Ah, the Rose of Jericho. This flower is actually a tumble-weed, and it is known by more than one name: The Resurrection Flower, Maryam's flower, the Flower of St Mary, St. Mary's flower, and Mary's flower. This remarkable plant is revered in magical circles and ancient traditions for its ability to come back to life, even after years of appearing dead.
The Rose of Jericho. You'd think there would be only one!
Believe it or not, there are 2 different "Rose of Jericho" plants, though only one is considered to be the true Rose of Jericho. These species are:
The Anastatcia Hierochuntica (The True Rose of Jericho)
The Selaginella Lepidophylla (The False Rose of Jericho)
The "True" Rose of Jericho is the Anastatica, which is a white mustard flower that's from arid areas like the Middle East, the Sahara Desert, parts of North Africa and regions of Iran, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Pakistan. When the flower experiences a drought or becomes dry, it shrivels up into a little ball and will stay that way until there is water again. It does this as a way to protect its seeds, and to preserve itself.
The Selaginella Lepidophylla is native to the Chihuahuan Desert, and is located in parts of Northern Mexico and the United States. This "False" Rose of Jericho behaves very similarly to the Anastatcia, but it has the advantage of being able to come back to life even if its roots are disturbed. The Anastatcia requires its roots to be undisturbed and intact in order for it to be resurrected by water, while the Selaginella is able to be resurrected by water even if its roots have been harmed. Another distinction between the Anastatica and Selaginella is in their coloring. The Anastatica is usually grey or a whitish yellow (especially if its roots had been disturbed), even when it blossoms. The Selaginella, however, is a vibrant green when it opens in water.
There's what they look like:
The Anastatica
The Selaginella - With A Time Lapse!
Magickal Uses of the Rose of Jericho
The Rose of Jericho has history in Catholicism, and Paganism. In Catholicism, they say that the flower was in full bloom consistently until Jesus' death upon a cross. When that happened, the plant then shriveled up, but when Jesus was resurrected three days later, so too the flower blossomed. It is considered tradition to place a Jericho Flower in a bowl of water during the Christmas season, and then again during Easter. This is done in remembrance of Jesus' death and resurrection.
In Paganism (whether it's Wiccan, Voodoo, Hoodoo, Santeria etc), the Jericho flower is a symbol of resurrection, growth, fertility and prosperity. Some spells people do with the Jericho Flower is to dip a paint brush into the water of the Rose of Jericho, and outline the doorways of a home and business with it. This is done to help bring abundance and wealth. Another thing a person may do is place the plant in a shallow bowl of water near the front door so to invite prosperity. It is also sometimes placed at an altar as an offering.
How to Resurrect the Flower
Place the plant in a dish of water so that its roots are covered. You only need to worry about getting water on the roots, so you don't need to submerge it. After 4 hours, the plant will be mostly if not completely opened! You can let the plant sit in the water for a few days, but it's best to not let it go beyond seven days at a time, as it will begin to rot after prolonged exposure to water.
May this post give you inspiration and help you to enjoy the fullest of what your Jericho Flower has to offer! We make sure to keep them plenty in stock at the store, so if you are in need of one, just let us know!
What should be on the next Magickal Spotlight? Comment below with what you want to know!
I have a bachelors in History, and as anyone who has a degree will tell you, it doesn't matter how much of an expert you may be about something -- ALWAYS find and provide sources to the articles you write!!
Here are my sources for today's post (though not formally written):