Bach Flower Remedies
Centaury

Centuarium erythaea

Centaury is one of the family of Gentians of which there are several hundred throughout the world. There are about half a dozen different centauries, all annuals. The common centaury (C. erythaea or C. umbellatum), which is the one to use, is easily distinguished from other local variants. Anything from 5-50cm tall it grows on erect green stems from a rosette of leaves. There are a few small elliptical leaves, ribbed and smooth, without stalks, in opposite pairs on the branching stems. The pale pink flowers are five-petalled and held in clusters (umbels). Each one opens separately in warm sunshine before midday and closes again towards evening. Other varieties such as C. pulchellum lack the rosette of base leaves, are darker pink and have flowers individually stalked.

Flowering Period

Centaury flowers from June to September.

Preparation

Centaury is prepared by the sun method. Find a place where a strong colony has grown up, placing the bowl in the midst. Pick the open flowers only, so as to cover completely the surface of the water.

Uses

Kind-hearted and eager to please, but weak-willed and unable to say no or set limits.

People of this nature find it hard to stand up for themselves. They are easily dominated, and because it is in their nature to want to be of help this willingness can easily be exploited. They then find themselves in situations that they do not enjoy or doing something they do not want to do simply because they do not have the strength to say no.

Animals of a Centaury nature, like their human counterparts, are gentle, caring souls. They are obedient, will always do as they are told and are very rarely naughty. They will fetch, carry, and sit for hours. Dogs of this nature obey everyone and so make hopeless guards. Placid horses who are never any trouble may be Centaury horses. Cats who get picked on by a pack leader along the road and come home injured or bedraggled but uncomplaining may also be Centauries. And kittens or puppies of this nature are the ones who don't assert themselves and may fail to thrive because they get pushed out of the way at feed times.

Comments