Among Dr. Bach’s famous 38 flower remedies, the negative emotional state of Pine is one that I see in clients a great deal of the time and hear about when I am teaching. While it is not among Bach’s original ’12 Healers’ but rather one of his ‘final 19’ remedies (discovered between 1934-35), nevertheless it is a remedy that is incredibly powerful and runs deep. I have found over the years that the negative Pine dynamic gets set up when we are very young and can be entrenched within us for a lifetime.
As I wrote in Igniting Soul Fire-Spiritual Dimensions of the Bach Flower Remedies, in my experience, the ‘drivers’ underlying this state are a result of one or all of the following: A hypercritical parenting/family dynamic environment, strict cultural or strict religious(note I am not saying ‘spiritual’) environment. And, it is my experience that for someone experiencing a negative Pine state, they are likely to be on it for some time; why? Because again, Pine’s negative, internal dialogue runs so deep within us.
So what is this dialogue?
The negative Pine state is one that is a reflection of shame-based guilt. In this state,we operate from a core of unworthiness, simply by being in the body. From day one, in the negative Pine mood-state (or if it is part of what Bach called, the ‘personality-type’), we feel and believe that we are unworthy. We tend to ruminate over what we have done, did not do, should have done or said. Additionally, we will often take on the responsibility for another’s dysfunction; ‘it’s my fault’ is the chronic internal and external dialogue. If you have ever known someone who constantly apologizes for things having nothing to do with them, you are witnessing negative Pine.
Unfortunately, when we carry such beliefs within us, we can also experience repetitive episodes of betrayal…this only reinforces our interpretation. Furthermore, for those in a negative Pine state, laden with shame and guilt, the internal dialogue is one that says we are always the problem and always the reason behind such experiences. Most likely this assessment is far from accurate, but in the mind it is and therefore, we can never do enough or say enough. In a phrase, we will ‘never be good enough.’
How does Bach’s Pine remedy work? Like all of the remedies, it ‘shifts’ our perception of our internal and external environment; it lifts the fog created by the negative state that masks the innate wisdom of our Soul so that we may ‘see’ clearly. The power in Dr. Bach’s Pine remedy is that it leads us back to the road of forgiving….ourselves.
Photography courtesy of the Dr. Edward Bach Foundation©
Dear Gaye,
I have been experiencing this Pine state for a long time (years…) and could never really name it as clearly as you have just now. I have just returned from a Meditation Retreat in the Himalayas and someone there gave me a pine cone as a gift.! Reading your article I understand why. Since my return from this trip I have been experience a chronic feeling of guilt and self reproach..I will buy it. thanks Rosemary
Rosemary, many thanks for your comments…as I wrote, Pine is a very deep remedy and its negative or shadow dynamic establishes its ‘roots'(so to speak) when we’re very little due to a number of possibilities…at its core, Pine is about self-forgiveness and acceptance…this is part of the human condition in all of us …I think you’ll find that once you start working with it you’ll experience a gentle shift in how you value you yourself-this can be a deep time of revelation particularly if this dynamic is being activated in your astrological birth chart…because Pine is so deep, it does take a significant amount of time for the individual to evolve out of the life long state of shame-based guilt, so be patient. Admittedly I envy you being able to go on retreat in the Himalayas…I was in Kashmir in 1989 and that was one of the most memorable experiences of my life…I’ve never forgotten it.
Keep well….
How to contact you Gaye Mack? Please reply.
contact form is on my website: https://gayemack.com. However, FYI I no longer formally practice with the Bach flower remedies as my practice is exclusively in Evolutionary Astrology.
Dear Gaye,
Thank you for your description of Pine. I think I may be in need of it.
After using various bach flower remedies for a while, I am now recognising a deeply entrenched belief that I ‘don’t matter’ or that I am ‘worthless. So much so that I am more often than not dependent on others for validation and approval. Also, when interacting with others, I act in a way which I feel others will accept, rather than acting spontaneously and being true to myself. Do you think this is a typical ‘Pine’ state or would other remedies perhaps be more appropriate?
