I originally posted this on The Eclectic Corner, but was asked to repost here. So, I humbly submit........

An Exploratory Essay on Floromancy

As the first loser of a pool, my assigned task was to present an essay on Floromancy within a period of roughly 1 week. Shouldn’t be extremely difficult, I thought. I was told that Floromancy is the proper name for divination with flowers. Research is something I enjoy so I set out to get the facts needed to write this essay. After first doing a cursory search on various web search engines and finding nothing but a small assortment of homemade pagan, and supposedly expert occult type web sites (none with any references of merit), I headed off to the local library. I was quite surprised to find absolutely nothing! In fact, after exhausting most topics I thought might be relevant, I was surprised to find that floromancy, or floramancy (as it’s alternatively sometimes spelled on the web) is neither a word listed in the Webster’s dictionary, or for that matter, the Oxford dictionaries of every English language word, past or present. Since I don’t have access to Hogwart’s School library, I had to take a somewhat different approach. An approach that did reveal some interesting history on divination by flower.

According to the definition afforded us from Occultopedia.com, “Floromancy is based on the belief that flowers radiate vibrations, react to a sympathetic or hostile environment and are affected by electric shocks. The term Floromancy is sometimes also used for the belief that flowers have the power to cure disease.�?/P>

The main reference to this new definition appears to come from Patricia Telesco‘s. The Victorian Flower Oracle: The Language of Nature, which combines flower and herbal lore. The author evidently takes knowledge commonly known for thousands of years, calls it all Victorian, and packages it along with a good deal of original material for those who spell magical, with a k.

Floromancy or floramancy is a new word, evidently created fairly recently to either describe flower divination or help sell something. The word is created by attaching the Roman word flora, for flower, with the Greek word mancy, meaning divination. I have been unable to discover the exact origination of the word, but never less, it is not the historical word for divination with flowers. The actual English word for divination by flower does comes from the Greek. The correct word for divination by flower is Anthomancy, though it is not a strictly a Greek concept. The use of native plants for medicinal, dietary and shamanistic purposes is common to every culture. Too much for a thousand word essay surely. What then of the power of the flower?

She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me, she loves me not…Sound familiar? This is probably the best known of the many divinations of flowers. A simple binary question, yes or no, answered by plucking the petals from a daisy. At the very root of this child’s game is the divination, or the foretelling of future events. For countless eons, mankind has looked to the future with uncertainty. In order to assuage their fears, man looked to the natural world for clues. This practice was rooted in the belief that all things on earth were created by the gods and goddesses and therefore all things had some ability of consciousness. So, if mankind could share thoughts through a language with each other, perhaps there was a method of communication that could be discovered.

Divination by flower is present in almost every culture and country one chooses to look at. In many cultures, the particular “language�?used is not general knowledge. In Korea, for example, the flower’s or plant’s detailed message was interpreted by the Shaman of the area. General folklore was known, but varied from location to location, and varied even more over the passing of time. Divination by flower generally feel into areas of love, health or fortune, as most divination does. So let’s look at some examples!

In areas that had Roses, it was believed that if there was a single rose bloom well after season, that it meant an unexpected event was soon to occur, a change of fortune or visit. But, if the rose that bloomed was diseased, it meant a loss of fortune, sickness or possible death in the family.

In Scotland, Cabbage was used by young women to divine the shape of her future husband. The day before Halloween the girl would go into the garden, recite a phrase and pull a cabbage stalk. The shape of the stalk, long, short, thin or fat gave her a clue as to whom she may want to give special attention to.

In Scandinavia, on Midsummer’s Eve, before going to sleep, young women would place a bunch of flowers under their pillow. This was sure to bring dreams of a future husband.

In the early 1900’s, American girls used a love divination with the Lilac. Occasionally a tiny lilac flower will blossom with five petal divisions instead of the usual four. This blossom, called the Luck Lilac, would be “solemnly swallowed�? If the flower went down smoothly, then the girl would know her beau loved her, else, if she choked, he loved her not.

As an example of contrary lore of some flowers and herbs, I can think of no better example than Bay. Originally, Bay was used in many pagan rites, dedicated to Apollo, chewed by the oracles at Delphi to inspire prophecy and was used in wreaths crowning poets, musicians, warriors and kings. In the European countryside, hundreds of years later, people thought witches rode on bay wood broomsticks. Yet by the 1600’s, the bay tree was believed to “resisteth witchcraft very potently�?

And there are many more. Surely then, in anthomancy, as in all methods of divination, one can create their own magic. If one believes in the consciousness of the plant, simply think of the question, and think of the indication the plant should exhibit to answer, and divine away�?

To wrap this up, I’ve included the common meanings of flowers used as gifts. Most of these meanings were compiled during the Victorian age and are common to European culture. These meanings were generally passed down from the countries the flowers were from and over time.

ABOR VITAE - Unchanging friendship
CAMELLIA, WHITE. - Loveliness
CANDYTUFT - Indifference
CARNATION, DEEP RED - Pity my poor heart
CARNATION, WHITE - Disdain
CHINA-ASTER - Variety
CLOVER, 4-LEAF - Be mine
COLUMBINE - Folly
COLUMBINE, PURPLE - Resolved to win
DAISY - Innocence
DEAD LEAVES - Sadness
DEADLY NIGHTSHADE - Falsehood
FERN - Fascination
FORGET-ME-NOT - Remember me
FUCHSIA, SCARLET - Good taste

GERRANIUM, HORSESHOE - Stupidity
GERANIUM, SCARLET - Consolation
GERANIUM, ROSE - Preference
GOLDENROD - Be cautious
HELIOTROPE - Devotion
HYACINTH, WHITE - Loveliness
HYACINTH, PURPLE - Sorrow

IVY - Friendship

JASMINE, WHITE - amiability
LILY, DAY - Coquetry
LILY, WHITE - Sweetness
LILY, YELLOW - Gaiety

LILY,WATER - Purity of heart; elegance
LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY - Unconscious sweetness
MONKSHEAD - Danger is near
MYRTLE - Love
ORANGE BLOSSOMS - Chastity
PASSIONFLOWER - Faith
PRIMROSE - Inconstancy
ROSE - Love
ROSE, Damask - beauty ever new
ROSE, YELLOW - Jealousy
ROSE, WHITE - I am worthy of you
STRAW - Agreement
STRAW, BROKEN - Broken agreement
SWEET PEA - Departure
TUBEROSE - Dangerous pleasures

THISTLE - sternness
VERBENA - Pray for me
WITCH HAZEL - A spell

 

References;

Books;

Picton, Margaret (2000). The Book Of Magical Herbs. New York:Barron’s

Yepsen, Roger; Editor (1997). 1,001 Old-Time Garden Tips. Rodale

Hayes, Elizabeth S. (1961). Spices and Herbs, Lore & Cookery. New York: Dover Publications

Web Sites;

http://www.widdershins.org/vol4iss2/04.htm

http://www.occultopedia.com/f/floromancy.htm

http://zandra.bravepages.com/divination.html#flower

http://www.gallowglass.org/jadwiga/pagan/witchbib/telesco.oracle.html

http://www.backyardgardener.com/article/green/1213.htm