Bach Flower Database

Botany: Olea europoea
Preparation: Sun Method
Represents: Inner Restoration

Olive has always been a symbol of hope and renewal and Edward Bach embraced this idea, too. Olive corresponds to our ability to regenerate physically and restore ourselves emotionally.

Positive olive personalities understand that no one is an endless fountain of energy so they govern their use of both their physical energy and their emotional reserves carefully. This allows them to go the extra mile in times of crises or when situations warrant an extra effort on their parts.

In a negative condition, however, olive personalities can experience an exhaustion that is so deep and so consuming that they may go to sleep at night feeling as though they honestly and truly have nothing left to give.

Sometimes this exhaustion is rooted in a habit of taking on too many responsibilities. For others it may be rooted in a desire for perfectionism.

Imagine a young mother who had made the decision to devote the next several years to the full-time upbringing of her children. Unfortunately our young woman now finds herself in the position of being so exhausted so much of the time that she secretly fears she's robbing her children of their mother.

Unfortunately she doesn't realize that her desire to keep an immaculate home, make all her family's meals from scratch and maintain her lawn in tip-top shape are consuming vast amounts of her energy. Added to her list of chores is the added responsibility of caring for an infant and a toddler. Both of them require constant supervision just for safety's sake.

To her husband and family, our young woman's constant exhaustion is unwarranted. After all, she doesn't "work", they say. They may openly wonder what she does all day. Well-meaning family members may politely suggest that she "see a doctor" or take vitamin B capsules.

What our young woman really needs is to loosen up her expectations of perfection and lighten her physical load by asking the hubby to take over some of the basic household chores. But because she's in a negative olive state she cannot see that, essentially, she's done this to herself.

The Positive Olive State

In the positive olive state, souls are aware of their physical and emotional limits and manage their activities accordingly. They never "run themselves ragged" but can draw upon the energy around them if the situation demands it.