What do you think of when you think of a mirror? I immediately think of the mirror from the Harry Potter books. The mirror “Erised” which reflected what Harry most desired in life: to see his 
parents again. What a powerful gift that would be, but a mirror reflects the perfect image of the person or animal, every line, expression, feather or hoof.
Through my study for my book Bailey’s Flower Essences for Animals, a pattern began to emerge. A reoccurrence that could not be classed as a coincident was the amount of animals “mirroring” the emotional feelings of their owner to the exact same degree that they both needed to take the exact same flower essence. Our animals are very sensitive beings, and just like a sponge will take on our own emotional baggage. They are so connected to us that on an energy level they will mirror exactly what we are feeling.
When I work with flower essences I like to connect to the energy of the animal. I ideally use some of the animal’s fur (which is known as a witness) to help me to connect to their energy. Using a photograph I am able to connect visually and also energetically. I try to have no preconceived ideas of what I think is going on, but let the animal speak to me via their energy. Using a pendulum I dowse over each flower essence asking the question: “Is this the essence that (name of animal) needs at this exact moment in time?” By asking this question, I am able to select the precise essence that is needed. If I used a question which was not so exact, there will often be a larger selection of flower essences chosen. The reason being that the animal may well require all of them but not at this exact moment in time. It is here that the flower essences start to talk to me. They share their story of how the animal is feeling. Through the properties of the essences, I am able to understand the animal and to comprehend why they are behaving in a certain way.
Also, the choice of essences will often reflect the exact emotional problems of their owners. I have asked myself the question why? What are the advantages for the animal? Every animal has a survival code, survival is engrained in their very being: why would they become entrenched in our emotional problems? What are the advantages for them? Or at the simplest level, is it not the greatest gift of empathy that our animals can show us by reflecting the issues that we as owners need to address. Everything is energy, the lowest feelings vibrate at the lowest levels. When we are in the energy of a negative or unhappy person, you can immediately feel their energy bringing you down. Our animals easily and completely resonate with our negative feelings. Animals are wonderful teachers, as I get older and have spent time with lots of different animals, I have realised that they teach us in the most un-confronting way; they quietly lead us to the correct answer, we just have to listen with our heart.
When the flower essences chosen are a mirror of the owner, I strongly recommend that the owner take the remedy too. We have a responsibility to ourselves and to our animals. The point being that our animals are showing us what we need to sort in ourselves. If it takes your animal to get you to sort out “you”, then there is no greater kindness.
When you work with energies, you realise that there is this whole invisible world that is full of magic. You realise that we actually communicate with our feelings, even though we are unaware of this fact. The smile, the laughter, praise and love vibrate at the highest level. These feelings are contagious and cascade like a stone dropped into a pond enveloping everything in its path. This energy is beautiful, light and pure. If it were a song it would be musically brilliant as it would raise our emotions so that we would feel good. I like to imagine that flower essences are musical notes, the reason being that each one vibrates with their own unique energy to raise our animal’s feelings.
Through my many years of using flower essences with animals and also children, I have found that there is a perfect remedy “melody” which works perfectly with the emotional problems that are 
being exhibited. If I tweak or tinker with any of the remedy, it stops working, and almost immediately the owner or parent will say. “What have you done to this remedy? It is different” I will ask “How so?” They respond “My animal is not responding how he usually does”, or “My daughter always sings when she takes the remedy and is not now.” Why do I need to tinker and tweak? It is my ingrained training because Dr Bach described the essences to work on emotional layers, just like peeling an onion and that is what initially I would do. I would think to myself, where is the next layer of emotions? But in hindsight it was actually my ego wanting to change the perfect “melody” as this was something I had been taught to do. As often as I changed the remedy, I always had to go back to the perfect “melody”. Some of my clients have been on the exact same remedy for 3 or more years.
I started to listen to the animals and realised that they were teaching me to be patient and to understand that we each individually have a unique song that is specific to us. Just like our DNA there is our own specific remedy that feeds our soul and allows us to be the person or animal we are meant to be. It allows us to connect to our deepest souls desires and plays at the perfect vibration, it is magical. When I started my research, this was not something that I expected or even looked for, I thought I understood how flower essences work, I really did. Like everything in life, if we take the time to listen and let go of our ego, a multitude of things can happen.
My research continues and I look forward to what else the flowers are going to share with me. My motto is “Be sure to stop and smell the flowers”. It has a powerful meaning and has become so much more meaningful to me as I study the flowers in depth.
CASE STUDY
Quinnah is a 4-year old wolf dog. She was mated at the age of 13 months which is very young for a dog. She had 5 pups and killed 4 and abandoned another. She left the breeder and came to her 
new home where she showed behaviour of being much panicked, as had been unhandled for a long time. She is extremely sensitive to noise and shakes and pants when stressed. Quinnah is literally living on her nerves.
Using dowsing I was able to choose the following Baileys Essences:
Bistort – Provides loving support for those that are mentally challenged.
Compact Rush – For those who have a sadness of life passing by.
Early Yellow Orchid – For unblocking the energy centres and offering protection for those that feel vulnerable.
Forsythia – Allows joy to come in
Lichen – Ease with ones surroundings
Oxalis – Feeling there is no way out
Spring Squill – For freedom after break through
Quinnah has been on this exact remedy mix for 7 months now. I received the following feedback from her owner recently:
She has continued to improve, she only gets the remedy once a day now, with her yoghurt at night, and occasionally if she gets a bit spooked. But that is rare, if she gets spooky I just say oi and she comes to me looking a bit sheepish, I was being silly, mum, wasn’t I…
New layers of confidence have appeared, she is quite cheeky, she will play fight with me, play tug… very little bothers her sound wise, even fireworks. I can play my elk drum right next to her! Her whole posture and expression have changed too.
Going outside on the lead is still a work in progress, but mostly because I hardly ever do it. She is better, even so, I will start to try and take her out more and maybe up the remedy dose at the same time, at some point. I took them to the park on Christmas Day, and she was okay really, just a couple of spooks at traffic on the way, but nothing like the way she was.
Since she has stopped being panicked and shut down, her personality really shines, and her intelligence is incredible. It is not like relating to a dog at all really, more like a child. She looks at everything I show her, pictures, films, games on the iPad, looks at my face for explanation, shows intense interest. She no longer has to be crated at all, she has stopped the mass destruction and trying to escape. She sleeps next to my bed at night.
She still likes the drops… if I get them and say drops, she comes and sits by me with a serious expression on her face, puts her head up for me to drop them into her little front teeth and licks them as they fall… if she is spooked, and I say, do you want some drops, she knows what I mean and always wants them. She knows they help her.
She will take food treats now, and has learned some tricks. She is kind of in season… I think pretty much a silent heat, but she has not been moody this year like she was last time… she was really horrid before, she nearly killed the old Westie.
Physically she is better… she has put on weight, her coat is lovely and hardly falling. I am sure there are more things, but we very quickly become accustomed to them, and forget they are new, or better!
But she is a different person, and has gone from being a shut down nervous wreck that was painful to see and live with, to someone who is a joy to live with. You really did save her life, and my sanity.
I believe I created the worst of it in her when I was so panicked and terrified myself, going through that awful situation… or at least I was unable to help her, she knew it, and was lost in her, and my fear. I started to come out the other side, but I couldn’t help her on my own, and seeing her that way kept me locked into fear as well. We were a terrible combination, but then also exactly right, because she completely mirrors me.
I understood what was happening, but was unable to detach myself enough to change it. And I think part of the lesson was to be able to ask for help, and another part to accept a gift, which is what you gave us.
I still have quite a lot left… I would like to always have some with me, but there is plenty at the moment.
I can’t thank you enough. I recommend the remedies to everyone who is having issues, I wish they would all take my advice!
December 2014
This combination of essences is the perfect “melody” for Quinnah and has allowed her to be the dog she was meant to be. The essences have allowed her to find her playful side and support her as her confidence grows. She is a highly intelligent dog and her owner has supported her, so she rarely gets bored now and is not destructive.
