By REESE AMOROSI
If you aspire to greater well-being, and desire to achieve it through a connection with nature, then you are in tune with Listening to Flowers: Positive Affirmations to Invoke the Healing Energy of the 38 Bach Flowers (REDFeather/Schiffer Books) by Dina Saalisi (Author) and Audrey Violet (Illustrator).
The Bach flower remedies (BFRs) are a natural healing system developed in the 1930s by English surgeon, homeopath and author, Dr. Edward Bach. The doctor believed that illnesses were borne of emotional distress, and his research led to the development of 38 BFRs – aka mother tinctures – containing a solution of brandy and water with a dilution of flower materials. Bach selected the flowers to address 7 emotional groups: fear; uncertainty; insufficient interest in present circumstances; loneliness; oversensitive to influences and ideas; despondency or despair; overcare for welfare of others.
Over the decades that followed, the BFRs earned a devoted following of professional healers and lay practitioners. All of the original remedies are still available including Bach’s emergency formula – a blend containing 5 flower essences (the latter is the foundation for the popular Rescue Remedy brand).
This gentle, botanical wellness system is at the heart of Listening to Flowers: Positive Affirmations to Invoke the Healing Energy of the 38 Bach Flowers by Dina Saalisi and Audrey Violet. It is described as a “powerful self-help tool that explores the 38 Bach flower essence remedies through the practice of positive affirmations.” It is important to note that Listening to Flowers can be used in tandem with the BFRs, or on its own by “engaging with the positive sentiments and luminous images and reflecting on the deeper experience.”
The Listening to Flowers box set includes a 96 page book and 39 cards (38 BFRs plus the emergency formula). The book is divided into chapters for each of the 7 groups in Dr. Bach’s system. Within these sections, Dina Saalisi, a holistic healer and educator, has written lovely affirmations for each flower, and they are accompanied by Violet’s beautiful illustrations. The cards reflect sentiments in the book with the flora on one side, and the phrases on the other.
The Clematis (Clematis vitalba) card, for example, is in the group “insufficient interest in present circumstances” with BFRs focused on issues including homesickness, apathy, exhaustion, overthinking and depression. Clematis covers “dreaminess; clumsiness; inability to focus” and carries this meaningful affirmation:
I am present in body, mind and spirit
I am clear and focused in this perfect moment
I am grounded in the here and now
The Listening to Flowers book is thoughtful and thorough. Along with the affirmations and illustrations, the preface and introduction are informative, quotes from Dr. Bach are printed throughout (“There is no true healing unless there is a change in outlook, peace of mind, and inner happiness”), there is a section detailing flower indications, and a useful list of resources.
For readers and collectors of tarot and oracle cards, the quality of decks is always an important factor. On that note, Listening to Flowers is superb. The book and deck are printed on matte stock that resembles handmade floral paper, a serene backdrop for the vibrant illustrations. When viewed in sunlight, there are tiny, subtly shiny inclusions in the paper. The cards are medium weight – not so thin they are flimsy, but not so thick they are unpleasant to handle. Although it is not evident in my Clematis photo above, the cards have rounded edges. The book and cards are housed in a matching box with a concealed magnetized closure.
Listening to Flowers: Positive Affirmations to Invoke the Healing Energy of the 38 Bach Flowers is a potent guide for harmony and inner peace. It is an empowering gift to give yourself, and an enlightening practice to share with your spiritual allies.
For more information visit REDFeather / Schiffer Books
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This giveaway is now closed ~ congratulations to the winner Bobbye P., Texas!
Giveaway
For a chance to win Listening to Flowers: Positive Affirmations to Invoke the Healing Energy of the 38 Bach Flowers by Dina Saalisi and Audrey Violet (ARV $24.99), sign up for the Glamorosi Cooks newsletter by filling out and submitting the form below by 11:59 PM EST on June 30, 2023. One entry per person, 18+, US entries only, no purchase necessary.
One winner will be randomly selected and on or around the first week of July and contacted via email. Winner must respond within 7 days or a new winner will be selected. Please CLICK HERE to read the official giveaway rules.
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If you enjoy gardening, visit our review for Dwarf and Median Bearded Irises: Jewels of the Iris World (Schiffer) by Kevin C. Vaughn. You may also like our gardening how-to articles.