Flower Essences for Mirror Dogs

Dog healers, teachers and mirrors

All dogs are healers and teachers, forever loyal and loving, living mirrors to the emotional tides that move through us. Each dog will have his or her own specialty, derived from the genetics and experience that make up their character. Unfortunately, the interference of selective breeding and standard veterinary practice has strengthened some characteristics at the expense of others, making it harder for them to stay in balance. Flower essences work very well for dogs, helping them help us, as we help them.

We are experiencing a surge in energy in 2023, natural spring-back after the three years of lockdown. This is clearing and washing away all manner of toxins, which will be challenging for some, and at the same time the processes of repair and regeneration are accelerating and intensifying. The Nature Powers are returning and offer us the opportunity to over-write and reframe past experience, to generate a radically improved, nature-centred future.

We are beginning to real-eyes ourselves as part of the Earth, biologically in the form of water, minerals, gases, with a tiny empire of microorganisms on repair and maintenance duties 24/7, and as resonance beings in a vortex forest. Our innate self-healing abilities are becoming more obvious and natural healing therapies and support more effective. Old wounds are healing.

In our ‘family pack’, we have close bonds of affection with all our dogs, but they mirror us differently. Izzy is the emotional mirror to Dean, Tulku mirrors me and Freya, carries the burden of mirroring us both as a couple. She is very intelligent and physically strong, but often seems confused or conflicted, because she is mirroring what wants to be harmonized between us. She was also a rescue dog and badly vaccine damaged when we got her. It’s taken years to work this through with her.

I decided to give us all a round of flower remedies this full moon (February 2023) mainly because of the cats. Cats also respond very well to the flower essences, but they are more responsive to environmental energies and don’t mirror us in the same way that dogs. Maia came into season and was yowling piteously and wanting comfort from Lila, who rejected her. I wanted to sooth the situation and Tulku, a highly sensitive dobermann, border collie cross, became distressed by the meowing and hissing, along with how I was registering the situation. He didn’t know what to do to help or process his own discomfort and began to itch and chew at his paw.

The full moon reveals the emotional disturbance(s) that need to be cleared that month. There is no need to question, whether it’s the right thing, whether it will help with this or that issue, the Earth has already done that sorting out. What needs to be cleared is pushed up through the electromagnetic field of the Earth in resonance with our internal waters. The dogs are highly attuned to these frequencies and will amplify and mirror any disturbance that is operating below the level of our conscious awareness. These can be old issues, that we’ve ‘got over’, pushed aside or just got used to, or patterns from childhood that we have unconsciously accepted. Whether we are aware of them or not, these disturbances steal energy that we need for improved health and happiness.

The flower essences work in the subtle energy field, to bring the emotional, mental and physical aspects of ourselves into alignment with our spiritual or soul level. Life experiences can take us out of alignment unexpectedly, or as part of our natural growth cycle and as the Universe moves to evermore refined perfection, through all beings. For humans, there are three stages to the healing, initially a feeling of relaxation and opening. The second stage involves a sense of realization; you notice what the issue is really about as the underlying pattern of disturbance is brought into awareness. The third stage is the physical clearing and the building of new connections between the physical and energy bodies and within the brain.

For dogs, the first stage is usually really obvious. Invariably, if you have the right remedy, they will fall asleep or move into a trance-like state, as soon as you bring it into their field. I usually give the remedies as a drop inside their lip-flaps initially, then I put it on my hands and wipe it on their faces, beside but not on the nose, up around the ears and down to the throat (the Triple warmer meridian path).

The second stage is only noticeable by their behaviour, for example if they used to react to something and they stop reacting AND when this coincides with the human’s realization. That is the time to adjust the remedies. You need to have observed the first two stages so that, if the symptoms of the problem show up again in the third stage, you know that it is the physical clearing and not the return of the problem. A third set of remedies can help move through the third stage quickly and without any stress, but is not always needed.

The flower essences are very easy to use. I use the BioGeomety IKUP pendulum to identify which essences are needed, but you can use any pendulum or muscle testing. I then mix a half-dropper of each remedy in another dropper bottle for each one of us with some water. I would not use more then seven essences at a time, 3-5 is more usual. I apply them as often as needed, whenever the dog gets agitated. Whenever I use flower essences for the dogs, I use them on us too. Sometimes, exactly the same mix is needed, but invariably there is an overlap with a few differences. The dogs have their needs for getting into alignment and so do we, and they are not usually exactly the same. I find the flower essences especially helpful as, not only do they work very fast on the emotional and physical levels, but they let me know what the issue was as it dissolves and I find that this cognitive awareness aspect brings great inner peace.

