Flower Essences are extremely practical healing tools for just about every challenge under the sun, but they are also a mysterious gifts given from a place of Oneness.

Here is a story about this.

I have long loved the beautiful blossoms of the Honey Locust Tree but it has been love from afar, because their blossoms are usually too high off the ground for me to reach any Flowers.  I also have been thwarted  in my efforts to make this Tree blossom into a Flower Essence by this distance from the ground.

This year however, a Honey Locust called to me one day in the way that Flowers call to me ( that would be LOUDLY) and said it was time for me to make it into a Flower Essence.  There dangling before me were many branches of blossoms I could easily reach.  And so Honey Locust became a new part of our repertoire, even as it joined our shelves without me knowing what it was for.

Right after this Essence was made, we heard from the caretakers of Maia, a beloved elephant at  the Global Sanctuary for Elephants in Brazil. Maia needed Flower Essence support to help her with the grief of losing her lifelong elephant companion, Guida.

After I read the email from the sanctuary about Maia‘s grief, the Angels told me that the Honey Locust was for Maia. Yes, it was going to help many people, but first it was for Maia. The Angels explained it would help her fins steadiness on her feet, help her with her swaying in grief, help her process her grief in an elemental and clean way that did not compromise her health.  Maia got the first bottle of this Essence and now it is ready for everyone.

As we went to get Maia her Honey Locust, another mystery occurred.  Early Wednesday morning- the morning of the eclipse-  I walked by a bed of Gooseneck Loosestrife (Lysmachia clethroides), and it called out LOUDLY that it was time for me to make an Essence from it.  I had out and out ignored somewhat ignored this Flower due to fights tussles I have had with it as to  exactly how much of the Flower bed was for this Flower ( it wanted the whole garden more than I wanted to give it).  Being a human with all the presumptions that I know what I am doing and my priorities are valid, I sailed by the Flower noting that, “Yes, yes I will make an Essence from you soon.”

Once in the office, I received word that one of the founders of the Global Sanctuary for Elephants was going to be in the US and we would be able to get her many more Flower Essences than can go by mail to Brazil.  As we considered what Essences the elephants needed,  Kat Blais from the sanctuary reported that new rescue elephants were coming to the sanctuary soon and would need support for becoming part of the herd, feeling a part of something bigger than their individual selves, having consideration for other’s needs, finding their place- issues that are key for the many elephants who have spent their lives alone in captivity and must find their way post captivity to a new, more expansive experience of self.

As I read Kat’s email, I knew THAT was why the Gooseneck Loosestrife had called out to me earlier in the morning. IT WAS NEEDED FOR THE NEW ELEPHANTS!  I went out to look at the bed of Flowers and shivers ran up and down my spine as I realized the Flowers, seamlessly mixing in a herd of harmonious and expressive oneness ALL LOOKED LIKE ELEPHANT TRUNKS.

So then and there I decided to call the Flower Essence we would make from this Flower ELEPHANT TRUNK LOOSESTRIFE.  The latin name identifies the precise plant, but here at Green Hope Farm we are honoring the elephants by throwing out the gooseneck moniker in favor of elephant trunks!

I called the whole crew out to look at the Flowers and we all got more shivers up our spines and felt teary eyed with gladness that we could help the elephants with this Essence AND also offer it to everyone else because, let’s face it, we need its gifts of HARMONY IN A HERD!