“Come out here where the roses have opened.
Let soul and world meet.”
— Rumi.
Hello everyone
I loved hearing from your corners of the world in response to last week’s post, about the synchronicities we share and the beautiful things that make you feel ‘at home’ — the feeling of both feet on the earth; relationships that provide an anchor to time and place; personal connections to local surroundings and finding home in work and creativity. It made me realise that feeling ‘at home’ is both an inward and outward experience, and that perhaps there is a magical intersection between the feeling of home and of being ‘in flow’…something I hope to explore more.
A head full of flowers.
My local woods is somewhere I associate with the feeling of being ‘at home’. I have written before about the grounding comfort I find from being beneath the canopy of towering trees; but right now I crave the uplifting joy of being surrounded by flowers. Maybe it has something to do with the grey skies that we have seen in July, and how the rain mixed with a dash of sunshine is bringing us an abundance of luminous leaves and fervently full flowers.
When a summer afternoon lies ahead with the little ones, my thoughts meander into wildflower meadows peppered with cornflower blues, papery poppies and daisies dancing amongst golden grasses; or my mind stumbles upon a secret garden hidden behind storied old walls festooned in rambling roses reaching up to the sky.
Of course, these floral visions are yet to be realised. Instead I take any opportunity I can to absorb and observe in our back garden, or we take a trip to the garden centre, perusing the front gardens in our local area as we go. I have noticed amongst the statuesque shrub roses, a profusion of unruly and unkempt wild-looking roses spilling over garden walls, alongside clusters of tightly held roses in pale tones with shaded edging, as if painted onto a chintz floral fabric from another time.
I have since found out that roses can be grouped into one of three categories: Species (wild) roses, Old Garden roses, and Modern roses. Species or wild roses have evolved and adapted through history to survive in unique environments; Old Garden roses are those cultivated by plant collectors before 1867; Modern roses are descendants of both Species and Old Garden roses and are those that were developed after 1867 (the year it is believed that ‘La France’ the first hybrid tea rose was introduced).
Rose (her)stories.
Like the trees I turn to in the woods, I find there to be something incredibly wise, nurturing and primordial about roses. Traditionally associated with the Ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite, Roman goddess Venus and priestess Mary Magdalene, the rose symbolises the highest frequencies and multi-faceted nature of love, yet has since taken on many other meanings, from purity to power.
Despite its rich cultural history, the rose is thought to pre-date any of these associations, as fossil evidence suggests that plants in the rose family have existed since the Oligocene period, between 39 and 22 million years ago. Long before roses were cultivated for gardens, they were used for their medicinal properties first and foremost.
Rose is used for both physical and energetic needs aiding inflammation, hormonal imbalances and respiratory complaints amongst many other uses. For skin, rose clears impurities, calms irritation and reduces redness. Pippettes, a wonderful apothecary local to me has a beautiful offering of rose-based products handmade on their farm, including the Oil of a Million Petals inspired by the Persian legend that it took a million Damascus Rose petals to create just one ounce of the purest Rose Otto, the most coveted of flower essential oils.
Energetically, rose is said to uplift the spirits and provide comfort in the face of sadness, grief, low self-worth or apathy. According to Becky Cole in her book The Garden Apothecary, “rose is like a warm, motherly embrace – it is soothing, heart-opening, softening and gentle. It is full of femininity, comfort and tenderness”.
I love the idea of the rose being like the warm embrace of a mother but perhaps there are deeper layers of wholeness that underpin its beauty — in both its equal softness and its strength, its openness and receptivity alongside its protective boundaries; all qualities that are required in the act of mothering. See Rhiannon Lynn’s brilliant new Plant Harmony series at Weaving Wisdom, featuring guided teachings and detailed inquiry into whole plant medicine with an exploration of wild rose as the first instalment.
My roses.
Recently I noticed the layering of roses in the neighbouring gardens, creating a landscape of borrowed colour which certainly feels medicinal. The pale pink of our climbing rose becomes entwined with next-door’s peach-hued rose climber which sits alongside a vibrant hot pink variety, that in turn fades into soft purple petals, with a cloud-like mass of white roses floating beyond.
Our climbing rose was planted by the previous owners and is up there with the wisteria as the biggest surprise and delight after viewing the house in the darkest depths of January. In early June (just as the wisteria on the balcony is fading and floating to the ground), the climbing rose bursts to life. It starts slowly and then one by one the flowers open — unfolding, cascading and pooling around the mint green bench, my favourite place to sit in summer.
The skeleton of another climbing rose lingered on the other side of the garden. The imagined memory of it planted a seed in my mind to fill the bare vertical surfaces of the garden with roses. As with everything in my mind’s eye for our home, it is a slow process and so I started with a gentle request for a climbing rose for Mother’s Day in March — it felt hopeful after a long winter and slow spring. Now in July, the first flower chosen for me by my daughter has started to unfurl its precious petals, and just like her, it’s a beauty.
Do you have any memories associated with roses?
What is your favourite flower of the summer?
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments…
I love the beautiful vision you have of climbing Roses casting their magic all around the boundary of your Garden. I imagine sitting within that field of medicine would inspire your Wholeness to fully BE. Thank YOU so much for offering my class within this lovely piece 💞 I am continuing to learn with Rose this month, particularly in how my intrinsic boundaries support my ability to fully embody my Gifts. I am meeting with various layers of opportunity to understand what it means in an actual LIVED way to honor my needs and create the space needed for my Gifts to fully emerge and be received. Isn't it SO wild how long Roses have been here on Earth? Carrying ancient knowings in their blueprint, having adapted with the spirals of time and transformation!!
I’m a rose person, for sure! There’s nothing quite like their heavenly scent & velvety petals 🌹