27 Earth-Body-Soul: Learning Unwavering Faith from the Sunflower
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
Daily Word of Intention
Faith
Centering Thought
I am like the sunflower I grow tall and bright; I am unwavering in my faith, ever keeping my eye on the light.
Questions
Are you loyal?
Do you have faith?
Do you love the light?
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 beauty of the sunflower and the joy that that beauty sparks in me. I am thankful that I too can be unwavering in my faith.
Reflection
I am the sunflower- named for the sun. Of the Helianthus (Greek for sun flower), and the Asteraceae, I grow as tall as 10 ft, and my blossoms are large: as wide as 3 feet. Yellow, and orange, and gold, I grow in the sunlight. Sometimes even purple. Oriented - always oriented towards the sun, yes, ever bending—towards the sun.
My one, solitary flower face is full of flowers, up to thousands—potent with pollen—a delight to the bees. Originally multi-headed and leafy, Native Americans were the first to cultivate me, working with me. Carefully selecting, and selecting again - shaping me into what I am today. They milled me for flour and made into bread cakes. My seeds, a natural fat, are good raw or roasted. High in vitamin E and selenium, my antioxidant properties are healing. Brew me in teas. My sprouts as food are even more powerful and healing. My oil, extracted, is often used in cooking. A food source, and more. Much much more. Grown as a sunscreen and used as a dye to paint fabrics and even skin, I am versatile. My stem has even been used in construction. Also grown sometimes as ornamental, my flowers make nice bouquets. I am bright and cheerful. Having me around will boost your mood, and dispel depression. I also am medicine. I have until inflammatory properties. I have been stirred into ointments. A remedy for snakebites, and oil for the skin and hair. Sacred too— I have been worshiped. My association with the sun is so very strong. In sun temples, I have been the headdress of priestesses. I symbolize faithfulness and loyalty—complete adoration.
The Greeks, in their mythology have a story about me. They say, I was once Clytie, a nymph, and was deeply in love with with Apollo, the God of Sun. And Apollo loved me too for awhile. But then, he turned to another. Raging with jealousy, I told the other nymphs father, who, as punishment, buried his daughter alive. Angered, Apollo turned me into a sunflower. My love for Apollo, the god of the sun remains, and to this day, I track his movement across the sky, ever watchful every day.
Works Cited
Sunflower.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, Jan. 2018, p. 1; EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=su212800&site=eds-live.
“The meaning, history and symbolism of sunflowers.” Bloom and Wild. com. https://www.bloomandwild.com/meaning-and-symbolism-of-sunflowers. Assessed 15 July 2021.
Embry, Paige. “Counting on Bees.” Horticulture, vol. 115, no. 2, Mar. 2018, pp. 54–59. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=127944537&site=eds-live.
“History And Meaning Of Sunflowers.” https://www.proflowers.com/blog/history-and-meaning-of-sunflowers, Assessed 15 July 2021.
McCulloch, Marsha. “Are Sunflower Seeds Good for You? Nutrition, Benefits and More.” HealthLine.com. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sunflower-seeds. Assessed 15 July 2021.
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 ~