thanks for all the input. Yes, I am taking the homeopathic remedy for an emotional/mental imbalance. I stopped my flower mix about two weeks ago and started the homeopathic remedy three days ago. Though I can feel the homeopathic remedy's effects, it feels a little strange and not like the always-positive effect of the flowers. (Flower essences never gave me insomnia, for instance). I started feeling 'bereft' without my flowers.

"My homeopath wasn't madly against the flowers, but she also said that we wouldn't know which was working and to wait a bit. She didn't know much about flower essences. Well yesterday I felt really 'bereft' and made a bottle of Sunflower and Morning Glory. Sunflower was in my mix when I stopped two weeks ago, but Morning Glory I put in this time for the weird sleep patterns that followed the homeopathic remedy. I felt immediately comforted, a little more positive about myself, and my fears about the homeopathic remedy and the strangeness of it affecting my sleep patterns was somewhat calmed. My sleep also got better.

"I can see why my homeopath would be upset -- because the sleeplessness and 'weird feeling' is a sign of something and shouldn't be masked by the essences. But for me, it was just like opening a window so I could sleep better, or listening to soothing music. It seemed bizarre to suffer things I didn't need to just for observation. Now I'm kind of confused and scared to tell her, but I guess I should. I don't mind any 'aggravations' which I know are part of homeopathy as long as I can soothe them with the essences. I guess the trouble is keeping the results of the two straight in one's head. But thanks for the perspective -- it's good to know that flower essences can't harm or antidote the homeopathic remedy."

Clip art from Clipart.com The DNA diagram is from a clip art collection at Web Tools for Educators.

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