Letting Go

I talked here last time about saying No, how it related to many remedies and how learning to say no, rather than yielding to the desire to follow our emotional fault lines, is the road to growth.

Another way of looking at this topic is to consider it from the angle of ‘letting go’.  What does that involve?  It means, in essence, declining to be in thrall to those emotions, judgements and opinions that we’ve zealously hung on to for so long.  Those needing Chicory are a prime example.  The ‘mother hen’ who won’t allow her ‘chicks’ out of her sight, constantly making a bid for their attention and interfering in their lives (with the best intentions, she believes), hurt when they appear capable of running their (adult) lives without her, and when they reject her advice or well-meaning instructions.  Chicory needs to ‘let go’ and to learn by virtue of taking the flower remedies appropriately, that we don’t own our family.  Letting go of that possessiveness will not mean losing her family but on the contrary, draw them closer as her love becomes more unconditional.

Many, if not most, of the remedies can be seen in this light of learning to let go. Chicory is in the Group Overcare for the Welfare of Others, and all essences in that Group can learn to give up their prejudices, and insistence of what’s right, either for themselves or others, when they let go of trying to control people.  Vervain, Vine, Rock Water and Beech all come under this umbrella.

Those requiring Pine meanwhile need to release the hold that guilt has over them and to move on.  Crab Apple needs to let go of the fear that she will never be clean enough.  The right selection of remedies will help us relinquish unnecessary worries and uncertainty. Giving up fear and doubt makes room to let in confidence and hope, optimism and strength.

“In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired.  In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.” ~ Lao Tse, 48

As we let go of our concerns and negative emotions so we slough off the defence mechanisms that we’ve built up over the years to protect us.  For instance, the speed at which we take offence (Holly), the inability to stop thinking about it (White Chestnut, a resistance to change (Walnut), our impatience with others (Impatiens), or a lack of interest in them (Heather).

Perhaps the saddest thing about negativity is that we think it is holding us prisoner, whereas in fact we are the ones who will not release our grip on it.

Artwork by Leunig