Thursday, March 15, 2012

Flower Tattoo Symbolism


Flowers Tattoos and there meanings


Symbolism is endless in flowers and meanings range from protection, to love, to warnings, to wealth.
As flowers are the actual reproductive systems of plants, most generally flower meanings deal with: Love
Birth
Unity
Growth
Connection

Over time humans have devised symbolic languages of flowers, which became popularized in the Victorian era. In the 1600's, Lady Mary Wortley was pivotal in bringing flowers and meanings to the public attention. Prior to her research and observations the symbolism of flowers was quite esoteric.
Floral symbolism varies according to the type of flower, how it is arranged, how many flowers in the arrangements, and combinations of flowers. Effectually, a floral bouquet as a gift could have endless symbolic meanings. Only someone savvy in the language of flowers and meanings would be able to crack the secret code.
Also the Victorian era wasn’t the only phase of intense floral discovery. Deeper meanings of flowers were used and interpreted by: Native American Indians, Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Ancient Celts, Japanese, Chinese

Amaryllis Flower Meanings
Symbolic of success won after a struggle. These were often given in recognition of a job well done – particularly in scholastics, writing, and artistic endeavors. Also recognizing his/her achievements in the arts.

Apple Blossom Meanings
Intoxicating by their very nature, apple blossoms are symbolic of heady love, peace, sensuality, and fertility. Apple blossoms (and trees) were honored by the ancient Celts as a symbol of love, and they would decorate their bedchambers with these blossoms to entice amorous nights.


Camellia Flower Meanings
With its delicate soft, round petals and gentle curves the camellia is considered a symbol of desire, passion, and refinement. It indicates a deep longing in the heart for your beloved. It is also a symbol of perfection and excellence. 

Daffodil Flowers and Meanings
Daffodil’s have meanings of faith, honesty, truth, forgiveness, and forthrightness. They are ever vigilant in returning each spring, and with their return we are reminded that their beauty is capable of following on the shirttails of even the harshest winters (or tribulations). . 

Dahlia Flower Meanings
Dahlia’s are spicy flowers, and their meanings range from a sign of warning, to change, to travel, to even a portent of betrayal. The varied symbolic meanings of the dahlia make this flower a wild card.  Combine them with slender flowers like irises or tulips for a striking visual display as well as a combined symbolic message that says “temper your adventures with a kind heart.”





Lily Flowers and Meanings
Lilies are the flowers of the spiritually advanced. They are also the totem flowers of mothers, especially new ones, fertility and nurturing. Lilies are  symbolic of unions, partnerships, and long lasting relationships. 








Lily meaning quick-reference keyword list:Hope, Faith, Birth, Purity, Renewal, Promise, Passion, Becoming, Chastity, Innocence, Fertility,, Cleansing, motherhood, Remembrance, Transitioning

     
Greek lore associates lily meaning with birth and it is a symbol for motherhood because the flower was said to be created from the breast milk of Hera.
As the story goes, Zeus wanted Hercules, his son born from an extra-marital affair, to become a god. One way of doing this was to have him suckle at the breast of his wife, Hera. Zeus invoked the god of sleep, Somnus, to put Hera in a deep slumber while he enticed Hercules to suck at her bosom. He did this so vigorously that the milk overflowed. That which flowed heaven-wards became the Milky Way, and the milk that flowed to the earth turned into a white lily.
   Contrarily, the lily also hold masculine qualities as the Greeks held the lily as a symbol of high eroticism and sexuality, the long pistil of the flower suggesting a phallus and the pollen symbolizing fertility.
  Many old wives tales suggest telling the sex of an unborn child by using a rose and a lily. All one need do is approach an expectant mother with a lily in one hand and a rose in the other. If the mother chooses the rose, it will be a girl. If she picks the lily, it will be a boy
.
In alchemical symbolism lily meaning is associated with lunar and feminine qualities.

Christians hold the lily as a symbol of chastity, innocence, purity and piety. In early Christian art the white lily is symbolic of the "Madonna" as the flower is associated with the virgin Mary. It is typically depicted in a vase or held by Gabriel in Annunciation paintings.
Moreover, the parts of the lily have specific religious signficance to the Virgin Mary:
   The stem of the lily symbolizes Mary's religiously faithful mind
   Lily petals represent her Mary's purity and virginity
   The scent of the flower represents Mary's divinity
    The leaves leaves signify her humility.


With its three petals, the lily is often considered a trinity symbol, holding the representation of three virtues: Charity, Hope and Faith.

Another reference to the lily's trinity-like nature is found in Byzantium and France where the lily sometimes identified with the Fleur-de-lys. Each protrusion of the motif is symbolic of
1) royalty, 2) prosperity and 3) expanse.

In mystery teachings, lily meaning s include: Development, Growth,, Progress, Freedom, Purity

In the symbolism of the Tarot, the lily also holds symbolism of purity, innocence and fertility. Also, the lily symbolizes vulnerability, and the freedom to be ourselves, as well as allowing others to be as they are too. The lily is a symbolic flower of health and provision. In a reading, the lily can signal growth, development, and a quality of innocence in our lives. Depending on the surrounding cards, the lily may also indicate new relationships and births.



Pansy Flower Meanings
Pansies have long been flowers of remembrance. Indeed, they have often been placed upon memorial markers and stones to honor and remember those who are no longer on the physical plane. They are also a symbol of togetherness and union, and perhaps this is why they are so appropriate for remembering those who have passed from our lives. Their beauty is the perfect testimony to the love we have shared with others in the past.



Violet Flower Meanings
Violet symbolism includes: Love, Modesty, Honesty, remembrance, Protection, Healing, Transition, Dreams, Connection, Nobility.
The flower colour and the violet flower itself is also symbolic of temperance and mental clarity. Because it is composed of the colours red and blue, it is symbolic of the balance between earth (red) and sky (blue). This blooms into spiritual symbolism as we see the violet as symbolic of Christ, who is considered an intermediary, one who strove to live in between the worldly and the heavenly




Rose Flower Meanings
Rose meanings vary according to color. On the whole, however, roses are symbolic of deep love, concentration, intelligence, balance, and passion. They are also sometimes seen as a message for healing, revitalization, rejuvenation and courage. Roses are very complex in their features, and so therefore have complex meanings. Roses bear the mark of honor, devotion and intense commitment on many levels. 

Sunflower Meanings
The way they move their massive heads to meet the sun make them a flower of spiritual attainment, flexibility, and opportunity. They are also symbolic of good luck, wealth and ambition.




Tulip Flowers and Meanings
Tulips are also voracious sun seekers (like the sunflower) and will sway their heads in crazy contortions seeking out the best angle for light. This makes them a symbol of opportunity, adjustment, advancement, and aspiration. They are commonly thought to represent attainment of spiritual awareness too. Because they are from bulbs, and return every year (like the daffodil) tulips are symbolic of resurrection and determination.

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