Deborah Bier's article on treating the family system in this issue suggests that at times the entire household may need to take a particular essence, not just the person who is expressing symptoms. Let's expand on that thought by considering how one specific remedy might benefit various family members.

Red Chestnut, originally developed by Dr. Edward Bach, is well known as a remedy for over-anxious mothers, for those times when mother love becomes smother love. It is suggested for moms who continually fret over things that they imagine might happen to loved ones. They automatically fear the worst in any situation, like that a child's minor fever is really catastrophic illness setting in, or that their husband who is half an hour late has been in a traffic accident. This excessive--even obtrusive--concern does nothing to actually help the situation and becomes a drain on everyone.

It is easy to see how Mom might require this remedy, but how might it impact the family system? An entire household needing Red Chestnut would be a warren of worrywarts! However, chronic negative thoughts are contagious and can create self-fulfilling prophecies. If Mom keeps projecting a certain undesirable outcome--her husband losing his job, for instance, or her daughter getting in with the wrong crowd--then little by little, it begins to seem like a possibility to others in the home too.

Put yourself in the shoes of a teenage girl just coming into her own. When Mother, Dad, Grandma, and Big Sister are all worried that you might stray from the path, then acting out that suggestion becomes more and more compelling, even if you aren't especially drawn in that direction to begin with. You might wind up doing exactly what they fear, just to show them!

We could all name Moms who ought to have an IV drip of Red Chestnut, but lots of Dads need it too. Given that men are generally reticent about sharing their fears, the need for this remedy may show up in exaggerated "Head of the Household" behaviors. For instance, worry about that teenage daughter might result in his being very strict with her and limiting her social life. He might forbid her to date and demand that she come home from school events much earlier than her peers. (Adding a bit of Vine, the Bach remedy for control freaks, wouldn't hurt either!)

Men are often plagued by financial worries about being able to support his family in this age when everything costs so much and job security is far from a given. Concerns like these might cause a father to set up an austere budget and object to every penny his wife spends. All too often, men's unexpressed anxieties about keeping their family safe come out in physical form like ulcers, high blood pressure, drinking or eating too much, or even lowered sexual desire.

What would be some clues that a child might need Red Chestnut? Barbara Mazzarella's book, Bach Flower Remedies for Children, says that chronically anxious youngsters may be helped by this remedy. It is particularly indicated if they fret over when Mom or Dad will get home, getting upset when there is a delay. They may also be overprotective toward siblings or the family pet and worry constantly that something might harm them.

She suggests it for infants being weaned or to help mothers and their teenage sons make peace with the emotional separation that is necessary for both to complete that stage of growth in a healthy way. (pp.96-97) (An excerpt from this excellent parents' guide appeared in our September, 1999, issue.)

Not to leave anyone out, what about the family dog or cat? In Bach Flower Remedies for Animals, Helen Graham and Gregory Vlamis say that improvement in a pet's problems may require giving a particular remedy simultaneously to the pet with symptoms and to the owner. They describe animals needing Red Chestnut as being overprotective, with excessive anxiety for their owners, especially the children in the household, or for their own pups or kittens. Often such animals are picking up on the atmosphere of anxiety in the home. Absorbing it can lead to their becoming neurotic. (pp. 67-68) (For a further taste of this fine book, see the excerpt in this issue.)

The great thing about treating the whole family with Red Chestnut is that it gives that worried mother something concrete to do for her brood! She can line them up several times a day and dose them with Red Chestnut until the point that all concerned are enjoying a new state of serenity and ease. It is also helpful to add a mixture of Red Chestnut to the kids' baths, to the pets' drinking water, and to a spray bottle used to mist the house regularly.

NOTE: The photo of the red chestnut tree is used with permission of Healing Herbs, the makers of a very fine set of 38 remedies based on Dr. Bach's discoveries. These remedies are available in the United States through the Flower Essence Pharmacy.

BIO: DONNA CUNNINGHAM, one of the editors of this e-zine, has a master's degree in social work from Columbia University and is also an internationally respected astrologer, the author of thirteen metaphysical books. Her FLOWER REMEDIES HANDBOOK can be ordered on our book page. Click here to visit her web page or to send her e-mail.