FEP62 Deep Flower Essence Integration with Tracy O’Meara Smith

Meet Australian Flower Essence Practitioner Tracy O’Meara Smith!

Tracy combines Flower Essence Therapy with a gentle and holistic form of bodywork (Bowen Therapy), and through this integration guides clients through periods of profound inner transformation, crisis, and pain. She empowers individuals to trust their intuition, act on newfound insights, and discover effective ways to cope, live, and ultimately be.

Well-versed in the Australian flower essences, Tracy was recently certified by the Flower Essence Essence Society through the online FES Practitioner Certification Training course taught by Ruth Toledo Altschuler.

Our conversation spans her profoundly connective experience of participating in an Aboriginal flower pit ceremony, how the FES training up-leveled her understanding of flower essence therapy, and the deep integration that bodywork brings to the process.

👉 Learn more about the Flower Essence Practitioner Certification Training Program at the School for Flower Essence Studies.

FEP61 The Flower Essence Renaissance with Ruth Toledo Altschuler

Ever wonder how we got from Dr. Bach’s research to where we are today? In the late 1970s and 80s there was a simultaneous explosion of new flower essences being discovered, researched, and produced around the world. Yet, this “second wave” of producers didn’t initially know about one another until the first international conference was held.

Ruth Toledo Altschuler came on the scene just as these gatherings began to happen, and she became a major importer of essences into Brazil at that time. In this episode, we have the honor of hearing her stories and adventures — how she met the people and visited the places of the FES, Alaskan, Australian essences, and more, in these early days of the post-Bach flower essence renaissance.

Join us for this rare treat and glimpse into the modern history of flower essences.

FEP60 The 5 Elements of Stress & Anxiety with Lindsay Fauntleroy

In this episode, we welcome Lindsay Fauntleroy back to the podcast! Lindsay is a medicine maker, educator, acupuncturist, and author of In Our Element — a self-help guide that integrates acupuncture theory, flower essences, yoga and ancestral spirituality.

We talk about the naturally rising levels of stress and anxiety during this time of year and the corresponding elemental forces.

Exploring the way stress and anxiety manifest in the context of the different elements, we offer our favorite flower essences for each scenario. And wow do we cover a lot!

Join us on this whirlwind dive into the elements as a lens for Flower Essence Therapy.

FEP59 Feminine Empowerment

We went to the movies! And saw Barbie! This was a rare treat for us, as we live on opposite sides of the county. We laughed so hard, then had a great chat about it during lunch, and we knew right away we wanted to discuss some of the themes in our next podcast.
We address some typical challenges experienced by those of us not at the top of the patriarchy:
constant feelings of not being enough and having to work twice as hard to get less
feeling obligated to do more for others than for ourselves and letting our self care suffer
being too “nice” and putting on a happy mask to appease those with more power
We talk about essences for these states and to boost a general feeling of empowerment.
There’s no spoilers except for a certain kick-ass monologue that we just had to repeat. But if you haven’t seen the movie, go take some self-care time and do it!

FEP58 Essence Making as a Spiritual Practice

Have you ever thought about the co-creative act of making a flower essence as a spiritual or self-development practice in and of itself?
It requires surrendering to the moment, really listening to Nature, and going with the flow to accept all parts of the experience. The lessons the plants impart in the process may continue long after the essence is bottled, so an awareness must also be cultivated to notice, interpret, and work with what comes up.
Kathleen and Rochana reflect on how years of essence making have enhanced their individual personal growth — in all its messy glory.
Do you make flower essences? We’d love to hear your experiences and thoughts on this topic!
If you haven’t made them yourself, is this something that you’d like to try?

FEP57 Bach Flowers vs. Modern Essences

In this episode, Kathleen and Rochana explore the relevance of the classic Bach flower remedies in today’s increasingly complex and overwhelming world.  

How do they compare to the more modern essences available? Are people different now than they were in the 1930s? Have our needs changed?  

It’s interesting to reflect on the world events of Dr. Bach’s time and his personal evolution as a physician that led him to become the creator of these famous remedies.   