For Tulku, the essences he needed at the full moon were:

• Rescue remedy

• Agrimony

• Centaury

• Gorse

• Walnut

• Wild oat

The Rescue Remedy is a blend of five essences: Impatiens, Star of Bethlehem, Clematis, Cherry Plum and Rock Rose. I use it whenever there is some kind of emotional stress, for us this could be hunters close-by, with baying dogs and shooting, fireworks, storms, injury, or if any of us have got angry about something. It is very helpful in soothing the mother instinct, with the stress of crying babies (animals and human). Maia sounded just like a crying baby when she was in season.

Agrimony

I knew immediately that Tulku was mirroring my imbalance. For so long, I tried everything I could think of to help people real-eyes their innate self-healing abilities, their ability to co-create their reality, their true selves. Not only was this all rejected in most cases, but people were often so hostile and downright nasty. The last argument I had with my brother was in 2015, about vaccines, when I apparently inappropriately suggested that they might want to delay vaccinating their premature newborn. My brother told me to mind my own business and that he couldn’t fathom why I cared anyway. One of the things I said was: they are not mandatory, but if everyone complies they will become mandatory and I don’t want anyone jabbing me against my will. Oh, the burden of prescience.

When the covid attack came up, we tried everything we could to get my brother and everyone else we know to look at the facts and make informed choices before taking the poison. We failed on every front, because people wanted to go on holiday, it was required for work, we are conspiracy theorists etc. So we stopped talking about it, because it’s just too painful to bring up at this stage. when there’s nothing that can be done. After many years of ridicule and non-acceptance, I went into retreat, hardly talking to anyone and I enjoyed the peace.

As we moved into Stage Two, Agrimony brought this all into focus, with a fresh perspective. I need to real-eyes pain and suffering when it shows up, so that it can be healed – in myself as well as others. Confrontation can be part of the healing process and need not be avoided.

For Tulku, his mirroring my ‘retreat’ became exaggerated retreat whenever there was any tension in the household. This was mostly between him and Freya, or Freya and Izzy, but he also began leaving the room when Lila hissed at the kittens. This is why he needed Centaury too. Why is this coming up now? Because the retreat has ended and it’s time to emerge into the world, whether we find ourselves to be butterflies or fat hairy moths. The tension around the issue that Tulku was mirroring, has gone, he is standing up to both Freya and Izzy in equanimity, so they can calm down too. 

He is also telling me that he is sad, because he doesn’t have any friends to play with.   Me too, sometimes.  We’ll have to see if we can do anything about that.

As a side-note, the literature describes Agrimony as a remedy for those who hide their despair behind drugs and alcohol and put on a happy mask for the world. Not really me, but maybe now and then. However, we did stop drinking wine with dinner through the lockdown and sometimes I had cravings, especially for the relaxing effect. Half a pint of Agrimony, sorted that out, no problem!

Centaury

According to my Bach Flower Remedies for Dogs book:

“Though there are probably some dogs who respond to Centaury in the same kind of way they respond to other confidence-boosting remedies like Cerato and Larch, this remedy is in our experience more of a ‘people’ remedy. Centaury can help to make dogs happier – by helping their human carers to better fit the responsible role of a good pack leader. This doesn’t mean shouting or being strict with the dog all the time, it means having what it takes to bear the responsibility for the safety and strength of the pack. Some one who can’t say no to people, who is to shy and retiring and never stands up for themselves, is likely to be seen by the dog as a lower-ranking pack member who could never be leader. This often causes problems for the dog, given how heavily they depend on us for emotional security as well as food and shelter.”

For people: “Centaury is what could be called the ‘doormat’ remedy. The remedy heals people who lack confidence and have such a vulnerable state of mind that they feel they have to allow everyone to dominate them.”

Dr Bach’s words: “Kind, quiet people who are over-anxious to serve others…..they become more servants than willing helpers, do more than their share of the work, and may neglect their own particular mission in life.”

No way! Not even now and then. Yet, I trust my dog as the emissary of the Great Mother, guiding me back to Nature. Whatever he was mirroring was deeply unconscious in me and also, judging by my reaction, important. I took the remedy and waited.

Sure enough, after five days later, the transpersonal element was revealed. This wasn’t about me being subservient to anyone else. Centaury through Tulku was showing how I had made my most precious gifts, my ability to feel, my dreaming power and my imagination, a doormat to intellect and reason.

For Tulku, his sensitivities were going off the charts and his mental processing becoming increasingly challenged, as he faithfully mirrored my imbalance. This worked very well with the Agrimony for him, see above.

Gorse

Gorse is the remedy for utter despondency and hopelessness. This is what I projected whenever I reflected on the plight of the jabbed. Tulku was picking up on these emotions passing through me and reacting to them, as though they were his own, even though I just let them pass and don’t attach to them. What a lesson in how even our most transient emotions affect others.

