Post by WVsnowflake on Apr 29, 2009 11:47:55 GMT -6
I recieved an e-mail today and thought I would share...
Five Flowers You Want in Your Garden of Magick
Soror Mystica
Iris - ‘The Flower of the Rainbow’
There are few flowers to match the iris in beauty or popularity. It was aptly named by Linnaeus after Iris, Juno’s messenger who, in Greek mythology, descended from Olympus and appeared to mortals as a rainbow. The Greek iris means eye of heaven, used both of the centre of the eye and the rainbow. Iris’s speed in flight is mirrored in the short flowering time of the flower, and her rainbow is reflected in the many different colors of irises. Iris accompanied the souls of the departed to their eternal resting place along the path made by the rainbow, and so the iris was placed on graves to symbolize hope and the eternal spirit. In the language of flowers iris means a message. The iris has also been a symbol of royalty since the days of Ancient Egyptians. Iris flowers feature in tomb paintings dating back more than 4,000 years in the Valley of the Kings, and appear as decorations on the sphinx’s brow. The shape of the iris is that of the scepter, symbol of power and majesty.
The iris has had close links with the history of France since around 496 AD when Cloris, king of the Franks, was baptized along with 3,000 of his followers and adopted the iris as his emblem. In the 12th century Louis VII also used the iris as his emblem during the crusades, and the iris became known as the fleur de Louis which became fleur de luce or lys, and fleur de lis remained the royal emblem of France, the petals representing faith, wisdom and valor.
The gender of the iris is feminine, it is ruled by the planet Venus, its element is Water, its deities are Iris and Juno, and its powers are purification and wisdom. Its magickal powers have been used for purification since Roman times. The fresh flowers are placed in the area to be cleansed. As the petals symbolize faith, wisdom and valor, it can be used to induce these qualities. The medicinal actions and uses of the iris are to detoxify the body. It increases urination bile production and has a mild laxative effect. This combination of cleansing actions makes it a useful herb for chronic skin diseases such as acne and eczema, especially where gallbladder problems or constipation contribute to the condition. Iris is also given for biliousness and indigestion. In small doses it relieves nausea and vomiting. It is also believe by some to aid weight loss.
Rose - ‘The Flower of Love’
This beautiful, most sensuous and romantic of floers has inspired poets and artists for centuries as the symbol of love and beauty. Its praises have been sung and its beauty depicted in art since the days of the early Greeks; a rose in a Minoan fresco dated 1500-1600BC is probably the gallica rose, often called the damask rose and the one most often used in apothecary.
The rose, of all flowers, is probably the one most steeped in legend and symbolism. According to Greek myth, the goddess of flowers, Chloris, one day found the body of a beautiful nymph and asked the helf of the Three Graces to create a very special flower out of the lifeless body of the nymph. The Graces gave the flower joy, brightness and charm. Then she asked Aphrodite the goddess of love to give the flower beauty, Dionysus the god of wine to add a special nectar to create a beautiful perfume, and Zephyr the wind god to blow away the clouds so that the precious flower could open her petals to the sun. Thus the rose was born and was crowned the Queen of Flowers, the emblem of Venus, and the symbol of love.
The perfection of the rose symbolized all that was ideal and from paradise. It was also emblematic of the heart or mystic centre of being. The philosophers and alchemists who founded the secret society the Rosicrucians, in the 15th century, had a rose mounted on a cross as their symbol.
The gender of the rose is feminine, it is ruled by the planet Venus, its element is Water and its deities are Hathor, Hulda, Eros, Cupid, Demeter, Isis, Adonis, Harpocrates and Aurora. Its powers lie in love, psychic powers, healing, love divination, luck and protection. Its magickal uses: Roses have long been used in love mixtures, owing to the flower’s associations with the emotions. A chaplet of roses worn when performing love spells (remove the thorns), or a single rose in a vase on the altar, are powerful love-magick aids. Rose water distrilled from the petals is added to love baths. Rose hips (the fruit of the rose) are strung and worn as love-attracting beads.