We also share our thoughts about blending the Bach flower remedies with essences and elixirs from other systems, and why gem elixirs may be an important addition for those who’ve worked with flowers for some time. 
Want to learn more about the Bach flower essences? Check out Julian Barnard’s Bach Flower Learning Program, recently released by the School for Flower Essence Studies. It’s an amazing resource, and free!

FEP56 Coming Home to Earth

We welcome Ruth Toledo Altschuler back to the podcast as we record a session for our upcoming Flower Essence Alchemy event.

The three of us share our early life experiences in trying to access emotional sanity by connecting to the plants, animals, and the elements of Nature.
Using the analogy of “reforesting ourselves” after processes of internal deforestation have happened, we explore the concept of re-bonding with the earth so that we can become more fully whole and embodied beings. And we share the flower, tree, and gem essences that are key for this grounding re-connection.

FEP55 Essences for the Astrology of Now with Moses Siregar

In this episode, Kathleen and Rochana speak to expert Locational Astrologer, Moses Siregar, who combines western and Vedic astrology in the unique field of astrocartography.

With a love for and background in flower essences and vibrational remedies, Moses continues to use these in conjunction with his astrology practice. We chat about the big astrological transits of March 2023 (Saturn moving into Pisces and Pluto into Aquarius) and flower essences that can support us during this time.

FEP54 Flower Essences for Mental Health with Maureen Clancy

Trauma therapist Maureen Clancy joins us on the podcast to chat about supporting mental health with flower essences.

Discover Maureen’s favorite essences for anxious states vs. depressed states, and how she incorporates them in her practice in conjunction with other therapeutic modalities such as EMDR.

We also talk about how to know when flower essences aren’t enough on their own and further mental health services are indicated.

Join us for this illuminating look into flower essences from a psychotherapist’s perspective.

FEP53 Going with the Flow: Cultivating receptivity and calm flexibility

Rather than setting New Year’s resolutions and diving headfirst to start smashing goals on January 1st, Kathleen and Rochana talk about a more Nature-based approach of first letting go, going within, and going with the flow during the dark days of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere.
True to form, Nature reinforced that lesson for us with the California storms (hello water element) that brought flooding and extended outages, testing our ability to literally go with the flow as this recording had to be rescheduled multiple times.
Learn about some of the essences we use to cultivate receptivity and calm flexibility for a more natural approach to planning and goal setting.

FEP52 Myth, Magic, and Mystery of the Artemesias

Join us in an enchanting exploration of the Artemisia plants—Mugworts, Wormwoods, and Sagebrushes—as we share stories and experiences of working with the flower essences, herbal preparations, and strong energies of this unique subset of the Aster family. 🌙🌿🧙‍♀️💚🧚✨

FEP51 Energetic & Emotional Detox with Flower Essences

Are you feeling weighed down by the energy of others, the constant bombardment of information, or the emotional drama and violence that pervades our media in these times? Mental stress and anxiousness are especially common during this time of year as the energy of the fall season is one of pulling in.

Kathleen and Rochana talk about helpful flower essences to clear the mental and emotional clutter that has accumulated in and around us — to discern what’s not ours, to release what’s not serving us, and to strengthen our energy field.

FEP50 Botanical Families as a Guide to Flower Essences with Ruth Toledo Altschuler

Ruth Toledo Altschuler joins us for our 50th show!
As a returning guest of the podcast and partner in the Flower Essence Conference, you’ll most likely be familiar with the incredible depth of insight Ruth has in Flower Essence Therapy. She has been a practitioner and educator for over three decades, and has a unique combination of experience unparalleled in the field.
In this episode, we talk about understanding flower essences in the context of their botanical families.
When we are able to group essence plants this way, patterns emerge that can help us to find the right essence faster for a given concern.
And when we apply the observation of the plant signature, we can better see the distinctions of their healing qualities within their family.
This plant-centric system of learning about flower essences is something the three of us resonate deeply with, and we are honored to work with Ruth on new educational offerings (stay tuned!).
For now, enjoy this lovely conversation.

