Walnut:
Building Bridges

Walnut is the second most popular Bach Flower Essence in North America (Rescue Essence is the first) because it is recommended for all those who are on the brink of major life changes and hesitate about moving forward.

We live in a world in which change is increasingly the norm. We are far more likely than our grandparents to change spouses or partners, jobs, physical locations, and in the case of those who are committed to personal growth and spiritual development, belief systems. Change is easier for us, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

Whenever we consider a major life change we are contemplating stepping beyond the limits of the safe world we've made for ourselves into the unknown, into possible danger. It's no wonder that we hesitate.

The past, which we've decided to move away from, suddenly seems very attractive: old friends, old neighborhoods, old habits and beliefs. We can easily become seduced by their siren song of comfort and familiarity, and we will often find friends who echo our fears.

This happened to my partner, Joyce, and me when we decided to go into our own business. Well-meaning friends warned us that we, having no experience in business, were certain to fail. We got quite angry at them until we realized 1)that they were faithfully verbalizing our own fears, 2) that they were afraid we were leaving them behind, and 3) it threatened them to see us doing what they longed and feared to do themselves.

Longing and fear are the emotions which can pull us back and forth between the past and future. Walnut can ease the instability and stress we feel about abandoning the familiar and advancing into the unknown. It is the bridge which helps us to make the changes we need for growth and happiness.