Recently, this state of ‘I don’t matter’ surfaced after a family member ‘forgot’ to invite me to a birthday event despite inviting other family members. I do believe this was a genuine oversight however, when I eventually found out, it again triggered this deep sense of ‘I don’t matter’. I found myself in tears, most likely because I have been using Agrimony for the past few days; I think it allowed me to feel the true depth of emotion relating to this event.
Any clarity on this would be much appreciated.
Kind regards
Tony, Many thanks for your comments and inquiry. Yes, it does sound as if Pine is a good choice for you but to be honest, from what you describe this really indicates the need for an on-going ‘practitioner’ scenario. The dynamics of Pine are deep and complex–negative Pine gets entrenched very early in our lives as a reaction to the family dynamics within which we find ourselves. If you go onto the NELSONS website through a search for Bach remedies or the Bach Centre website, there should be a link for active practitioners around the world…on the US Nelsons site I believe they’re listed by state. I no longer practice in this area but I’d encourage you to investigate this option…the other possibility that I often recommend is searching for a holistic self-discovery practitioner who works with the remedies in their practice. There are many these days, far more than when I started practicing in the 1990’s. One more suggestion…I found in my clients that when Pine had a strong presence in their emotional profile, it wasn’t unusual to find the presence of Willow as well. You might want to check this out. Best of luck in your journey.
Hi! Can pine remedy cure my overwhelming guilty feeling and shame I feel about a real mistake that I did? Thank you! Alina
Alina, many thanks for your question. Dr. Bach’s Pine is specifically for shame-based guilt and typically shame that gets set up very early-on which is reinforced as we grow up…this can come from many things, particularly family of origin agendas…a strict cultural environment, hyper-criticism, strict religious beliefs are examples. Pine is very deep and in my experience those who need Pine to shift this guilt need to have it as part of their daily protocol for some time. Hope this helps.
Does Pine cover guilt for being born? The “wrong ” child? Persistent shame and guilt from a narcissistic parent?
I also use Crab Apple with the Pine.
Not ever good enough, not mattering, not fitting with my mother?
Hello, Kathy…Apologies for the delay in replying to your comment. Pine is a very deep remedy and in my opinion addresses dynamics that get set up in us from very early on…exactly the kind you’re describing…being the child of a narcissistic mother is a very complex pattern and typically takes more than just flower remedies to balance out; often the child is ‘invisible’ because of the parental narcissism…however, Pine and Crab are excellent supports for self-discovery work with a qualified therapist familiar with these situations. If you haven’t considered doing personal work in the past, I would encourage you to look into this. Toxic mother daughter relationships are more common than you might expect and one I saw quite frequently when I was actively consulting. You might be interested to know that I have a new book coming out in May(exact date to be yet determined by the publisher) which extends the original material in ‘Igniting Soul Fire-Spiritual Dimensions of the Bach Flower Remedies’ to include the impact of our astrological natal moon and the lunar karmic signatures in our chart…areas which Dr. Bach had an interest in. The provisional title: Joining Heaven and Earth-Edward Bach, Your Moon and Chakras. Be Well and thanks again for commenting on my site.
Dear Gaye. I wonder if you can help me. I have set of Bach remedies to be used and now realising that I have been carrying so much guilt around not being productive and finding work. I still need to discover a work that would be interesting and meaningful so building my own coaching business. However there is so much guilt in receiving financial aid and not working for the money. Is Pine suitable for this?
Dear Lisa….apologies for delay in answering you. While I no longer practice in the Bach work, I would say that pine is a good place to start…it’s a very deep remedy, and there are complexities as to why you’re feeling guilty…most likely it’s more than receiving financial aid. My suggestion would be to log onto the Bach Center website http://www.bachcenter.com and you should find a link that lists ‘registered practitioners’ by country/area. Hopefully there is someone local in your area that you could consult with. I now exclusively practice Evolutionary Astrology which I returned to after I felt my Bach ‘work’ was done. I have a new book coming out in the fall(9/15 UK 10/15 US) which is a combination of the Bach work and specifically the moon in one’s chart through the Evolutionary Lens…it’s available on Amazon now for pre-ordering. Title: Edward Bach and Your Evolutionary Purpose. I hope you can find someone to consult with regarding the Pine issues. Kind regards, Gaye