A tea of rosebuds drunk before sleep induces prophetic dreams. To discover their romantic future, women used to take three green rose leaves and name each for one of their lovers. The one that stayed green the longest answered the questions of ‘which one?’
Rose petals and hips are also used in healing spells and mixtures, and a rosewater satured cloth laid to the temples will relieve headache pain. Roses are also added to fast-luck mixtures and, when carried, act as personal protectorants. Rose petals sprinkled around the house calm personal stress and household upheavals. Roses planted in the garden attraxt fairies, and are said to grow best when stolen.
Lavender – ‘ The Flower of the Virgin Mary’
Lavender has been one of the best loved scented herbs for thousands of years. Its fragrance when brushed against lifts the spirits and also attrats bees. It makes delicious honey. Dioscorides considered that its fragrance surpassed all other perfumes, and it was venerataed also for its cleansing and purifying qualities. The Romans used lavender to perfume their baths, hence its name which comes from lavare, to wash. It was used to sweeten the breath and for perfumes, in preparation for childbirth and to keep away infection. It was dedicated to Hecate, the goddess of witches and sorceres and was said to avert The Evil Eye. The Virgin Mary is reputed to have been especially fond of lavender because it protected clothes from insects and also preserved chastity.
During the Middle Ages and Renaissance lavender was the favorite strewing herb for floors of houses and churches to keep off the plague. Housewives placed it in linen cupboards, wardrobes and drawers to scent clothes and repel moths. It was hung in the corners of rooms to keep away flies and mosquitos. The 16th century herbalists recognized ist medicinal virtues and recommended it for improving eyesight, relieving headaches and faintness and to comfort the heart.
The gender of lavender is masculine, it is ruled by the planet Mercury, its element is Air, and its powers lie in love, protection, sleep, chastity, longevity, purification, happiness and peace. Its magickal uses: Lavender has long been used in love spells ans sachets. Clothing nabbed with the fragrant flowers attracts love. A piece of paper on which you’ve rubbed lavender is excellent for writing love notes. The scent of lavender particularly attrats men, and lavender water or the essential oil was worn by prostitutes several centuries ago to both advertise their professiona as well as to attract (through magick) customers. Lavender also protects against cruel treatment at the hands of a spouse if worn.
Lavender is also burned or smouldered to induce sleep and rest, and is scattered about the home to maintain its peacefulness. The plant is so powerful thqt, if when depressed one gazes upon the plant, all sorrow will depart and a joyous feeling will settle upon the observer. Indeed, the odor of lavender is conducive to long life, and so should be smelled as often as possible if this is a concern.
Lavender is also used in healing mixtures, carried to see ghosts, and worn to protect against The Evil Eye. It is added to purification baths. Despite lavender’s love associations, in the Renaissance it was believed that lavender together with rosemary, if worn, would preserve a woman’s chastity.
A wish divination: Place lavender under your pillow while thinking of your wish. Do this just prior to retiring for the night. In the morning, if you have dreamt of anything relating to your wish, it will come true. However, if you did not have dreams, or if they were unconnected with your wish, it will not manifest.
Jasmine – ‘The Flower of Luxury’
Known in India as Queen of the Night, the delicate jasmine flower has one of the loveliest and most distinctive perfumes, particular intoxicating at night. The old name Jessamine, and jasmine, come originally from the Person name yasmin and the Chinese yeh-his-ming. In China jasmine has been a symbol of feminine sweetness and beauty, and Indian jasmine is a sacred flower, known as ‘moonlight of the grove’ and traditionally woven into bridal wreathes, and worn as scented ornaments by women. The flower oil has been a favorite scent and hair oil of Indian women. Jasmine is held sacred to Vishnu and Indra.
