Feel Great This Spring!

Did you know that the seasons can make you feel great or less than great? Want to feel revitalised now? Welcome Spring! What a wonderful celebration of nature and regeneration throughout the Cornish countryside.

On the 8th May we celebrated the passing of winter and the coming of spring with the ancient Furry Dance at Helston Flora Day. Like the Padstow ‘Obby Orse’, we chase the demons away and encourage fertility of the land and its people. The battle of good versus evil in the Hal an Tow mummer’s play early in the morning stirs up the new energy and the dancers wend their way through cottage and shop to bringing prosperity and renewed vitality to all throughout the day.

The emblem worn by Helston residents is Lily of the Valley, gentlemen wearing it on the left, ladies on the right.
Lily of the Valley has interesting folklore which mirrors the Hal an Tow story.
A medieval Christian legend of the origin of lily of the valley told of Saint Leonard. In A.D. 559, St Leonard asked permission to go live in the woods so he could spend his days among the trees and flowers communing with God. Also living in the wood was a dragon named Temptation, who appeared before St Leonard to try and get him to leave the forest. Leonard was at prayer and did not hear him. When the dragon could not find St. Leonard it went to St. Leonard’s hut and burned it down. When Saint Leonard returned, he fought the dragon in a bloody battle. Wherever the dragon lost a drop of blood, a poisonous weed began to grow. Wherever Saint Leonard's blood fell, a Lily of the Valley appeared. After three days Saint Leonard was finally able to slay the dragon.


Much symbolism involves Lily of the Valley. It is considered the sign of Christ's second coming, and is often called Ladder to Heaven or Jacob's tears. The plant is also mentioned in the Song of Solomon in the Bible. Mary's tears’ is yet another name for Lily of the Valley; legend says that when Mary cried at the cross, her tears turned into this flower. It is considered a symbol of purity and humility, sweetness, and renewed happiness. In some areas, lily of the valley was thought to have the power to help men envision a better world

Lily of the valley, cultivated for over 400 years, seems to be loved everywhere. Sprigs of the blossoms are worn in the lapel on May Day in France, and it is the national flower of Finland. In Germany and Scandinavian countries, it was thought to be good luck to go to the woods and pick "Virgin's tears" in the spring.
Often carried in bridal bouquets, lily of the valley is sometimes considered the "fifth thing" that a bride should carry {right after something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue}. The Dutch carry this a bit further and often plant the pips of lily of the valley in the first garden the couple owns. Each time the plants bloom, year after year, the couple is supposed to celebrate the renewal of their love.

Lily of the Valley was Kate’s choice as part of the Royal Wedding bouquet as we can see for all the right reasons.

Lily of the Valley has been used for centuries in herbal medicine to treat a range of disorders including heart problems however it is a poisonous plant which should be respected when growing and handling and should never be eaten.

So how can you capture the wonderful positive energy of Lily of the Valley? Why not make a flower essence?

Flower Essences are best known through the work of Edward Bach whose Bach Remedies including the best know “Rescue Remedy” were developed in the early 20th Century and are widely used today for emotional issues.

Edward Bach captured the benefits of different plant types through placing some of them in sunlight in spring water for varying lengths of time and preserving their energy signature with Brandy. Through interpreting the shape, height, growing conditions, colour and smell of each flower or tree type, Edward Bach developed the 12 main flower essence remedies which he felt were associated with different character types, followed by 27 others. Using his remedies he worked closely with a variety of people and found that by using the flower essence remedy for a personality type, that person often changed their perspective on life and became happier.

Find out more about essences by visiting www.bfvea.co.uk the British Flower and Vibrational Essence Society. I am practitioner member and tutor for BFVEA and regularly run flower essence awareness days and training courses. Check the calendar for the date of the next awareness day.

Next time find out how to make a flower essence for home use and more about the Cornish way of life,

Lesley Loves Cornwall, you can too x