Remembering the enchanting fragrance of the Lilac blossom on a stormy winter’s day, with  its soothing light purple color, I recalled the halcyon days of mid-spring, with a gentle, warm breeze wafting floral scents and bird sounds my way.

Anyone who has delighted in the Lilac blossoms knows implicitly the evocative power of aroma to evoke memory, and the peaceful lilac color, inviting us to relax from the frenetic activity of daily life, to allow the wellsprings of a deeper memory to flow in to our awareness and deeply nourish us.

Such is the healing message of the Lilac flower essence. It is well and good to confront suppressed painful memories, trauma and abuse which have numbed our emotions. Yet, we also need to cultivate positive memories, particularly from childhood, which can connect us to our source of inspiration of joy in life.

For example, one woman reported that Lilac essence helped her find new joy and purpose in her life. She explained that most of her childhood memories were painful, a father who abandoned her when she was five years old, and a mother who felt emotionally distant. She said that she also felt “inner sadness.” Lilac helped her recover the inspirational qualities of her childhood, and give her energy and enthusiasm to start a new business and find ways to be of service.

It is the fragrant blossoms that make the Lilac such a beloved plant. The four-petaled flowers bloom in dense terminal panicles, typical in the pale purple color we call “lilac.” The deep tubes at the base of the flowers are full of nectar, so quite attractive to insects. During the time of blossoming the flowers are strongly aromatic. The blossoms generally last for a couple of weeks in mid-spring, after which the flowers quickly fade and the capsule-like seeds ripen, given a dried-out, withered look where the flowers were found. Not only is the lilac blossom ephemeral, but it is an aroma that defies distillation as an essential oil.

Our sense of smell is closely associated with the faculty of memory, the ability of an aroma to bring back to awareness earlier experiences. We may have a joyful experience, but it quickly fades, and then we may be left with a sense of emptiness and longing. Memory brings the ephemeral experience alive again, so that it may nourish us, and strengthen the capacity for joy.

We love lilacs for their two weeks when they explode with fragrant and colorful joy, but we do not dwell on the other 50 weeks of the year, as the memory of their color and fragrance remains. The vigor, strength and hardiness of the lilac plant contrasts with the fleeting quality of its blossoming. The moments of joy may be fleeting, but they can be held in a strong matrix of healthy life forces, as memories that continue to give nourishment, fragrance and color to our lives.

The essence of Lilac’s healing message is beautifully expressed in Patricia Kaminski’s affirmations:

Living pictures are inscribed into my heart as memory.
I give voice to the stories of soul stored within me.
I remember and I am re-membered into Time’s tapestry.
Past and present become a weaving wholeness within me.