It takes a village, they say.
My village, at one time, was my mother: strong and stubborn, but with an unyielding, heart-centered approach to life. We had a deep connection, and I remember her telling me in my late twenties that I was her best friend.
At the time, I couldn't quite process that she didn't have friends who supported her desires, her goals, her needs — her self-care — but she didn't give it a second thought after ten children it wasn't even in her DNA to put herself first pretty much ever. It's shaped me, and honestly breaking that pattern of taking care of everyone else but yourself is not something I do well.
She is the reason I moved toward herbal medicine. She had multiple heart attacks in her late sixties, and they deflated her. She passed very suddenly when I was about 11 weeks pregnant with my son, and it was devastating. Her being was gone — and I felt lost but also very alone with my new role a mother. I dug deep into my herbal knowledge and became friends with Rose for the grief and new beginnings.
The Plant
Rose is strong, resolute, calming, cooling, and quietly infiltrating. She is one of those smells that stays with you — tuck your head into a bloom or pour a cup of rosebuds into a bath, and they permeate everything.
I love the Rose family and use it often in my work, both aromatically and for its astringency. Rosewater is still one of my favorite mists to reach for in summer because it tightens and tones — and, thankfully, lifts my spirit against Virginia's oppressive humidity.
I return to Rose when the seasons shift and I need more strength and resilience. She is one of my favorites for moving grief and opening the heart.
Ways to Work with Rose
One of the easiest ways to work with Rose is to add rosewater or rose tea to a bath. I don't mind floating petals, but for those who do, tuck them into a small cheesecloth or muslin bag. Your skin will thank you — Rose has tonifying properties for both skin and hair, along with her sweet aroma and beauty.
And then there is the flower essence — one of my most beloved ways to work with Rose on the energetic and spiritual-emotional level.
Making a simple Rose Flower Essence
A flower essence is an energetic way to deepen or evolve your connection with a plant medicine. Making your own ensures the highest level of positive energy and intention. When complete, using an essence is a beautiful way to pause and reconnect with your body and spirit — small moments of devotion to the earth, yourself, and your craft. To create a rituals.
As you infuse your intentions into the process, you create potent vibrational medicine. This is co-creation between you and the plant, and trust me — it's a powerful one.
What you'll need: a small glass bowl, a small glass jar, a mesh strainer, tweezers, scissors, unadulterated spring water or distilled water, and organic alcohol or vegetable glycerin and time.
The Magic:
Gather your flowers. If making a moon essence, choose a night when the moon is full and the sky is clear if not gather them the earliest in the day as possible to allow less interaction with bugs on the plant.
Sit with your Rose plant or the Roses you will be using. Meditate, ask permission to use her flowers as medicine, and tune into any messages she may have for you. Call in your ancestral support — there may be wisdom there you haven't yet accessed. For me with Rose it is my grandmothers bathroom with her rose soap. Write down what you are feeling it will all go into the energy of the flower essence.
Prepare your vessel. Making sure that it can fully accommodate your plant matter. Fill it with spring water and place it near the plant. Using your tweezers and scissors, cut each blossom close to the base, right at the bracts, and place them flat and facing up on the surface of the water. Cover the bowl with one even layer of flowers — or if it's a rare bloom, just one will do.
As you work, stay present to the co-creation. Offer an affirmation, a prayer, or a meditation to each flower if you feel called. When the bowl is full, give thanks to the plant and ask that the essence reach its full potential for healing and balance. If any messages come through, write them down — they'll deepen the intention woven into your essence.
Finishing the Essence:
Allow the essence to sit in sunlight for 3–4 hours, or overnight under the moon.
When it's ready, strain it through a mesh strainer into a clean glass jar and preserve it with at least 40% alcohol — we use brandy or glycerin at a 50:50 dilution. Label your bottle with the place, time, and any astrological magic that was present. This is now your mother essence. Offer back to the earth any leftover water as a gift for the magic given.
Cultivation
Rose prefers full sun to part shade and has a natural tendency to form a hedge (you'll know this if you've ever been to Ireland). She tolerates many soils, including Virginia clay I do add in a fair amount of compost when I am planting this plant.
Collection: Flowers bloom in early to mid-June. Harvest during a dry day to prevent molding. Each cluster will have flowers in varying stages of opening, so it's fine to harvest as long as some are in full flower with a strong scent — I like to collect a full cluster along with 1–2 leaflets. Rosehips are best collected after a hard frost in Virginia, if you want larger hips I suggest getting the Rose rugosa - highly fragrant and big rosehips.
General Uses:
Rose is one of my absolute favorites as a heart tonic — for the physiological heart and the spiritual-emotional one.
I hope you enjoyed my love letter to Rose. I'd love to hear about your experiences with this energetic gem.
The information shared here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your healthcare provider before using herbal products, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or have a known medical condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
