Ian's July 2020 Newsletter

I'm very excited to announce the release of a brand-new combination remedy, our Men's Essence. The launch of both the Boost and Carers Essences two months ago were the first new Remedy combinations for 25 years. We seem to be making up for lost time at the moment!

Towards the end of my Men's Health Online Workshop I have the participants break into small groups to come up with what they feel would be the best Essences for a Men's remedy, with a limit of eight flowers. Three of the Bush Essences have appeared in just about all the lists and they were always going to be certain selections for our new combination. The three are, Black-eyed Susan for the busyness, irritability, impatience and being always on the go; Flannel Flower, as it helps a man to be comfortable with both physical and emotional intimacy, encouraging one to be more physically active, to talk about and communicate their feelings. The third one, almost invariably the first one chosen by the groups in the workshops, is Red Helmet Orchid. This is such a crucial remedy for a man as it works on both the bond between him and his father as well as the bond between himself and his children, if he is a father.

When I cover Red Helmet Orchid in my Level One Workshop, I ask the participants to raise their hand if they had a really good relationship with their father, irrespective of if he is alive or not. I follow this with the second question, “How many people feel their relationship with their father isn't or wasn't (if he’s no longer alive) nearly as good as they would have wanted.” Sadly, in every one of the 40 odd countries where I've taught this workshop I've never once had the majority of the room saying they had a really good relationship with their father. So many children all over the world have grown up without their fathers being either physically or emotionally present. The consequence of this on boys can be seen with the joining of gangs; a lifelong rebellious attitude to authority figures such as teachers, police, bosses etc or a lack of a role model in knowing how to treat women and be a man. The impact on daughters of an absent father can be seen in a shortened education, which has in many cases profound economic consequences; teenage pregnancies and self-esteem issues. The latter can also be seen with sons. A surprising result that came out of a 35 year study on empathy that showed a caring, present, good father was crucial to this quality being fully developed in children.






Numerous studies have repeatedly shown that men hold onto sadness and grief much more than women, and for this reason Sturt Desert Pea has been added to the combination. It's one of the deepest acting of the Essences. Sadness and anger are two of the main emotions that, if left unresolved, will lead to debilitating physical problems such as arthritis and cancer. Next time you are around a large group of people look at them carefully and you'll most likely see a great deal of sadness in their eyes.

Conversely, I've included Little Flannel Flower to help bring about a greater sense of fun and playfulness – something that many men can feel quite self-conscious about and inhibited in expressing. This wonderful Essence also brings out and enhances one’s sense of humour.

Bluebell is also in the Remedy as it’s fantastic for opening your heart and getting in touch with your feelings. The species I use of this flower grows in the Centre of Australia, though interestingly Canberra, the capital of Australia and where all our federal politicians are, has as its floral emblem another very similar looking species of Bluebell.

In my Level One Workshop, I cover the topic of the Elements of Man, an ancient metaphysical system, unrelated to astrology, in which people can be classified into four elemental types. There are more men who are an Air element in this system than any other element. When out of balance an Air element person can easily become judgmental and critical, and for this reason I've included the Yellow Cowslip Orchid.

The final Essence in the Men's combination is Boab, another one of the deepest acting of the Bush Essences. I chose Boab because of its potential for releasing old male stereotypes, something which I see as being quite important at this time. It works by clearing negative family patterns that are passed on from generation to generation. It can access and clear those core patterns and all the related ensuing beliefs.





Like just about all the remedy combinations there is always a good argument for the inclusion of other Essences. The final selection occurred after a great deal of internal debate along with a number of discussions with my wife Jane and my dear friend Kyla Mawson. I greatly respect both Jane and Kyla’s knowledge of the Bush Essences and their insight. Kyla was in charge of Essence Production at ABFE for many years and is still actively involved and a tremendous pillar of the company. Other Essences considered for the Men's Essence combination, some of which I found very hard to leave out, were:

Bush Iris, for an undue emphasis on the materialistic side of life and to help one realise there is more to life than just the physical realm.
Five Corners, everyone can do with a bit more self-love.
Gymea Lily, for humility and helping those who crave status, power and who like to be in charge.
Illawarra Flame Tree, for fear of responsibility.
Mountain Devil, for aggressive and violent behaviour.
Paw Paw, for feelings of overwhelm.
Wisteria, allowing a macho male to be more aware of his softer, feminine side.

After having the Woman Essence for so many years it feels good and very appropriate to finally have the Men's Essence available. I hope it will be of great benefit to you, your friends, family and male patients if you are a practitioner.