Rose is a plant and an herb.

• botanical information
• history
• nutritional information
• astrological correspondences
• magick correspondences and uses
• Goddesses and deities
• cautions and contraindications

botanical information:

    Botanical name: Rosa spp.

    Common name: rose

    Use the botanical name when ordering seeds (bulbs, etc.) or when looking up information in the library. Common names vary by nation, culture, and region, and sometimes the same common name is applied to different plants.

history:

    History: Roses were commonly grown in ancient Egyptian temple gardens.

    Ancient Egypt was famous for its roses and was the primary supplier of roses throughout the Mediterranean during antiquity, including throughout the Roman Empire.

nutritional information:

    Modern science has revealed that the rose hip (the sweet part at the center of a rose) has the highest concentration of iron of any plant (it is also an excellent source of vitamin C). A woman loses a lot of iron during her period, and a natural supplement of iron has obvious positive benefits. Additionally, there are a few dozen minor trace ingredients in rose hips, many of which help stabilize a woman’s emotions and moods while on her period.

    Obviously early witches didn’t know the scientific details, but they did know that eating rose hips (either fresh, or dried rose hips used to make rose hip tea) helped during menstruation. So, taking rose hips during menstruation became a fairly standard part of witchcraft.

    In fact, it is this witchcraft practice that led to the association of roses with romance. Before Christianity, the use of rose hips or rose hip tea during a woman’s period was fairly common knowledge. The men who were close to a woman (particularly her husband or mate) would make sure that they brought their lover plenty of roses during her period. And obviously a man would have to be on intimate terms with a woman to know the right timing for when to bring roses.

Rose hips are the fruit of a rose that develop after the peddles have fallen. They were used in Britain during World War II to prevent scurvy during a shortage of citrus fruit. Since then, rose hips have been used as a source of Vitamin C and in fact, have up to 60 times the Vitamin C of citrus fruit as well as containing the bioflavonoids that aid in the absorption of Vitamin C. Used to fight infection & curb stress. It is the highest herb in Vitamin C content and contains the entire C-Complex.” —courtesy of Austin Nutritional research

astrological correspondences:

    Astrological planet: Venus

magickal correspondences and uses:

    Month: Rose is associated with June.

    Rose Amulet: A rose amulet can be used to attract love or passion. Women should wear the rose in their hair. Men should wear the rose amulet in their lapel. Use a red rose for passionate (sexual) love affairs. Use a pink rose for romance. Use a white rose for true love. Use a yellow rose for tender love. Misuse of a yellow rose amulet can result in your love partner developing jealous feelings. This is an amazingly easy and successful love magick amulet, but it does take boldness.

    Love bath: A love bath is a safe and easy way for anyone to cast a love ritual. Rose petals are used in Scott Cunningham’s love bath number one, love bath number two, and love bath number three. See the article on love baths for more information.

    Venus spells: Rose (as herb or essential oil) may be used in as an ingredient or substitute for magick spells and formulas related to Venus matters (beauty, compassion, fidelity, friendship, happiness, interchanges, joy, love, luck, meditation, pleasure, reconciliation, and youth). Be careful about substitutions for preparations that will be ingested or come in contact with the skin. These substitutions do not apply to medical uses. See the article on Venus for a list of herbal substitutes for rose.

    Using essential oils: Essential oils are just too concentrated and too expensve to use without dilution. If you purchase pure essential oil from a source such as Mountain Rose, you will want to place just a drop or two into a neutral carrier vegetable oil or jojoba. This conservation is typical of the use of essential oils in spells and other magick. It is wise to test a bit of any essential oil on your inner wrist before use. If any irritation occurs, do not use the essential oil. Keep essential oils out of reach of children and pets and away from heat and light. See the article on essential oils for detailed information on how to mix and use essential oils.

    Magickal substitutions: Rosemary usually may be safely substituted for any herb in magick spells and rituals. Roses may safely be substituted for any flower.

deities associated with roses:

• Aset (Kemetic Goddess)
• Isis (Kemetic Goddess)

    Ritual uses: Roses were used in the rites of Aset (Isis).

cautions and contraindications:

    Cautions and contraindications: Rose petals and rose hips are believed to be safe.

    Cautions and contraindications: Rose greens are not recommended for internal use.

    Wild gathering: Avoid wild gathering. Some plants are endangered species. Please grow your own herbs in your own goddess garden (or window boxes).

See also: herbs

next herb