It's nature is feminine, it belongs to the element of water, and is ruled by Venus. It is sacred to Hathor, Hulda, Freyja, Eros, Cupid, Demeter, Isis, Adonis, Harpocrates, Aurora. It's magical powers covers love, psychic powers, healing, love divination, luck, and protection.

The rose, cultivated for well over 3,000 years and known from time immemorial as the queen of the flowers, is thought to have originated in Asia Minor. The genus name Rosa, is from the Greek word "rodon" meaning "red". The Persians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used the rose not only as a garden ornamental but also as the main ingredient in various perfumes and cosmetics. In Greece and Rome, the rose was the favorite flower of the goddess of the flowers, Greek Chloris / Roman Flora. In festivals for these goddesses, people bedecked themselves sand their animal with flowers using mostly roses. (An ancient Rose parade!). At Roman dinners roses were used lavishly for decoration and were even strewn on the floors. The diners often wore roses garlands as a preventative against drunkeness.

In Greek myth, Cloris was said to have created the rose from the dead body of a beautiful nymph that she came upon in the woods. Chloris called on the other gods to help her change the nymph's body into a flower that would surpass all others in beauty. Aphrodite bestowed upon it beauty, the three Graces - Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia - give their qualities of brilliance, joy and youthful bloom. Dionysus gave it nectar and fragrance. When the flower was done, Chloris crowned it with a diadem of dewdrops proclaiming the queen of flowers.

The beautiful rose is the most used flower in all lore. With its thorns, it has been a symbol for love thru the ages. The bloom is joined to love, beauty, youth, perfection and immortality. It's thorns with pain of love, guilt, and the dying blossom with the passing of youth into old age. In Christian legend the Rose was thornless until Christ died, but grew thorn after to remind man of his weak nature.

The color of roses have special meaning. Pink for simplicity or happy (romantic or spiritual) love, white for purity and innocence and is associated with the Virgin Mary. Yellow means perfect achievement or jealousy, red is associated with Physical love (lust and passion) shame and sometimes blood and sacrifice.

In another legend, the rose was originally white but turned red because Aphrodite pricked her foot on the thorns while trying to help her dying lover, Adonis. The Moslems claim it was stained by the blood of Mohammed, and Christians by the blood of martyrs. From the times of the ancient Egyptian the rose has been token of silence. The Greeks gave it this meaning in a legend in which Cupid bribed Harpocrates, the god of silence, with a rose to induce him to conceal the amorous affairs of Aphrodite. For the Teutonic people, the rose is a flower of Freyja, who was known for her ability to keep secrets. The expression "Sub Rosa" means "Under the Rose". It means, that a matter is to be kept in strict confidence. That stems from the custom of attaching a rose to the ceiling or having one sculptured or painted there, to remind partiers that anything said while drinking is not to be repeated.

The rose has also been a popular heraldic flower for a soldier's shield since Roman times. You will see it in all kinds of different banners, shields, clothing and paintings.

Roses have long been used in love mixtures, due to the flower's association with the emotions. Roses on the altar are powerful love magic aids. Rose water distilled from the petals is added to love baths, Rose hips (the fruit of the rose) are strung and worn as love attracting beads. A tea of rosebuds drunk before sleep induces prophetic dreams. To discover their romantic future, women used to take three green rose leaves and name each for one of her lovers. The one that stayed green the longest answered the question of "which one?".

Rose petals and hips are also used in healing spells and mixtures. A cloth wet with rose water laid on the temples will relieve headache pain. Roses are also added to fast luck mixtures and when carried, act as personal protection. Rose petals sprinkled around the house calm personal stress and household disturbances. Rose planted in the garden attract faeries and are said to grow best when stolen.

The delicate fruity flavor of rose hips can enhance fruit dishes and drinks. Both hips and rose peals are made into jellies and ice cream. I have had rose ice cream, it is VERY, VERY good. I am told that you can find it in some Middle Eastern food stores but it is very, very expensive. 10 years ago it was about $20.00 a gallon.

The common red garden rose has long been a favorite medicinal plant of folk medicine. A tea of dried rose petals is taken for headache and dizziness and with honey added as a heart and nerve tonic and a blood purifier. A very strong tea (steeped about 10 min.) of the petals serves to treat mouth sores and added to wine invigorates the tired body and is also useful for uterine cramps. As a mouthwash, the wine decoction helps allay toothache, as a warm trickle into the ear, it helps earache. Clothe soaked with rose vinegar can also be used as a compress for headache and rose honey is an ancient remedy for sore throat.

Red roses are considered best for medicinal use. Of the different types of roses, those classified as Hybrid Perpetuals are the most suitable. The following are the species most commonly used medicinally.

R. Californica - California rose - found wild in most places between Oregon and Baja California. West coast indians used it for a cold remedy.

R. Centtifolia - Cabbage rose, - mostly used for rose water, though the infusion, powder and tincture are said to be good for hemorrhage and the infusion as a gentle laxative. Rose water make a good lotion for dry or chapped hands.

R. Damascena - Damask rose - is used for attar of roses and as a rejuvenating agent, regulating the menstrual cycle and the scent for inducing sleep.

R. Eglanteria - Eglantine, sweetbriar - used to relieve colic and diarrhea.