One day, when my daughter was in kindergarten, her teacher called to tell me that Brecca had rebelled against doing the Hokey Pokey, and she had incited a mutiny by getting the other children to follow her lead. When I questioned Brecca, she replied, “It’s not like I would not do my math. What does the Hokey Pokey have to do with anything?!” Well, in addition to discussing classroom decorum, I soon started dosing her with the vibrational essence of Vine, as it helps to correct the imbalance of “being domineering and autocratic, and not seeing value in another’s point of view.” Happily, this worked like a charm, and my sweet child has developed the traits of “selfless service, and joyfully participating in and listening to the individuality of others,” the flip side of the pattern of Vine vibrational essence.Several years later, Brecca decided that she wanted to get to know her father, so she left home with me to live with him for a few years. She had planned to live with him until she completed high school, but had grown so unhappy living with him that she asked if she could return home for her senior year of high school. In the middle of this already sticky process, her father was in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. After moving back home with me, I noticed that she could hardly get enough dill to eat, and she ate it on everything—including pizza! I knew that her craving was driven by her innate intelligence, which was holding space for her. The vibrational essence of Dill is good for “helping one stay centered when experiencing an overwhelming number of impressions, feelings and sensations, and when feeling under pressure,” and “to change perception [from] being a victim to seeing one’s power.”
Her father has a strong personality that she felt was engulfing hers, which was complicated by her father being hurt, and the feelings of guilt that arose from having strong negative emotions towards an injured individual. Her craving for dill expressed to me what she was not able to find the words for, and allowed me to respond to her in the most beneficial way, including using Dill vibrational essence in her sublingual blends. When her dill craving diminished, I knew that she had regained her balance and personality, and no longer felt like a victim. She now speaks often of her love of Daffodils, which tells me that a deep place within her desires “to find her own voice and know her divine nature.” Naturally I now include the flower essence of Daffodil in her blends.
I cannot express how comforting it is to know that no matter what challenges my daughter may encounter, there is a corresponding plant to help ease the way. The core lesson I have tried to impart to her is that life is about understanding Self and how one responds to situations. She never needs to feel overwhelmed, stuck, sad, discouraged or caught in an uninvited pattern. Plants, whether in the form of essential oils or vibrational essences, are the keys to making the adjustments necessary.
Author Bio: Candace Covington is a graduate of the ACHS Certificate in Aromatherapy program. She is an aromatherapy, Ayurveda, and spa modalities instructor, a presenter for Red Mountain International Resort and Spa, and author of Just Ask Miss Candice, a weekly online self-help column.
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5 comments:
I had a craving for the essential oil Vetiver, ran all over town to find. This is the first time ever a particular scent/vibration had vexed me about until I found it and began wearing.
It is the end of winter here in Oregon and I am at my wits end with the grey/cold/rainy weather. Vetiver has a smokey dense scent and I find it very grounding and warming. I will continue to wear until the sun comes out and the temperature begins to climb.
I am glad to hear you say that Shay. Minding our inner-child is a very important practice. Since this post is about vibrational patterns, I want to share some of Vetiver's signature with you: overcoming agitation, irritability, and stabilizing emotional burnout and feelings of restlessness. You may want to try mixing a little bergamot and sweet orange into your blends, as this would be a dynamic way to beat those winter blues! Also, no need to drive about town. ACHS' apothecary has therapeutic grade essential oils - and they deliver!
Last summer our daughter graduated from college. We had dreamed of celebrations to honor this milestone, but she was in profound distress with some of her relationships. Graduation plans were rejected, but she allowed me to rub Vetiver into her feet. She rolled her eyes at the craziness of “Mom’s woo-woo stuff,” but her body settled as I held her feet.
A few months later she moved home in crisis. She wasn’t interested in advice or problem solving conversations. But she asked for oils for her daily “calm down” baths. Each day I would set my intention to choose oils that would serve her needs for that day, and each day a different combination of oils were chosen for her bath; rosewood, lime, and thyme, or oregano, petitgrain, and rose, or myrrh, texas cedarwood, and blood orange, or…
The oils helped when words were inadequate to the task.
I was a little taken back that you saw your daughter as "being domineering and autocratic, and not seeing value in another’s point of view" because she wouldn't do the hokey pokey. I guess I value an independent spirit. It's interesting that you could manipulate her emotions with the essences. I guess as a parent you have the responsibility to mold your child as you believe he/she will best contribute to and participate in society. I do very much appreciate your understanding of cravings. The story about the dill was enlightening.
Maria, you bring up a very good point. One should be mindful of addressing another's energetic body, always being respectful of, and celebrating, another's unique expression, without manipulation. I do celebrate all that is Brecca! It is impossible to give all the background of Brecca's subtle energetic make-up in 500 words or less, but the decision to use vine with her came up for reasons much more complex than the Hokey Pokey incident of '94, and was recommended by many outside essence practitioners for her growth (including bio-feedback), since vine addressed one of her deepest organizational patterns with the potential to limit.
She is 19 years old now and she will smile and say, "Take the vine." when she recognizes that she is slipping into an old pattern that does not serve her highest growth path. Her ability to objectively assess herself is remarkable and, I feel, is informed by years of being authentically engaged and present in personal process. She has frequently let me know how happy she is that as a parenting style, together, we consciously worked on understanding the patterns in her life, and rather than simply suppressing them or punishing her for them, we used them in exploring and developing her highest expression of Self by using flower essences and essential oils during her formative years.
I am happy to let you know Brecca's inner verve and inner child are not quashed, and she has a vivacious and unique expression in this world, while at the same time being mindful of others around her. Also, she rarely pulls vine any longer, but still uses essences independently to support her personal growth.
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