The secret life of wild rose
In a world of beautiful flowers, one particular species blossoms with intriguing stories of love and compassion, physical healing and protection, divinity, purification and abundance. According to ancient greek and roman mythology, this flower has been named “queen of flowers” and “flower of the goddesses” for its timeless beauty and romantic fragrance. With its legendary designations and delicate attributes, we journey into the secret life of wild roses and their sacred essences.
Rose, latin name Rosa belongs to a family of plants called Rosaceae, dating back about 40 million years ago according to ancient Assyrian historical fossil records (Baser et all 2013). Worldwide, there are more than 100 Rosa species recorded and thousands of variety cultivated (Hummer, 2000). The intoxicating fragrance, sensuality and mystical powers of the rose flower has intrigued humanity since its discovery over 5000 years ago (Vecera, 1989).
As a plant, it is commonly identified by its small prickles or thorns with bristle like branches, climbing vines and blooming flower. Rose’s constituents include petals, rose hips, rose seeds, stem, leaves and roots while its aromatic compounds include terpenes and over 300 volatile oils (Cseke et all, 2007). In a successful pollination, rose’s blossom flowers through June with the midsummer sun until it eventually withers and bears a small oval-shaped, reddish-orange seed known as the rose hip, which tends to ripen by early fall. In our agricultural landscape, rose flower is grown and culti-
vated in home and commercial gardens, open nature reserves and in various parts of the world where the soil is rich and the sun is bright.
Beyond the linear scope of the human senses, rose is considered to be an ener- getic healing remedy. In the last 30 years of research on aromatherapeutic properties on plants, scientists like Dr. Young leveraged the BT2 Frequency Counter to measure the bio-electrical frequencies of essential oils and their effect on human frequencies when oils were applied to the body. The discovery was astonishing, identifying the oil of Rosa damascena (Damask Rose) to possess the highest frequency amongst all wild- flowers, resonating at 320MHz. Thus, rose oil receiving great fame as the queen of all essential oils, relieving headaches, reducing symptoms of cough and cold, relieving skin irritations, and calming the nerves to promote harmony in the body (Higley, 2001).
As a heart-healing herbal medicine, the rose flower has been intentionally acti- vated by indigenous shamans, doulas, priestesses, modern-day practitioners and healers to help facilitate rites of passage, heart-centered relationships, deep healing transformation, beautification rituals and sacred initiations. Celebrated for its qualities of femininity, tranquility and the unification of the human mind and heart, rose blos- soms are the iconic masterpiece of love and desire and wildly ignites joyfulness in a mundane world. Its beauty invites intimate engagement with nature and allures people to deep sensations of awe and wonder. And yet “when we experience their scent, we come closer to the divine world and our “higher self...” Rose serves as our reminder to surrender and reconnect with the origin of our soul (Sommer, 2014).
Remarkable stories of roses healing abilities have been passed down through the ages in the form of storytelling, old textbooks, manuscripts, and medicinal recipes.
Electuaries such as rose leaves infusion once helped cure King Louis II of Hungary from malaria (Van Der Zee, 1997) while in other folk traditions, rose petals and leaves boiled into a paste stopped bleeding and hemorrhaging during child-birthing. There is a long list of rose’s plant utilization in modern consumer-based society, however peaking the top of the list is rose’s commonly harvested long-stem flower in the cut flower in- dustry.
In today’s world, the exceeding demand of the colorful and decorative rose cut flowers over nature’s wild rose flower parallels the lack of diversity that dominates the westernized food system— limited variety, laden with pesticides and genetically al- tered. As a highly traded commodity in a $5 billion industry, the rose cut flower repre- sents the largest share of the commercial flora, making this an extremely profitable crop for farmers (Global Cut Flowers Market Report, 2021). Unfortunately, the floricul- ture industry has presented challenges and opportunities for rural communities in de- veloping nations to focus on growing rose flower in vast fields to meet market de- mands, then cutting stems for future cultivated blossoms. In this hyper-growth process, the whole rose plant is underutilized, performing its ritual solely for the floral bloom, then sacrificed to serve human greed and consumption. Despite this plant’s shortened life cycle, rose’s essence continues to be a labor of love and a source of food security for those who encounter this flower. As we explore this consumer-based, co-dependent relationship with the cultivated rose plant, we recognize that human in- tervention has resulted in unrealized potential for the plant’s rose hips to fruit and be- come a source of food and medicine for the world. One can only imagine the possibili-
ties of rose’s full power to produce billions of rose hips to feed humanity and heal the planet. This tragedy is truly the “thorn” of rose.
