The name comes from the word “calendae,” that in Latin means “the first day of the month” as it blossoms all year round. Calendula is also known as Marigold, although other species also use Marigold. Tagetes is also acknowledged as Marigold, and this is why Calendula is sometimes confused with members of the genus Tagetes.
Calendula is a genus of about 15 plants in the family Asteraceae, domestic in Asia, the Mediterranean, and Europe. The most common part of the genus is Calendula officinalis, also known as Pot Marigold. Gardeners admire Calendulas for their cheerful, bright orange and yellow daisy-like flowers. Calendulas are easy to grow and provide a full season of blooms. Once you see them grow in your garden, you will want to see them again and again!
Calendula symbolism
Calendula symbolizes happiness, joy, grace, and sometimes grief and loss.
The Calendula plant or flower has been a symbol of fire and sunshine for many centuries. In India, people traditionally included calendula flowers in wedding decorations to symbolize passion, fertility, and creativity for the new couple. They were also set down at the feet of or hung in wreathes about India’s statues of the Gods and Goddesses. Lakshmi and Ganesh were mainly connected with the energies of Calendula, which included wishes for wealth, health, and business success.
They’re often planted near the front door in Mexico to draw wealth and sunny spirits into the home. In Victorian Flower Language, Calendula was included in a bouquet to communicate that the giver’s thoughts were with the recipient. They were often used in arrangements for loss and grief, such as funerals, and could represent the ideas of cruelty and grief.
Victorian’s related Calendula with October, underscoring the symbolism Calendula has with funerals and death and the idea of the sun’s glide the sky. Calendula’s bright-colored blossoms offered comfort and warmth as the world moved into the dark, cold months of winter.
As a flower essence, Calendula helps those who have a hard time communicating learn to do so with warmth, opening them to acquire the messages of others and communicate from their hearts in a way that promotes understanding. Calendula helps people learn to use words as a sacred force, one that’s receptive to and open to imaginative and healing connections.
Calendula flowers are mostly bacteriostatic, meaning they surround bacteria so that they cannot harm the system. If you’re producing the flower essence of Calendula, it would be wise to float a blossom or two in the water.
Benefits and Uses
Since prehistoric times, this flower has been used for various medicinal problems. It has been used traditionally to treat conditions such as fever, ulcers, capillary engorgement, stomach upsets, menstrual problems, and varicose veins. The plant is used to heal wounds, recuperate eyesight, improve mood, and ease digestive problems.
Calendula is well known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties and often treats infections. These are interesting characteristics and can be used in manufacturing tattoo aftercare ointments.
It is also well known for its helpful effect on human skin and can treat various skin problems, from wounds to acne. We can use it on cuts, bruises, burns, scrapes, and insect bites. The powerful skin regenerating properties of Calendula stimulate collagen, making it an effective anti-aging and glow-boosting tool. It can also diminish the risk of certain types of cancer.
The Calendula flowers are edible and make a pretty addition to salads, soups, stews, syrups, conserves, and even cocktails. Due to its intense orange color and somewhat bitter taste, this plant has been used as a substitute for the more expensive saffron. The golden dye of Calendula has been used for cosmetics and fabrics. Calendulas have been used in religious ceremonies, rituals, and different kinds of celebrations through time.
The Egyptians believed that the herb had rejuvenating effects, while Hindu people adorned the statues of their gods in their temples with Calendulas. Early Christians called Calendula “Mary’s Gold” after believing that the Virgin Mary wore the blossoms as an accessory.
Aztecs, Romans, and Greeks also used these flowers in different rituals and ceremonies. The French believed that if you looked at Calendula flowers for a few minutes every day, your eyesight would improve.
These properties and symbolism can be used to create an exciting and meaningful tattoo design. Today we’ve covered a fair portion of interesting meanings and potential tattoo ideas. Calendula flower is an interesting design that has a wide range of storytelling. That’s from joyful and full life to sad and cruel life experiences. That’s pretty much all that anybody can ask from certain tattoo designs. We only need to find which one soothes our story and purpose, and we can start buzzing.
I would say that, like most of the flower tattoo styles, it’s not very important, and we can use our imagination to draw this design in any style. But considering that this is a flower with live and vivid colors, the only way to do this design is definitely full color. We only need to find which one soothes our story and purpose, and we can start buzzing.