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It is interesting to begin spotting these traits in ourselves and others. We can learn a lot about human nature in this way, and we can do this kind of study anywhere, anytime, and no one has to know that we are practicing our diagnostic techniques. Generally speaking, when we are suggesting a Bach remedy, we should try to identify the Type Remedy and then add other remedies that are relevant for the short-term or easily changeable states of mind. For instance, someone might be a Water Violet type--proud, aloof, quiet, a loner, intelligent, and artistic--but during illness he or she may have constant worries that go around and around in the mind. This would suggest White Chestnut. The solution is to use both remedies together, the White Chestnut being a more temporary remedy. 
Another good way of beginning our journey with the Bach remedies and also remembering them is to briefly read through the remedy descriptions and make note of those relevant to our own personality and those people closest to us. Then we should buy those remedies and use them on ourselves and others. We might need a good friend to help us spot our own Type Remedy, someone who knows us well and is not afraid to be honest. Often we think we know ourselves well, but we can miss the traits that our subconscious selfish mind does not want to admit. We are very good at spotting our good qualities but not so good at spotting our weaknesses. If we try this exercise with a friend who is also interested in the remedies, we can learn a lot about ourselves and the remedies while having fun, too. After choosing remedies for ourselves and the friend, we should
have a review session in two or three weeks to share our experiences.
If we are thinking of giving remedies to others on a regular basis, it is a good idea to choose them for ourselves and those closest to us for a few months first and to get to know the remedies well before going further. Usually it is best to work with only one or two remedies at a time. Using too many remedies at once can confuse the picture, and we will not know which remedies are working and which are unnecessary. We need also to use our own judgement and intuition, and then with experience we will become skilled. EDITOR'S COMMENT: Dr. Bach's description of the Type Remedy is an extremely useful concept that has not been widely applied by present day essence makers to their own kits. Nonetheless, it is likely that many modern remedies are also Type Remedies. For instance, just drawing on remedies profiled in this issue, it is likely that there is a Monkey Puzzle type, a Cobweb type, a Mulberry type, and so on. 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David F. Vennells is a British Reflexologist and Reiki practitioner and teacher. He has been using the Bach Flower Remedies for ten years as a complement to his practice. Though it was impossible to capture the essence of the book in this brief excerpt, Bach Flower Remedies for Beginners is written from the viewpoint of a long-time student of Buddhism. David Vennells is also the author of Reiki for Beginners, a simple and useful guide to Reiki techniques. Both books are available from the publisher, Llewellyn Worldwide Website or at 1-800-THEMOON. Art Credits: Hometown Websmith and ArtToday.
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Dr. Edward Bach, who was a well-respected homeopath before he began developing
the Bach Flower Remedies, felt that we all have a "Type Remedy." A
Type Remedy is one, two, or three remedies that make up the core of
someone's personality. For example, it is easy to spot someone who
is always impatient, quick in thought and action, and doesn't suffer
fools gladly. This person's Type Remedy is Bach's Impatiens. People
who are dreamy, as if in a world of their own, and tend to sleep a lot,
are classic Clematis types.
We may find that some remedies have gone straight to the heart of the
matter, or we may decide to try others. Another useful idea is to keep a
diary of our states of mind over that couple of weeks. Write down how we
feel about ourself, our life, and how we react to certain situations.
This can be a useful way to recognize predominant states of mind and
those that are more fleeting and less deep-seated, so we can tailor
our remedy accordingly.