Articles Miscellaneous

Astrology and Flower Remedies

How can flower remedies and astrology combined help you?
Astrology and vibrational medicine, such as the Bach Flower Remedies, approach you from a holistic viewpoint. Your individual vibrations are mapped out by the planets at the moment of your birth, and areas of strength and stress can be seen by an astrologer. Vibrational medicine works by assisting you mentally, emotionally and physically to heal yourself. It does this by helping you to find balance in areas of stress, much like a radio that needs to be tuned into a station and then have the bass and treble fine-tuned to get the best sound.


Flower remedies - the twelve healers
Flower remedies are taken orally and are the extracts of flowers in a liquid form, suspended in a base of grape alcohol. Bach's original twelve flower essences were attributed to twelve personality types. Candy Hillenbrand, a well known writer on the subject, notes that Bach believed that the twelve personality types were attuned to an individual's moon sign, although he did not inform us how the personality types and zodiac signs matched up. The idea was taken up and expanded by Peter Damien whose excellent book, The Astrological Study of the Bach Flower Remedies, was the starting point for my interest in how flower remedies and astrology can work together.


Astrology - how the planets reveal who you are
In my own practice I concentrate on the three major points in the zodiac - the positions of the Sun, Moon and Ascendant (which is the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the time of birth). The Sun's position gives an indication of your basic drives, motivations and body type. The Moon shows your instinctive emotional responses to situations and other people, whilst the Ascendant describes how you view the world and also gives an indication of your physical robustness. I also look at the position of Mercury since this shows how your thought processes work and, as we all know, the mind is a powerful influence on our ability to heal ourselves.

The horoscope is divided into the twelve houses, which are sections that govern different areas of our lives, i.e. work, relationships, parents and children. In particular I look at the first, sixth and twelfth houses. The first house, which is dictated by the Ascendant, will indicate body type and shows how you as a person see yourself and how you are viewed by others. The sixth house deals with health and will show your attitude to your body and well-being, as well as indicating possible problem areas. The twelfth house deals with the unconscious and shows whether your unconscious actually helps or hinders you.

I also examine the angles between all the planets in the horoscope to determine areas that support the individual or can cause stress. In addition, it is important to check how the ruling planets of each house exert their influence on the individual. Once this information has been gleaned, a clear concise report is written out with recommendations for suitable remedies. These remedies help to bring out the best qualities shown in the horoscope and help to balance areas of stress. I encourage people to keep in contact so that counselling and refinements to the remedies can be explored.


How many flower essences can be used?
What I tend to find is that each horoscope has a specific 'story' to it that is repeated a few times over, and the 'flavour' of the Sun, Moon, Ascendant and Mercury positions is repeated in the angles made by the various planets, as well as the tone set by the different houses. I will generally use up to no more than four flower essences at a time, but most often I find fewer are needed since the same zodiac sign may be shared, for instance the Sun and Mercury are often in the same sign and it is unnecessary to repeat a flower essence in a blend more than once.

Know yourself to Heal yourself
Each zodiac sign has good and bad points and the corresponding flower essence will help to bring out the good and tone down the bad points. A horoscope gives you the ability to know yourself by giving you the opportunity to focus on what makes you as an individual 'tick'. Once you are armed with this knowledge, you are in a better position to look at those areas of your life that need fine-tuning. The corresponding flower essences, specific to your own Sun, Moon, Ascendant and Mercury positions, give you the ability to begin to heal yourself. Once your physical (Sun/Ascendant), emotional (Moon) and mental (Mercury) elements are working at their best, and in harmony, you will be better able to deal with your wants, needs and life.

The Twelve Healers and the corresponding Zodiac Signs:


Aries - Impatiens
Always in a hurry and easily frustrated, preferring to work alone as others just don't do things fast enough. Quick tempered and may suffer from angry nervous tension. Flares up quickly but calms down just as fast - although others may take a while to recover from the fallout! Impatiens increases patience with other people and life, bringing a sense of calm and tactfulness.