For centuries the luxurious perfume of jasmine has been associated with femininity, love and fertility in the Hindu and Muslim traditions. The oil and the flowers have long been major ingredients in love potions and were historically associated with the moon, the goddess Diana and the maternal, creative aspect of the universe. With the coming of Christianity, jasmine was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the star-shaped flowers symbolized heavenly felicity. White jasmine flowers were known as ‘the star of divine hope’ and associated with the Virgin Mary. In the language of flowers white jasmine symbolizes deep affection, happiness and elegance.
The gender of jasmine is feminine, it is ruled by The Moon, its element is Water, its deity is Vishnu and its powers lie in love, money and prophetic dreams. Its magickal uses: Dried jasmine flowers are added to sachets and other love mixtures. They will attract a spiritual (as opposed to a physical) love. The flowers will also draw wealth and money if carried, burned or worn. Jasmine will also cause prophetic dreams if burned in the bedroom, and the flowers are smelled to induce sleep.
Passionflower – ‘the Flower to Pacify the Spirit’
Passionflower is a fast-growing climbing vine with one of the most striking and remarkable flowers in the plant kingdom. It was sent to Pope Paul V in 1605 from a mission in Peru, with the suggestions that the beautiful corona and petals resembles and therefore represented the crown of thorns, and the Passion of Christ.
Its gender is feminine, it is ruled by the planet Venus, its element is Water and its powers lie in peace, sleep and friendships. Magickal uses: Contrary to its name, the passionflower is placed in the house to calm problems and troubles, and to bring peace. Carried, it attracts friends and great popularity. Placed below the pillow it aids in sleep.
Flower Lore
Presenting flowers to someone is a poetic way to send a message. The color of a flower has specific meaning, as does the type of flower. Also, the magickal and medicinal purposes of the flower are significant, too. They can be used in salves, potions and medicines as well magickal concoctions. To give flowers to someone who really knows how to use them is a gift worth giving and receiving. It’s a way the male can formally recognize and honor the witch in his female. A man who gives flowers to his woman is a magician, even if he doesn’t realize it.
Sources:
Flower Power by Anne McIntyre
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magick Herbs by Scott Cunningham
Five Flowers You Want in Your Garden of Magick
Soror Mystica
Iris - ‘The Flower of the Rainbow’
There are few flowers to match the iris in beauty or popularity. It was aptly named by Linnaeus after Iris, Juno’s messenger who, in Greek mythology, descended from Olympus and appeared to mortals as a rainbow. The Greek iris means eye of heaven, used both of the centre of the eye and the rainbow. Iris’s speed in flight is mirrored in the short flowering time of the flower, and her rainbow is reflected in the many different colors of irises. Iris accompanied the souls of the departed to their eternal resting place along the path made by the rainbow, and so the iris was placed on graves to symbolize hope and the eternal spirit. In the language of flowers iris means a message. The iris has also been a symbol of royalty since the days of Ancient Egyptians. Iris flowers feature in tomb paintings dating back more than 4,000 years in the Valley of the Kings, and appear as decorations on the sphinx’s brow. The shape of the iris is that of the scepter, symbol of power and majesty.
The iris has had close links with the history of France since around 496 AD when Cloris, king of the Franks, was baptized along with 3,000 of his followers and adopted the iris as his emblem. In the 12th century Louis VII also used the iris as his emblem during the crusades, and the iris became known as the fleur de Louis which became fleur de luce or lys, and fleur de lis remained the royal emblem of France, the petals representing faith, wisdom and valor.
The gender of the iris is feminine, it is ruled by the planet Venus, its element is Water, its deities are Iris and Juno, and its powers are purification and wisdom. Its magickal powers have been used for purification since Roman times. The fresh flowers are placed in the area to be cleansed. As the petals symbolize faith, wisdom and valor, it can be used to induce these qualities. The medicinal actions and uses of the iris are to detoxify the body. It increases urination bile production and has a mild laxative effect. This combination of cleansing actions makes it a useful herb for chronic skin diseases such as acne and eczema, especially where gallbladder problems or constipation contribute to the condition. Iris is also given for biliousness and indigestion. In small doses it relieves nausea and vomiting. It is also believe by some to aid weight loss.
