FLOWERS

This is why, apart from enjoying them ourselves, we use flowers as gestures of love, reassurance and sympathy and why we often give them to people we like, love or admire. It is generally in one or other of these contexts that flowers appear in your dreams. When flowers are in bloom their beauty is vibrant and colorful but also fleeting and fragile, because as soon as a flower bursts from its bud into full bloom it is in the process of dying to make way for the next generation of flowers. As such, flowers in dreams can also be symbols of hope and optimism, as well as of the cycle of birth and death.

In his practice, Carl Jung observed that the dreams his patients reported consistently contained geometric shapes, such as circles, squares and triangles. A close look at a flower reveals that it is similarly composed of repeated shapes and patterns, reminiscent of the mandalas used in the Eastern religions that represent the wholeness of the spirit unfolding like a blossoming flower. The Buddha observed that the lilies floating in a pond were in various stages of development, just as each individual is in various stages of spiritual development. Some rose above muddy conditions to thrive whilst others struggled to survive.

In helping you discern their particular meaning, the color and condition of the flowers in your dream may be as significant as the flowers themselves. For example, red roses speak of romance and beauty whilst white roses speak of purity, spirit and healing. To dream about new blossoms suggests the opening of the inner self. To dream about a healthy flower represents healthy vitality, and to dream about a wilted flower represents a low energy or life force. Dreaming of an expansive field of beautiful wildflowers may symbolize freedom and uninhibited growth. Flowers growing through concrete or popping up through the snow might symbolize a strong spirit whilst flowers growing in the spring indicate new growth and beginnings. Flowers are often present in dreams of departed loved ones, symbolizing the natural cycle of life and death. Reflect upon the personal significance of the flower to determine its meaning in your dream. Take note, too, if the flowers have unusual colors; a friend giving you green roses, for example, may be jealous of your romantic attachments.

See also COLORS; NATURE AND THE SEASONS; SHAPES; TREES.

To be given a bouquet means that we are being rewarded for an action the colour of the flowers may be important (see Colours). In folklore, each individual flower had a meaning in dreams: Anenome Your present partner is untrustworthy. Arum Lily An unhappy marriage or the death of a relationship. Bluebell Your partner will get argumentative. Buttercup Your business will increase. Carnation A passionate love affair. Clover Someone who is in need of finance will try to get in touch.

Crocus A dark man around you is not to be trusted. Daffodil You have been unfair to a friend, look for reconciliation.

Forget-me-not Your chosen partner cannot give yon what you need. Forsythia You are glad to be alive. Geranium A recent quarrel is not as serious as you thought. Honeysuckle You will be upset by domestic quarrels. Iris Hopefully, you will receive good news. Lime/Linden This suggests feminine grace. Marigold There may be business difficulties. Mistletoe Be constant to your lover. Myrtle This gives joy; peace, tranquillity, happiness and constancy. Narcissus Don’t mistake shadow for substance. Peony Excessive self-restraint may cause you distress. Poppy A message will bring great disappointment. Primrose You will find happiness in a new friendship. Rose Indicates love, and perhaps a wedding, within a year. Snowdrop Confide in someone and do not hide your problems.

Violet You will marry someone younger than yourself.

2- The feminine principle is often represented in dreams by flowers, as is childhood.

The bud represents the potential available, while the opening flower indicates development.

3- Spiritually flowers signify love and compassion, both that which we may receive and that which we give to others.

Dreaming Lens: What type of flowers appeared in your dream? Were they being given or received as a gift? Were they wildflowers or store bought? Were they indoors or outside and part of nature?

Personal Focus: Flowers are one of nature’s delights. They embody the notion of beauty that knows nothing more than to be beautiful. Their attractiveness is designed to ensure their continued survival, so their very existence is tied directly to their beauty. They have come to be relied upon as expressions of love and affection when given as a gift. In fact, there is an entire language of flowers, known as floriography, associated with the meaning of different flowers. Although floriography is long out of fashion, it can be easily researched should a particular type of flower appear in a dream.

Wildflowers have a different connotation than those that have been cultivated. Any image that connects with nature is reflecting some expression of unconscious thoughts entering your conscious awareness. However, cultivated flowers connect with a sense of deliberateness with regard to the presence of beauty. Wildflowers are evidence of beauty as a natural part of life, and that in the absence of any attention whatsoever, love will always find a way to express itself through the veil of beauty for beauty’s sake.

Most often, flowers are exchanged as a token of love, thanks, or apology, so look to areas in your life where one of these themes may be present. If a person was connected with the flowers in the dream, use him or her as a Character Aspect to see what elements of your own personality might be calling for love or reconciliation. (See also Garden.)