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BS”D

November 6, 2019

NOTES FROM THE WORKSHOP

MAKING AMENDS AND FINDING A WAY TO FORGIVE 

It was a warm and thoughtful group of women who attended my flower essence workshop, Making Amends and Finding A Way To Forgive, on September 22. Everyone was eager for inspiration and open to exploring the world of flower essences as a conduit to starting the Jewish New Year off on peaceful footing.

Our speaker for the night was Mrs. Tzivia Jacobson who shared her years of life experience weaving in her wisdom and wit and radiant pearls of Chabad Chassidus. I finally understood for the first time the saying that Teshuva can turn an aveira into a mitzvah, for when a person can go back to the place where they’ve sinned and be able to declare: Here is where I transformed my mistakes into mitzvos when I transformed myself through teshuva.

I also loved this gem she gave over: If the dish is too watery, call it SOUP and if it comes out too think, then call it CHOLENT! We create the atmosphere we want and no one else.

For the flower essence part of the program booklets and flower essence photo albums were given out for participants to go through and select a few essences to mix into their very own bottles.

Among the flowers I found most intriguing was the Thistle (Cirsium arizonicum) pictured here that is prepared by Cynthia Athina Kemp Scherer of Desert Alchemy. A Forgiveness flower essence, this flower brings healing after experiences where trust has been deeply violated that leaves a person so overly wary, they reject even the most loving and best of intentions from others.

The needle-like spikes that surround Thistle’s green receptacle gesture to the importance of surrounding oneself with strong and protective boundaries that message the way they want to be treated. With this in place, a person will feel more at self-assured, less defensive and at ease able to begin enjoying new relationships in a healthy and happy way.

Thistle’s flowers are made up of tiny tubes clustered together that grow looking upwards to the Heavens, as it were. Their deep magenta color reflects contemplation and soul-searching.

In the aftermath of troubling or shattering experiences, a person may feel a loss of faith in HaShem, as if there’s been break in their relationship. Feelings of abandonment, anger, confusion and hurt may arise leaving them wondering if HaShem really even cares.

As the Soul and psyche search for answers, Thistle gently opens the mind to perceiving deeper meanings and that things were ultimately for the good. Over time and with healing, Thistle helps a person to renew their relationship with HaShem and find their own personal path back (as indicated by the individual tubes).

Thistle may also symbolize (in flower essence thinking) one of the lessons learned from when Parsha VaYakhil and Parsha Pekudei are read together: That we are both a collective, untied together in our service and relationship with HaShem yet at the same time, HaShem endows us with unique talents and spirit to use in making this world a Dirah B’Tachtonim.

Thistle is a deeply profound remedy for our time when so much disillusionment leaves many in the negative Thistle state.

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