Table of contents
The Bach flower Cerato: the flower of intuition
The Bach flower Cerato: The plant
How does the Bach flower Cerato work?
The Bach flower Cerato in a balanced state
Further aspects of the Cerato personality
The Bach flower Cerato as an emotional state (mood)
Reaction patterns of a person in a disharmonious Cerato state
Moods and symptoms of the Cerato personality type
Typical statements of the Cerato personality
Physical aspects in which Cerato is indicated
Psychological aspects in which Cerato is indicated
The positive potential of Cerato
Bach flower Cerato for animals
Bach flower Cerato for children
Differences and similarities when compared with other Bach flowers
Common combinations of Cerato with other Bach flowers
The credo of the Cerato personality
Positive affirmations for the Cerato personality type
Cerato helps you to trust your inner voice and become more determined.
In this blog post, you’ll find out everything you need to know about Cerato!
The Bach flower Cerato: the flower of intuition
“For those who doubt their ability to make decisions or judgements. They constantly ask others for advice and are often given poor advice.”[1]
The Bach flower Cerato: The plant
Cerato is derived from the Chinese leadwort (Ceratostigma willmottianum), a shrub that was originally native to Tibet. The plant was imported by English researchers in 1908. Cerato is therefore the only one of the twelve remedies that does not grow wild in England and is difficult to find even as a cultivated plant.
When this shrub is in full bloom, the profusion of its deep blue flowers almost obscures the many small leaves and its reddish stems. Bach discovered Cerato in the garden of a village near the sea. He was so impressed by the beauty of the flowers that he asked permission to pick a few. In doing so, he discovered that Cerato is the right remedy for those who lack self-confidence and therefore also doubt their intuition.
How does the Bach flower Cerato work?
The Bach flower essence Cerato is used to strengthen intuition and self-confidence. It is helpful for people who find it difficult to understand their thoughts and feelings and to make decisions.
The Bach flower Cerato in a balanced state
People in a balanced state trust their intuition and are able to make decisions thanks to their well-developed self-confidence. They have a deep understanding of their thoughts and feelings, which enables them to be open to new experiences and risks.
Their intuition helps them make decisions that fulfil their deepest needs and desires. They are also able to communicate clearly and express their needs and opinions effectively.
Cerato helps the individual to better understand the world around them and to become aware of their needs. They feel ready to take responsibility for their own life. Cerato provides them with the tools they need to make responsible decisions for themselves.
The Cerato character
The motivations and actions of the Cerato personality revolve around a key issue: the inability to perceive one’s own feelings separately from the thoughts and opinions of others.
Specifically, this means that a person in the Cerato state is highly dependent on their environment. This particularly affects their ability to make decisions. They constantly need reassurance and encouragement for all their actions. When seeking advice, they particularly look to people who have expertise in the relevant field and are influential.
Dependence on the views of others
The longing for outside help stems from a deep inner insecurity, which in turn is rooted in a characteristic of the Cerato type: this person is unable to verify and make sense of information received from outside sources. Everything they experience and learn remains disorganised within them, as they do not compare their experiences with their own feelings and opinions. Processes of self-reflection are alien to them. Consequently, this person is also unable to sense what is right for them in life.
This degree of immaturity can often be traced back to a lack of connection to one’s primary feeling. This is likely the result of an upbringing in which the child’s feelings and perceptions were constantly called into question. The child has set aside their own truthfulness and their capacity for judgement. Consequently, they have been unable to develop emotional skills such as self-awareness and accurate self-assessment to a sufficient degree.
The missing inner guide
Such people continually lack internal points of reference as they go through life. These arise from our primary feelings or awareness of good and evil, ugliness and beauty, etc., and are based on the experiences we have gathered. As they lack this inner guide, the Cerato type tends to orient themselves towards the external world. In doing so, they attempt to overcome their sense of instability and, above all, to dispel their self-doubt.
