January's Signs and Symbols
January's birthstone is Garnet.Garnet (Stone of Constancy): Stops hemorrhaging, cures inflammatory diseases, andcures anger and discord. Balances yin and yang energies. Place under your pillow to ward off bad dreams and evil spirits.
January's birth flower is the Carnation or Snowdrop.
Colors of Carnations:
- White carnations suggest pure love and good luck.
- Light red carnations, are used to represent admiration, while, dark red is meant to convey deeper sentiments of love and affection.
- Purple carnations imply whimsy and flightiness.
- A yellow carnation means disappointment, and rejection.
- Pink carnations carry the greatest significance, beginning with the belief that they first appeared on earth from the Virgin Mary's tears, when she wept for Jesus as he carried his cross - thus making them the symbol of a mother's undying love. Pink carnations are also given as a sign of thanks or gratitude.
Snowdrops are one of the first flowers to appear in the year and so they symbolize the hope of new life. They sometimes even appear before the snow has melted.
- Some say it is bad luck to pick them and bring them indoors. A single snowdrop in the house is seen as an omen of death because the petals look like a shroud.
- Young girls who pick them before Valentine's Day will not marry that year.
January's trees are Fir, Elm and Cypress
The Cypress Tree symbolism includes understanding the role of sacrifice and is associated with the god of the underworld, Hades.
February's Signs and Symbols
February's birthstone is Amethyst.Amethyst (Stone of Sincerity): Reduces mental tension, induces pleasant healing dreams, prevents over indulgence and encourages transformation and the breaking of bad habits.
- Ancient Greeks believed Amethyst protected them against drunkenness and passion. It's name is derived from the Greek word "amethystos" meaning "not drunken."
February's birth flower is the Violet or Primrose.
The Violet, in Christian symbolism, stood for the virtue of humility, or humble modesty, and several legends tell of violets springing up on the graves of virgins and saints.
- To dream of violets signifies advancement in life. A garland of violets worn about the head prevents dizziness.
- They are considered a good luck gift to any woman in any season, but where violets bloom in autumn, epidemics will follow within the year.
- Romans would decorate banquet tables with violets in the belief that the flowers could prevent drunkenness. Violet wreaths were used by the Romans to relieve hangovers. They drank a wine made from violet blossoms. They also placed violets on the graves of small children.
- According to one legend, it was Venus who made the violet blue.
She had been disputing with her son Cupid as to which was more beautiful... herself or a bevy of girls, and Cupid, with no fear of his mother, declared for the girls. This sent Venus into such a rage that she beat her rivals till they turned blue and turned into violets.
February's trees are Popular, Cedar and Pine
Pine Tree symbolism includes creativity, life, longevity and immortality.
March's Signs and Symbols
March's birthstone is AquamarineAquamarine (Stone of Courage): Purification, lifts ones spirit, calms the nerves
March's birth flower is the Daffodil or Jonquil
Daffodils have the flower meaning of rebirth, respect, regard and unrequited love.
- The daffodil is one of the first flowers of spring, therefore it is a symbol of rebirth.
- Avoid taking a single flower into the house as it will bring bad luck - always have a bunch to ensure happiness.
- In Wales finding the first daffodil of Spring is expected to bring more gold than silver to your life and home
March's trees are Weeping Willow, Hazelnut, Lime and Oak.
Hazel tree symbolism includes hidden wisdom, dousing and divination.
- The nuts of all hazels are edible.
- A number of cultivators of the Common Hazel and Filbert are grown as ornamental plants in gardens.
April's Signs and Symbols
April's birthstone is the Diamond.Diamond (Stone of Innocence): The traditionalsymbol of love, since ancient Greece. Symbolizes peace, fidelity, innocence, and serenity. It was once believed that diamonds endowed the wearer with charm and the ability to attract others.
April's birth flowers are the Daisy and Sweet Pea.
- The daisy was said to spring from the tears of Mary Magdalene.
- It was known as 'God's smile' and 'Day's Eye', an Anglo Saxon name, which morphed to the current word daisy. This is because the flower opened and closed with the sun's rays.
- In magic, it would be used in any fair weather spells or rites to honor the Sun.
- The daisy was associated with Venus, commonly used as a lovers' divination, plucking the petals while chanting "s/he loves me, s/he loves me not".
- Medieval knights wore daisy chains made for them by their Ladies when they rode into battle or tournaments, as a sign of their affection and defense of their Ladies' honor.
April's tree's are Walnut, Rowan and Maple
Maple tree symbolism includes balance, promise and practicality.
May's Signs and Symbols
May's birthstone is the EmeraldEmerald- Symbolizes peace, love, eternal life, when worn or carried it strengthens love, intelligence, eloquence, and popularity.
