Lily

Lily (Lilium Species, also called Tiger Lily, Easter Lily,) is an ancient plant full of lore. The Lily's name has pre-classical origins; indeed, it was the Greek name "Leirion" and the Roman name "Lilium" from which the name "lily" was derived. The ancient Romans believed that the first Lily grew from the milk that spilled from the breasts of the goddess Juno as she fed the infant Hercules. Where this milk fell to earth, a milk-white Lily spontaneously grew. Folklore tells of Lilies, unplanted by any human hand spontaneously appearing on the graves of people executed for crimes they did not commit. In ancient Greek and Roman marriage ceremonies, Lilies, symbols of purity and innocence, along with Wheat, the symbol of fertility, were placed on the bride's crown. Long ago, Spaniards believed that eating a Lily's petals would restore someone who had been transformed into a beast back into human form. In China, the Day Lily is the emblem for motherhood. According to Anglo-Saxon folklore, if both a Rose and a Lily were offered to an expectant mother and she chose the Rose, her baby would be a girl. If she chose the Lily, a boy was on the way. On the whole, Lilies imply purity of the heart.

Magickal Uses:

Lily is ruled by La Luna, The Moon, and is an herb of fertility and protection. The white Lily is associated with Eostara, renewal, and rebirth. The Lily has strong associations with fertility goddesses. To dream of Lilies in Spring foretells marriage, happiness and prosperity; to dream of them in Winter indicates frustration of hopes, or the premature death of a loved one. Some use the Lily to break Love Spells.