The Essence of Goldenrod

We have been busy over the last two months between Realm of Remedies events and socializing with friends and family for the summer. Busy is actually an understatement. Summertime is a rush for us because my children's cousins are out of school, so we soak up as much time with them as possible.

I have been desperately waiting for goldenrod to bloom in my backyard because it is the first sign (for me) that summer is starting to come to an end. With summer closing in, I tend to go back into hibernation mode. I believe we all do this in some way.

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Over the last two months, Shane has been showing overstimulated behavior to an extreme. So, I have buckled down on our diet. For Shane this means no dairy, limit gluten and as a family we do not eat any food that has artificial flavoring, natural flavoring, and organic. It has been a slow progression; we are still learning a lot, but it is a start! Amongst other herbal remedies, I have also been trying to limit outings and hanging back at home for some good snuggle days.

The healer (and mother) in me wants to help heal Shane so much that my heart aches. While it doesn't seem to bother him, I know that there are ways I can make him more comfortable with herbs. His throat clearing and shoulder shrugs are all signs that something is not balanced within his system.

My goldenrod finally bloomed two days ago. Goldenrod gives me masculine vibes, but everyone connects with plants differently so this may not be the case for you. While sitting on my back porch tonight, goldenrod called out to me. He whispered to come closer and to take a photo. Examining goldenrod, I felt compelled to sit down after and write a post. But about what? I felt like it was trying to tell me something but what? I thought I knew all there was to know about this beautiful plant. I went through three of my books searching for something I was missing. Every book basically shared the same information: anti-inflammatory, antihistamine properties, drains mucus, great for seasonal allergies, tonic for the respiratory & kidneys, diuretic, diaphoretic, protects the gut lining, and etc.

There was one last book that I didn't open yet. My Flower Essence Repertory (A comprehensive guide to flower essence researched by Dr. Edward Bach and the Flower Essence Society). Information was as followed:

Positive Qualities: Strong and secure sense of individuality, balanced with group or social consciousness.

Patterns of imbalance: Overly influenced by group or cultural ties, inability to be true to oneself, easily susceptible to peer pressure or external social demands.

Summary:

"Our earliest sense of Self unfolds within the context of others--parents, extended family, and community. Gradually, through a healthy maturation process, the soul acquires a clear sense of its individuality. Some souls do not successfully complete this individuation process, remaining too subject to group mores and family ties. These souls need to establish their own inner values and beliefs, otherwise their inherent weakness is easily exploited. They tend to be adversely influenced by social pressures and conventions, conforming their behavior to social norms in order to win approval and acceptance. In some situations, such souls will also display antisocial or obnoxious behavior as an extreme measure to acquire a self-image-- this is especially true during adolescence. Goldenrod essence helps such persons to find a true relationship to the Higher Self."

Now although I can only see what is going on with Shane externally, like I said, signs were telling me that something was unbalanced. I started to remember over the last few weeks Shane's behavior was changing. He was beginning to mimic his cousins laugh exactly, his socializing skills have been a little obnoxious (not to an extreme, but definitely out of the norm for my calm little dude), and then after socializing, his stims are at an all-time high. I know Shane struggles with socializing, but maybe now he is having trouble finding or maintaining his sense of self. This is something deeper than just knowing social ques and being overstimulated. This could be the root to why his stims have been more prominent lately. Summertime = more socializing = adversely influenced = conforming his social behavior = to be accepted = stress & anxiety = stims (the external warning for me). This moment was eye opening for me and reassured my beliefs about plant spirit medicine!

So tonight, I will be whipping up a batch of goldenrod flower essence for Shane in hopes to help him with what he is going through. I will touch back with you all in a week or two.

If you are interested in learning more about flower essences, I wrote a little summary on my blog. click here

Thank you for reading!