Love,As pure and gentle as the petal of a rose,
As harsh and sharp as the venom of a thorn.
So easy to hurt, to prick one's tender soul
The rose has a pull over us that draws us close to touch, sniff and revel in the velvet softness of its petals.Wandering through a rose garden can take both men and women down a path of nostalgia as they recall memories of special people in their lives.
The rose is the one flower most steeped in legend as the flower of love.
"The rose speaks of love silently, in a language known only to the heart." Author Unknown
According to Greek mythology, the rose was born and crowned the Queen of Flowers by Chloris, the goddess of flowers.
Upon finding the body of a beautiful nymph, she asked the Three Graces, Aphrodite, Dionysus and Zephyr to create a flower in her honor. The Graces added joy and charm, Aphrodite gave the flower its beauty, Dionysus added a special nectar, and Zephyr, the wind god, blew away the clouds so the sun could kiss the petals.
Roman mythology tells how the color was obtained when Jupiter caught Venus bathing and her blush turned the white rose to red. The Greeks claim the deep color stems from when Aphrodite scratched herself on a rose thorn and in sympathy red roses sprung up from the blood.
In Eastern traditions, when a soul knocks on the door to the next world, only the rose is allowed to follow, leaving all other possessions behind.
Early Christians symbolized the red rose with martyrs' blood and life after death. The white rose portrayed the innocence and purity of the Virgin Mary.
The cultivated rose was most likely from Northern Persia or what is now Iran. From there it traveled to the Mediterranean where we so often hear how the Romans lavishly used rose petals in their baths, banquet halls, marital beds and funerals.
Avicenna in the 10th century was the first to make rosewater. Pliny listed 32 medicines prepared from roses. Otto or attar of roses was discovered in the 16th century in Persia and is now a major ingredient in perfumes and the world of aromatherapy.
Oil of roses is used for depression, anxiety, emotional health as well as physical problems surrounding PMS and skin conditions. Being so labor-intensive, rose oil is among the most expensive of the aromatic oils to produce. It takes over 200 pounds of rose petals to produce one ounce of rose oil. Aromatherapy often offers rose oil diluted in jojoba oil. Pure rose oil is found in many of the more costly perfumes. Synthetic fragrance oils are commonly used to make this wonderful scent more affordable and can be found in air sprays, candles, body sprays, etc., but realize that the synthetic equivalents to the real thing won't carry the therapeutic value of true rose essential oil.
" I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."
Emma Goldman
"Won't you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you."
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
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| Aloe Rose Soapfree Facial Cleanse |
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| Rosewater Facial Toner |
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Rose Facial Cream
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| Rosewater, Elderflower Vinegar Astringent |
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| Rose Glycerin Hand or Body Lotion |
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| Rose and Elderflower Vinegar Sunburn Soother |
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