Galanthus nivalis
Poisonous
​Named “milk flower of the snow” by Swedish botanist
​Carl Linnaeus in 1753.

Gender: Feminine
Element: 
Planet: Saturn

The snowdrop is a segue between winter and spring, symbolizing hope, even in the most challenging situations. This precious herb is associated with magic and miracles, divine love, purity and innocence. You’ll often  find it at weddings, encouraging a future filled with the promise of everlasting love. 

The snow drop is also associated with death, as it was often found in graveyards. The ancient Greeks noted Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, carried snowdrops when she returned from  Hades each spring. Its association with death is the reason it is often found at funerals and featured on sympathy cards. 

Folk names echo  the flower’s contradictory symbolism. It has been called the the Flower of Hope,  Mary’s Taper, Candlemas Bells and Eve’s Tears. On a more somber note, it is  called  Death  Flower.. In Victorian England, seeing a single snowdrop indicated there would  be a death. It was bad luck to pick  a snowdrop, and bringing it into the house would have dire  consequences. Regardless of its names, it is always  a harbinger of spring, bringing  hope  for  the end  of winter and warmer days ahead. 

St. Patrick wasn't Irish, he wore blue, not green and there were no snakes.
​But there were vampires and leprechauns and witches. Oh my!

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I'm using my alphabet prompts to learn more about all things Irish. I'm only doing one or two topics per letter, even though I can think of many more for some.. Even so, be warned. This will be a long post. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Let's start with something light and fun! Ha!

A is for Abhartach, the Irish Vampire. 
Even though Dracula, the character created by Bram Stoker, is most often associated with Transylvania, in reality he may have been based on an Irish king, Abhartach. He was said to be a dwarf and considered to be evil and feared by all who knew him.
He was a very jealous man and was suspicious of his wife, convinced that she was having an affair. While spying on her from a high castle window, he fell to his death. The entire kingdom was relieved.. They buried him upright, apparently the correct burial position for royalty, and enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep. One. Just one.
Because the next day, he rose from the dead, and demanded that all of his subjects slit their wrists and drain their blood into bowls. Well, you can imagine they were upset, so they traveled to the next village seeking help from another king, Cathan, who came, killed him and buried him once more. 
You guessed it. Up he came, ready for yet another snack.
This continued until Cathan decided to seek help from a saint who explained there was no way to kill someone who was already dead!
His suggestion was to bury him upside down, cover him with thorns and ash branches, and top it off with a huge boulder. As far as we know it worked, and peace returned to the kingdom. He served as inspiration for Stoker's Dracula, and all lived happily ever after!

A banshee is a terrifying, wispy, floating specter with a piercing scream who warns of a coming death in the family. First reports were in Ireland in the 8th century. This alarming figure, usually female, varies in age from a young maiden to an old woman. Some families were reported to have their very own banshee, possibly having been a family member who had passed. They were known for their  keening,  mournful singing and wailing, as they lamented the death of loved ones. 

,​King Lir, Bobd Derg, was left with four motherless children, one daughter and three sons, when his wife Aoibh, the queen, unexpectedly passed away. The king decided to marry Aoife, his wife's sister,

Zingiber officinale

Gender: Masculine
Element: Fire
Planet: Mars

Herbalist list ginger as a Pisces herb, and it is also associated with both Aries and Scorpio as it is ruled by Mars. It seems fitting it would have multiple associations as it is one of the most varied and versatile herbs in existence! The root is most commonly used, grated or ground, and the leaves and shoots are also edible. 

Carry powdered ginger root, or carry a section of the root (not as messy!) in your pocket to attract wealth and abundance! This versatile  herbs aides in  success, and intensifies love spells.Ginger has an over 2,000 year history as a healing and culinary  herb and is featured in numerous cuisines around the world. Health benefits of ginger include providing immune support, easing joint and muscle pain, easing arthritis pain, lowering cholesterol, protecting against inflammation, easing nausea, boosting digestion, and promoting healthy blood sugar levels. 

It is used in teas, wine, appetizers, wraps, salads, soups, stews, marinades and sauces. It complements fish, salmon, shrimp, poultry, pork and beef, as well as almost all vegetable, fruits, nuts, and seeds. You’ll find the sweet side of ginger in cocktails, ginger ale,  ice cream, gingerbread,  gingerbread houses, ginger cookies, and crystalized ginger. Google ginger, along with what ever you have on hand, and  you’ll probably  find a recipe. 
​
Soak  in a ginger bath or use a ginger facial scrub or mask for skin care. It can also be eaten before performing spells to add more “heat” and give added strength. This is the only  herb I’m certain I’ll be featuring again this year. It has a rich history and adds so much to the holidays season!

Ficus carica

Gender: Masculine
Element: Fire
Planet: Jupiter

We are featuring the fig this week, and it has numerous powers that can impact your life!  The fig has the capacity to make you irresistible.  If you want to enchant someone, give them a fig and they will be spell bound by your charms (as long as they like figs)! Both sexes will find the fig beneficial! Men can overcome infertility and impotence, and women who carry figs will be able to conceive. Undoubtedly life altering!