Walnut

Walnut is ‘the breaker of spells’ and a favourite, much-used remedy. I’ve used it many times while breaking out of the construct. There is always a vulnerable period, on leaving a familiar set-up, in which you are in the unknown and haven’t yet discovered the rules and landscape of the new territory. Walnut helps us find the backstop in these situations.

“For those who have definite ideals and ambitions in life and are fulfilling them, but on rare occasions are tempted to be led away from their own ideas, aims and work by the enthusiasm convictions or strong opinions of others. The remedy gives constancy and protection from outside influences.” – Dr. Edward Bach

It was illuminating for me to see how my imbalances were being mirrored by Tulku, in his own way through his own character, but how obvious it was once I noticed.

Wild oat

I have no trouble seeing the ‘wild oat personality’ in myself. The flower essence helped me see the direction that was always there, beneath the surface, pushing me onwards. Freedom. Freedom for me to create myself, without interference. Freedom to co-create my reality as an expression of myself and my values.

To drift on the winds of change is a great pleasure, when you have confidence in your destination.

Stage one was completed, as these realizations became clear and Tulku was no longer agitated when I sat down to write, or stressed by some of the other things that had bothered him.

Stage Two (8^th Feb)

• Agrimony
• Cerato
• Honeysuckle
• Mimulus
• Star of Bethlehem

Cerato and Star of Bethlehem

Cerato and Star of Bethlehem together brought a great and unexpected release.

Cerato is a remedy that helps build confidence in your own intuition, for easing self-doubt and Star of Bethlehem helps reunite the sense of self with the soul presence after an energetic trauma. The trauma can be recent or in the past, sometimes as far back as the trauma of birth.

I like to consider the healing potentials of the flower as well as the essence. Some of the flowers are local and I know them well, while Cerato (Ceratostigma willmottianum), better known as Chinese plumbago, is from China and Tibet.

This is what caught my attention:

“Cerato is used in folk medicine to treat rheumatism, traumatic injury and parotitis (inflammation of the parotid glands – large salivary gland in front of the ears.”

Source: https://www.cambridge-bach.co.uk/secrets-of-the-bach-flower-remedy-plants-7-cerato/

Dean had surgery and radiotherapy for what was said to be a ‘cancerous tumour of the parotid gland’ in 2004-5. At the time, all my instincts said: NO, but I had nothing with which to back them up. The doctors lied and bullied him into it and if I’d known then what I know now, I would have stood firm. I regret that deeply. Not guilt, ultimately, it was Dean’s choice and he has his own path. However, the issue has surfaced again as during the lockdown the area has become inflamed and hard.

I expressed this regret recently to a friend whose husband has just been diagnosed with a tumour. This regret has held back my intuition, causing me to question my insights, slowing myself down.

I’m amazed that this came up through Tulku, because it was so long ago that it would have taken a lot of investigation to real-eyes that this was holding me back today. Obviously, Dean is now taking Cerato too.

Star of Bethlehem helped Tulku release the trauma from the fire, which was when he first became afraid of loud noises and started itching and chewing at his foot and tail.

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is all about letting go of the past and being able ot live in the present moment.

No further explanation needed.

Mimulus

Mimulus helps restore confidence and to let go of that general anxiety and fear about something bad happening, the fear of strangers or accidents.

For us, this was a very low-level anxiety. We would tend to express it as: what is it now? As in the general expectation of something negative. However, this obviously translated into a stronger feeling of vulnerability for Tulku, when passed through the filter of his unresolved trauma after the fire. (We thought we had worked through the fire trauma, but clearly not.) Another example of how we are affecting those around us with our words thoughts and feelings.

We are now in the clearing stage. I’ve had a bit of a headache and some odd dreams, as my brain registers the old memories passing through my cerebrospinal waters. Tulku has some dry skin, as his skin rejuvenates. He’s still sleeping a lot, but is much more playful and assertive, calm and not at all jumpy.

Solar flares

I’m mentioning it here, as I’ve been observing solar flares for over 20 years and noticed how they correlate with heightened psychic awareness and healing events. The healing events are presented as disturbances, and they can appear to exacerbate chronic conditions, as the body increases detoxification if needed.

There was an X-class flare on 11^th Februry, the largest flare on the scale, along with seven M-class flares (medium) and six C-class, the smallest. I often get a headache with the X-class flares and find myself unable to do anything, as it feels like an adjustment and reset. It looked to me as if the X-class ‘pushed through’ the rebalancing that was coming from the flower essences, as when I checked the next day, none of us needed them anymore.

A perfect demonstration of the flower essences working in harmony with the moon and our home star.