‘Ilima

‘Ilima (Sida fallax) is pronounced ee-lee-ma in Hawaiian.

Like ‘Ohi’a lehua, ‘Ilima is another plant that is native to Hawaii. A miniature hibiscus, it was the emblematic flower of the Island of Oahu until the larger red Hibiscus took it’s place. The ‘Ilima grows along rocky as well as sandy beach coastlines and also at altitudes of more than 2,000 feet in wooded environments.

‘Ilima flowers are used for lei making. It takes several hundred of the orange paper-thin ‘Ilima flowers to make a single lei necklace. The flowers are picked at dawn as they are opening and moist with dew. In the old days, these necklaces, many yards long, were presented each morning to Hawaiian royalty.

Marie McDonald in the book ‘‘KA-LEI, The Leis of Hawaii’’ says of ‘Ilima: “Because the gathering of the flowers and the making of this lei was a painstaking labor of love, and because the blossoms were of fragile and very temporary beauty and rich brilliant color, the lei ‘Ilima became a highly prized possession of the royal and educated classes of Hawaiian society. It was not, however, restricted for their use only. It, like the Maile lei, was for all people.”

When made as a flower essence, ‘Ilima activates the Triple Warmer Meridian. The power of this flower essence lies in the mildness of the ‘Ilima flower, behind which flows an enormous river of chi and warm glow that ‘Ilima imparts to the body with utter assurance and humility.

‘Ohi’a lehua/ Botany

‘Ohi’a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) is one of the true native trees of Hawaii.

  Much of the floral splendor in Hawaii has been brought to the islands since the arrival of Captain Cook in the 1800’s. ‘Ohi’a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) is one of the true native trees of Hawaii. Belonging to the Myrtle plant family, its can grow from a few feet to 100 feet tall.

The red flower variety of ‘Ohi’a lehua trees, whose blossoms resemble an erupting volcano, grow prolifically on the slopes of the Big Island’s active volcano, Kilauea. The fiery life cycle of death and resurrection of lehua gives an image of its strength and power: the tree grows up and thrives on blackened lava rock surrounding the volcano, is burned to ash by molten lava flows when the volcano erupts, and then sprouts seedlings- one of the first life forms to grow out of the blackened lava after the devastation.

Blossoming ‘Ohi’a lehua trees cover the blackened burned landscape that stretches as far as the eye can see, on the road to Volcano National Park. The photo you see here shows ‘Ohi’a lehua growing at the edge of the volcano.

Amethyst Gem Elixir

Amethyst Gem Elixir soothes the heart.

Violet flower essences and gem elixirs enhance quiet, contemplative moods.

Amethyst Gem Elixir’s vibration is resonant with the heart and aids in soothing stress.

Adding a few drops of Amethyst to bath water before retiring for the night may promote restfulness.

Another way to use Amethyst in vibrational form is to add 5-7 drops to a spray bottle and mist yourself, especially your heart and head, to create a sense of calm.

This is a good elixir to use when you’re naturally drawn inward and yet can’t seem to relax.