Since the dawn of time, mankind has revered nature, specifically plants and flowers for their myriad of uses- mostly notably their medicinal, healing, and hallucinogenic properties. Used as topical remedies and well as taken internally- the healing and health benefits of plants and flowers remained shrouded in secrecy and mysticism- with recipes and concoctions passed down from generation to generation between families, elders, healers, and soothsayers alike. It wasn’t until science and medicine caught up, that we were able to truly understand the source and capabilities of the amazing power plants and flowers possessed.
Flowers have long been celebrated for the powers they possessed, their history intertwined with myth and legend dating back to the first recorded history. In ancient Greece, the Greeks honored Dionysus- the god of fertility, wine, fruit, and ecstasy by hosting a flower festival every spring. The ancient Romans had their own flower festival as well. While in ancient Egypt, Egyptians held high esteem of roses, one of the most beloved flowers of all time-honored for its fragrance, medical benefits, and cosmetic properties as well- and paintings of roses, as well as rose petals, were found in several tombs of ancient Pharaohs.
By any other name…
Why is the rose so memorable, and what makes it so special? Well, history might be able to answer that question. Rose fossils have been found dating back over thirty million years and some believe that roses hold a high spiritual power.
According to Greek mythology, roses were created by the goddess of love, Aphrodite- growing from her tears and the blood of her love Adonis. Cleopatra also used rose petals because she wanted to be associated with their smell and resonating power.
Medicinally speaking, roses were used in the Middle Ages to treat depression and anxiety, and to aid in circulation; and thanks to modern medicine, these healing benefits are still used today to treat the same ailments.
A mystical connection…
A rose contains 5 petals, and each petal opens (non-consecutively) in a pattern similar to drawing a five-pointed star (or Pentagram) and it is believed that this connection to the pentagram is where the rose draws its power. The pentagram has a ratio of 1:1.61803 within its points (called the Golden Mean) and this very same ratio occurs elsewhere in nature; in fact, it has been scientifically proven that the vibration of love (the ratio at which the heart expands and contracts when a person is experiencing love) is also at a ratio of 1:1.61803. Maybe that’s why the rose is so closely associated with love- because of this connection with the pentagram and the heart.
