Chicory

Chicory is the Bach flower essence that transforms emotional neediness into unconditional love. Someone who needs chicory will be generous in giving gifts, favours, love and attention but will always expect something in return. They will have a subconscious checklist of what other people owe them: 'I did that for them so they owe me something in return'. Whether they realise it or not, what they expect in return is love and attention.

Someone in need of chicory will seem very loving and go out of their way to help you. There is a genuine desire to help but that is coupled with an expectation that they'll get your love or friendship in return. When you give freely without expecting anything back you have learnt the lesson of chicory. When you are too attached to any situation, person or outcome then chicory is needed.

Someone who needs chicory secretly wants other people to be dependent on them because that makes them feel loved and important. They will make themselves indispensible so that a relationship develops that's based on need.

People who need chicory want to create special and intense friendships very quickly. They may share lots of personal information to create a bond of intimacy before one would naturally develop. In an extremely unbalanced chicory state, someone may use emotional blackmail to get their own way.

Chicory is described as the needy mother essence - although it's not just women who need it. Parents often need chicory to stop them directing their children's lives. People needing chicory feel very involved in other people's lives and emotions, and want to fix things for other people. Therapists and healers often need chicory to release their desire to fix things for others. It's important to learn detachment when you are working therapeutically with others.

As Edward Bach said 'anyone over whom we can influence our will or control or power is a danger to our freedom'. This photo was taken in Bach's garden today in Sotwell, growing on his garden path overlooked by the house where he spent the last two years of his life. My first visit to this special place, though it won't be my last. A research trip with Jason and Nikki
for the Very Exciting And Gorgeous Project. Appropriately for this time of year Chicory is the flower essence for Scorpios.