SWIHA Blog

With the saguaro cacti in bloom, I am reminded of the very first floral essence I created. It was a memorable experience that produced a potent brew! I’d love to share my story with you:

First of all, I am a Cactus Whisperer.

I have had a connection with plants my entire life. It’s a gift that was given to me by my mother. Since I love plants so much, I took the Flower Essence Course at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in July of 2014. I loved the class and bemoaned the fact that I would have to wait almost a year to create a flower essence from my favorite of all cacti, the saguaro, since their blooming season is in the April-May time frame.

Before I continue with my story, you might be wondering what a flower essence is. A lot of people mistakenly believe that flower essences hold the fragrance of flowers, when in fact flower essences actually contain the vibrational energy of the plant. They are taken orally (a few drops in a cup of water) versus a topical application, and they hold no fragrance.

The man who first developed floral essences was Dr. Edward Bach in the late 1920’s. Through his research, he concluded that flowers contain an energy that can balance human disharmony and reconnect the body, mind, and soul. The formula is simple: flower + water + sun = floral essence. The energy of the sunlight transfers the life force of the blossom into the water. Each type of plant carries a different energetic signature, therefore, offering a wide variety of therapeutic effects.

Now that you have the background on floral essences, we’ll continue with my story…

On a warm August morning, a few weeks after I took the Flower Essence course, I was doing yoga Sun Salutations in my backyard. I looked up and behold! There was ONE new bloom on the very top of a saguaro in the desert behind my back yard! I was so excited! I went over to the cactus and communicated with it by using the touch of my hand. It was in that moment that I knew that the bloom was a gift to me and, if I could somehow get to it, I could have it! This was quite a challenge considering this saguaro is a grandfather and about 50 feet tall. I said my fervent thanks and set out to get that flower!

I got together as many six foot poles as I could muster, plus a stepladder, duct tape, and my garden saw. I taped the poles together with the saw on top. They were wobbly, yet adequate. I climbed up the ladder and after MANY adjustments of the ladder and the poles, managed to get that flower! Mind you, it took one and a half hours to accomplish this feat and by then it was quite toasty outside. I was grateful for the arm strength I’ve gained through my yoga practice because I needed it! During this time, if my neighbors had looked out their back window they would have seen the top of my head and 30 feet of pole with a saw on the end bobbing through the air. What a hilarious vision! The good news is, I only fell off the ladder once! I was covered in dirt, sweat, bruises, thorns, and splinters by the time I was through, but it was worth it!

Once the flower was down, I swiftly swooped it into my awaiting eighteen inch heart chakra crystal singing bowl that was filled with 4 cups of clean Fuji water and a pure, white piece of quartz crystal that I had collected from the mountain by my house. As my heart chakra bowl welcomed the bloom, I gave my gratitude to the saguaro. I placed the bowl on a bed of quartz crystals that had made their way down the wash from quartz rock on the mountain. The crystal nest was located near the base of the tall cactus. I did a ritual of gratitude and prayers for the creation of the essence. I concluded with three chants of OM and left it in the sun to imprint.

By this point, I was literally a hot mess, and on the verge of being late for teaching, so I had my husband hose me down in the back yard. I went in and cleaned up the best I could and left for work. The multiple thorn extraction would have to wait!

I was home by 3:00 PM. I went outside and said a prayer of gratitude to both the saguaro cactus and my essence. I played my crystal bowl with the mother essence inside. The sound wasn’t perfect, yet the vibration was clear and it infused the mother essence with anahata (heart chakra)-love energy. I held a ritual of love and gratitude as I prepared the solution. I preserved it with my finest 100-proof Patrón Tequila. Only the best for this flower essence! When that was complete, I took a drink of the remaining essence water from the bowl and poured the rest on the saguaro, once again thanking it.

I made note of the energetic properties of my infusion:

Perseverance, Endurance, Determination, Perspective, Self-Discovery, Wisdom, Immune System Stimulation, Balance, Grace, Opening of Anahata (Heart), Ajna (3rd Eye), and Sahasrara (Crown) Chakras, Protection, Joyfulness, and Body, Mind and Spirit Cleanser.

I placed this precious essence by my yoga gong, who I referred to as Dragon, and infused it with its healing vibrational energy. As I was doing so, I looked out the window and realized that this special saguaro cactus was directly behind and in line with the gong’s vibrations. Ah-ha! It became clear to me that Dragon and I manifested that bloom!

I knew that day, that I had discovered my niche: The Cactus Whisperer’s Sound Healing Treated Floral Essences. If you want to learn more about the wonderful world of floral essences and how to make your own, I encourage you to take this course at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. Namasté!