Remaining rooted amidst the winds of change
Today, on the 17th of March, Ireland and other places around the world are usually celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and the famous symbol of the clover, or shamrock, is hugely visible worldwide. However, we are rarely told of the plant which gave rise to this symbol that is so synonymous with Irish culture. So, today, as St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are cancelled around the world, for the first time in 250 years in some cases, I wanted to talk about Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), one of my great teachers who has most closely accompanied me along the Path of the Wise Woman and one of the plants whose grounding medicine and company could greatly benefit us all during these changing and challenging times.
Keep reading to access a free tutorial where I show you how to use Red Clover in a remedy for the whole family…
Red clover is a plant that most of you are probably familiar with, since it is found all over the world and it adapts to a wide variety of soil types and conditions. It is a hugely beneficial plant in any ecosystem, including our inner ecosystem.
Red Clover flower essence is known for helping us to centre ourselves and to deeply ground ourselves, especially in emergency situations, during extreme stress and collective crises or hysteria. It supports us in remaining rooted when we feel physically overwhelmed in large crowds such as at concerts or public events, but also when we feel energetically overwhelmed, such as when the atmosphere is highly charged with collective panic in the aftermath of a natural disaster, an atrocity, an economic crisis or an outbreak of disease.
Who does it benefit?
Each and every one of us can benefit from this medicine at this time, but it is particularly beneficial to highly sensitive people, those who suffer from anxiety and/or panic attacks, those who find themselves getting swept along by situations or group energy, who spend a lot of time in their head, or who are susceptible to, or influenced by, collective panic.
Red Clover flower essence helps us to get out of our head and re-inhabit our bodies, it works on the root chakra which grounds us to the earth, helping us to feel safe and to remain calm and composed, despite what is happening around us. It soothes our emotional body and reminds us that the more deeply rooted we are, the more strength we can draw from the earth to nourish ourselves and others.
Red Clover is a grand ally who aids us in identifying our own medicine, as well as showing us how we can best use our unique gifts and talents for the greater good of the groups to which we belong.
In the garden, Red Clover is a generous ally, loved for its capacity to heal depleted soil and its dedication to the greater good. Throughout its life, it offers itself as a beautiful living mulch that protects the ground from erosion, maintains humidity and restricts the growth of “opportunistic plants”, (I refuse to call them “weeds”). Like many of its relatives in the Fabaceae, or legume, family, Red Clover has a symbiotic relationship with certain bacteria that live among its roots. Red Clover gives them shelter and food, and in return, these bacteria convert nitrogen taken from the atmosphere into nitrates used to fertilise the soil and nourish the surrounding plants in a mutually beneficial relationship.
During these times, be like Red Clover. Root yourself deeply into Mother Earth. Inhale. Exhale. Expand. With each exhalation, extend your roots further downwards and outwards. Inhale strength. Exhale to Mother Earth all that no longer serves you. Trust that she will transform all of this into a flowering beauty that nourishes you and those who surround you.
The quickest and most universally safe way to receive the medicine of Red Clover is by way of its flower essence. Since we are not extracting any of the plant’s active properties, flower essences are safe for everyone, including children and pets and you do not need any special equipment, only the following:
- the plant in question
- a clear glass bowl
- scissors or pruners
- filtered or still spring water
- a jar or bottle
- alcohol
- sun
- a few hours
Below I have included a video tutorial and instructions to prepare your own flower essence at home. In the creation of flower essences, a transparent glass bowl is ideal. However, this video was unplanned. I filmed it during a summer solstice picnic with my Mum in a wildflower meadow in June 2019 and the only thing we had to hand was this beautiful Mexican bowl I had gifted my Mother. Although it is breaking the rules somewhat, I am of the opinion that this bowl holds my Mother’s energy, so I am not overly concerned about the fact it is not made of transparent glass. Don’t let a lack of a glass bowl deter you from making this medicine. Use whatever you have handy!
While I was writing this blog post, I stepped outside where I have a solitary Red Clover growing in a plant pot. It is still young, having only recently blossomed with its first flowers, but among the leaves it does have, I found this 4-leaf clover, which although has nothing to do with the 3-leaf symbol of Ireland, it is considered good luck in many parts of the world, so I took a photo to share with you all with much love before pressing it as a keepsake 🙂
Fairy kisses,
Claire McGrath