Taurus - Gentian
Negativity is the keyword and Gentian types tend to wallow in it. Cut off from a sense of belief in life, this type feels spiritually bereft and easily disheartened by obstructions. Gentian brings more positive, hopeful feelings and a sense of one being 'good enough'.

Gemini - Cerato
Cerato types do not trust their own judgement and go from one person to another asking for a decision to be made for them. They appear naïve and lack determination. Their self-boundaries are hazy as if they go not really know themselves, and they can appear as many different people. Cerato brings a strong sense of self with the ability to follow one's own judgement wisely.

Cancer - Clematis
Always appearing as if in a dream world, these people appear vague with little interest in the concrete world around them. Their memory and thought processes are somewhat muddled. They lack vigour and tend to sleep far too much. Clematis brings renewed clarity to the thought processes and tends to wake up the mind to the world outside.

Leo - Vervain
With extremely strong principles for which they overly strive for, these people are hyperactive and stressed out. They have trouble relaxing as there is always something that requires 'doing'. They have a strong sense of justice that causes them to be overly fanatical about things. Vervain brings tolerance and the ability to appreciate the views of others and just relax.

Virgo - Centuary
These are the people who simply can't say no. They take on the jobs others don't want believing it to be their lot in life. They are constantly out of sorts and tired. Centuary gives to ability to assert one's rights and strengthens one's willpower, setting boundaries on how far to go helping others.

Libra - Scleranthus
These people never know what to do since they cannot make up their own minds, yet they are loathed to accept the opinions of others. They have trouble finding inner balance since their moods change like the wind. Scleranthus helps one to achieve inner balance, by helping one to make correct decisions.

Scorpio - Chicory
Manipulative and interfering, these people cloak themselves in an air of loving concern for others. They elicit pity from others and always use the line 'Don't you worry about me'. They resort to emotional blackmail for their own gain and crave attention. Chicory assists in bringing unconditional love for others without requiring anything in return.

Sagittarius - Agrimony
Tortured on the inside, cheerful on the outside, these people find it hard to reveal their real feelings. They tend towards harmony and will do anything to 'keep the peace'. To keep disturbing thoughts at bay they require constant stimulation such as alcohol, cigarettes and continuous activity. Agrimony assists in communicating one's fears and worries to others, opening up to others to enable a more realistic view of problems.

Capricorn - Mimulus
These people fear life but tend to keep their fears to themselves. They are reserved, shy and introverted but can appear aloof. They are incredibly nervous at times and can have trouble getting their words out. Mimulus brings bravery, strength of character and empathy for others.

Aquarius - Water Violet
Appearing detached and aloof from others, these types are difficult to reach emotionally and tend to prefer their own company, excluding others completely. Water Violet acts to bring self-confidence, acceptance and understanding of others.

Pisces - Rock Rose
Extremely sensitive with no confidence in themselves, these people experience hidden fears that they find difficult to access. Often psychic and overly emotional they tend to be too self-sacrificing. Rock Rose, one of the ingredients used in Emergency Essence, releases fear, reduces the psychic element and balances sensitivity.

Self-discovery and healing go hand in hand when astrology is combined with flower essences. This combination enables you to bring about your own personal transformation so that you can live life to the full. If you are interested in having a personal recommendation for suitable flower remedies, based on your own or a loved one's natal chart, please contact innerhelp@aol.com for more information.

Ruth Orvis is an experienced hypnotherapist and life-coach practising in Somerset, England. As well as running a successful hypnotherapy business (InnerHelp), in her spare time Ruth writes for various magazines and websites on many alternative health subjects, including hypnotherapy, humanistic psychology, as well as astrology, which she has studied for over twenty years. Having been brought up in Malaysia, Ruth retains a keen interest in feng shui and Eastern symbology.

Article kindly provided by Ruth Orvis
Click here to visit Ruth's site or contact her by e-mail here