"Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace, The soul that knows it not, knows no release."

Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), U.S. aviator, author. "Courage" (1927; published in Mary S. Lovell, The Sound of Wings, ch. 1, 1989).

In my recently-released The Flower Remedy Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Over 700 Flower Essences (1999, North Atlantic Books) I describe a rather powerful experience I witnessed with the flower remedy Tomato. For the purposeful warrior, Tomato Essence helps to break up emotional blockages. It helps to instill the belief that there is no failure and encourages a sense of invincibility.

I agreed, believing the true root being the awareness of being different. This unconscious resistance to proper toileting habits was his way of holding back. The knowledge of being different than all those around you, even your own parents, can be quite frightening, especially on the unconscious level. With this in mind, I suggested that the boy be given Tomato Essence (Master's brand was used). Since Tomato is for the purposeful warrior and to conquer emotional blockages, what choice could be better? His emotional blockage was even manifesting with a physical blockage--constipation.

The mother gave her son the remedy--and within a matter of seconds he defecated in his pants. This happened each of the four times he was given the essence, until his mother stopped--for obvious reasons! A reaction this strong is uncommon--that is, to have a physical blockage dissolve in this manner. More commonly, the blockages would seem to "melt" away.

After this, the child's toileting issues disappeared. He was also given the Tomato Essence at a later date, more or less a final dose to address the issues of emotional blockage, and the "accidents" did not recur.

I recommended the Tomato essence largely on the issue of this boy's awareness of being different. I should note that obviously the flower remedy is not going to change the fact that he is different. It did, however, trigger his ability to deal with this fact in a healthy way.

As with all holistic healing arts, we need to look at the total picture. We need to consider what is going on with a person on all levels: mentally, emotionally, physically, and come up with the correct remedy or remedies to address this "big picture." If we had looked at the toileting issues alone, we would have missed what was really going on. Another child with toileting issues might not respond to Tomato at all, but instead might need a remedy for resentment of authority or for jealousy of a new sibling.

Tomato was the correct remedy in the above situation. If you, yourself, are feeling the need for more courage in your own circumstances, the correct remedy may be different. My book lists twenty-nine possibilities. In addition to Tomato, some of the more common are:

Aspen, for confronting unknown and hidden fears.

Black Cohosh, for the courage to stand up to, rather than shrink from, abuse and threats.

Dog Rose, for the courage to face life head on and embrace it more fully.

Evening Primrose, to face the feeling of rejection and abandonment from childhood.

Larch, to overcome self-doubt and instill a healthy sense of self-confidence.

Mimulus, the courage to face everyday challenges and fears.

Penstemon, for the courage to endure.

Any of these essences may be a good start to creating the right remedy combination to address your needs. Examine the different roots and manifestations that surround your courage issues. Perhaps your combination needs an essence or two for issues of consistency, loss of control, confidence, closure, abandonment, acceptance, blame, resentment, responsibility, self-esteem, victim mentality, or will.

As Amelia Earhart did so poignantly write, without courage, there cannot be true release.

About the Author: Jeffrey Garson Shapiro, HD PhD earned his doctorates and a master's in Homeopathy from Curentur University in Los Angeles. He also did his master's in Sociology at Northeastern University and a bachelor's in Sociology and Women Studies at Brandeis University. In addition to offering private consultations in homeopathy and flower essences, Dr. Garson Shapiro has served as the Dean and President of Curentur University, the only school in the United States authorized to offer advanced degrees in homeopathy.

He is the author of the Flower Remedy Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Over 700 Flower Essences (1999, North Atlantic Books), speaks frequently on homeopathy, flower essences and holistic health issues, and contributes to Children Magazine and the Living Wellness Directory and Journal. Dr. Shapiro lives in Southern California with his wife Jennifer, a professor of Spanish Language and Literature, their son Jeremy, and their dog, Jasper. He can be reached via e-mail.

ART CREDITS: This background and other illustrations were created by Hometown Websmith from graphics at ArtToday.

The World Wide Essence Society does not mean to imply any recommendation of nor give certification to any individuals or companies above. This article is provided purely for informational purposes. We ask consumers to make their own determination as to quality of the services and products offered above. This article is not meant to be advice, and the information is not meant to replace medical or psychological treatment.

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