Saturday, 7 May 2011

Magnolias - Flowers of Divine Beauty, Life Force and Perfection

Magnolia
For the past few weeks, I keep thinking of the magnolia flower. It pops into my head all the time. The image is so persistent that I finally decided to find out more about what it means.

Magnolias are a striking variety of flower because the magnolia blossoms are so large. The flower is associated with nobility, perseverance, dignity and a love of nature. The magnolia tree is a symbol of magnificence because of its impressive height and enormous flowers.

The magnolia tree was named after the French botanist Pierre Magnolia in the 1600s. The flowering tree has more than 80 varieties including a striking yellow blossom, the goldfinch, or the popular white blossom, Magnolia grandiflora. The scent of the flower varies depending on which variety is used. Each color leads to a different meaning. The white magnolia flowers stand for purity and perfection. The pink magnolia flowers symbolize youth and innocence together with joy. The green magnolias represent joy coupled with health and good fortune. The purple magnolias send out vibrations that support your wishes for alignment with your truth and physical wholeness (health).

A "steel magnolia" is a popular phrase denoting the strength a Southern woman possesses. This phrase was popularized by the 1989 movie "Steel Magnolias" in which six Southern women endure various hardships but rise above them. The term refers to the delicate yet strong nature women have.

In art, specifically Chinese art, the magnolia is used as a symbol of feminine sweetness and beauty. In China, magnolia flowers are symbols of purity and nobility. In Japan, the magnolia is used as a medicinal and ornamental plant. The flower is called Hanakotoba in the Japanese system of flower symbolism. This means that the flower is sublime, natural and shows love for nature. Magnolias are associated with the life force and are often presented at births.

1 comment:

  1. They are beautiful. I love the dark stems and especially the cup and saucer variety.

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