In this investigation into the secret life of wild rose, the production, trade and cultivation of cut roses sparks controversial debate yet radical compassion. There is strong desire in establishing a deeper connection and appreciation of the wild rose plant as a whole living being. The wild rose upholds the branch on the tree of life and remains the wisdom keeper of diversity and sustains its “raw material for evolution” (Johns 1996). The rose hip fruit are the seeds of vitality and potency with secondary metabolites and nutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals. There are a variety of uses for the wild rose plant including extraction, immersion and emulsion as a concen- trated oil for fragrances, essential oils, hydrosols, rosewater, powders, teas, tinctures, jams, syrups, elixirs and more. In many ways, we can come to understand human’s co- dependency on the rose as a household staple, however, rose hips is the lesser known constituent from the rose plant often overlooked and neglected. This continues to be the “wild secret” kept mostly for those who are intimately engaged with the wild rose.
Traditionally, rose hip is an edible source of food for animals and humans with tremendous benefits. Though not typically recognized as edible food in North America, ethnobotanical research has shown that rose hip is a remedy used by the Indigenous people to treat bee stings, colds, blindness and diarrhea (Moerman, 1991). Today, rose hips are considered a superfood, loaded with phytonutrients containing the vitamins A, B complex, C, E, K, and minerals including calcium, silica, iron, and phosphorous. Rose hips are high in bioflavonoid-rich antioxidants including hesperidin and rutin that help strengthen our heart and blood vessels, help with constipation, arteries, bladder
and immune system and prevent degeneration of tissue. They contain carotenes in- cluding lycopene that have been linked with cancer prevention. Natural pectin found in rose hips is beneficial for gut health. Perhaps the most common use of rose hips throughout history has been administered for the prevention and treatment of colds and flu. Wild varieties have the highest concentration of Vitamin C, with some esti- mates reporting 30-50 times the Vitamin C of oranges (Winther et all 2015)
Despite its lack of popularity, the rose hip fruit and the extraction of rose hip seed oil can be found in food and lifestyle beautification rituals. In cosmetics, rose is unsurpassed as a beauty oil. It benefits every skin type, especially infected, dry, and sensitive skin. With its potent Vitamin A & C content, rose hip is commonly found in anti-aging topical moisturizers and serums to help reduce hyperpigmentation and dark circles, enhance hydration, and brighten the skin (Phetcharat et all 2015). Inspired by this research, I purchased rose hip powder from a community food co-op and created a homemade facial scrub and mask to include in my personal skincare rituals.
The life of rose is one of an alchemical process that people can engage with. At some point in most of our lives, rose will touch our hearts perhaps by the gentle touch of its soft petals, the alluring scent of its oil, or the gift of a bouquet of rose flowers,. Rose has intelligently explored the ways to pollinate and activate its erotic behavior on the human species as a conduit for its own evolution. As rose reminds humanity to be- come more conscious on sustainable growing methods and honor its full life cycle of the wild plant beyond its flower, the more healing magic may be shared. Until more people awaken to a deeper consciousness, rose’s secret life may remain just that—a secret.
Working with rose’s vibration and creating flower essences is an easy and fun way to invite the queen of flowers into your presence. Making a hydrating and refresh- ing rose water tonic by the process of hydro-distillation is a simple experience that can be sustainable yet deeply engaging. The process includes creating intention, identifying wild rose in nature, asking for permission to forage a handful of petals, placing them in a bowl of distilled water for a 3 to 6 hour period under the sun and bottling it upon completion. One can use the rose water as a beverage with tea or as a skin spritzer. By creating a special rose essence, we allow the rose to work on us physically and ener- getically by strengthening the life force connection.
The rose plant has so many beautiful qualities that can benefit everyone. For centuries, rose has inspired artists, empaths and poets to share the loving virtues of this remarkable plant. Rose asks us to surrender to its essence yet feel empowered by its fragrance. When we can wake up and smell the roses, the energy of rose can grow in us and we can learn to become the sacred essence of this wildflower. Rose teaches us that we too can grow our buds and bloom that wild and volatile essence within so we can harmonize our highest frequencies of love, peace, and harmony. With pure rev- erence, we gratefully thank the wild rose for sharing the mysteries of the past, present and future of evolution.
