Elder, Sambucus nigra. The Spirit of the Fountain: an investigation of Elder Flower Essence

Elder is one of those herbs that deserves a volume of its own in the herbal libraries. In this class we will look at this wonderful helper and healer from various perspectives — folklore, Five Phases of Chinese medicine, plant signature, clinical experience, etc. — to weave a complete picture of its embodied spirit, and thus, the clinical applications of its gently powerful flower essence. In the words of Lao Tzu (John C. H. Wu translation): “The Spirit of the Fountain dies not. It is called the Mysterious Feminine. The Doorway of the Mysterious Feminine Is called the Root of Heaven-and-Earth. Lingering like a gossamer, it has only a hint of existence; and yet when you draw upon it, it is inexhaustible.”

Loey (Loyola) Colebeck is a Minnesota native, trained and accredited in Spain as a professional clinical Flower Essence Therapist. She is a minister of the Homeopathy Congress, and teaches an in-depth Flower Essence Therapy training course. She translated Pablo Noriega’s book, Bach Flower Essences and Chinese Medicine, to English, and uses flower essences from a Chinese medical perspective for balancing Qi patterns that resonate throughout the body, emotions and mind. Loey also works with systemic constellations for healing epi-genetic inheritance and early childhood trauma, and Jade Egg and Taoist practices for feminine and masculine fortitude and healing. She also loves making herbal oils and tinctures for home use, getting her hands in the dirt, and general “urban homesteading”.