The fig is a member of the mulberry family with an extensive history. There are over 850 types of figs. It is one of the first edible plants and has been cultivated since ancient times, dating back to 9400 - 9200 B.C.  It is found all over the world, resulting in a wealth of stories and legends. Mythological tales often  mention the fig, and it is highlighted in many spiritual and religious texts including the Bible, Haggadah, the Koran, and the Vedas. One species, the Ficus religiosa (the tree of awakening) was the Bodhi tree Gautama Buddha sat under when he gained enlightenment. 

Angels, ghosts, fairies, sages and supernatural creatures have been sighted living in and protecting fig trees from the Amazon, Australia, Greece, Guatemala, Madagascar, Philippines, and Vietnam. Find out more in Mike Shanahan’s Ladders to Heaven: How Fig Trees Shaped our History. 

The fig is associated with the planet Jupiter, ancient ruler of Pisces. Since the sun left Aquarius and moved into Pisces today, it is an ideal time to honor the fig! Ginger, another herb of Pisces, combines beautifully with the fig to make a delightful and easy treat, recipe courtesy  of  the Rosemary House in Mechanicsburg, PA.

​Rosa spp.Rosa is the Latin meaning for “a flower”.

Gender: Feminine 
Element: Water
Planet: Venus

In Victorian days, the yellow rose was given to represent jealousy.  The modern symbolism is to honor friendship. This is the rose to give to cherished friends to let them know you value them. 
The peace rose, a yellow rose with hints of rose on the edges of the petals, represents peace as well as friendship. I’m wishing all of my  friends and followers a Valentine’s Day filled with dear friends and a peaceful heart! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Red  is the featured color in  this week’s Exploring Rainbows course for the Renaissance Institute,  Notre Dame University of Maryland. We’re immersing ourselves in the color red - exploring how it is used in art, advertising, language, songs, fragrances and flavors, sports,  superheroes,  cartoons and characters, legend and lore and more!  How fortuitous that both Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day fall in this week’s calendar!  Join us if you’d like and make red your focus for the week.  

 Put on your rose colored glasses and consider looking at the world in a different perspective this week. In our rainbow course, Exploring Rainbows, I've encouraged the class participants to seek out  red. 

Red is the color of extremes. It stimulates, excites and inspires action. It is associated with love and joy, passion, sex, anger and rage. Spending some time to learn more about the color can unfold in a variety of ways. I'm calling their homework "Homeplay". There are a number of ways to play. Join us!

1. The first is by simply being observant. Look for red in advertising logos, clothes, foods, in movies and television, internet posts, sports teams. Notice super heroes, cartoons and mascots dressed in red. Listen for references to the color red in songs and in phrases and quotes. Look for references to red in other cultures, fairy tales and fables, religious and spiritual association. Be aware of how red is used in art - fine art, crafts, mandalas, mosaics, stained glass.

2. The next level of participation is becoming actively involved. Put on your favorite red sweater and  the ruby ring tucked in the back of the dresser drawer that you haven't thought about for ages. Go to a restaurant (check to see if they are open and practice safe distancing) with a red interior - you can find one by doing a google search on 'restaurants, red and the name of your town'. Order red foods and look around the restaurant for shades of red. 

You can go to a museum or gallery website, purposefully looking for red in paintings, collages and sculptures. When was red used? Was red used more often in certain time periods? Not at all in others? Why? Do certain artists use it more than others? Visit sites or blogs featuring  light shows, festivals and fairs, seeking out the color. Are you  more likely to find red associate with certain cultures? What are they? Do more research and discover how they view red, currently and historically. 

3. Another way to play with red is to become immersed by creating something red! Get out the paints, yarn, or fabric. Gather foods in various shades of red, then play with the fragrances and flavors of red. While you're cooking and creating, play songs with red in the title. Explore a catalogue to plan  for your garden this spring and see how many flowers and plants (many plants have red in the leaves) in different shades of red. 

​

Yesterday  I ran across a stack of baby animals I painted years ago and decided to use them to create  collages. This  morning a post from  the past showed up on Facebook,  featuring several. It seems  the universe is encouraging  me! 

After  cutting them out, I placed them on some 18” by 24” canvases that I  had planned for other projects, just to see  how they’d look. Here are a few . . . 

When we think of a red rose, romantic love immediately comes to mind.  But there are so many kinds of love - love of beauty, gardening, nature, family, life. When I  posted this rose on Facebook recently, a friend shared this beautiful story, celebrating her mother-in-law’s love of  roses. She gave me permission to share it. I hope  it  will touch  your  heart the way  it did mine!
​

​The lavender rose is associated with enchantment, splendor and royalty. In the Victorian era, its message  in the language of flowers was “love at first sight”. This rare beauty is rich in meaning. Send it to that special person with an essence of elegance, or someone  who deserves special appreciation  because of the way they share their gifts. Send it to the person who immediately enchanted you, in a romantic, or friendly way. Receiving a lavender rose is said to be an unforgettable experience! 

Our weekly herb series will  continue through out the month of February with roses. The orange rose is burning with  passion! If  you want to send a message declaring your fascination and desire, this is the color to choose! Adding a red rose, to declare  your true love, would certainly be an ideal combination!

In an earlier post, I mentioned the Language of Flowers from 1846, when each flower, and the numbers of flowers in a bouquet, represented a message. The chart below will give you a framework for choosing flowers but you can also use your own creative combinations, along with other flowers and herbs, such as rosemary for remembrance. Most florists are familiar with the symbolism of flowers and can help you create the perfect bouquet to send a one of a kind message. 
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