Hi, my loves and welcome to WiccaNow. Recently I’ve been writing about magickal herbs and plants including this post about herbs for anxiety, another one about magickal indoor plants, my botanical witchipedia and this in-depth post about the magickal properties of sage. Today I want to write about another plant that I’ve had quite a few questions about, namely the ultimate love plant, rose!
Roses have a long history as a flower of love. They are one of the most common ingredients in love spells. The magickal properties of rose include love, luck, friendship, protection and happiness. Roses also have a multitude of medicinal applications such as aiding inflammation and regulating menstrual cycles as well as being anti-bacterial, anti-viral and possibly helping with depression.
Personally, I’m not the biggest lover of the traditional red rose. It always seems a little overbred and usually doesn’t have that amazing rose scent that the older varieties have. I do, however, absolutely LOVE wild roses. They are prickly yet beautifully delicate, often smell amazing and flower with such joyous abandon that they make me happy just looking at them. So, without further ado, let’s talk about roses!
Disclaimer: I am by no means a medical professional and don’t claim to be. All the medicinal benefits given are a product of my own research and shouldn’t be taken over the advice of a trained medical professional. If you are unwell, please see a doctor! Never ingest something you aren’t 100% sure is safe, and if you’re pregnant ask your doctor or midwife before consuming something that you haven’t previously been in contact with.
If you are interested in learning more about the magickal properties of different plants and herbs, check out this gorgeous, hand-illustrated plant magick grimoire that we’ve created. It’s filled with 29 of our favourite plants and is a wonderful addition to any growing book of shadows.
A Brief History of Roses
Roses have an extremely long history, with fossil evidence showing their existence over 35 million years ago. Around 5000 years ago, cultivation of roses is thought to have begun in China although it was only in the late 18th century that this type of rose made it to Europe. The cultivated roses from China were prized for their ability to bloom repeatedly each year and these cultivations ended up forming the base for most of the roses we see today after they were bred with hardy native roses.
Roses, uncultivated or cultivated were adopted worldwide as a symbol of opulence and beauty. Cleopatra loved to have them strew around her rooms when she was with Marc Anthony so that whenever he smelt a rose he would think of her. Roses were grown extensively in the Middle East, as well as in the Roman Empire where the nobility built large public rose gardens as symbols of their wealth. The rose was so important to the Romans that placing a wild one by the door of a room meant that anything discussed in this room was to be kept confidential.
Interestingly, the rose hasn’t always been associated with beauty and love. During the 15th century, a white rose and a red rose were the symbols of opposing English factions, resulting in the “War of the Roses” as both sides fought for control of England.
During the 17th century, roses were seen as such a valuable commodity that roses and rose water was considered as a legal tender and could be bartered for other goods or payments.
Some Fun Rose Facts
1. The oldest living rose bush is thought to be around 1000 years old and is located on the wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.
2. There are a lot of cultures that have folklore relating to the rose. Christian folklore sees the red rose as a symbol of the suffering of Christ with the 5 petals of a rose symbolizing his 5 wounds. Muslim folklore sees the rose used as a way of catching a cheating spouse, as well as a story that the first rose came from a drop of sweat from Mohammed’s brow. Jewish folklore has the rose playing a central part in proving a woman’s innocence when she’s wrongly accused of a crime.
3. In England, it’s seen as bad luck if you cut a rose and a petal falls while you’re cutting it.
4. In Italy, if you gift a fully open rose you’re marking them for death so Italians only give rosebuds or partially open roses.
5. There are over 300 species of roses and tens of thousands of cultivars, amazing right?
Medicinal Benefits of Rose
- Helps to soothe irritated skin and…
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