Motherhood, Death, and Magic

The white lily is THE flower in the Christian world. The Madonna Lily (Lilium candidum) represents the Virgin Mary as well as death and resurrection. However, the white lily had these associations long before Christianity existed. In fact, the white lily may be one of the oldest domesticated flowers. Cultivated in Crete as early as 3000 BCE, it was depicted on Minoan vases and in frescos in the palace of Knossos. The flower was also associated with Britomartis—the Cretan goddess of the moon, nature, and hunting—who was later identified with Artemis.

Throughout Greece, the white lily was cultivated for medicinal purposes and enjoyed as an ornamental garden plant. Also known as Juno’s rose, the lily was associated with Juno/Hera in Roman and Greek mythology. Legends vary, but according to one, the white flowers sprang up where drops of Juno’s milk fell to the ground. Associated with fertility, lilies were worn by Greek and Roman brides. The lily was also cultivated by the Egyptians who dedicated the flower to Isis.

The white lily was also a funerary flower to the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians because it was a symbol of hope and renewal. While the flower memorialized the dead and was believed to help them on their way through the afterlife, on the practical side it helped to mask unpleasant odors.

Although the symbology was adapted into Christian lore, in medieval Europe the white lily was still used medicinally and as a flower of magic. While the dried root was sometimes worn as an amulet and love charm, the lily was also used to counteract love potions. Medieval magicians reputedly used it to manifest spirits. In England, lilies were hung over doorways to ward off bewitchment and grown in house gardens to keep ghosts away.

For your own magic, place a white lily on your altar during full moon rituals to call on the beauty and power of Luna. Dry several flowers and use them in a sachet for a love charm. The lily is a flower of renewal especially because it rises from the ground on its own unaccompanied by leaves. Place a vase of lilies on your altar to symbolize a new chapter in your life or to welcome any type of transition.

If you would like to read more about plants and magic, check out my books The Witches’ Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, Plant Magic and Magical Faery Plants.