Advent Virgin Bower

Yesterday I took a walk to the Parc de Saint Cloud here on the outskirts of Paris. The weather was frosty, the sky was blue and the park was empty. This park had been designed for the Kings and Queens of France. It has a royal view of the skyline of Paris, featuring both the Eiffel Tower and the dome of Sacre Coeur. I walked through the park and past grand assembly of Roman Gods and Goddesses. I paid my respects to Venus, who hovered high above me. She was standing, looking at her glass mirror. The grand fountains were silent but there was a thin sheet of ice over their still waters. Tuffs of grass were frozen with frost, taking me into a miniature world of ice crystals of exquisite beauty. I found myself in the secret garden of Diana, as she struck a pose of elegance with a wisp of impishness. Her garden is enclosed with yew bushes and tall hovering trees. I then strolled to the edge of the park. Absorbing the exquisite vista of Paris, I saw a pure white weather balloon hovering over the city. Ahhhh... these are the moments with Mother Nature that give my life depth, beauty and simple pleasure. My lungs were filled with the frosty cold air that brought color to my cheeks and swiftness to my steps.

Even though the trees had been stripped bare of all their foliage and stood naked against the clear crystal sky, one plant remained, not shedding a leaf or a flower even against the freezing temperatures of the season. It was the Virgin Bower, better known as Clematis. This climbing vine held tightly to its soft fuzzy flowers. This vine bears the name of the Virgin. The legend says it gave her and the baby Jesus shelter on their travels.

Dr. Bach uncovered the secret of the Virgin's Vine when he created his famous flower essence line to for healing emotional issues. The following is a quote from Bach Flower Essence. "Clematis Original Flower Essence helps you live in the present rather than in the future or your own dream world."

This is the Flower Essence of be here now. The times we live in are uncertain for many people. Many lives have changed dramatically over the last several years. Sometimes life strips us just like a tree that bares itself to the cold weather of winter, every leaf is taken. But there is a beauty in the bare branches against the clear winter sky....We go back to what is truly essential in our lives, we pull from our roots and our foundation. So today we take shelter in the Bower of the Virgin. We allow ourselves to stay in the moment, root ourselves in our present reality and enjoy what we have and what is....rather than allowing our minds to build sand castles of what is not here yet. So I offer the softness of The Virgin Bower's to line the Christ's Cradle.