Rose
Rose spp.
Family: Rosaceae (Rose family)
Deities: Mary Magdalene, Oshun, Yemaya, Oya, Pomba Gira, etc.
Element: Water
A symbol of the goddess in many cultures, roses have much lore associated with them. The scent of roses is used everywhere in every form for everything.
Medicinal Uses: Rose hips are an excellent source of Vitamin C. The leaves of the rose bush (or vine) are a mild laxative and have astrigent properties. This is why they are used for wound healing and as an eye wash for irritated eyes. True rose scent is very expensive but a favorite of perfumers through the ages. Dry the petals when you receive roses and use them later for potpourri or bath water.
Spiritual Uses: Besides being a symbol of the divine feminine, roses have been associated with love and sex for centuries. The bloom of this perenial shrub or vine can also help heal the heart (hence the connection to the heart chakra). The thorns make roses protective so grow the plants around your home and in front of windows to keep out the bad energy. It is also believed that roses have strong connections to the fairy world. This might be from where the idea that roses increase psychic powers come.
While there are many species of the Rose genus that can be found in the wild, roses are very popular in the garden. Grow your own so you can have a ready supply of petals from this most beautiful flower. Wild roses only have 5 petals while the domesticated blossom have many petals. The hips are actually the fruit of the plant.
Rose Story: I read someplace that when you are in trouble, you may find a rose blooming in the dead of winter. This happened to me more than a decade ago. I was living a house that had several rose bushes and one of them produced a single pink rose long after the winter had killed everything else. This one beautiful pink bloom remained perfect for 3 whole weeks before it died and within a few days, so had my marriage and my life as I knew it. Little did I know that at the time the rose was blooming, bad forces had been at work in my life and that rose was trying to protect me. Maybe the spirit of the rose was also trying to heal my heart in advance because the memory of that perfect flower still brings me joy, even though it preceded the roughest time of my adult life.
