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.