The Complete Book of Flower Essences: 48 Natural and Beautiful Ways to Heal Yourself and Your Life [Paperback]

Rhonda PallasDowney (Author), Trevor Cook (Preface), Rosemary Gladstar (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 19, 2002

First codified by Edward Bach, a licensed physician in the early 20th century, flower essences are increasingly popular for use in holistic healing. Here Rhonda PallasDowney explores the healing power of flower essences and their relationship to the chakras, and the relationship of the chakras to the endocrine system, taking into account both the physical and psychological aspects of the subject. This book, complete with dozens of color photos, makes sense of the four elements, the senses, Chinese herbal medicine, and the integration of the whole person. The last section of the book describes the 48 whole-plant flower essences.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: New World Library (September 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577311418
• ISBN-13: 978-1577311416
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,382,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Amazing...., February 13, 2003

By 

Quiltz "aznurse" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Book of Flower Essences: 48 Natural and Beautiful Ways to Heal Yourself and Your Life (Paperback)

Plants and flowers have long been the basis for many traditional healing practices. Many modern medicines have their "roots" in the worlds of herbalism. And yet, there has been little integration between systems of thought and practice.

In this volume, Rhonda Pallas Downey has amassed a body of work that brings a variety of disciplines into balance and perspective. She skillfully weaves the historic precepts of herbalism, homeopathy, and flower essences, demonstrating a deep knowledge of not only the principals of healing, but the application of precepts to practice. With a strong background in healing systems, she also skillfully correlates the use of flower essences to the chakra systems, thus demonstrating the web that brings all healing systems into a cohesive whole.

Rhonda shares a wealth of personal experiences that illustrate how flower essences are created, shared, and used. She guides the reader through the exacting process of choosing, gathering, preparing, and using the flower essences. There is a sacredness of this process which is clearly inspiring and meditative. The proving process, in which the essences are blindly tested, adds credibility to this healing method.

Forty-eight plants, indigenous to North America, are carefully detailed in the Materia Medica section of the book. Each plant or flower is detailed as to physical characteristics, botanical names, traditional and homeopathic uses, and suggestions for healing uses. Data from the original provings is provided to assist the reader in a greater understanding of the plant's properties. Case histories, observations, and affirmations round out each profile. Rhonda's own exquisite photographs accompany the text.

This is not a book to read cover to cover, but one to ponder and explore. Just as Rhonda encourages us to look at healing on a higher level, the book brings additional layers and dimensions to common plants we may see but not really experience. This is an exceptional work that deserves a place in the body of knowledge of healing.