Florascopes

I've had great fun discovering the personality secrets of all my readers who left me their birthdays in the last post. I'll be interested in hearing how well your florascope matches the real you. Thanks for participating in this little bit of flower fun.

Sunflower ( my painting from 2009)
Margie -- August 12

Friendly sunflowers are kind and loyal . They like centre stage and deprived of adoration, they wither. When nurtured, sunflowers light up the neighbourhood. Their good looks and love of laughter attracts many admirers. Sex appeal is strong. Throughout life this fun lover stays in touch with the inner child, enjoying games, sports, and taking risks.

Money.. Can fritter it away on luxury items
Health.. strong but can be prone to viruses if deprived of affection
Love.. romantic , radiant, unrestrained
Career.. talk show host, gourmet cook, teacher, children's writer, editor, lawyer
Spirit.. finds spirituality in nature

Famous sunflowers
Julia Child, Madonna, Martha Stewart, Mick Jagger
Dustin Hoffman, Napoleon, Jacqueline Kennedy


Cactus Flower
Mary Ann-- October 25
Don-- November 19

The cactus flower personality is a transformer. A cactus flower gathers secrets and usually keeps them quiet. Their occasional thorny personality covers up personal fretting. Their dedication to doing a good job sees them working long after others have given up. Enthusiastic and unshockable in matters relating to the bedroom, cactus flowers are rumoured to be as hot a noon in Texas.

Money-- keeps a secret stash
Health-- dislikes extremes in temperature, may have abdominal problems
Love -- passionate and intense
Career-- archaeologist, private investigator, psychiatrist, surgeon, racing driver
Spirit-- drawn to the mysterious aspects of religion

Famous Cactus Flowers
Hilary Clinton, Bill Gates, Jodie Foster
Joni Mitchell, Monet, Andy Warhol, Christopher Columbus

Bird of Paradise
Mark-- December 14 (also my daughter's birthday)

Bird of Paradise personalities are optimistic, open and generous, encouraging others to show how special they are. They reach for the heavens pondering spiritual and philosophical matters, but are never boring in their pursuits. Their attraction to risk sees them bungy jumping, sky diving and pursing other risky sports. They love collecting ideas, going to parties and flirting.

Money.. natural gamblers, big spenders
Health.. hardy and energetic, may suffer joint problems and are prone to accidents
Love.. Sensual, honest, adventurous
Career.. test pilot, vet, cartoonist, movie director, ski instructor
Spirit.. seriously committed to spiritual growth


Magnolia (a section of one of my postcard paintings)
Roxanne-- May 14

The Magnolia personality is willing to wait for the best. They are careful, long term thinkers who recognize quality. The rich comforts of home appeal to them most, e.g., a luxurious bed. Being uprooted/transplanted to new surroundings causes stress. Magnolia personalities appreciate all things sensual, from art galleries to aromatherapy massages. This unruffled personality seldom resorts to anger.

Money.. shrewd investor
Health.. uncomplaining, delicate throat may be vulnerable to infection
Love.. committed, physical, revels in pampering
Career.. botanist, stock trader, doctor, architect, singer
Spirit.. nature worship appeals

Famous Magnolias
Tony Blair, Cher, Salvador Dali,
Karl Marx, Willie Nelson, Barbra Streisand
William Shakespeare, Ella Fitzgerald

What kind of flower are you?

What? More flowers? Yes! Bear with me for awhile because there is so much to the lowly flower. From my previous posts - if you've been following my blog- you know that flowers are symbols of love, gratitude, friendship and beauty. They have been painted by artists through the centuries and are a favourite subject for photographers.

But..... did you know that flowers are connected to astrology? Florascope, written by Helen Brown Gentry and photographed by Sally Tagg, offers "new insights into the personality, career, relationships and spirit of the twelve flower signs." You can find out what other flowers you are compatible with, and what famous people share your flower sign. This was all new to me, but how could I resist when I saw this book in a sale bin for $3.99?


So, what about me? I am an Aries born on April 17.I am a tiger lily- not one of my favourite flowers and not one of my favourite colours either- until I remembered they are can be different colours like pink. Before I read the rest of the information I tried to look at the positives of a tiger lily. It is energetic, faces in all directions, is tall and reaching, has lots of blooms, can grow in pretty bad soil, and is all around hardy even in high winds. Not a bad profile overall. Now, what about the horoscope stuff?

A natural leader, born to leave a mark. Tiger lily aims to achieve greater heights than other flowers and is guaranteed to make an impact. Only one place suits this vivid exhibitionist and that's first. Supercharged, courageous and determined, defender of the helpless. For all its colour and show, tiger lily is easily damaged by thoughtless behaviour and is the first to cry at movies. This all sound a little too close to home for me.

Health-- prone to broken bones ( I am a klutz) and ailments of the head (no comment).
Love-- romantic, adoring, possessive (only one of the three)
Career--- business executive (not, but could have been), military officer (never) entrepreneur (aren't all artists?) head hunter (I've done it in my own little way)
Spirit-- Prefers religions involving theatrical expression of faith (not by a long shot)

Famous tiger lilies --- Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Russell Crow, Picasso, Sarah Jessica Parker, Joan Crawford, Celine Dion --- a pretty creative crowd.

If you're willing to give me your birthday (no year) I'll profile the first four birthdays I receive. Let's have some fun and see where this goes. Stay tuned.

Florilegium

Florilegium literally means "flower book". A florilegium can be a collection of writings or a portfolio of flower pictures. