The Magick and Medicine of Rose :: how I use them in my spell work

Ever since finding myself living on this land which is filled with rose bushes of all kind I have felt them call to me and to incorporate them into my magickal practice.

The first year I collected some and let the rest bloom and enjoyed their living beauty. Year after year I have experimented with the fresh flowers while they last and kept the flowers which maintain their color when carefully dehydrated.

Gathering the roses is quite, slow work that gives me so much joy! It is best to go out in the morning to collect them when their aroma is at it's strongest. I take along my flat baskets so that they can dry without being piled upon one another. Some will be put into packets and sold for medicine at a local herbal shop. But the rest will be used for spiritual purposes and that is the focus of this article!

Roses in Magick and Ritual

This beautiful flower in its tones of pink and red has long been associated with love, mostly romantic love. White and yellow roses do exist, and are commonly gifted on mother's day and even in funeral bouquets as a symbol of love of a different sort.

In green witchcraft, however, roses are most often used in love sachets and self love workings.

Medicinally, rose has many heart healing properties and this crosses over into the metaphysical uses as well. Red roses are linked with passion and big feelings, such as a new romance or reconciling after a disruption in a long-term relationship. Thus, red roses are great for starting or rekindling romance with a specific partner, or even attracting a short - but fiery - fling.

Pink roses are a bit more versatile and open to the intention of the spell. They represent a gentle kind of love and, for me, are ideal in long term healing spells associated with self worth and as protective amulets to conserve one's own self love.

One way I use pink roses harvested from my garden is in herb sachets. On this occasion I wanted to create a gift for a gathering of female family members that would be beautiful, useful, and secretly magical.

I used the big jar of lavender flowers that I had stored, freshly dried rose buds, a couple drops of essential oil to enhance the aroma, intentions of self love, and a sparkly purple sachet.

I arranged my portable table with all the materials and went outside to sit under the rose bush where I had harvested most of the roses and began. As I mixed the herbs and added a couple of drops of lavender and rose essential oils I imagined happiness and self love for us all and each person specifically.

On the day of the gathering I presented each lady with a little sachet. I said would hold their scent for a year, or more, and could be used to keep clothes smelling nicely and imbue everything with positive vibrations. They all appreciated the thoughtful gift!

I myself keep a herb sachet with me whenever I leave the house or travel. Some are more intricate with special charms, or even words of intentions, and a variety of herbs. Others are as simple as this one and have a double function of magickally imbuing my day with self love as well as a lovely aroma.

Making Magical Medicine with Rose

As a green witch the healing properties of each herb are always overlapping with their metaphysical ones in spell work. And when roses are fresh and in abundance I include them in teas that are healing to the body and also making moves in the spiritual world.

I only recommend drinking rose infusions when they are organic and if you can harvest the roses yourself, even better! As rose is so healing to the heart, I feel it is important to ingest rose tea whenever my heart is feeling heavy. Simply pouring boiled water over a jar or tea pot of roses and other herbs if desired and let steep will do. I often make infusions in this very way and then add honey, seal the jar and let the whole thing ferment for a few days. Thus the magick and medicine make a powerful potion for self love and heart healing.

Roses are also often utilized in skin care products to infuse the skin with love and beauty. I have recently written about my experience making rose infused oil in the Skin & Body Care community.

However you decide to use roses, I wish you all a magickal day!