Nature gave us a wonderful tree providing strength, stability and protection in a number of ways.
The Black Walnut brings healing on the psychological and emotional plane, cures the body and nurtures the nervous system.
The Walnut tree speaks to me mostly in its ability of helping humans to go through life’s transitions, and to remain on the individual soul path they have chosen. Like a heavenly guardian this tree promotes inner decisiveness to live your life according to your own standards, the courage to let go of outgrown parts of life and the nerve to step into a new, unknown phase. The tree does so in the form of the Bach flower remedy Walnut, which contains its essence.
How can a tree make someone psychologically stronger?
The Black Walnut, Juglans nigra in Latin, is firmly rooted in the earth with a deep main tap root, what makes it difficult to remove it once settled at a certain place. Nature cures will tell you that the roots form the part of a plant which has its main influence on the mind of a human being. According to this symbolism the Walnut brings grounding, inner stability and focus on your aims and goals.
The roots spread a chemical substance named juglone, making it impossible for a variety of other plants to grow in the neighbourhood, although other species thrive well under a walnut tree. The tree seems to make a clear decision about whom she does and does not want to have around in her life. Thus she can help us to make our own choices.
The wood is hard, strong and durable and the nuts are surrounded by a hard shell. This points at power, protection and inner certainty.
The message of the Walnut is to move forward in your unique way, unafraid of uncertainties, while firmly grounded in the knowledge that you form part of the whole of the Mother.
The Walnut flower remedy is often used in the following situations:
1. Entering a new, important life phase.
Happenings like getting teeth, the birth of a new brother of sister, going to school, or entering puberty are examples of situations which might ask for Walnut in a child’s life, namely when the child has difficulty with moving onto this new phase and leaving the old situation behind.
In adult life Walnut could be useful when getting married, moving to another place or country, getting another job, retirement, loss of a loved one, becoming a parent, change of religion, to name some transitional situations. Here the remedy acts as a bridge or helping hand from one stage into another.
2. Wanting courage and certainty to take an important step, unhindered by others.
The Walnut will supply strength to make the choices you want to make and to stick to your decisions. In the uncertainty that accompanies a new phase we are often susceptible for the beliefs and advices of others, although they may not serve us. Or we tend to hold on to the security of what we have right now. In such cases Walnut is helpful to remain balanced and follow your own path, free from past and future, and free from outside influences.
3. A variation on the above is the need for psychic defense.
In times of personal re-structuring, great spiritual growth, psycho-analysis, working with subtle energies, or fearing the influence of a negative person, we may need the power of the Walnut for grounding and centering in our openness.
I have given Walnut with success to a woman who felt trapped in a rigid religious system, controlled and despised by a neighbourhood practicing the same religion, and depressed because her hardworking husband did not pay attention to her nor to their hyper-active little boy.
After several months treatment with flower remedies, of which Walnut was a main one, the woman psychologically broke free from her neighbourhood, her self-esteem dramatically improved, the family moved to another home, and she started to work with children on a school. She understood that it was useless to try to change her husband, but that she had to give a fresh and fulfilling direction to her own life. As a result their son became much calmer.
The fruits from the tree are important food for the nervous system. The nuts contain manganese, phosphor, copper, potassium, calcium, magnesium, B-vitamines, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. They serve people who do a lot of intellectual work, and others who need to boost their immunity.
Tea from the yellowish-green leaves or the green husks, or walnut oil, purifies and strengthens the digestion. It is helpful in complaints like bloating, stomach inflammation, diarrhoa and worms. The cold tea externally applied may heal wounds, ulcurs, eczema or other skinproblems.
The wood is used for furniture, architectural building or musical instruments.
The Romans attributed the Walnut with its great harvest of nuts to Jupiter, God of abundance, positivity and (one’s own) philosophy. This tree indeed helps to take chances and realize new possibilities.
