Bach Flower Database

Botany: Chicorium intybus
Production: Sun Method
Represents: Unselfish Love

In Bach flower therapy, chicory relates to the soul's potential to love unselfishly and unconditionally. Chicory personalities care deeply and truly about making other's lives better. They give of themselves without regard to what they might receive in return.

By contrast, most people in a negative chicory condition find their behavior motivated by a deeply rooted fear of abandonment. Souls in this negative state are desperate for attention and they are defined, at least to themselves, by how much attention they receive. They erroneously equate attention with love and affection.

Negative chicory personalities are easy to spot because they are the emotional scorekeepers. Some of their favorites phrases begin with, "After all I've done for them," and "If you really loved me you would."

Imagine a woman who is widely thought of as the neighborhood "busybody". She's the first mother at the school soccer game and she's the first to show up at the new neighbor's house with a "Welcome to the Neighborhood" basket. Whether she's working on a classroom party or a neighborhood crime watch, she is the woman who always tries just a little too hard.

Her children cringe every year when it comes time to pick the school room mother, den leader or team mom. Their teachers call her the school's "supermom" but her children find her over-involvement "suffocating". And when her family tries to rein in some of her enthusiasm, she becomes defensive. With a voice heavy with rejection and self-pity she replies that she only works so hard because she loves her family.

This woman is in a negative chicory state. She is so desperately needy that she sometimes resorts even to emotional blackmail to get the attention she craves. Her overbearing behavior may well be motivated by love for her family but if she was to be be completely honest with herself, she would also have to admit that her behavior is at least partly motivated by a selfish need for attention.

The Positive Chicory State

In a positive chicory state, souls act out of true, unselfish love. Positive chicory personalities expect nothing in return and respect the emotional boundaries of others.