However, as he gathers as much information as possible, he only increases his inner chaos rather than finding stability. He is unable to process the information appropriately and constructively. Ultimately, he has no choice but to ask someone for advice on how he should behave. Essentially, this person is constantly driven by a great deal of uncertainty – and consequently by deep mistrust – in all areas of life.
Lack of concentration
Due to their lack of stability, the Cerato personality is easily influenced and comes across as sluggish. These people are often talkative and talk a lot about themselves. The discussions they initiate serve solely to seek a solution, which, however, remains elusive to them. To break out of this cycle, such a person would need to finally pause and clear their mind.
Only if he learns to process the information he has gathered in a focused and systematic manner will he be able to find a solution. However, he is hardly capable of doing so. Not least, he is in any case convinced that the best solution is already waiting for him.
Mind over heart
Lacking certainty and confidence in their decisions, this person drifts through life superficially and with fickleness. They follow today’s fashions, tomorrow’s friendships and new romances as they arise. In any case, it never takes long before a new event takes centre stage in their attention.
Caught between not knowing and fickleness, even intuition fails to bring clarity to the Cerato personality. Rather, their thinking and behaviour call into question the entire system of mind, body and emotions. As a result, his consciousness fails to reach that level which each of us should one day attain: the level of the heart as an instrument of deep perception. In contrast, the Cerato type clings solely to logical, mental solutions, which ultimately, however, do not satisfy him.
Learning to set priorities
Emotional immaturity and a lack of clarity regarding one’s own self-perception are the root causes of another key characteristic of the Cerato personality: this person is unable to set priorities based on the information available to them. They are therefore inevitably forced to look to the outside world, not least in order to decipher their own feelings. To do this, they use the person they are interacting with as a mirror; however, this exposes them to other people’s thoughts and emotions. This can lead to unpleasant situations, particularly if those people are not well-disposed towards them.
Restoring the right priorities is therefore another key task that this person should tackle. The essence of Cerato can help the person concerned to find a perspective that encompasses all levels of their being.
Further aspects of the Cerato personality
In his discussions of the Cerato personality, Bach is primarily interested in the behavioural consequences that arise from this personality type’s mistrust and fickleness. In doing so, he highlights the risks of their behavioural patterns: by refraining from making their own decisions and instead constantly seeking advice from others, such individuals can always be led into error. This, too, demonstrates how destructive it is to attach greater importance to the opinions of others than to one’s own.
The state of mind and behaviour of the Cerato personality are not restricted to a particular age group. Nevertheless, the typical signs occur more frequently in people who are still young. The Cerato state is often revealed through hypochondriacal tendencies and an urgent desire for medical opinions. This pattern, too, is an expression of the deep mistrust that drives these people in all areas of life.
The Bach flower Cerato as an emotional state (mood)
Everyone can experience moments of intense indecision in life, which can be attributed to an excessive accumulation of information. Cerato, as the flower for indecision and distraction, is particularly recommended when we lose touch with our innermost self. It becomes particularly problematic when we merely react to life and follow its many stimuli without being able to filter them appropriately.
Reaction patterns of a person in a disharmonious Cerato state
People in a disharmonious Cerato state
- feel mistrust of their own judgement
- tend to constantly seek the advice of others, in the hope that the burden of decision-making will be taken off them
- find it difficult to act spontaneously
- talk a lot and often get on others’ nerves with “pointless” questions
- attach too much importance to the opinions of others
- have an overwhelming hunger for information
- collect terms without using them
- want to be sure they don’t make any mistakes
- often seek validation from authority figures
- even act against their own convictions simply because someone has recommended it
- immediately question decisions they have just made
- have many advisers and expect everyone to provide “the” solution
- are perceived by those around them as people who lack intuition and common sense
- appear, in the eyes of others, to be naïve and sometimes even stupid
- tend to copy other people’s decisions
- pay a great deal of attention to outward appearances
- are very conventional
- tend to be lazy
- as schoolchildren, they often correct what they have written, even if it was correct
Moods and symptoms of the Cerato personality type
- Weakness
- Lack of trust
- Helpfulness
- Submissiveness
- Apathy
- Lack of interest
- Susceptibility to influence
- Fear of rejection
- Fear of expressing oneself
- Immaturity
- Lack of specificity
- Superficiality
- Confidence in one’s own rational side
Typical statements of the Cerato personality
- I never travel without a map!
