Sauromatum was given to me as a bulb by a friend. He is fascinated by this amazing plant and also loves to stand by innocently while the recipient of his gift learns with horror its dark and stinky secret. In other words, he didn't say anything about the smell. Luckily, I guessed by the type of plant it is (not to mention the type of friend I had), though I was totally unprepared for the order of magnitude of the stench as well as for its other amazing characteristics.

This bulb was about the size of a grapefruit, a little more wide than tall. I left it lying about until it decided to sprout, at which point I put it in a bowl just so it wouldn't tip over. And sprout it did: it seemed like the sprout would never stop growing! With just a little stem and the rest flower bud, it was about 2' tall by the time it was ready to open (photos at left). It was spotted with brown, like some sort of mysterious lizard (which is what the SAURO in the name means in Latin).

One February day (which means dead of winter here in New England, so this all took place indoors with the windows tightly shut), I walked through the room where the plant had been growing and I was overpoweringly sickened by a putrid stench. I thought immediately: "The cat is really, really sick and has had both diarrhea and vomiting...the poor thing!" And then I remembered our cat had died 2 years earlier.

My next guess was that someone had left a very poopy diaper from an extremely sick child somewhere in that room. Then I remembered that no child had been there for days. My last and final guess was right: The flower had finally opened! (Be grateful that this is not an aromatherapy publication with a scratch and sniff insert!) See below right for a photo of the open flower.

There were several other amazing things about this flower besides its...uh...aroma. It threw off heat: palpable warmth rose off this flower, which you could feel if you put your hands near its open mouth...heat considerably above room temperature. Most of the flower bud was a sheath which covered the 14" long spadix--the long, sexual part that sticks up, like the "jack" in the jack in the pulpit flower.

Inside the bloom, the spotted quality continued--but in a much more intense fashion. Much more intense: that is a good description for the flower. Everything about it was much more intense than anything I could have imagined. Never mind the single leaf it later put out: it was two feet across!

In less than a day, the flower began to fade--not an entirely unhappy event. I made an essence of the flower during its first few hours open, and it is proving to be almost as amazing--and as intense--as the bizarre plant itself. Below are my preliminary observations on its properties.

Sauromatum can help us gain clarity about where life stinks and help us be aware of how we're fed up with things we may have tolerated for far too long.

DETAILS: This essence can act upon our view of social norms which may be restricting our ability to express and be ourselves. Often, we may be afraid to bring outside and into the visible world things what does not fit easily into what others are expect from us. But this essence helps us experience our inner needs so clearly that the pressures on us to conform may suddenly feel weak by comparison.

For some, this essence stops what some call "stinkin' thinkin'." These types of thoughts are often the process of an overly busy mind. All that worry, concern, inward criticism and self-scolding is often part of the static that keeps the mental blades whirring day and night.

Often, these are society's internalized norms--the rules of "civilization" we learned as kids -- which block us from knowing and expressing our true essences. Quiet these, and the mind may feel like a pretty silent place at first. Over time, the silence allows deeper inner voices to be heard; voices which speak clear and true. We call this essence "Recover Perspective".

NOTE: Sauromatum is available by special order from Whole Energy Essences (email them here).

For some more amazing photos of this very strange plant, see here, here, and here.

BIO: DEBORAH BIER, M.Ed, is a co-editor of this publication and the founder of the World Wide Essence Society. She is the maker of Whole Energy Essences, fruit, flower, gem, fullmoonlight and LifeStage essences. An educator and holistic health care practitioner, her practice in Concord and Brookline, Massachusetts, includes energy work, psychotherapy, and essences. Deborah is an internationally-published writer on food, health, and healing.

DESIGN CREDITS: The background came from The Lady. The Sauromatum photos were taken by Deborah Bier.

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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