Marigold Flower & Seed

DescriptionMarigold is thought to have magical qualities predominately in country folklore. The Welsh believed that if marigolds were not open early in the morning, a storm was imminent. Water made from marigolds was thought to induce psychic visions of fairies if rubbed on the eyelids. Marigold is a hardy, annual herb native to central and southern Europe and Asia. At Midsummer garlands of marigold flowers hung on doors to prevent evil from entering, and its petals were also scattered on the floor under the bed to offer protection to sleepers. They are considered traditional elements of the Ukrainian wreath, & its flowers are a symbol of fidelity and devotion and were believed to protect the house from evil spirits and the evil eye.In Slavic folklore Marigolds (chornobryvtsi) symbolize young beauty, paternal home, native land. The flower was brought to Ukraine in nineteenth century and quickly became so popular that could be seen in every Ukrainian yard. An old folk legend says that once upon a time in a village lived a family with three happy and pretty sons. Enemies came to the village and kidnapped the children. Their mother tried to find them but couldn’t. She often cried near the window where they used to play and where her tears dropped, chornobryvtsi (marigolds) grew. Marigolds can be used in incense dedicated to the sun, the element of fire, the star sign of Leo and to invoke sun gods.  A herb of healing and protection, it can also be added to incenses for prophetic dreams, love, divination and used to consecrate divinatory tools such as crystal balls. It has a psychoactive action and has been smoked ceremonially in combination with Nicotiana rustica when peyote was eaten and it was drunk as a tea to promote visions.In ancient Egypt it was used as a rejuvenating herb, while the Persians and Greeks used it for cooking, in Hinduism it was used to decorate altars and temples. The marigold is an important flower in certain religious ceremonies in Nepal and is used to decorate Hindu temples in India. Marigold is considered the flower of the dead in Mexico where it is used to decorate ancestral altars for Day of the Dead celebrations. After the Spanish invasion, the Aztecs viewed the marigold flower as a symbol of the Spanish invasion and the massacre of their people and destruction of their way of life.All types of marigolds can be used as offerings to the dead and as decoration for ancestor altars.