- I’ve written down all the questions I need to ask.
- Can you tell me what I should do?
- I’m never sure what I’m thinking!
- What’s your opinion on this?
- What would you do in this situation?
- I need to go on a trip. I’m asking all the travel agencies for the best place.
- At the hairdresser’s: You know which haircut suits me best.
- At a restaurant: What would you recommend?
- Where did you buy that hat/suit/rucksack?
Physical aspects in which Cerato is indicated
- Migraine
- Poor concentration
- Delays in psychophysical development
- mental distraction in older people (e.g. in Alzheimer’s disease)
Psychological aspects in which Cerato is indicated
- low decision-making capacity
- Lack of internal reference points
- Lack of intuition
- Mental confusion
- Distrust of one’s own judgement
- Fear of making mistakes
- Desire for advice
- Need for approval and acceptance from others
- Compulsive gathering of information
- Difficulty prioritising information
- Absent-mindedness
- Insecurity
- Fickleness
- Hypochondria
- Sluggish thinking
- Sensitivity
- Fear of change
- A tendency to imitate the behaviour of others at the expense of one’s own individuality
The positive potential of Cerato
- good intuition
- wide-ranging interests
- thirst for knowledge
- self-confidence
- Courage to make one’s own decisions
Harmonising the Cerato state
Cerato can help people to trust their own intuition and overcome entrenched personality patterns. It helps them to connect with their own inner depths, from which true, authentic wisdom and inspiration spring. The flower helps them to become aware of themselves and their resources and to take personal responsibility. In this way, Cerato can help to reduce the need for stereotypical and demanding behaviour patterns.
This Bach flower also helps people to create the life they truly wish to live, by making decisions from a position of strength rather than simply accepting whatever comes their way. It encourages a spiritual quest in order to avoid scattering energy and to focus on one’s own inner depth.
Bach flower Cerato for animals
Cerato is ideal for insecure animals lacking in self-confidence and determination. Consequently, they have little faith in themselves and tend to want to meet the expectations of those around them. It is also typical for them to frequently seek protection from people and to submit to others indiscriminately.
They usually possess a keen sensitivity, but have limited access to their instinctive behaviour. Consequently, it is difficult to recognise “normal” behaviour patterns in them. All these patterns are particularly evident in animals that were separated from their mothers far too early.
Bach flower Cerato for children
Cerato boosts self-confidence and helps children to trust their abilities and decisions. It also strengthens intuition, enabling children to recognise more clearly what they really want or need. Cerato is also recommended for times of uncertainty and doubt.
It can also help to improve children’s communication skills. It helps them to express their thoughts and feelings more clearly and to better convey what they need or want.
This Bach flower may also be suitable for exam anxiety. It boosts confidence in one’s own abilities and helps one to remain calm and focused.
Differences and similarities when compared with other Bach flowers
The insecurity of the Cerato type stems from a lack of self-confidence that is deeply rooted within the individual. The insecurity of the Scleranthus type, on the other hand, is attributable to indecisiveness. This stems from a constantly recurring doubt from which the mind cannot escape. The inability to choose between two options is also characteristic of the Scleranthus type.
Furthermore, the Cerato type does not conceal their inner state. This manifests itself outwardly without restraint, in the form of urgent requests for advice. Those who need Scleranthus, on the other hand, hide within a conflict that originates from outside.
Although the Cerato state is distressing, the despair associated with Gorse is more acute and the despondency associated with Gentian is also more intense. Ultimately, a person in the Cerato state cannot feel the potential burden of personal decisions because they shift this responsibility onto those around them. In this respect, they contrast with the Hornbeam type, who avoids putting their decisions into practice.
