Lovely Rose by Suzanne Fiore
I believe everybody can use some rose in their lives. I used to underestimate this famed flower, I thought she was pretty but didn’t realize what a powerful plant ally she could be. Rose’s fruit is packed with vitamins and her petals can work wonders on our hearts, livers, kidneys and reproductive systems. Who knew?!
Rose petals are astringent and help tone both the male and female reproductive systems. (Flower of love, indeed!) Chinese herbalists use rose buds to help women with menstrual pain and irregular moon cycles. This makes sense because menstrual cramps are often related to imbalances in the liver and rose petals are slightly bitter which usually signals an herb that supports the liver.
I drank rose petal infusion recently at the beginning of a cold that was threatening to become pretty nasty. I had tightness in my chest, a cough and a sore throat. After a few cups of infusion, the tightness in my chest was gone. It turns out that roses are traditionally used for that!
I recently gave a cup and a half of rose to a family member suffering from a bad case of diarrhea. He called the next day to thank me as it had completely cleared up.
The color of a rose petal infusion is gorgeous and just watching those petals dance around the mason jar is relaxing. I have included rose flower essence in a spirit lifting tincture and in medicines meant to soothe jangled nerves.
Haiku for Roses
Roses have taught me
it’s fine to have thorns. All bright
blossoms need limits.
Roses are a fabulous spirit medicine and have much to teach us about the interplay of beauty and boundaries. They can help to open the lines of heart to heart communication. I almost always serve rose at gatherings of friends. One of my most profound experiences with rose was being in a difficult conversation with my partner that went more and more smoothly as we drank rose petal infusion. (I’m not kidding) Maybe it is because roses work on the physical heart and the nervous system, maybe it is because they contain something beyond science that helps us see each other with greater compassion.
I’m sure you know this, but I will write it anyway: sitting in a rose petal bath is a relaxing, sensual experience. These strong, gorgeous flowers remind me to take a moment in the swirl of my days to get back to my center. They remind me to take care of myself. Something about rose helps me relax, focus and recognize the good in my day.
Rose Hips by Carolyn Rasmussen
Roses Have Hips For a Reason
Oh, about that cold I used rose petal infusion to work through: I might have never caught that cold had I been using rose hips! The fruit of the rose is packed with vitamin C, bioflavonoids, carotenes, and B complex which are all great for the immune system. Rose hips are well known for their ability to keep colds and flus at bay. I have started adding them to my family’s fall/winter infusions.
Gail faith Edwards writes that the “Nutrients (protein, phosphorus, sodium, selenium) in rose hips make them especially nourishing to the brain and are an important addition to the diet of any child needing assistance with focus, concentration.”
Roses deserve their reputation as the Queen of cosmetics (rosewater is also wonderful for cuts, scrapes and burns). Think inner and outer beauty. These flowers belong to the lovely Oshun who is often shown looking into a mirror. What is she looking at? Is she simply checking her hair or is she showing us something about self-reflection and self-love? My friend, Ina, who is a fabulous midwife and herbalist, said it beautifully “Roses heal anything that attacks the dignity of women.”
Gorgeous rose has powerful medicine for all of us. She has definitely taught me that if I am willing to embark on the journey, rose will take me wherever it is my soul truly needs to go.
Rose petal elixir
Take enough fresh roses –wild or organic— to fill a glass jar of your choice. Put the flowers in the jar. Cover the flowers with brandy. Add honey. Let this mixture sit for six weeks or more. Enjoy! I have also made this elixir with a combination of fresh pink and dried red roses. It was heavenly and it helped heal a sore throat.
Rose petal infusion
Put a handful of dried roses in a half gallon mason jar and fill the jar to the top with just boiled water. Don’t let this sit longer than an hour and 15 minutes.
(If you want to get fancy you can also try rose with lemongrass, rose with lemon balm, rose with ginger or rose with lavender. Steep lavender for 15 minutes tops.)
Rose hip honey
Take fresh rose hips, crush them and put them in a jar. Cover them with honey and let the mixture sit for six weeks.
Wild roses
The Sage Honey 