The bitter side of Love - Summer Chicory flowers story

Initially, it might seem harsh to equate Love with a bitter flavour because of our cultural link between bitterness and displeasure. However, consider how many people enjoy drinking coffee or tea. Both beverages have a bitter taste, with coffee being more bitter than tea. This suggests that our negative perceptions of bitterness may need some reconsideration.

What is the function of bitter in Chinese Medicine? Bitter has the energetic effect of descending. Whether it is to send down a big and heavy meal or calming overly excited Heart, it has a downward directionality.

You might wonder, if love is about elevation and passionate energy, then bitter surely works in the opposite way, correct? Well, let's explore it further.

In Chinese Medicine (and likewise in Classical Greek philosophy) there are Five fundamental elements/energies on which all material and immaterial existence is based. The Five Elements of Chinese Medicine are: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood; and everything can be associated with these elements.

Fire is associated with the Summer season, with fire, with the red colour, with the Heart, with Love and with the bitter taste. That already suggest that bitter tasting herbs, especially blue-violet Chicory flowers, are going to be beneficial to the Heart and its emotion of love.

Studying Bach flower essences has helped me grasp the significance of this bitter herb in relation to the emotion of Love. Edward Bach wrote about people who need the Chicory essence:

"…people are full of love and care for their families and friends. But they expect to receive love and attention in return, with interest, and feel slighted and unnecessarily hurt if they don’t get all they expect.

Their great love can lead them to hold onto their loved ones and try to keep them dependent and close to hand.

This may stifle the development of other personalities, or simply drive people away.

When we fall into this state the remedy helps bring out the positive side of Chicory: love given unconditionally and in freedom."

Chicory flower essence

To me, the significance lies in how Chicory serves to strengthen and solidify the emotion of love, making it even more lasting. Reflecting on it, in any loving relationships there comes a point where we must acknowledge and accept something about our partner or family member that may not agree perfectly with us and we may attempt to impose our will rather than let the other be. The bitter-tasting Chicory helps us with accepting the other lovingly, sending it down, swallowing the facts, and by doing so our loving feelings are actually anchored down.

This process in Five Elements describes the dynamic of the Fire and the Water element. Water element corresponds to the Winter season, the colour blue, the Kidneys and the emotion of fear. By ancoring the emotion of Love in the depths of Water energy, the Heart may become unsure and insecure. Hence the blue-violet blooms of Chicory serve as a perfect bridge between the Fire and Water element; supporting the Heart and assuring its connection with the enduring and life-sustaining Water element.

In conclusion, enduring, profound and lasting love requires bitterness as a crucial ingredient. Without it, love may remain superficial, self-centered, conditional or fleeting.

Now... I am off to finish my Chicory flower essence I have harvested and infused earlier today, potentiated with crystals.

If you would like to get my Chicory flower essence contact me by clicking below:

Contact for Chicory flower essence

Summer - learning about Self

This is my first summer energy report after a three month break from monthly updates. The break was due to my engagement in work with children, among other I organised workshops in Five Senses for children. Following that I had a holiday break during which I gathered my inspirations.

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It was back in May that we entered the energy of Fire Element and therefore of the Summer, although it is most perceived during the month of July. This is just like the afternoon hours that are hotter than midday itself, so does July feel hotter but the Sun reaches its peak really in June, when the proverbial "Midsummer night's dreams" occur. This Summer Solstice is that part of the year when the Earth has its kind of birthday and we all take part in it and celebrate.

Although the energy in July is over its peak, it is still an equivalent to 1:00pm or 2:00pm time of the day. So, we are still going strong as the day is expanding. This feeling will stay with us until mid August (in the northern hemisphere) when the energy will noticeably change into Late Summer.

Until then, how can we best utilise the everywhere present energy of Summer to build our health and wellbeing?

Spirit Focus: intimacy - through the other I know myself

The Summer's Fire nature makes us more open to other people, to enter into new relationships (even if short-lived) and to socialise more. I wrote about it last year in this blog https://www.dorotao.com/post/the-first-month-of-summer-from-shade-into-the-light. Relating to others ultimately serves us to grow and evolve. Lee Harris wrote: "As you bring someone new into your life, you get to experience the new you". His words echoed in my understanding of the Fire Element. I thought: it sounds so invigorating as the Fire Element which is about being youthful too. Adding the two together, we could say meeting new people keeps us young or at least makes our Soul feel renewed!

Fire Element is associated with the Heart, which is a physical place in our bodies where we connect with our Higher Selves, our Spirit. Summer time is when we are closest to Heaven, to the Light and experience redemption through the natural beauty that is present all around. Just take time to be conscious of that.

Mind Focus: taking pride in your mind

Summer holidays and relaxed hot afternoons are perfect times to read, study and absorb information. The Fire Element expands our relations and our physical mind too! We read to find new words, to name and to express who we are at Heart. Being able to name things expands our living consciousness.

It is a good idea to start writing a journal now, in Summer time. You are more likely to find the inspiration and words to describe and express your feelings. That in turn will help you understand your inner Self.

Body Focus: taking care of your youthfulness

Fire Element represents young adulthood, youthfulness in other words. It is the green apple before it becomes red and sweet on maturity. In that phase of life the body is still growing and multiplying its cells fast. So it happens that for all of us, younger or older, the Fire season of Summer is the time our cells grow and expand more than in any other season. Therefore, it is a good time to nourish ourselves with foods high in active enzymes, i.e. lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Raw foods are also cooling, so it is aiding us with the summer heat. On the subject of cooling, in excess heat, it is the bitter tasting foods that cool us down, such as: coffee, also chicory coffee (foto below: chicory flower), grapefruit, all chicory leaves, cruciferous veggies, lettuce, cocoa and wine. Nevertheless, it is important to add a lot of water on hot days as bitter tasting foods dry up the body further.

It is time to be active (swimming, walking, cycling, yoga and exercises), to oxygenate the growth of the new cells and build a new body.

This is not to suggest we should become the followers of "youth culture" where only young, perfect and beautiful is valued. One of my favourite writers of our times, Elena Bernabè, writes: "One should have a more intimate relationship with one's symptoms...Take them out to dinner...Consider them secret lovers...and spend a special evening, alone in the company of oneself. (...) To learn to speak its language...the symptom has its own code, it is a dictate of the soul that needs presence, time, trust in life to be able to act in the world, through us."

This is such an explicit and poetic description of how to relate to our bodies, in a heartfelt way. I would suggest we all have such one appointment with our bodies during this summer.

Summer time is also and above all to serve our connection with our Self: whether it is the Body, the Mind or our Spirit. If you find it hard to connect with self, if you simply do not feel at peace, it can be a major block to your health and wellbeing. It may be a sign that you are not benefiting from the surrounding life energy. In such case, you may wish to consider an acupuncture treatment, which has a profound way to reconnect you with the life force.

Book an appointment to connect to self

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Chicory flower - Summer focus: bitter foods