22 Earth-Body-Soul: Learning Grace from the Snapdragon
“Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.”
Daily Word of Intention
Grace
Centering Thought
I am like the snapdragon, wherever I reside, I bloom with grace.
Questions
Do you cherish your grace?
Are you graceful?
What do you think a snapdragon looks like?
Gratitude:
I am so thankful for my ability to learn. I am thankful for the internet that makes research so easy. I am thankful for history. I am thankful for all of the insights I have learned today about this flower. I am thankful for the graceful beauty of the snapdragon. I am thankful that I too can be graceful in any situation I may find myself.
Reflection
I am the snapdragon. Native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, and North Africa, I have been grown for ages. Press my petals and my jaws open wide; release, and they close with a snap. Originally white or purple, today I come in all colors but true blue. Sometimes I am bi-colored: snow white with a colorful lip, and depending on my variety, I can grow anywhere from 5 inches to 3 feet tall. My genus name Antirrhinum translates roughly as “looks like a snout.” That’s me - I look like a dragon snout. Because of my distinctive looks, I have also been called, calf’s snout, and toad’s mouth. The Romans called me leonis ora, lion mouth. The Greeks, besides the name, looks-like-a snout, also called me kynokephelon, dog-headed. Plant me each year - I don’t like the cold of winter or the hot of summer - the slight chill of Spring suits me perfectly. I am fragrant. Hummingbirds and bees of size love me. I resist the deer and rabbits. To care for me - remove the old flowers. If I am tall, stake me. I like nutrients and a good water supply. Loved by people for ages, because I can grow in the rockiest of places, I symbolize grace and fortitude. I have been used as a charm for truth. In the Victorian Age, some people sent me with a hyacinth, which symbolizes truth, to express that they regretted the mistake they made.
Works Cited
Harding, Deborah. “The History of Snapdragons.” GardenGuides.Com. https://www.gardenguides.com/126335-history-snapdragons.html. Assessed 13 July 2021.
Kuack, David. “It’s a Snap.” Horticulture, vol. 116, no. 3, May 2019, pp. 52–57. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=136106686&site=eds-live.
“Snapdragon.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, Jan. 2018, p. 1; EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=sn134800&site=eds-live.
Blessings
Thank you for joining me today! I hope you have a beautiful day! Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you. Peace for now - and remember, stay CHARMED ~