FEP49 The Five Elements as Soul Medicine with Lindsay Fauntleroy

Our conversation centered around the five element system as a process for understanding our own cycles, as well as where we are collectively in this moment and what beautiful flower essence is coming forward.

We talk about Lindsay’s new book, “In Our Element: Using the Five Elements as Soul Medicine to Unleash Your Personal Power”, and the inspirational way she combines flower essences, yoga poses and music playlists as medicine for the body, mind and soul.

We love how she joyfully weaves together Eastern medicine, western psychology, and African ancestral principles of spirituality in a modern way that is easy to understand, actionable and accessible.

FEP48 Soul Purpose and the Divine Feminine with Sara Artemisia

This month we are joined by Sara Artemisia — a Flower Essence Practitioner, Plant Spirit Wisdom Teacher, and host of the Plant Spirit Podcast and the Plant Spirit Herbalism Summit.

Our discussion is a rich exploration of soul purpose and the re-emergence of the divine feminine, with deep wisdom and powerful activation by the Wild Roses and Queen Anne’s Lace.

Honoring the wisdom embedded in traditional fairy tales, we delve into the symbolism of Sleeping Beauty/Briar Rose and how it relates to the modern day awakening of divine feminine consciousness.

We talk about the journey of finding our purpose as not being a single act but rather a series of intuitive steps on our life path, and learning to trust the guidance all around us with help from the plants and flower essences.

FEP47 Listening To The Ancients

Join us for a deep dive into the plant signatures and flower essence energetics of our two favorite trees: Redwood and Magnolia. These ancient beings have been on the planet since dinosaurs roamed the earth, and we think they have much wisdom for us.

Redwoods are the tallest tree, one of the longest living, and grow in groups that are connected by their root system. They help us to see the big picture, be resilient, and foster community.

Magnolias are one of the first flowering plants on the planet, and they imbue us with hope and enthusiasm for this earthly experience. They aid us in fully inhabiting our bodies so we can access our unique gifts and pursue our life’s work.

FEP46 Sharing the Legacy of Flower Essence Therapy

Kathleen and Rochana welcome Ruth Toledo Altschuler to talk about our current collaboration together—organizing the online Flower Essence Conference (coming up, April 29th, 2022!). We hear from Ruth about the impetus behind this project and the way that flower essence conferences of the past have brought people together in heartfelt community.

We also share an excerpt from one of our pre-recorded conference sessions, “Tending the Legacy of Flower Essence Therapy”. Join us for a fascinating discussion with Isabela Bisconcini, a flower essence educator, practitioner and psychotherapist from Brazil, on the multidimensional transmission and living legacy of flower essence information.

FEP45 Plant Spirit Magick with Nicholas Pearson

On this episode, Rochana and Kathleen welcome Nicholas Pearson back to the podcast to talk about his new book, Flower Essences from the Witch’s Garden—Plant Spirits in Magickal Herbalism.
We love the way he combines the building blocks of plant spirit herbalism with flower essence therapy, alchemical principles, traditional lore, and modern magickal practice.
Join us for a fascinating discussion touching on these topics and more. There is something for everyone!

FEP44 The Courageous Heart

Kathleen and Rochana explore what it means to maintain heart-centered courage in the face of extended adversity — notably during the pandemic and natural disasters related to climate change. Collectively we are all dealing with disconnection and the grief of what has been lost, and we need strength for what we are still going through during this time of uncertainty. Flower essences can help us stay present, connected, and embodied while nurturing our heart and helping us cultivate compassion for ourselves and others.

FEP43 Self Acceptance

Kathleen and Rochana talk about fully loving and accepting ourselves, foibles and all. What holds us back from accepting ourselves without conditions? Shame, judgement, unworthiness, and comparison-itis rear their shadowy heads. But there are some lovely and transformational flower essences that help us let go of those things in order to see and appreciate our true, authentic selves.