- The emerald has been considered an especially lucky stone for expectant mothers since ancient Egyptian women began wearing them.
- When worn as a ring, it warns the wearer against poisons, strengthens the memory, protects against demonic possession, and ensures success in love.
- When worn by travelers, it brings good luck, and is known to calm storms at sea.
May's birth flowers are the Lily of the Valleyand Hawthorn.
Hawthorn - Hawthorn is also called 'May' because it flowers in May. It symbolizes hope because it signals the return of Spring and Summer. Maypoles used to be made of hawthorn.
- It's sometimes called 'Fairy Thorn' as it's believed to be haunted by fairies. In Devon it's thought unlucky to sit under a hawthorn because the fairies might cast a spell on you! However if you hang hawthorn outside the cowshed, the cows will give lots of milk.
- The early Christians associated hawthorn with Joseph of Arimathea, owner of
Christ's tomb. He was believed to have planted a hawthorn staff in the ground at
Glastonbury. The staff sprouted to produce the 'Holy Thorn' which was said to bloom on Christmas Day.
The bird of May is the Nightingale
One legend tells that the first Lily of the valley loved the Nightingale, but because she was so shy, she hid in the long grass to listen to his song. The Nightingale became lonely, and said he would no longer sing unless the lily of the valley bloomed every May for all too see.
May's tree's are Ash, Popular and Chestnut
The seeds of the Ash have been used in love divination. If the seeds did not appear on a tree the owner was said to have been unlucky in love, or a future venture would not be successful. Finding a leaf by chance, success was doubly assured if the Ash leaf was kept or worn by the person.
- Fresh ash leaves kept under the pillow stimulated psychic dreams. In the North of England it was said that if a woman placed an Ash leaf in the left shoe, she would meet her future spouse immediately.
- According to another English belief, if the winged seeds do not appear then a reigning monarch will die.
June Through December
"Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again."~ Menachem Mendel Schneerson
June's Signs and Symbols
June's birthstone is the Pearl, Alexandrite, orMoonstone.Pearl: Wisdom through experience, quickens thelaw of karma, brings engagements and love relationships.
- Used for love charms, and healing charms, to protect against fire, to ward off evil.
June's flowers are the Rose and Honeysuckle.
In one Greek myth, the rose was created by the goddess of flowers, Chloris.
One day, she found the lifeless body of a nymph in the woods and she turned her into a flower. She called upon Aphrodite, goddess of love, and Dionysus, the god of wine. Aphrodite gave the flower beauty as her gift and Dionysus added nectar to give it a sweet fragrance. Zephyrus, god of the West Wind, blew the clouds away so Apollo, the sun god, could shine and make the flower bloom. That is how the rose was created and crowned the "Queen of Flowers".
June's tree's are Hornbeam, Fig, Birch and Apple
Native to the Mediterranean region, the fig tree appears in some images of the Garden of Eden.
- After eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve covered their nakedness with leaves that are usually said to be from the fig tree.
July's Signs and Symbols
July's birthstone is the Ruby.Ruby (Stone of Contentment): Symbolizes success, devotion, and integrity. Ancient lore is that ruby is capable of reconciling lover's quarrels.
- A ruby engagement ring expresses passion and promise of the heart. It brings peace of mind, stimulates sexuality, removes evil and impure thoughts, banishes sorrows and prevents nightmares.
- A heart shaped ruby, attracts love when worn over the heart in a red velvet bag filled with seashells.
July's flower is the Water Lily or Larkspur.
- The symbolic meaning of water lilies is purity of heart.
- The symbolic meaning of larkspur flowers is lightness, levity, ardent attachment and fickleness (pink).
July's trees are Elm and Cypress
Elm tree symbolism includes strength of will and intuition.
August's Signs and Symbols
August birthstone's are the Peridot, Sardonyx, and Sapphire.Peridot (Gift from the Sun): Helps us open our inner sight to the spiritual Sun, develops inner vision and the ability to look into the future, frees one of jealous thoughts and counteracts negative emotions.
August's flowers are the Gladiolus and Poppy
Gladiolus. The symbolic meaning of gladiolus flowers is preparedness, strength, splendid beauty and love at first sight.
- The gladiolus is named for the shape of its leaves, "gladius" or sword. The gladiolus is said to have symbolized the Roman gladiators.
Poppy. A type of poppy native to the Mediterranean region yields a substance called opium, a drug that was used in the ancient world to ease pain and bring on sleep.
- The Greeks associated poppies with both Hypnos, god of sleep, and Morpheus, god of dreams. Morphine, a drug made from opium, gets its name from Morpheus.
