Summary: The gentle and wise guidance of the flowers, as Bach unveiled them, are here to help us find balance and enhance well-being. This charming and beautiful deck can be used as an inspiring oracle deck to find answers to troubling questions or as a tool for learning about flower essences.

In-Depth Review

One of my favorite parts of this kit is the short biography of Edward Bach. I’ve always been slightly curious but not enough to commit to a whole book. This booklet provides a very nice introduction. After reading this, one can decide to pursue a more lengthy biography or be content with this information. Some things that I learned include:

In 1919, Bach, an experienced medical man, learned of homeopathy and the ideas of Samuel Haknemann. He was struck by the similarities between homeopathy and the conclusions he had drawn based on his own experiences in his medical practice. He continued research, incorporating the affects of mood and diet, leading him to an extremely holistic approach to not merely medicine or treatment of ills, but of well-being in general.

From the book:

In 1928, Bach came upon an idea that would change the course of his research: while observing the guests at a party, he realized that they could be grouped into precise categories according their attitudes and behaviors. Reflecting on the connection between illnesses and personality types implied that it was not the type of pathology that determined the relationship between patients, but rather their reaction to the illness. He therefore began to prescribe remedies based on the behavioral characteristics and habits of the patient.

When our personality is not in synch with our soul … a conflict is established that becomes the root of all evil and unhappiness. Bach stressed the task that is assigned to us by our Soul and it is our duty to shield this task from external interference, seeking wisdom and true knowledge that derive from our interiority within our selves. The concept of illness is therefore that of a non-material event that manifests itself in the body as the result of forces that have been acting lengthily on other levels; a materialistic treatment would only produce a temporary improvement… He identified true illness in defects like pride, cruelty, hatred, egoism, ignorance, instability, and avidity. According to Bach the therapy consists in not being discouraged by a defect, but by overcoming it with the help of virtues that counteract negative inclinations.

He eventually identified a total of 38 remedies: 12 healers, 7 helpers, 19 assistants, as well as his special blend, the Rescue Remedy.

The deck presented here has 38 cards representing the healers, the helpers, and the assistants but not the Remedy. It is unfortunate that each card is not identified as to which role it plays, as that would, in my opinion, add depth to any readings and interest as well.

There are three ways given for usage. The first, is to select three cards through a lengthy process of looking at the images and separating them into piles until you have eliminated all but three. The second method is to draw a card randomly.

I tried both of these. The intuitive reading yielded 2, Aspen; 11, Elm; and 21, Mustard. I was, sadly, unable to create a sensible message from these cards and the meanings given in the book. The images are not really intuitive or symbolic, so there isn’t much meaning to be gleaned from them. The random draw of one card brought me 36, Wild Oat, and advised me to clarify my lifetime objectives and daring to be very, very honest with myself.

The third method of usage is to use the cards as flash cards in order to learn the essences and their effects. Again, having the individual roles (healer, helper, or assistant) might make them even more useful in this regard.

The art is undeniably charming and very suitable for the subject and time period. If you like oracles, are interested in or knowledgeable of Bach Flower Essences, and agree that the art is pleasing, then this deck would be a perfect match. While the card art is not intuitive (to me) or symbolic (beyond the plants, which I am not familiar with), they are representative. So, again, if you have the interest, it would not be very difficult to learn 38 meanings.

For the person willing to put in a little effort, this oracle could certainly provide wise and gentle guidance for general or specific life questions, leading the user toward healing and growth…and of course over all well-being.

 Deck Attributes

Name of deck: Bach Flower Inspirational Cards

Publisher: Lo Scarabeo

ISBN: 9780738721842

Creator: Gianmarco Canapini

Artist: Antonella Castelli

Name of accompanying book/booklet: Bach Flowers

Number of pages of book/booklet: 127 (27 in English)

Author of book/booklet: Gianmarco Canapini

Available in a boxed kit?: No

Reading Uses: General, health

Artistic Style: Art deco, art nouveau

Theme: Bach Flower Essences

Tarot, Divination Deck, Other (if other, describe): Inspiration cards

Does it follow Rider-Waite-Smith Standard?: No

If Divination Deck, what is the structure?: The cards represent the 38 Bach Flower Essences.

Why was deck created?: To create another way for people to use Bach Flower Essences for well-being or to aid in learning about the Essences.

Book suggestions for experienced Tarot users and this deck:

Bach Flower Remedies for Beginners

Alternative decks you might like:

The Spirit of Flowers Tarot 

Flowers of Love

Art Nouveau Oracle