Lilac

Syringa vulgaris

Lilac

Gemini

Far Sight, Clarity

Lilac, also called Common Lilac, is a flowering shrub that produces strong-scented purple flowers and  grows 12 to 15 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide. Lilacs are easy to grow and are hardy.  The flowers are very fragrant and attract butterflies.  Lilac shrubs do not like to be in standing water, and will not bloom when consistently wet. Most lilacs have purple blooms; some varieties bloom in many shades of purple and in pink and white.

Lilacs height is symbolic of reaching for the sky or reaching for other realms. This lends those who enjoy the sight and smell of Lilac clear vision.Those who use Lilac energy can often understand the meaning of what someone is saying, and at the same time, use far sight and clarity to understand the meaning behind the meaning, or the truth at the core of a matter. Far sight and clarity are both attributes that can be developed with intention and practice.  Those with a true affinity to lilac are usually those who had those abilities at birth and who have learned to use them in their relationships and in the business world.

Lilacs attract butterflies and hummingbirds. People who are attracted to Lilac and have clarity in their lives attract others who either have the same or who like that trait and want to develop it. These people make good teachers in all areas.

Although lilacs grow profusely in Europe and North America, they originated in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Mature lilacs, those that grow to about 8 feet, can be pruned after they flower. At this time, dead branches can be removed and the plant pruned for shape and size.This is a good approach to our lives also - to remove that which is no longer useful or serving us, such as an old habit, and setting intentions to bring a new "shape and size" into our lives, whether physically (our bodies, homes or  surroundings), mentally, emotionally or spiritually. Lilac provides the clarity to determine what new aspects will serve us best at this time.

Sunflower

Helianthus

Sunflower

Leo

Happiness, Far Sight

Native to North America, Sunflowers need full sun and enjoy hot summers for flowering. The plants can grow up to 12 feet tall but the tallest require support. The flowers attract bees, birds and butterflies, as well as deer and squirrels who feed on the seeds. 

 

Helianthus comes from the Greek helios anthos, meaning “sun flower.” In popular culture, sunflowers symbolize happiness.

Sunflowers are commonly yellow with a brown center but are also grown in orange, red, brown and bi-color.

Sunflower seeds are harvested for food; the seeds can be eaten or pressed into sunflower oil.  The first use of sunflowers for cooking and for healing was by the Native Americans about 3000 BC in the American Southwest. Today it is a commercial crop grown all over the world. Sunflowers will grow in soil ranging from sand to clay; good soil drainage is required.

Sunflowers follow the sun.  The blooms track the progress of the sun across the sky.  Those drawn to sunflowers also track the light, or we can say they attract the light.  The essence and energy of the sunflower can be seen in people with optimistic personalities– those who can pay more attention to the positive things in their experience.  

The very long stems reach for the sky, showing us that we too can grow above those around us to see the knowledge and wisdom that may otherwise be lost in the complex detail of life.  We can stretch our heads above our everyday experiences to see into spiritual depths with ease.

Sunflowers are often planted in rows so that they protect each other from the rain and wind. You can see the benefit of being surrounded by people who live with the knowledge and wisdom that we are more than our physical selves, and who value the spiritual along with the physical experience. 

Sunflowers have been used throughout history as food, for oil, for ceremony, for commercial and artistic purposes.  They represent longevity in our lives – look at the variety of uses as symbolism of all that sunflower brings to us to support us in longevity.