The Core Issue

In my book, The Art & Technique of Using Flower Essences, I describe it as follows:

When I work with flower essences, I like to address the core, or root, of the situation that is causing discomfort or unease. It is easy to see the effects of a situation and become caught up in attempting to deal with them. Yet I have found that what appears to be the “problem” is often just a symptom of a deeper life issue. When we can work at this deeper level we may spend much less time and energy than we would by working with a more superficial focus. Often when we work with the core or root of a situation, many of the uncomfortable symptoms that held our attention melt away. Some uncomfortable situations that seemed unrelated often come into harmony and are resolved almost effortlessly once we have addressed the deeper cause.

The Art & Technique of Using Flower Essences, page 23

Most of us have been taught to look at our symptoms and find a way to alleviate them. Yet our symptoms are usually the language our soul is using to get us to pay attention to a deeper issue.

When we look for the core of an issue or discomfort, we do not use the symptom as the focal point. It is very easy to get caught up in the “appearance” of the situation that is creating our discomfort. When we focus on the symptom, we are looking at the tip of the proverbial iceberg and ignoring what is under the surface.

What appears at the surface is an alarm, a warning, like a smoke alarm in our home that warns us. All good alarms are obnoxious, and for a good reason. They force us to pull our attention from what we are doing and to urgently deal with something more important. Even though alarms are a nuisance, they are our friends and not the problem.

The Art & Technique of Using Flower Essences, page 24

The real problem is often “invisible to the eye”. It is what I call the core, or root, of the issue. Dealing with the core of an issue is key to the success of any form of therapy. Why are some causes invisible to us while others are readily seen? We usually see the cause-effect connection in things that are immediate. For instance, if we hold our hand over a flame and we are burned, we know that the fire was the cause of the burn because the effect was immediate and we get the same results each time we repeat the action. Many of our actions have consequences that are not immediate, and those are the causes that are invisible to the eye.

I like to call flower essences agents of consciousness. They can help us to see beyond the apparent to find the essential. Their very nature is essential, as they are the essence, or essential consciousness, of a plant. They help us to see our own essence, or essential aspects of ourselves.

The Art & Technique of Using Flower Essences, page 23