I love the month of June when the roses start to bloom and there is sunshine and lightheartedness in the air. The rose with its delicate, fragile beauty, and incomparable scent and healing qualities, is widely celebrated and revered, with good reason.
History of the Rose
Possibly the worlds favourite flower, roses have been traced back in history up to 35 million years ago. Their scent is one that is prized and celebrated in many cultures, and a common ingredient in many perfumes.
Cleopatra is said to have been a lover of roses and would bathe in rosewater daily, scent the sails of her royal ship with rose blossom and famously covered the palace and bedroom floor in rose petals to seduce Mark Antony.
Newly married couples in Ancient Rome would also be crowned with roses, which received the name Rosa gallica, which is a well-known rose even today.
Rose essential oil was first introduced to Europe in the 16th century, where it quickly became a staple in the cosmetics industry.
Mythology & Symbolism
Ancient legends that surround the rose lead back to Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, being hailed as the creator of the rose. Mythology states that they grew from her tears and the blood of her lover, Adonis. Later, the Romans adopted the association of the rose, with their goddess of love, Venus, making it a symbol of love and beauty.
Different colour roses have been assigned different meanings according to the Language of Flowers, for example white being associated with purity of innocence, yellow associated with friendship, orange for passion, red for true love, black for death, pink for appreciation and gratitude and lastly blue for mystery.
Healing properties of rose
Rose is often associated with feminine energy, and commonly referred to in its ability to support female health concerns including PMS, heavy menstruation and the menopause. It is also associated with bereavement and loss, being thought to provide comfort to those experiencing grief, and heart break, like a motherly embrace.
Rose is often added to cosmetics for it's astringent and anti-inflammatory qualities and antioxidant qualities, meaning it can help to tighten pores and reduce redness or irritation and work to soften fine lines and signs of aging. Rose is used in many herbal preparations for example to make tinctures, oxymels, teas, vinegars, or hydrosols.
As an essential oil, rose can help to relieve stress and anxiety, as well as targeting depression. Applied in a carrier to the skin or inhaled, rose essential oil can work at a deep level for the mind and body. It is a particularly expensive oil to buy, with approximately 60,000 roses needed just to produce one ounce of this oil.
What's your favourite way to use rose?