Rose - ‘The Flower of Love’
This beautiful, most sensuous and romantic of floers has inspired poets and artists for centuries as the symbol of love and beauty. Its praises have been sung and its beauty depicted in art since the days of the early Greeks; a rose in a Minoan fresco dated 1500-1600BC is probably the gallica rose, often called the damask rose and the one most often used in apothecary.
The rose, of all flowers, is probably the one most steeped in legend and symbolism. According to Greek myth, the goddess of flowers, Chloris, one day found the body of a beautiful nymph and asked the helf of the Three Graces to create a very special flower out of the lifeless body of the nymph. The Graces gave the flower joy, brightness and charm. Then she asked Aphrodite the goddess of love to give the flower beauty, Dionysus the god of wine to add a special nectar to create a beautiful perfume, and Zephyr the wind god to blow away the clouds so that the precious flower could open her petals to the sun. Thus the rose was born and was crowned the Queen of Flowers, the emblem of Venus, and the symbol of love.
The perfection of the rose symbolized all that was ideal and from paradise. It was also emblematic of the heart or mystic centre of being. The philosophers and alchemists who founded the secret society the Rosicrucians, in the 15th century, had a rose mounted on a cross as their symbol.
The gender of the rose is feminine, it is ruled by the planet Venus, its element is Water and its deities are Hathor, Hulda, Eros, Cupid, Demeter, Isis, Adonis, Harpocrates and Aurora. Its powers lie in love, psychic powers, healing, love divination, luck and protection. Its magickal uses: Roses have long been used in love mixtures, owing to the flower’s associations with the emotions. A chaplet of roses worn when performing love spells (remove the thorns), or a single rose in a vase on the altar, are powerful love-magick aids. Rose water distrilled from the petals is added to love baths. Rose hips (the fruit of the rose) are strung and worn as love-attracting beads.
A tea of rosebuds drunk before sleep induces prophetic dreams. To discover their romantic future, women used to take three green rose leaves and name each for one of their lovers. The one that stayed green the longest answered the questions of ‘which one?’
Rose petals and hips are also used in healing spells and mixtures, and a rosewater satured cloth laid to the temples will relieve headache pain. Roses are also added to fast-luck mixtures and, when carried, act as personal protectorants. Rose petals sprinkled around the house calm personal stress and household upheavals. Roses planted in the garden attraxt fairies, and are said to grow best when stolen.
Lavender – ‘ The Flower of the Virgin Mary’
Lavender has been one of the best loved scented herbs for thousands of years. Its fragrance when brushed against lifts the spirits and also attrats bees. It makes delicious honey. Dioscorides considered that its fragrance surpassed all other perfumes, and it was venerataed also for its cleansing and purifying qualities. The Romans used lavender to perfume their baths, hence its name which comes from lavare, to wash. It was used to sweeten the breath and for perfumes, in preparation for childbirth and to keep away infection. It was dedicated to Hecate, the goddess of witches and sorceres and was said to avert The Evil Eye. The Virgin Mary is reputed to have been especially fond of lavender because it protected clothes from insects and also preserved chastity.
During the Middle Ages and Renaissance lavender was the favorite strewing herb for floors of houses and churches to keep off the plague. Housewives placed it in linen cupboards, wardrobes and drawers to scent clothes and repel moths. It was hung in the corners of rooms to keep away flies and mosquitos. The 16th century herbalists recognized ist medicinal virtues and recommended it for improving eyesight, relieving headaches and faintness and to comfort the heart.
