The BFVEA aims to: to raise interest in and awareness of flower and vibrational essences in the UK and overseas to provide guidelines, set standards and accredit courses for training essence practitioners to provide the public with a list of practitioner members to offer an affordable block insurance scheme for essence practitioners and producers to present an informative website offering information about essences and the BFVEA to publish a professional, illustrated magazine ESSENCE and a free e-newsletter containing current articles, thoughts and research on essences to act as a forum for research into all aspects of essence use in which members can be involved The History of the BFVEA In 1997 there was a flower essence conference at Findhorn.  It was probably the only time so many essence practitiones and producers of essences worldwide have got together.  There was a meeting of essence producers after the conference and a suggestion that a global essence producer association be formed.  During the discussions it became apparent that we in the UK had no essence association and Sue Lilly agreed to send a questionnaire around to anyone that was known to have an interest in essences to see if they thought an associaion would be a good idea and if so what they thought it should do and represent.  Around the same time Rose Titchiner and others began plans to hold the first essence gathering in Leiston, with the intention of setting up an association as part of the programme.  Armed with the results of the survey and because Sue Lilly had some experience of chairing this kind of meeting, she was able to help a core group of people present to set up the BFVEA. (BFVEA was born on the 4th May 1998 at 2.52 pm). It was agreed that BFVEA would be a practitioner association and a Code of Conduct held by the BCMA at that time, was adopted.  It was also agreed that the BFVEA would provide a quarterly journal called 'ESSENCE' that would be published on the equinoxes and soltices.  The producers listing would have its own newsheet called the 'Bioneer' and that would be published on the quarter days.  Insurance was also arranged for practitioners who wanted it. The 1999 Gathering held at Crossmead, Exeter saw BFVEA agreeing the core subjects for essences courses.  Subsequent Gatherings have since been held at Buckland Hall, Bwlch, near Brecon, Wales - a wonderful spot found by Elly Yule. In 1999 the situation around the legality of essence creation and the future of essences shifted with the proposal for the EU Traditional Herbal Medicines Directive and it became apparent that there would need to be a special effort to keep essences safe.  It was agreed that the producers group would become autonomous, leaving it free to engage in the murky waters of government without tainting or stressing the practitioner side of the essence community.  On the 28th September 2000 BAFEP was born. Click to read Disclaimer