Bach Flower Database

Botany: Gentianella amarella
Preparation: Sun Method
Represents: Trust

Gentian corresponds to the soul's ability to have faith. The positive gentian personality faces each challenge with a rock-solid believe things will ultimately work out. Even in the face of great difficulty, gentian souls trust their decisions and inspire confidence in others.

However gentian personalities are certainly not "Pollyanna", by any stretch. Their faith is grounded and realistic. It is not a blind faith but a healthy, optimistic skepticism.

The negative gentian state, by contrast, is marked by persistent pessimism. Negative gentians constantly turn from their intuition and seek to intellectualize every situation. They are the "glass-half-empty" folks, the worriers, the gray clouds.

Imagine a young woman who never got the encouragement she needed as a child. Her parents noticed all the time she fell off her bicycle but rarely acknowledged all the times she rode around the block by herself. During her piano recitals they pointed out her mistakes but failed to mention that the part she was playing was considered by most to be very difficult for a child her age in the first place.

As a result, our young woman grew up without ever learning to trust herself or her instincts or abilities. In essence, she never learned to have faith in herself. Today, she's the one at the meeting who plays "devil's advocate". She's the "doubting Thomas" who second-guesses every decision and agonizes over every detail. Frequently, this self-doubt becomes paralyzing. She may miss deadlines or cause others to miss theirs.

To others, her bouts of self-doubt and worry seem almost constant. They secretly believe that, perhaps, she revels in worry and pessimism. They see her as weak and insecure. She's definately not the person they turn to in times of need.

Our young woman is in a negative gentian state. If only she could see her challenges as opportunities instead of stumbling blocks, she would be an amazing source of strength to herself and others.

If our woman were to be perfectly honest with herself, she would admit that she finds a certain amount of solace in worry and doubt. She, in many respects, enjoys stress because it allows her to avoid the personal growth she fears.

The Positive Gentian State

The positive gentian state is marked by wisdom and trust. These souls understand that every setback is an opportunity for growth and they approach that growth with enthusiasm. Positive gentian personalities inspire confidence in others and actively work to encourage self-esteem and self-confidence.