The gender of lavender is masculine, it is ruled by the planet Mercury, its element is Air, and its powers lie in love, protection, sleep, chastity, longevity, purification, happiness and peace. Its magickal uses: Lavender has long been used in love spells ans sachets. Clothing nabbed with the fragrant flowers attracts love. A piece of paper on which you’ve rubbed lavender is excellent for writing love notes. The scent of lavender particularly attrats men, and lavender water or the essential oil was worn by prostitutes several centuries ago to both advertise their professiona as well as to attract (through magick) customers. Lavender also protects against cruel treatment at the hands of a spouse if worn.
Lavender is also burned or smouldered to induce sleep and rest, and is scattered about the home to maintain its peacefulness. The plant is so powerful thqt, if when depressed one gazes upon the plant, all sorrow will depart and a joyous feeling will settle upon the observer. Indeed, the odor of lavender is conducive to long life, and so should be smelled as often as possible if this is a concern.
Lavender is also used in healing mixtures, carried to see ghosts, and worn to protect against The Evil Eye. It is added to purification baths. Despite lavender’s love associations, in the Renaissance it was believed that lavender together with rosemary, if worn, would preserve a woman’s chastity.
A wish divination: Place lavender under your pillow while thinking of your wish. Do this just prior to retiring for the night. In the morning, if you have dreamt of anything relating to your wish, it will come true. However, if you did not have dreams, or if they were unconnected with your wish, it will not manifest.
Jasmine – ‘The Flower of Luxury’
Known in India as Queen of the Night, the delicate jasmine flower has one of the loveliest and most distinctive perfumes, particular intoxicating at night. The old name Jessamine, and jasmine, come originally from the Person name yasmin and the Chinese yeh-his-ming. In China jasmine has been a symbol of feminine sweetness and beauty, and Indian jasmine is a sacred flower, known as ‘moonlight of the grove’ and traditionally woven into bridal wreathes, and worn as scented ornaments by women. The flower oil has been a favorite scent and hair oil of Indian women. Jasmine is held sacred to Vishnu and Indra.
For centuries the luxurious perfume of jasmine has been associated with femininity, love and fertility in the Hindu and Muslim traditions. The oil and the flowers have long been major ingredients in love potions and were historically associated with the moon, the goddess Diana and the maternal, creative aspect of the universe. With the coming of Christianity, jasmine was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the star-shaped flowers symbolized heavenly felicity. White jasmine flowers were known as ‘the star of divine hope’ and associated with the Virgin Mary. In the language of flowers white jasmine symbolizes deep affection, happiness and elegance.
The gender of jasmine is feminine, it is ruled by The Moon, its element is Water, its deity is Vishnu and its powers lie in love, money and prophetic dreams. Its magickal uses: Dried jasmine flowers are added to sachets and other love mixtures. They will attract a spiritual (as opposed to a physical) love. The flowers will also draw wealth and money if carried, burned or worn. Jasmine will also cause prophetic dreams if burned in the bedroom, and the flowers are smelled to induce sleep.
Passionflower – ‘the Flower to Pacify the Spirit’
Passionflower is a fast-growing climbing vine with one of the most striking and remarkable flowers in the plant kingdom. It was sent to Pope Paul V in 1605 from a mission in Peru, with the suggestions that the beautiful corona and petals resembles and therefore represented the crown of thorns, and the Passion of Christ.
Its gender is feminine, it is ruled by the planet Venus, its element is Water and its powers lie in peace, sleep and friendships. Magickal uses: Contrary to its name, the passionflower is placed in the house to calm problems and troubles, and to bring peace. Carried, it attracts friends and great popularity. Placed below the pillow it aids in sleep.
Flower Lore
Presenting flowers to someone is a poetic way to send a message. The color of a flower has specific meaning, as does the type of flower. Also, the magickal and medicinal purposes of the flower are significant, too. They can be used in salves, potions and medicines as well magickal concoctions. To give flowers to someone who really knows how to use them is a gift worth giving and receiving. It’s a way the male can formally recognize and honor the witch in his female. A man who gives flowers to his woman is a magician, even if he doesn’t realize it.
Sources:
Flower Power by Anne McIntyre
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magick Herbs by Scott Cunningham