Earthing with Misty Gersley
A Rose By Any Other Name...
Some say it begins with a kiss. In this case it begins with a rose.
I’ll be honest. Roses, visually, are far from my favorite flower. My eyes are often drawn to blooms that posses a minimalist edge; the straining arches of a tulip, or the silhouette of an orchid and it’s bold curves. Sleek lines. One letter, in lieu of a thousand meandering words, a lovely repose for my curious mind. Roses are too complex for me to appreciate peacefully- this thorny stalk demanded I ponder it’s poignant juxtaposition in the seemingly endless folds of fragrant, velveteen petals.
Roses are all around us, cultivated and pruned, wild and hybridized, mementos to teachers and mementos of love. America’s most popular cut flower is also kin to apples, stonefruits and strawberries. Embedded in society; indelibly steeped in tradition.
Their delicate beauty is widely recognized and appreciated, fruits carefully bred and prized, but the health benefits of the America’s most popular cut flower, the rose, the flower of the Red Queen (Oh how I do love Wonderland references) should also be brought to attention.
When I was a student back in California, I was assigned to make something edible out of roses. Wild roses, so common on the east coast where I was raised, were next to impossible to find. I remember hiking along several foothill and mountain trails for weeks in vain- I was never able to readily locate any wild roses to utilize for my assignment. I did however; happen to have a backyard full of roughly twenty cultivated varietals that had braved the then sun-scorched soil of Temecula and had recently come back into bloom.
I remember harvesting the rose petals, and then I sort of lost track of time. In the end, I had about four times the amount I needed to make candied rose petals for my class.
(http://toriavey.com/history-kitchen/2013/07/the-old-fashioned-way-sugared-roses/ )
Upon doing some research via Michael Castleman’s reference book, “The Healing Herbs”, I found that historically “roses were a favorite of the Egyptians, who used the fragrant petals as air fresheners and rosewater as perfume”. The book made also made multiple references to roses being utilized by both Greek and Aruvedic (Indian) Medicines- Hippocrates mixed rose petals with oil as a cure for disease of the uterus and Indian physicians had “long considered rose petals cooling and astringent, leading to their use in poultices to treat skin wounds and inflammation. They (the Aruvedics) also used rose petals and rose water as a cure for dysmenorreah.
That night I tossed the remaining blooms into my tub and drew myself a bath. As the warm water flowed over the petals, filling up the tub, the perfume was profound and pleasant. I felt very relaxed and noticed that the discomfort I had experienced earlier in the day due to my endometriosis had abated. I also literally felt “rosy”, as if a perk of freshness was added to my skin, and my circulation had increased.
I was curious yet again, the meditative properties of the flower truly were potent, I was hooked. I continue to the Rosaceae family of plants extensively, as well as utilize its health and mood boosting properties on an almost daily basis.
Rose essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils used in aromatherapy. Photo Credit roses rose, rose.. image by Christophe Hamerlik from (fotolia.com)
Members of the Rosaceae Family, roses are perennial flowering plants that range in variety from stout, erect shrubs to climbing vines, each species possessing a variety of beautiful blooms, as well as stems bearing sharp thorns. Upon completion of some botany research, I found that the thorns are actually called “prickles” and are extensions (better known as “outgrowths”) of the epidermal layer of the stem. In comparison to the animal kingdom, I would akin them to spiny scales found on certain fish, sharks and reptiles.
Roses are indigenous throughout most of the world, though most prolifically in Asia. They have been cultivated and hybridized throughout the ages to showcase their blooms as well as their fragrance, and their enduring presence in human culture is significant. A human’s sense of smell is the source of our most profound memories and physical and emotional responses.
That said, perhaps fragrance is the secret substance that embodies the true nature of the rose. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), a notable existentialist and prominent philosopher of the twentieth century, once described the spiritual essence of scent as, "A vaporized body which has remained completely itself but which has become a volatile spirit". David Austin, named in 2010 “The Great Rosarian of the World”, having introduced over 200 new ‘cultivars’ (plants bred to present desirable characteristics, or cultivated varieties) of English Roses to the world since his initial highly fragrant varietal, “Constance Spry” in 1961, has said that: “scent is the soul of the rose. It is something that we can not hold in our hands, which is always shifting and changing.”
Roses appear in art, poetry, prose, and many a song lyric. They are purported to be ancient symbols of love and beauty, held in high esteem by Pagan Gods and Goddesses and their associated rituals. In ancient Rome, a single wild rose was placed upon the doorway where items of a confidential nature were being discussed- Thus, the phrase “under the rose” or “sub-rosa” was coined as a term to keep something coveted or secret.
Catholicism and other mainstream Christian off-shoots have transformed the rose’s pagan roots into deeply rooted core identity of Christianity. They have likened the five petals of the flower to the five wounds of Christ, and a solitary red rose has become the accepted symbol representing the Virgin Mary.
Roses have been turned into perfume, rosewater (used in cooking, religious practices and medicine), signets and decorative adornments. They have been harvested for their large hips, high in vitamin C, and a particular varietal, Rosa chinensis, has been a mainstay in Traditional Chinese Medicine practices for over five-thousand years, prescribed to cure stomach ailments and control the growth of cancer cells.
ROSES AND THEIR COLORS: MEANINGS STEEPED IN HISTORY
Red
The creative spirit of love. True love stronger than thorns.
True red is the lover's rose.
Amaranth red: long standing desire
Cardinal red: sublime desireCarmine: deceitful desire (not true to color)
Fiery red: flames of passion.
Yellow
In Victorian times the rose meant jealousy. Maybe our thoughts have changed. Today it is given as a sign of friendship, sometimes as a sign of sympathy. It is the rose of familiar love and domestic happiness. The yellow rose of Texas is the only rose for me.
White
Loyalty, penetrating and platonic love. Able to captivate secret thought, love stronger than death. In England there is a saying about the white rose referring to the sub rosa, death to him who under my secrecy betrays his oath. In Scotland when the white rose bloomed in autumn it was seen as a token of early marriage. The rose of confession, the bridal rose, the rose of servitude. Can be otherworldly.
Pink
Grace, gentility, elegance and refinement. The rose of sweet thoughts.
Purple
Purple adds enchantment. Can be transcendental. Possible need to proceed cautiously. The priests wear lavender during lent, a time of discretion. Purple can indicate opulence or majesty.
Orange
A warm color that says: I am proud of you.
Blue
Fantasy and impossibility. Hoping for a miracle and new possibilities. Many people have a quest or a fascination for blue roses. I have a book by Ibn al Awam, which was written in the twelfth century, translated into French by J. J. Clement entitled Le livre de l'agriculture. The book speaks of azure blue roses that were known to the orient. These blue roses were attained by placing a blue die into the bark of the roots. This process is explained in the book and has been proven to work by Joret, a very knowledgeable French scientist.
Black
The color of the crone, the wise lady of death. The promise that soon you will know something you did not know before. Some see it as a bad omen. Death of fixed thoughts or ideas. Signifies rejuvenation on the horizon. May not be understood as a gift. Les fleurs du mal from which beauty springs. Sometimes a beautiful deep red rose will bloom from a blackened bud.
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” says Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which is so very true of the rose that has captured the minds and hearts of people through the ages. The rose, however, has proved its veritable worth owing to its exhaustive use in health and medicine.
Misty is a Holistic Health Practitioner and Reiki Master, specializing in multiple modalities of energy healing and traditional chinese medicine.