August's tree are Popular, Cedar and Pine
Pine tree symbolism includes creativity, life, longevity and immortality.
September's Signs and Symbols
September's birthstone is the Sapphire.Sapphire (Stone of Clear Thinking): Treats mental illness, calms the nerves.
- The sapphire symbolizes sincerity, harmony, peace, and faithfulness, it is an excellent choice for an engagement ring.
- As a lucky charm, given by a man to his wife on their wedding day, it provides insurance for a happy marriage. It also, helps assure constancy among lovers.
September's flower is the Aster or Morning Glory.
Aster. The symbolic meaning of aster flowers is charming, patience, daintiness, afterthought, love of variety, elegance, memories and love.
- Aster comes from the Greek word meaning star.
- In ancient times, it was believed that burning aster leaves would drive away evil snakes.
- Aster is closely related to the Chrysanthemum. The aster is considered the other classic autumn flower besides the chrysanthemum.
Morning Glory. The symbolic meaning of the morning glory is affection.
- As the name implies, morning glory flowers, which are funnel-shaped, open in the morning.
- The flower typically lasts for a single morning and dies in the afternoon. New flowers bloom each day.
September's Weeping Willow, Lime and Olive- Sept 23rd only
Willow tree symbolism includes magic, healing, inner vision and dreams.
- The leaves and bark of the willow tree have been mentioned in ancient texts from Assyria, Sumer and Egypt as a remedy for aches and fever.
- Native Americans across the continent relied on it as a staple of their medical treatments. This is because they contain acetylsalicylic acid, also known as aspirin.
October's Signs and Symbols
October's birthstone is the Opal or Tourmaline.Opal (Stone of Cupid) or (Stone of Hope):Brings passion, love, stimulates emotional expression.
October's flower is the Calendula or Cosmos.
Calendula. The symbolic meaning of calendula flowers is grief, despair and sorrow.
October's tree's are Rowan, Maple and Walnut
The Rowan tree is known for aid and protection against enchantment.
- Sticks of the Rowan were used to carve Runes on.
- It was also used in the art of metal divining.
- Rowan spays and crosses were placed over cattle in pens and over homes for protection.
- Its lovely red berries feed the birds in winter. The berries have a tiny pentagram on them. The pentagram is the ancient symbol of protection. The pentagram shape is one of the reason's why it has been called the Witch Tree.
- The Rowan tree indicates protection and control of the senses from enchantment and possesses the power of the psychic, healing, power, success, and protection.
- If carried, Rowan wood will increase one's psychic powers.
November's Signs and Symbols
November's birthstone is the Citrine or Yellow Topaz.Citrine (Stone of Wealth): Believed to promote happiness and be useful against depression. It symbolizes hope, youth, health, wealth and fidelity.
November's flower is the Chrysanthemum.
The chrysanthemum means compassion, friendship and secret love.
- The Chrysanthemum is one of the most honored flowers in Asia. This a friendship symbol that comes from the Japanese Culture. In Japan chrysanthemums called "kikus" are exchanged between friends as a symbol of the virtue and incomparable value of their friendship.
November's tree are Chestnut and Ash
December's Signs and Symbols
December's birthstones are Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Zircon, Blue Topaz, or Tanzanite.Turquoise: To protect against evil influences, carry a piece of turquoise in a blue charm bag on a Wednesday.
- A carved piece, brings good fortune into the house. It is often used as an evil eye counter-charm.
- Protects against poisonous bites, blindness, assassination and accidental death.
- Turquoise is known to absorb negative feelings and possess a strong healing vibration.
December's flower is the Narcissus or Holly.
Narcissus - self-love and vanity - the flower name derives from Greek mythology and the tale of the beautiful Narcissus. He ignored the lovely nymph, Echo, and so was punished by falling in love with his own reflection in a pool. Caught up in self-adoration, Narcissus died; In the place where he had sat gazing yearningly into the water, there appeared a flower that the nymphs named the narcissus.
- It became a symbol of selfishness and coldheartedness.
Holly- Druids believed that holly, with its shiny leaves and red berries stayed green in Winter to keep the earth beautiful when the sacred oak lost it leaves.
- Holly was the sacred plant of Saturn and was used at the Roman Saturnalia festival to honor him. Romans gave one another holly wreaths and carried them about decorating images of Saturn with it.
December's trees are Hornbeam, Fig, Beech and Apple
Apple Tree.In almost every culture, the apple is ripe with symbolic meaning and mythical folklore. They can signify wisdom, joy, fertility, temptation, peace, love, masculinity, and youthfulness.
- Europeans, considered the apple, the "life-tree" symbol for a boy.
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