Josephine Baker & Blazing Star Flower Essence
By Sunder Ashni
Josephine Baker, dancer, artist, socialite, spy, and activist is one of the most sensational characters I have come across in history. It appears, from historical accounts, that from a young age she was destined to not only lift herself, but all she loved out of oppression. To help support her growing family, at age 8 Josephine cleaned houses and babysat for wealthy white families, often being poorly treated. She briefly returned to school two years later before running away from home at age 13 and finding work as a waitress at a club.
Blazing Star is a flowering shrub with characteristics that protect and safeguard it in harsh conditions. Josephine, growing up in the Slums of St. Louis, quickly learned to do the same.
A sensitive soul, she was born Freda Josephine McDonald in June of 1906, child of Carrie McDonald and Eddie Carson. At 16 months herself, mother and newly born brother were abandoned by her father. Carrie soon remarried and Josephine was taken care of by her Grandmother and eccentric Aunt in her formative years. It was in the basement of her Grandmother’s home that she began to imagine a new life for herself, a sort of fantasy world where she would reign as queen. She made costumes for herself and the other children, putting on shows where she would entertain audiences by crossing her eyes and knocking her knees together. Her childhood games were cut short at around 8 years old, when she started to look for work. Her first jobs were taking care of the houses of the wealthy, which proved to be traumatic as she was abused. After some time she began to resent this work and the conditions they lived in and resolved to make a change and to get herself out of the poor living and social conditions of St.Loius.
Enter Blazing Star, a member of the Loasa or Loasacae family, and used to growing in extreme and rough conditions. The Loasaceae family, with the exception of Blazing Star, generally has prickly hairs which are irritating to human skin. It is also known as “Stick leaf” due to the sticky leaves that easily stick to clothing and fabrics. Looking at the flower you can see a wide calyx of five vibrant yellow petals, with many fine filaments like stamens bursting from the center. Another interesting fact about Blazing Star is that if there are no pollinators available it is able to self-pollinate. Very intriguing indeed when we look at Josephine’s choices regarding children later in her life.
“Blazing Star is moist and juicy even though it appears harsh on the outside and grows in desolate places.”
- Richard Katz
Josephine married early at an attempt to quickly shift her situation, but abandoned this and soon found herself an opportunity to dance and sing, and use the tricks she had learned as a small girl to entertain adult audiences. Josephine was able to turn her awkwardness into a strength that helped her first secure a job as a dresser for the star, Clara Smith, and then, the chance to replace a chorus girl who had hurt herself to continue her explorations onstage. Josephine’s perseverance and ability to take advantage of the situations life presented to her characterizes the essence of Blazing Star.
This describes Josephine essence, that inspired her from an early age to turn her weaknesses into strength. She came alive onstage, inspiring her audience with her kooky style and clumsy demeanor. Though Josephine was often considered the Runt of the family and also as lesser than by the other girls in the chorus line, she was determined to change the circumstances of her life for the better.
After touring for some time in Philadelphia, New York and other major US cities, Josephine returned to St. Louis to visit her family and was saddened and shocked again by the conditions they were living in. She promised then to send her family $50 dollars a month to help with food and clothing for her siblings, throughout her career she continued to send more and more money to her family, and eventually brought them to live with her later in life at her chateau in Paris. This is another quality that reflects the essence of Blazing Star, the tendency and ability to use the will forces for the highest good of all. Katz shares, “The feminine soul (in men or women) has learned to evolve by nurturing others and giving over its essence. “
In her career as a dancer and artist, she was determined to not only uplift herself, but seemingly all who were born into destitution. When she got to Paris and saw the way that Blacks were treated, she became determined supporter of desegregation and equality in the states and beyond. Josephine for sure exploded onto the then thriving cultural atmosphere of Paris and into the hearts of Parisians and many others throughout the world.
Later in life as a spy, she used her shows and socialite status to gain information that would support the end of WWII. She also demanded desegregated audiences in her shows in the US and spoke out freely against segregation and racism in the US and abroad.
In the midst of her travels she decided that since she could not have children of her own, she would adopt a “Rainbow Tribe” She adopted babies she found in the street, in orphanages and found other children in need throughout the world. She shares “I will prove that human beings can respect each other if given the chance.”
Her acts of Good Will and Charity continued on, even to her detriment all throughout her life. They demonstrate her strength of will and ability to use it for the good of the greater community and the embodiment of a “Blazing Star” as she ignited the hearts of all who knew her.
Bibliography:
The Many faces of Josephine Baker
Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy by Caravantes, Peggy
http://www.biography.com/people/josephine-baker-9195959
Research Essence Profile, Blazing Star by Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz. http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/mentzelia_laevicaulis.shtml
Sunder Ashni is a 2017 Graduate of the Flower Essence Practitioner Certification Program.
