Before I even tell you about this flower, I just want you to look at it in all its majestic, warm, summer glory.

I took that photo during my apprenticeship on the island of Martha's Vineyard with herbalist Holly Bellebuono. Every morning that I had herbal school with Holly, I would show up a little bit early to make a flower essence or two. I would walk around her incredible, diverse garden and wait until a plant reached out to me and offered itself for an essence. Some mornings I knew exactly what plant I wanted to make an essence from (looking at you, Nettles), other mornings, I was surprised to see what plant would jump out at me, but every morning that I made an essence there, I knew I was making medicine that would serve me and others for years to come... and Calendula is one of those essences!

#FlowerEssenceFriday - Calendula

Calendula is well known in the herbal world for her vulnerary (wound healing) and emollient (skin soothing) actions. She is commonly found in skin care products (like in my moisturizing lip balm), and she is often known as "the herb" for eczema. Perhaps it is because she shines so brightly in the physical world that her energetic uses often go unnoticed. Regardless, her use as a flower essence cannot be denied!

Personal Experience with Calendula Essence

Hearing Others/Receptivity - To me, Calendula's area of expertise is in the realm of communication. It is for those who have a hard time hearing what others are truly saying - for those who are already preparing their comeback before the other person has even finished speaking, and who have difficulty listening in conversations. It allows us to be open enough to hear what someone else is trying to say, even if their deliverance is not "perfect" (or as we would like it to be).
Protection - Calendula's resinous flowers point towards protection - resin being a literal and metaphorical barrier that does not allow things to seep in easily. When I made the essence, the flower gifted me with a vision of it and its resin giving us protection from others' energy. Just as Calendula's resin provides a healing layer on top of our skin - the essence provides a healing layer between ourselves and others, providing us with protection from their energy.

Calendula Broken Down

Name: Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Actions: Protective, warming, opening
Indications: overly argumentative, taking what others say to heart to the extreme, inability to hold a conversation without turning it into an argument, inability to open up to others, struggles to open up beyond shallow communication (especially in relationships)
Dosage: 3 drops, 3x a day for chronic situations (working with your partner on improving communication, working with yourself on being a better listener, or being in need of added protection from the word's of others), 3 drops as needed (before a counseling session, before a confrontation/important conversation)

As you can see, Calendula's actions are multifaceted. It allows us open our ears and our hearts to others when we have closed down and are struggling with communication, while at the same time, it allows us to have a healthy barrier between ourselves and others in regards to communication, giving us the protection we need when engaging in an energetic exchange with another human being (which is what communication is!). Calendula is warming, helping us to become less rigid and closed off, but not too warming that we lose our sense of self and are boundary-less.

I hope you are enjoying this series of #floweressencefriday! I am grateful for the opportunity to simultaneously deepen and share my practice. Feel free to post your own Instagram photos or Facebook posts with the hashtag #FlowerEssenceFriday so that I can learn from you, too!

Happy almost Full Moon!

xoxo, Blaire