1991

Nature and Essences
NATURE'S HUMBLE GIFTS
by Andrea Lyman

My relationship with essences has not been unlike that of a human relationship; a meeting, a "getting-to-know-you" period, a deepening of trust and finally, a continually growing, expansive, cooperative bond that is tested and strengthened daily. It provides opportunity for discovery and joy, death and rebirth. The ever-unfolding qualities and properties of essences never cease to amaze me and I am constantly reminded that this richness and beauty come from an attitude of humility and service on the part of the plants, as well as myself.

There are many types of essences available (California, Bach, Dutch, etc.) and I first became familiar with some of them when a friend suggested an essence for my dog who was having some serious emotional problems related to his experiences as a puppy in a previous household. I tried it and was not only impressed by the results but by the way I perceived the essence itself. It seemed to emanate a power all its own.

I also noticed that as I began to use essences, I began an attraction to plants I had never known before. All of a sudden I wanted flowers and herbs everywhere a small garden plot would allow. As I got to know the flowers and other plants, I became more sensitive to their gifts — on an emotional level. My connection with the plant people went way beyond gardening. Gardening simply provided the opportunity to be in close proximity to the plants and nature itself on a day-to-day basis.

Then, while browsing through a book catalog, the title of a book grabbed my attention. It was called, Behaving as if the God in All Life Mattered and that concept alone sent me into a spin (It even inspired a song I recorded later on). I ordered the book, not really knowing what it was about but sure that I absolutely had to have it! This began a whole new level of interaction with and understanding of nature.

At first, I was both overwhelmed at the immense body of information and ecstatic about actually using all the information in a practical way. As I dove in, however, I began to let go of the control, fear and old "set-pattern" thinking; and gradually eased into a position of trust — pure and simple. I started seeing obvious results in my gardens and in myself.

In the beginning, I even tested for which Perelandra Essences I should order and found out that I was not quite ready for the Rose Essences but definitely should have all the Garden Essences. I also was to order the Soil Balancing Kit. My first season of the "Perelandra-style gardening" was a little overwhelming but so much fun. This is how I always knew it should be!

My husband and I were also planning to build a new home on some land we'd purchased and we saw this as a perfect testing ground for working with nature, the essences, and the processes outlined in the Perelandra Garden Workook and Workbook II. Absolutely everything, including the house site, gardens, pond, septic and water systems, and road building, is being considered with the co-creative input from nature — and yes, our fingers are getting sore! We have already seen so many incredible results in our gardens and with the healing qualities of the essences that making choices in this way is the only way to go.

I recently tested again about the Rose Essences and got a positive response. When I took the rose box out of the mailing package, I felt the energy of the whole room shift! I felt a warm, nurturing almost Divine Mother kind of energy permeate the room. The color I "felt" was a rosy peach, very soft, velvety and luminescent. I realized that I was now very ready to begin using the Rose Essences and I look forward to getting to know them and discover their gifts.

Early this summer, I was guided to use the essences to program crystals, especially ones used in the gardens themselves. I had never thought of this method before and for me, it is the most powerful and complete way to do so. The results have been profound and delightful.

As I continue my sacred dance with nature, I am blessed each day by the offerings of the humble plant people and give thanks for the abundance they share so freely.

Andrea Lyman is a singer, songwriter, recording artist, writer and teacher, who lives in the back woods of North Idaho with her husband, two young sons and five beautiful gardens.