14. Almond Amber – Impulse Calmer

The Tree Story
Almond Amber (Impulse Calmer) – Prunus amygdalus batsch

The almond tree is the first to bloom and is the harbinger of spring. Whenever I was in Greece the flowers had finished, but I was called to make an essence from the resin that exudes from the bark of these trees. I am not sure if it is resin or balsam. I have only seen this phenomenon on Lesbos. It appears to grow as a protection against insect attack but as the ball gets larger it begins to crystallize. This, of course, is the same process that formed the ancient amber that is found mainly in the Baltic and is millions of years old. It is quite beautiful and has an exotic aroma when burned.

the resonance

This essence resonates with the throat chakra, renewed by the powerful energy of the stars. It is connected to the descending sap in our archetypal tree. This mirrors the deliberation needed to speak with forethought, filtering out impulsive outbursts, and allowing wisdom to enter our vocal expressions, and to hear with our inner voice.

 

The Myth

“I cannot control myself. My thoughts fly around me like bats, my actions have a life of their own, I cannot filter my words with forethought. I act before I think. I hurt myself and others all the time. Making a plan is impossible for me.”

 

The Transformation

This beautiful essence relieves the uncontrollable impulses that produce the outbursts, the tics, the lack of mental control, the inability to organize, and self-regulate. It soothes the compulsive urges, allowing the inner wise voice to be heard, giving time to deliberate and chew things over. The impulse button is not so easily pushed.

Possible Scenarios

Impulse control, or what psychologists call “executive function”, is the place where self-regulation is organized, and it may not be working at its best. Things burst forth from their mouths before they can think, the end result of which is miscommunication. This drives people away from them. They can be very frustrated by this lack of impulse control. This essence has been successful in treating Tourette’s Syndrome and has alleviated the tics, ADHD, and OCD, that might accompany it. On the other hand, they might just be considered inappropriate without all the psychological labels. They may not be able to organize or plan ahead, and have a tough time achieving their goals.