In the language of flowers Lily of the Valley represents the return of happiness, and in other traditions it is considered to represent the return of Christ or the vision of a better world.

Lily of the Valley can be particularly helpful in chronic cases of congestive heart failure by increasing heart efficiency, stroke volume, decreasing arrhythmia and edema. Lily of the valley contains cardiac glycosides similar to those found in foxglove (the source of digoxin), but not quite as toxic because it does not accumulate in the body as digoxin does. However, it is still a powerful and potentially dangerous medicine if not used carefully.

Perfumers have tried for millenia to capture the scent of Lily of the Valley, failed and settled for synthetic versions instead. Present-moment living is like that, too. You cannot capture it or bottle it, only experience it in the moment.

Lily of the Valley restores a failing heart, by evoking sweetness and simple happiness of living in the moment.

His Holiness instructed us, “The process of teaching and learning are the foundation for enlightenment. The quality of the teacher determines the quality of the instruction.” And I was reminded of the lesson of the flowering dogwood, the lesson of Grace in the learning process we call healing body and soul.

The flowering dogwood, the bark of which has been used as a substitute for quinine for periodic fevers, that is , fevers which return such as in malaria, provides us with the confirmation of Spring’s arrival. The pale green bracts that are often assumed to be petals, turn white as the flowers mature. These four bracts remind us of the Four Directions and the four seasons of the year, those elements that speak of the continuing spiral of life. The dogwood teaches us to surrender, to trust the timing and process of healing. This inner soul work of healing includes learning to release our attachments to our suffering so that we can experience liberation and find room for peace and compassion. This is the process of grace.

This lovely little flower fills corners of our lawn and special little hollows in the woods around Cabin Run Creek in early spring. The Celts called it ‘Grian’, in reference to the sun, and although we call it Lesser Celandine, the ancestors called it Smallwort or Pilewort. Back-in-the-day the root was used specifically, both topically and internally as a remedy for hemorrhoids. The roots appears as tubers, resembling these unpleasant little problems, formerly called piles. Hemorrhoids commonly occur as a result of stress and strain, symbolic of resistance to letting go of the past, letting go of anger and resentments. Smallwort is a member of the Ranunculaceae family, which includes many Plants whose wisdom is that of radical transformation.

Last year I made a flower essence of this little plant, and as I journeyed to the Plant Realm I found a newborn child, simple, naked, robust in health and I Saw that the child had everything it needed to survive and thrive in life. Verse 55 of the Tao te Ching describes the person who is whole and in harmony with Oneness as a newborn child who cannot be harmed, his grip is firm even though his muscles are weak and his bones soft, his vitality is strong even though he knows nothing of sexuality, and he can howl all day without becoming hoarse.

This humble plant teaches us to be born again to that childlike authenticity, to release all our egoic struggles, to return to our True Nature, the natural and simple as the day we were born. Eckhart Tolle says,

“Through becoming less (in the ego’s perception), you in fact undergo an expansion and make room for Being to come forward. True power, who you are beyond form, can then shine through the apparently weakened form.”