Thosewho have been reading in order up to this point saw a photo of a sea essenceand heard about gemstone essences on the previous page.  Since Dr.Bach's time, others have drawn on his method of using sunlight to transferthe vibrational pattern of flowers to water and have used it to createvibrational essences from other natural substances or living beings. The most common forms of vibrational essences, after flower essences, aregemstone essences (or gem elixirs), sea essences, and environmental essences. Gemstone essences are probably the most frequently used. . .

Gemstones are not inert matter. They grow and develop just like animals and plants but at a much, muchslower rate.  Scientists have identified six different growth patternsfor crystals, called crystalline systems.  The pattern of the crystallinestructure of the gemstones is transferred into the water when the essenceis made, and the gifts thatthey offer us are structure and stability.  There are never any absoluterules in the world of vibrational medicine.  We have seen that floweressences may have noticeable effects on the physical level.  Speakingin general, gemstone essences tend to work more on physical levels andfor this reason are considered a good complement to flower essences, whichas a general rule work with mental and emotional levels.  Gemstoneessences help integrate life force into the body, although they do notcontain the same degree of life force as flowers.  Steve Johnson statesthat their primary action is to stabilize and balance the energy field(the subtle bodies which comprise the aura, the chakras, and I would addalso the meridians) and to help dispel stress and tension in the energyfield:  "as these dissonant energies are released, the subtle bodiesand chakras come back  into alignment and the physical body is ableto regain its natural state of balance, stability and resistance to stress"(The Essence of Healing, The Alaskan Flower Essence Project, 2000,p. 12). 

RichardGerber, M.D., states that gemstone essences can have powerful effects onmeridians, chakras, and subtle bodies, and goes on to further explain Steve'semphasis on structure and stability:  "Certain gemstones have a specialharmonic resonance with particular points of human physical anatomy. Healing through the use of gem elixirs takes place when crystalline patternsstored in the elixir are resonantly transferred to unstable biomolecularstructures within the diseased physical body.  As vibrational energyis transferred to specific molecular systems within the body, stabilizationof biochemical processes causes increased cellular organization, organrepair, and a general shift toward physical health (Vibrational Medicine,Bear and Company, 1996, p. 273). 

Citrine, shown in the first photoabove, is helpful for mental confusion and helps promote concentrationand centering.  Ruby, shown in the third photo, cleanses, balancesand energizes the first chakra, opening one to vital and grounding energyfrom the earth.  Both photos are provided courtesy of Steve Johnson,Alaskan Flower Essence Project. 

On a personal level, flowers arecloser to my heart than gemstones, and I have more experience working withflower essences.  However, I am open to all healingenergies of nature.  I have many gem elixirs, find gemstones absolutelybeautiful and feel attracted to them, and hope to develop a stronger connectionwith the mineral kingdom over time.

Sabina Pettitt of Pacific Essencesis the developer of the sea essences (for which no creature is ever, everharmed!).  She describes them as catalysts for transformations inconsciousness and breakthroughs, bringing the unconscious to consciousness,"they help us flow with our inner strength and knowingness" (EnergyMedicine, Pacific Essences, 1999, p. 17).  The Whale essence balancesthe Central and Governing meridians, which I check and correct first ina session because they are two foundational meridians.  I have yetto see an occasion when either of these meridians, if unbalanced, was notstrengthened by Whale essence, although sometimes it takes two doses. I must have a personal affinity for Seahorse (© Pacific Essences®)because I often am directed to  it when I dowse for an essence tohelp me shift an unpleasant or discordant state--and I can usually feelthe difference quickly.   Its gift is life force and vitality. At the end of our Pacific Essences training, when we were presented witha basket from which to choose one sea essence as a parting gift, not knowingwhat they were, guess which one I picked. 

Environmentalessences are made with the intent of transferring the energy of a particularlocation into the bowl of water which will become the environmental essence. Before engaging the 21st-century rational mind which we all have and writingthis off as a bunch of hooey, check out this amazing site on water: http://www.hado.net/(this website address seems somewhat unstable and changes, so if my linkdoesn't work try researching "Dr. Masaru Emoto" and "hado" to find informationon this subject).  You will hopefully see on the above site photographsof the crystals formed in frozen water taken from many sources, from pristinesprings to polluted rivers, of the crystals formed when the water is exposedto varying types of music, and of the crystals formed when the vial containingthe water has varying words affixed to it (such as Adolf Hitler on oneand Love/Appreciation on another).  I have both books which containthese photographs, and they are fascinating and mysterious.  Crystalstaken from a polluted source were examined before and after a prayer service,with dramatic changes for the better afterward.  A cup of polluted waterwas placed in an office, and a group of Japanese healers across the nationwas called upon to send healing energy to the water and the desire thatit be cleansed.  The crystals were examined before the time at whichall were to send forth healing energy to the water and afterward, againwith startling results.  Why couldn't the energy of a particular placebe transferred into a bowl of water present at the location?  Wateris a highly impressionistic medium, as one may readily see from this workdone with water crystals.  The world is full of Mystery that we cannotfathom, and essences are right at the heart of It.

SteveJohnson describes the healing qualities of his environmental essences: "Environmental essences are very catalytic in their actions and are oftenindicated when a strong cleansing energy is needed to bring vitality tosomeone who is not responding to other therapies or modalities.  Theyprovide a strong base of support for our work with flower essences, lendingenergy and vitality to the healing processes catalyzed by the flowers. These essences from the environment also help us create clear and balancedinner environments which can support positive change and growth. This is especially important for people who live within a toxic or abusivefamily dynamic" (The Essence of Healing, The Alaskan Flower EssenceProject, 2000, p. 10). 

Steve describes the particular qualitiesof the environmental essences shown in the photographs (following are myshortened versions of Steve's much  more complex descriptions). Polar Ice, shown in the second photo on the page, helps us to be presentin waiting, in goal-lessness, when we are moving through a period of transition. Shown in the fifth photo, Portage Glacier is a powerful catalyst for cleansing,clearing physical toxins from the body.  Solstice Sun (sixth photo)is helpful for Seasonal Affective Disorder and allows us to receive morelight into our bodies.  And Rainbow Glacier (seventh photo), helpsone to be present in one's body rather than reacting to painful experiencesthrough disconnection.  All environmental essence photos were providedcourtesy of Steve Johnson, Alaskan Flower Essence Project.