The Flower this week is Aspen (Populus Tremula), also known as European Aspen. The words the Deva of this remedy gave to me are Strength in Unity - Immutable Courage. The remedy is made from the catkins of the tree. Aspen is a very interesting tree. It grows in large colonies derived from a single seedling, and spreads by means of root suckers. New stems in the colony can appear 90 - 130 feet from the parent tree. Although each tree only lives for 40 - 150 years above ground the root system of the colony is long-lived, in some cases living for many thousands of years, sending up new trunks as the older trunks die off above ground. Aspens survive forest fires well, because the root system does not burn,, being underground, and the burnt soil helps the young stems to grow. Aspen wood does not burn as easily as other woods, and for this reason has been used in the making of matches.

These practical facts about the tree hold the symbols for its medicine. The strength of the Aspen is that although it seemingly stands alone as a tree, it is connected and supported underground by a root system that is unified. United We Stand!!! We have heard so often that there are basically two states of being, Love and Fear. Love is when we are in a state of Unity. Fear is when we think we are alone and separate. Aspen is the remedy that quails our fears, particularly fear of the unknown, and helps to bring us back into a state of Love and Unity. In that state we can develop immutable courage, because we know that we can, symbolically, survive even a forest fire.  It is indicated when a person is gripped suddenly by a pervading fear, and the body may tremble. This can happen when alone or with others, during the day or night. By taking this remedy we are assisted to return to inner joy and courage to face the unknown. Dr. Bach has said, 'Once we come to that realization, we are beyond pain and suffering, beyond care or worry or fear, beyond everything except the joy of life, the joy of death, and the joy of our immortality ... we can walk that path through any danger, through any difficulty, unafraid'..