Bach Flower Inspirational Cards

Lo Scarabeo, Llewellyn 2010

The other day  a friend at work asked me to make her a flower remedy mixture, which I did. It got me thinking about my flower remedy collection (I have the full set of Bach flower remedies and can make mixtures for people), which of course reminded me that I had read about a Lo Scarabeo flower remedy deck that I had meant to order. So, I went to Book Depository and ordered it. It arrived the other day and although it was beautiful, I felt it needed something. But what?

I studied the cards and noticed that the circular pattern on each card provided the perfect place for me to add text, so I decided I would write an affirmation around that circle for each card, and write a phrase or key word at the bottom of the card, above the title. Obviously, I planned to do them just a few a day, taking my time, allowing for contemplation, etc.

Yeah, right. I went to Ryman's the stationers yesterday during lunch and bought a new Sharpie, plonked myself down at a desk after work and proceeded to write on those cards until my hand ached. Using ideas gleaned from my Bach flower remedy textbooks, various websites, and even the LWB included with the deck, I came up with affirmations and key words that have meaning to ME, and scrawled them carefully on all the cards. I think the result looks great, and will be a useful addition to my collection, as a crossover between cartomancy and flower remedies.

Because I usually think of the remedies in terms of their negative state (ie, Rose Rose as 'frozen rabbit' syndrome), it was a bit of a challenge to think of key words that summed up the positive or balanced state of the herb, and to word the affirmations in the positive. For example, the first impulse was to write things like: 'I am not frozen by fear', which had to be translated to 'I can think clearly and make decisions even in the most extreme challenges.'

I decided to write 'Key Symptoms' on the backs of the cards. So for example, on Heather (key word--'Empathy for others--focus off the self', affirmation--I am secure enough in myself to be able to hear others, nurture others, and know that I am okay.'), my key symptoms are listed as 'Incessant talking about oneself; persistent unreasoning pursuit of listeners. Self-obsession, exaggeration, weepiness. Hypochondria.'

Handwritten affirmations and key words on my new Bach deck...

I've been thinking about how to use the cards for divination, and I believe they can certainly be used for that, particularly for those introspective queries. But actually, they would work perfectly well for something as basic and traditional as a horseshoe spread or Celtic Cross. I'll try one out soon and post it here. 

Close up of one of the cards :)