The following article was originally published in Health Keepers, a magazine created by Trinity's founder, Dr. Wendell Whitman. This article appeared in Volume 1 • Issue 4 • Autumn 1998, pg 17-18. This article originally titled, "Traditional Flower Remedies: Agrimony" was written by Beth Adams Spencer M.H., N.D.
DISCLAIMER: This blog post is not intended as medical advice. Its intent is solely informational and educational. Please consult a health professional should the need for one be indicated.
The remedy agrimony is for those who always find it necessary to present a brave face to the world. They tend to keep their troubles to themselves and when asked how they are doing or how life is going always respond with an affirmative—whether or not it’s true.
In the attempt to keep uncomfortable feelings at bay, the agrimony personality will usually be very active. This is the person who always has plans, always is out with friends, and generally avoids being alone to contemplate life. For not only does the agrimony personality find it necessary to keep the world at bay from his or her true feelings, but he or she also attempts to avoid acknowledging these feelings to his or her own self.
The agrimony personality is a peacemaker. He or she is uncomfortable with confrontations and so does his or her best to avoid them at all costs. The agrimony individual does as much as possible to ensure that everyone is enjoying themselves; he or she is a people-pleaser.
To a certain extent, it has been found that children who are taught to always smile, be pleasant, and be polite can become an agrimony personality. However, usually, this personality is the result of one’s temperament rather than one’s upbringing.
Perhaps an important side note is that it is not uncommon for the agrimony personality to seek solace in drugs or alcohol. These are enticing as they can provide a euphoric state free from the troubles which an agrimony personality wishes to hide. Only the euphoria is temporary and this quote-unquote solution tends to add more confusion to life rather than alleviate it.
The agrimony remedy can be used to help establish inner peace. Once this is found, a forced brave face is no longer necessary; instead, problems and inner turmoils may be shared and dealt with. It is recommended that a simple dialogue of difficulties be attempted first without divulging too deeply into the heart of the issue as the agrimony personality must be allowed time to reach this crucial point.
According to Judy Howard in The Bach Flower Remedies Step by Step,
The Agrimony remedy helps those of this nature when they are in distress to relax within themselves so that they can put their difficulties into perspective and share their problems if necessary (12).
More About Bach Flowers:
In the mid-1930’s an English physician by the name of Edward Bach discovered what are now known as the Bach flower remedies. Abandoning his successful practice in London as a researcher as well as a personal physician, Dr. Bach searched the English countryside for remedies to emotional upset. It is he who realized that emotional healing works in conjunction with physical healing and he who found the natural remedies to promote emotional healing. The 36 remedies used by Dr. Bach are the traditional Bach flower remedies.
Bach flower remedies are similar to homeopathic remedies. What is used is actually the essence of the flower or leaf, not the plant itself. It is also only necessary to use small amounts of the remedy at a time, just a few drops each day.
Each single remedy is specific for a certain emotional upset. The emotional upset may be essential to an individual’s personality or it may be the result of a specific situation. Regardless, this emotional upset is causing distress to the individual mentally and, ultimately, physically so it needs to be addressed. By taking the flower remedy which most closely describes the way an individual feels, the emotional upset can be dealt with in a gentle, natural manner. For instance, if one would take a flower remedy for fear, gradually he or she would find that the fear is no longer quite so overwhelming and, eventually, may even discover that this fear no longer exists.
Personal formulas may be created by using more than one remedy at a time—because people can experience more than one emotional upset at a time. It is best to use six or less single remedies at any given time as it can be too overwhelming and ineffective to address more than this at once.
DISCLAIMER: This column is not intended as medical advice. Its intent is solely informational and educational. Please consult a health professional should the need for one be indicated.
References:
Howard, Judy. The Bach Flower Remedies Step by Step. Essex, England: CW Daniel Company Limited. 1990.
Lo Rito, Daniele, M.D. Bach Flower Massage. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press. 1995.
Scheffer, Mechthild. Bach Flower Therapy: Theory and Practice. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press. 1988.