Pteridium aquilinum Where there has been a habitual playing of the child role in life. Bracken Alc. is for those who habitually play the child role in adult life. Perhaps through parental or other domination, they were not encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their lives when they were growing up. Because of this lack of self-empowerment, they may try to assert themselves by acting the child role, being submissive yet often subversive. (Subversion is how many children get back at dominant parents.) However, playing the subservient role inevitably causes deep resentments, which, when they are not expressed openly, can lead to feelings of frustration, depression and toxic dejection. Such people are like a volcano that never erupts. Because of their inability to handle their own Fire energy, even as adults they may fill with tears when spoken to harshly. The alcoholic extract of Bracken helps to dissolve the influence of these old childish states and allow a quiet resolve to develop. The person then begins to realize that they have much more power than they had thought they had and they do not therefore need to throw their weight around to be able to assert themselves. As such people often have low self-esteem, Butterbur or the Self-Esteem composite may be very helpful when given at the same time.