Mountain Pride Flower Essence: The Spiritual Warrior

Mountain Pride Flower Essence: 
Archetype of the Spiritual Warrior

Positive qualities: Forthright masculine energy; warrior-like spirituality which confronts and transforms
 
Patterns of imbalance: Vacillation and withdrawal in the face of challenge; lack of assertiveness, inability to take a stand for one's convictions

(from The Flower Essence Repertory by Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz)

Planetary Influences:  Mars, Sun

Elemental Alchemy:  Wood, Fire




Mountain Pride flower essence is the archetype of the spiritual warrior, the one who fights for justice, speaks truth, and is able to take a stand in and for the world.


I could be writing about Mountain Pride now, in the aftermath of the so-called Trayvon Martin trial (which begs the question, why was Trayvon Martin the one on trial? but I digress...), or I could be writing this at any random point in time.  Why?  Because injustices against humanity are happening everyday, in every corner of the world. 



Explode or Implode?
In response to conflict- whether large-scale social injustices, or smaller personal conflicts that are necessary to the evolution of any relationship- there tend to be two general responses.  Some people explode.  In a personal conflict, this is the yelling, screaming, and fighting that follows a personal slight.  On a social level, this is the outpouring of letters, protests, and marches, the flurry of activites with the goal of letting it be known, "we are not happy here!"

In the other camp there are those that withdraw- either by shutting down, avoiding the situation, or suppressing their turbulent emotions in an effort to keep the peace.  Leading up to the Trayvon Martin verdict, this was me.  Almost positive that the verdict would ultimately be "not guilty" I could not even begin to engage with the media circus that surrounded the trial.   And then I realized that this reflected a tendency that I have in personal conflicts as well- to delve deeper into my spiritual work, leaving "the Universe" to take care of it.

Mountain pride helps us to come into the balance of these two seemingly opposing tendencies. 

Protest is not Power
Protests have their place.  They give us a place to discharge pent up rage, dissatisfaction, and even fear so that we don't hold it in and self-destruct.  They build solidarity, confirming that we are not alone or isolated in our pain. This community, in and of itself, has healing power.   We yell and scream, appealing to those we perceive as having more power to change.  We deepen our committment to the fight for justice.

But the very nature of intense emotion is that it transitory.   As the intensity fades, so does our ability to uphold many of the promises that we made at the height of emotion. Mountain Pride flower essence offers a way for us to confront adversity in a way that does not take off off our destined path.   It helps us process our intense emotions, while bringing into our awareness how to align our personal identify with the forces of goodness and truth.   This awakened power is easily sustained by love- of ourselves, our family, our clan, and the world.

Peace is not Passivity
For those who withdraw from conflict, Mountain Pride helps us come to the understanding that being at peace is not the same thing as doing nothing.  In fact, doing nothing can sometimes be a form of denial or avoidance.   It can also be a manifestation of secondary trauma, which is defined as "the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person, yet without the perceived power to do so".   In many cases, Mountain Pride helps us to hold on to our peace while engaging in inevitable struggle.  It brings to mind one of my favorite quotes:

PEACE.

 It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.

 It means to be in the midst of all of those things and still be calm in your heart. ”

 ~ unknown

The image of the flower itself is a metaphor for it's effect on our psyche:  it grows in the mountains in

Photo Credit: Richard Katz

tough terrains, terrains that do not necessarily support growth and beauty.  Yet is asserts its vibrant, rich color, thriving unapologetically and unexpectedly.

Mountain Pride allows us to take a stand for our convictions, to fearlessly speak our truth and fight for good.  This can be the greater good of the world, our communities, our relationships and our families.  On a personal level, it's a great remedy to have on hand for those "hard-to-have" discussions at work or at home.   Its an amazing remedy for when circumstances require you to stay the course, but are lacking the courage or will to fight for what's right.   In my practice, I've found that it's an especially good remedy for activists, helping them to connect to their passion for social change in a way that does not leave them burned out or bitter.

Mountain Pride helps us reconcile our instinct for peace and our desire for revolution.


To learn more about flower essences, check out my online course, Flower Spirit: Healing with Flowers Essences or schedule a flower essence consultation.