Flower Essences: A Brief History

While the modern system of flower essences was formalized in the 1930s by Dr. Edward Bach, a British physician who believed that emotional well-being was key to overall health, the roots of this kind of plant work stretch back much further. Across many ancient cultures, flowers and plants were understood not just as physical medicine, but as spiritual allies. In traditional African healing, sacred plants and flowers have long been worked with in ritual baths, smoke medicine, and prayer to cleanse emotional and energetic imbalances.

Ancient Egyptian texts and temple inscriptions reference the spiritual use of lotus, rose, and other blossoms in ceremonies designed to align the soul and body. Similarly, in Japanese Shinto traditions, nature spirits known as kami are believed to inhabit elements of the natural world, including flowers. Rituals have honored these energies for centuries.

Though these cultures may not have bottled flower essences in the way we do now, their practices reflect a shared understanding: that flowers carry more than beauty or fragrance. Flower essences hold vibrational intelligence that can support healing at the deepest levels when worked with consistently.

Today’s flower essences build on ancestral knowledge, reminding us of our connection to the web of life and the natural world.