Bach Flower - Walnut (Juglans Regia)

Dr. Bach is a fine example of the positive Walnut type. When he let go of social approval, financial security, and the traditions of orthodox medicines and set forth to categorize and identify what became known as the Bach Flower Essences, he made a major change in life and followed his goal while ignoring the disapproval of friends and former colleagues.

Walnut is the flower essence to use any time a voluntary major life change is in the offing. This may be a change in residence, in occupation, or in companionship. It occurs when moving to a new community or country, upon starting a family, on contemplating divorce, when beginning retirement, and when voluntarily moving from one's home into a retirement home.

It also occurs during the natural changes of life over which one has no power. These include teething, puberty, menopause, or the terminal stages of a disease.

All major changes are times of increased stress, which lead to an increase in inner instability. Even those who are normally stable and sure of themselves can slide into a negative Walnut state at those times, and become unsure of taking the next step - the one that would make the change irreversible - or at least difficult to reverse.

The person in a negative Walnut state may wish to go forward, but be held back, tied to the past by forces he may or may not recognize. This could be a karmic bond or the subconscious effect of a wrong decision made long ago. It could be the boring stability of a present job combined with the insecurity of starting a new business.

For some who want to change a part of their lives that is not satisfying, "The devil they know" may suddenly seem safer than reaching into the unknown.

Dr. Bach called this Bach Flower Remedy the "breaker of spells," for it's ability to untie the bonds that hold one to the past.

After treatment, and back in a positive Walnut state, this personality will at last be free from shadows of the past. He will be open to inner inspiration and free from outside influence. Like Dr. Bach, he could be a pioneer - going forward while always remaining true to himself.

Walnut, because of its ability to break ties with the past and allow a person to go forward with confidence, is often used in treating nicotine addiction. It has also been shown to have a stabilizing effect upon chiropractic adjustment - where chronic sufferers often must repeat the same manipulations and treatments over and over.