Cherry Plum

I’ve been learning about Cherry Plum this week. I say ‘learning’ because there’s nothing like experiencing a negative emotion for oneself in order to really understand the corresponding remedy.  Dr Bach knew this, and discovered many of his plants by suffering the emotion that would lead him to find his next flower essence.

Whilst Cherry Plum in the books is always shown as ‘fear of the mind giving way’, in our everyday lives a translation of that could be ‘fearful of showing anger to protect our vulnerability’.  We may not always be aware of feeling vulnerable but it is that which lies behind our fear – that we are not in control of a situation; that someone is dominating or manipulating us in an unacceptable way; or we feel threatened by interference with our freewill or even personal space, and we don’t know how to resolve the issue.

Early man would have felt vulnerable against attacks by wild animals with their superior strength, speed and fighting power.  His vulnerability worked to develop weapons and fire to ‘control’ his fear.  In this modern age we may live with fear on a daily basis, unconsciously, but we deal with it or sublimate it in a variety of ways.  But all fear is an expression of vulnerability – on every level, physical, emotional or mental.  And when we feel threatened because the situation is out of our control, then like a wild animal caught in a trap or fence, we want to snarl or bite to protect ourselves.

Thus Cherry Plum might help us more often than we realise.  When we’d like to throw a file at the boss, or ram the car in front because it had dangerously cut us up, or our mother-in-law comes out with her usual critical remarks, then our frustration is our vulnerability speaking and a dose of Cherry Plum will help.

My own vulnerability is to the fore at present: I feel like a bee buzzing at a window – unable to get out and going mad in the attempt.  I feel I’m being manipulated in a way that makes me want to say something I would be bound to regret.  But so much in our relationships with others is about perception rather than reality, that I know a dose or two of Cherry Plum will restore my emotional balance, soothe my vulnerability and improve my response to the situation.