Flowers — Gifts of Goddess by Judith Shaw

I was captivated by a bunch of wispy, weedy zinnia flowers on my dining-room table, with its bright blossoms sprinkled on the curling stems. The zinnias pulled me from my current obsession with sea goddesses into a different zone, into the Kingdom of Plants (Kingdom Plantae). The Plant Kingdom is an important part of Goddess manifest, having come into being long before the appearance of our human family. It’s no wonder that flowers and other members of the Plant Kingdom play an important part in the mythology of our ancestors worldwide. 

As zinnias are indigenous to Mexico, you won’t find them in myths and legends of the European, African, Middle Eastern or Eastern religions. However they do gain symbolic significance in Europe during the Victorian Age. 

Myth and legend

Zinnias were sacred to the Aztecs, who used them in various rituals and ceremonies. Seeing them as symbolic of the sun, they were often given as offerings in tribute to their gods. 

Brazilian curanderos used zinnias in ceremonial healings, putting their leaves on top of the patient’s head as a cure for madness. They were also put in ritual baths as part of a healing ceremony. 

In the North American Southwest, the Dine people used zinnia flowers as a sacred life medicine. In somewhat similar fashion, the Pueblo people fed zinnia blossoms to children, believing this would make them eloquent and intelligent. 

Various Native American cultures, recognizing the flowers’ ability to endure harsh conditions, viewed zinnias as symbolic of endurance and perseverance.

Symbolism

Endurance, Perseverance, Resilience 
These vivid flowers grow and thrive in even the harshest weather. From heat waves to prolonged droughts, you’ll find zinnias flourishing where many other plants wither and die. Now all across the globe, zinnias remind us that we too can endure and persevere whatever challenges come our way. And in the same way that this humble plant produces such beautiful, colorful flowers, we see that we too can grow emotionally and spiritually by confronting and overcoming our challenges.

Love and Affection, Friendship and Loyalty, Joy, Warding Off Evil
Zinnias bloom through out the summer heat and well into the chilly days of fall. You can count on zinnias for its flowers and beauty for much longer than some. For this reason they have come to be associated with friendship, loyalty, love and affection. The jewel-like tones of zinnias’ reds  and pinks symbolize the intense feelings of romantic love. 

Zinnias bright colors, particularly the yellows and oranges symbolize joy.  These brilliant blossoms are an uplifting addition to any garden or bouquet.

When the Spanish colonists arrived in Mexico they saw the zinnia wildflowers everywhere. Strangely enough they didn’t appreciate the zinnia’s beauty, instead dubbing these bright flowers with their evident centers as “evil eyes.” Perhaps this is when the flower’s association with “warding off the evil eye” began. They weren’t even known as “zinnias” until the 18th century when German botanist, Johann Gottfried Zinn, named them after himself. 

Victorian Era
During the Victorian era in the mid to late 19th century, the English embraced a wide range of symbolic meanings for zinnias. They assigned different symbolic meanings to each color. For instance:
Red zinnias — love and passion
Pink zinnias — romance and admiration
Purple zinnias — creativity and imagination
Orange zinnias — energy and enthusiasm
Yellow zinnias — happiness and joy
white zinnias — purity and innocence

Modern Day

During the 20th century zinnias became widely popular. But in the United State where “big is better” has been the sentiment for a long time, the small native zinnia flowers were not enough. The breeders got to work, producing zinnia varieties with large flowers. A favorite for gardens, the California Giant Zinnia has been bred over many years to produce some of the largest blooms available. These beautiful giants are sure to put a smile on your face. 

As we find with so much ancient wisdom, modern science is now “proving” what Native Americans knew so long ago — zinnias do in fact have beneficial health properties. 

The major beneficial compounds in zinnia flowers include saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, and phenols. They have been shown to have anti-oxidative qualities in addition to anti-fugal, phytoremediative, anthelmintic and hepato-protective properties. 

Zinnias provide further benefit as exceptional pollinator plants. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds can’t resist their dazzling colors and tasty nectar. While pollinators have always been important, they are even more crucial today as pollinator habitats are being lost worldwide.

Because of zinnia’s abilities to endure and thrive in all kinds of conditions they were among the first flowers grown successfully on the International Space Station. Now that’s a modern-day variation of the recognition of this flowers’ abilities for sure. 

As we work together to create a more equitable, balanced world, flowers and other members of the Plant Kingdom remind us that Mother Earth is our constant companion. She is our home and the very fabric of our physical bodies, as well as those of all living beings.

With summer coming to a close, I hope you too can find some beautiful zinnias — an ancient gift from the Goddess — to inspire your day.

Discover Judith’s art on her website – judithshawart.com
Here’s a direct link to Zinnia Joy with its various print and merch options.