Echinacea for Autonomy and Independence:
Recovering from an Abusive Relationship

by Ruth Toledo Altschuler , Vancouver, Washington

This is a case of a woman who has been my client since 2013 and has been progressing beautifully on her journey. Echinacea has been part of her formula since we started in October 2013 and continues to be there (in almost every one of her formulas) to this day.

My client was born from a couple who carried along an intergenerational dynamic that has been very common in that society: women would accept the existence of their husband’s multiple mistresses, hoping the husbands would always come back to them as their legitimate wives.

As she became a grown-up woman, she found herself repeating the same pattern in even worse ways, having married a man who frequently betrayed her with other women, was an alcoholic and benefited from her materially.

Eventually, due to her own determination, she left that marriage and moved on, taking ownership of her own life. She worked very hard at owning her autonomy and independence.

As she progressed in her journey, she started taking the essences as my client. From the beginning, and all along the way, the Echinacea flower essence has been central to her healing journey.

Echinacea flower essence has helped her build a strong inner structure to stand for herself, building a true aligned “back spine,” strengthening her own sense of agency and ownership of her life. One of the key points in this has been the ability to sustain healthy boundaries in relation to those who have tried to take advantage of her (including family members). These patterns of submission to exploitation, of being used, including used as a source of material advantage, ran very deep and it has taken a long time for her to fully take ownership of what is hers to own and determine.

Gradually and steadily, she has been restoring a full sense of wholeness beyond intergenerational patterns of abuse and betrayal. As a crowning of the success of her journey, at this time she continues taking the Echinacea essence, as she finally settles into choices, actions and attitudes that honor her as a woman who has full sovereignty over her own life.

About Ruth Toledo Altschuler

Ruth Toledo Altschuler brought the FES flower essences to Brazil 30 years ago.  She now lives in Vancouver, Washington with her husband Stephen. She is a master teacher, flower essence practitioner, and expert photographer. The Echinacea image above is hers, and you can see more of her Echinacea photography here .

To learn about Ruth's monthly Open Circles, please follow this link for the English version and this one for the Portuguese version .  Read more about Ruth’s work here .