The Co-Creative Experience

 

One of the most frequently asked questions about the flower essences is "How do you make them?" In all honesty, I do not make them.  At least I do not make them without the complete cooperation of Nature and the plant spirits and for this reason the process is called "co-creation" to highlight the partnership that is necessary for a flower essence to come into being.

 

There are two ways that begin the process: I have read about the properties of a particular flower essence and wish to add it to my collection or the plant spirit itself calls to me, sending out an invitation to co-create. There are many fine books and websites that explain the properties of various flower essences and as I read about them I realized that it would be possible for me to seek out these plants at the height of bloom and bring these remedies into being. I am a proponent of working with the plants that live within your own geographical area. At times the plants that I sought were easy to locate but there were some plants that proved elusive. Hiking several times a week in wild spaces would occasionally introduce to a plant that I was not actively seeking but clearly wanted my attention and was eager to cooperate in the process of co-creation.

 

Regardless of what initiates the idea of co-creation, there are several keys to success. The human co-creator must be in good general health and a positive frame of mind.  The plant itself should be healthy and at the height of bloom.  Permission must be sought from the plant and a suitable gift should be given in exchange for the flowers that you will place in the bowl. Enter into a deep meditative state and ask the plant for permission.  Trust the information that you receive, in whatever way you receive it. I have seldom been turned down, but I have sometimes received requests for particular gifts or directions as to how the co-creation should be done.

 

You will need a bowl of clean water.  The bowl itself should be energetically clean as well as physically clean. You may use any clear glass vessel such as a bowl, jar, vase, or cup. Energetic cleansing can be done by running water over it, stating your intention to cleanse the bowl of all energies, both negative and positive, that it may be a suitable vessel for flower essence co-creation.  Alternative methods would include smudging or toning with a tuning fork or singing bowl. All water used for cleansing and co-creation should be pure and clean, spring water or well water.  Municipal water is not suitable. There are some who used distilled water, feeling that it is the purest and cleanest available. I prefer water with some kind of anchoring earth energy which spring water or well water provides.

 

The gift that you offer can be organic corn meal, sacred tobacco, strands of your own hair, a sacred song or prayer, gemstones, incense (if it is a safe place for burning obviously). Perhaps the plant will ask for something that surprises you.  Listen.

 

Next you must ask how many blooms to place on the surface of the water and which flowers the plant would like to share. Again, listen and follow the suggestions of the plant spirit.  It is beautiful to see pictures of co-creation bowls filled with blossoms covering the entire surface of the bowl, but it may not be necessary and indeed it may be harmful to the plant to have so many flowers removed and withdrawn from the mission of creating seeds. In my experience successful co-creation usually takes only a few flowers.

 

Prevailing wisdom suggests that you work with neutral, dedicated tools to cut the flower and place them in the bowl (boiled scissors, pruning shears, tweezers, etc.).  Although I have these tools and do use them, I do not worry about transferring my energy to the co-creation bowl.  I do not know how my energy could not be part of the mother essence and that is why I strive to do this work only when feeling at the top of my game physically, mentally and emotionally.

 

Place the bowl in the direct sun, either on a dedicated space in your garden, or near the plant. Do this work at the height of day, initiating the co-creation sometime between

9 AM and noon.  Sun aids in the work of recording the healing power of the blossoms into the water. The length of time that is needed for the mother essence to be complete varies greatly but will generally take from 2-4 hours.  You will need to judge for yourself when the process is complete.  A pendulum can help with this but is not necessary.

 

Once the mother essence is complete, you are ready to preserve, potentize and otherwise prepare the flower essence for dilution from mother to stock and stock to dose.  More on that process in the next blog post!

 

Green Blessings,

Christine