Cerato shares with the Centaury type the tendency to act by conforming to the ideas of others. The key difference between the characters lies in the fact that Cerato’s behaviour is driven by self-confidence, which is coupled with a sense of uncertainty about their own identity. Centaury, however, struggles with his weakness and yields to the will of others. This is the only means he has at his disposal to satisfy his inescapable need for acceptance.
The distinction between Cerato and Larch concerns the mistrust that accompanies both types throughout their lives. Whilst the Cerato type’s mistrust feeds on itself, in the Larch personality it is rooted in comparisons with others, which, however, always turn out to their own disadvantage. The key difference between Cerato and Larch also lies in the fact that the Cerato person takes action and makes mistakes, whereas Larch, out of fear of failure, does not take action in the first place. In this sense, Cerato mistrusts the knowledge of “how one is”, whilst Larch has no confidence in the knowledge of “how to do it”.
Common combinations of Cerato with other Bach flowers
For those who display subservience due to personality weaknesses:
Centaury with Cerato
For those who are confused due to a lack of attention:
Chestnut Bud with Cerato
For those who feel insecure due to feelings of inferiority:
Larch with Cerato
For those who suffer from anxious insecurity:
Mimulus with Cerato
For those who are unsure because they’re worried about feeling guilty:
Pine with Cerato
For those who are mentally enslaved and deny themselves:
Rock Water with Cerato
For those who display insecurity and indecisiveness:
Scleranthus with Cerato
For those who feel insecure following a shock:
Star of Bethlehem with Cerato
For those who display insecurity due to impressionability:
Walnut with Cerato
For those whose insecurity stems from a lack of a life plan:
Wild Oat with Cerato
For those who feel uncertain and find it difficult to trust their intuition:
Aspen with Cerato
The credo of the Cerato personality
“I trust my inner wisdom and my inner voice. I trust in my ability to find the answers to my questions within myself. I do not let myself be influenced by the opinions of others and have confidence in my decisions.”
Positive affirmations for the Cerato personality type
- I trust my intuition.
- I make decisions independently.
- I am free and at ease.
I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read this article. If you have any further questions or would like to share something with us, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.
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Bibliography
Bach, Eduard (2000): Heile Dich selbst: die geistige Grundlage der Original-Bach-Blütentherapie. München: Hugendubel.
Krämer, Dieter (2017): Neue Therapien mit Bach-Blüten 1: Die sanfte Heilmethode effektiver angewandt über die zwölf Schienen. Bad Camberg: Isotrop Verlag.
Krämer, Dieter (2017): Neue Therapien mit Bach-Blüten 2: Die sanfte Heilmethode effektiver angewandt über die zwölf Schienen. Bad Camberg: Isotrop Verlag.
Orozco, Ricardo/Rodríguez, Boris C. (2007): Intelligenza emozionale e fiori di Bach. Tipi di personalitá nella psicologia contemporanea. Moriondo Torinese: Centro Benessere Psicofisico.
Orozco, Ricardo (2009): Fiori di Bach. 38 descrizioni dinamiche. Moriondo Torinese: Centro Benessere Psicofisico.
Orozco, Ricardo. (2017). FLORES DE BACH Patrón Transpersonal® y aplicaciones locales Territorios tipológicos. Barcelona: El Grano de Mostaza Ediciones
Scheffer, Mechthild (2015): Die Original Bachblütentherapie: Das gesamte theoretische und praktische Bachblüten-Wissen. 2. Auflage. München: Irisiana Verlag.
Scheffer, Mechthild (2020): Die Original Bachblütentherapie für Einsteiger: Die Blüten – Die Anwendung – Die Wirkung. 6. Auflage. München: Irisiana Verlag.
- Bach, Dr. Edward / Petersen, Jens-Erik R. (1988): Heile dich selbst mit den Bach-Blüten. München: Knaur, p. 113. ↑
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