The morning of the solstice I spent saying goodbye to the energy of Spring. In between my celebratory preparations I went out to harvest a handful of daisies before noon. Some of those flowers I added to a solstice bouquet which decorated the table of our solstice feast of pizza and salad. The others I set out in a flat basket to dry.
-- A Note about Daisies : There are a few different flowers that are commonly called daisies, while some are medicinal these particular flowers in this post are Chrysanthemum leucanthemum and are not to be eaten. I appreciate their symbolism and magick but do not consume them nor use them in teas.--
Later on I took the bouquet out of its vase and hung it upside down to dry. Bouquets collected on the summer solstice, it is said, bring good luck and protection throughout the year. I will hang it above our front door or in my apothecary.
We have had a long season of daisies but even so I have only managed to collect one jarful. I like to collect flowers intended for magic on magical days; Friday for their association with Venus, or Sunday due to their association with the Sun. The solstice was ideal, it landed on a Friday and I picked the daisies just as the Sun was reaching solar noon.
The dried daisies I use to add to spell bags, to decorate product photos, and I even tuck them into envelopes with letters for pen pals. Daisies represent the feeling of spring, new beginnings, inspiration and a fresh perspective. As they are associate with Venus they are tied to relationships with others, friendships and of course romance too.
And as a sun-flower (a flower that open upon sunrise then closes all night) they are of course quite solar. Personally, daises represent a whole hearted acceptance of self and embracing one's inner child without shame and without fear. Daisies can be the perfect amulet for embarking on a new creative project, or even a new romance or friendship.
For all these reasons I adore daisies and find their season to be one full of inspiration and as a result have initiated a number of new artistic projects. Now that we have officially entered into summer you will find me out most mornings collecting these last blooms of daisies and drying them for future magic.
Happy Solstice!
I keep meaning to ask you if you know much about chrysanthemum flowers and the pyrethrin they contain.
Happy Solstice to you too - the good news is that the days will get longer and longer from now till June, for you that is.
I did know that these Chrysannthemum "Daisies" were not apt for human consumption, but I had forgotten to clarify that in the original and went back later to add a note about this. But, I didn't know exactly what they contain that make them toxic till reading your comment. Then I went searching for pyrethrin and it looks like you can make a DIY insect-repelent for the garden with the powdered flowers. Now I am wondering if the owners of this plant planted them for that reason! I wonder if the flowers are toxic to the insects that land on the flower too. Any ideas?
Yup, shorter days for you and longer days for me. :)
The dried flowers are usually used to extract pyrethrin from and as a concentrate it is much stronger. It is what is found in most flea and mite treatments for dogs but is toxic for cats.
As for the flowers themselves... I think that there needs to be a lot of them growing in the same area to be truly effective as an insecticide. I think that many insects just avoid them altogether but am really unsure.
Thanks for this info!!
I had always wondered why our mare never eats any of them while she seems to really like other flowers like thistle and chicory and farmer's friend. I am always looking for a good flea treatment for our cats, of course, diatomaceous works very well. Now I know to never powder them with Chrysanthemums!
You are quite welcome!
Yeah, I like using diatomaceous earth also. I do not have that much experience with cats but nitenpyram is safe for both dogs and cats. I do not know what it is made from but it will kill all fleas on an animal within twenty-four hours.
Que tal calendula! Soy de la comunidad de Hive Argentina. Te invito a siempre usar el tag #Argentina #HiveArgentina así te encontramos.
Somos una comunidad nueva y estamos reuniendo a todos los argentinos. Acá te va a llevar a nuestro servidor de chat y nos conectamos mas fácil.
Buen post! Vivís en un lugar precioso! Desde la ciudad te envidio un poco, yo y mis tortugas jaja!
Nos leemos por ahí!
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