Chamomile

In the chamomile flowers, we see the dazzling light of high summer. Above the dry, warm arable land, the forces of light have found their expression within them. The crown of petals is dazzling white, the domed flower disc shining pale yellow. The flower centre feels delicate and has a smooth surface, radiating a strong gleam in the sunlight.

The leaves are very fine, twice pinnate. The individual segments are indicated only as lines. Like antennas or highly sensitive sensory organs, the chamomile plant directs its leaf tips in all directions. Everything about it is focused on receiving and absorbing.

A high sensitivity speaks through its form. And yet chamomile is not hypernervous because of this. On the contrary, the damping principle, the cushioning, is at work everywhere. Thus, the leaves are very soft, like feathers. The principle of cushioning is most clearly expressed in the domed yellow flower base.

During development, it curves strongly upwards. When cut longitudinally, the cylindrical flower base reveals an air-filled cavity. Like an air cushion, the flower dampens any harshness. The dazzling, glaring light is softened by the gently cushioning, air-padded flower base.

Chamomile contains a deep blue essential oil, which is an exception; essential oils are usually colourless or yellowish. However, the oil is not blue in the fresh plant but acquires this colour only after extraction by steam distillation. During this process, a blue substance is formed which colours the oil. The colourless, undifferentiated essential oil of chamomile transforms in combination with water and heat into the blue oil, radiating gentleness, calm and maternal security.

Blue is the colour of the ocean, which brings forth life, and also of the primal mother. Colourless, undifferentiated water in bright sunlight assumes the deep blue colour of the ocean. The Latin terms mare, mater and materia are closely related in essence – and connected to this is Matricaria, the chamomile. The typical scent of chamomile oil has a pleasantly warm but not fiery character. Chamomile is surely the epitome of a medicinal plant.

A child troubled by stomach pain, the caring mother, the warm chamomile tea – these simply belong together. It is not only the antispasmodic active substances that do the child good, the chamomile essence also intensifies maternal care. At birth, the child is pushed out from the soft, warm, dark security of the maternal womb into a hard, cold and bright world. The newborn experiences the light at first as a dazzling pain, but gradually learns to orient itself by the light, using its eyes to take the world into itself.

The mother surrounds the child with the softness and warmth of her security and accompanies it in its first discoveries in the light of the world, but she must continually protect it from the extreme, dazzling sensory impressions. The need for warmth and softness remains, but the light slowly ceases to be threatening for the infant. The child awakens more and more to a desire for the soft glow of the light. Light, softness and warmth are encountered in the wonderful chamomile.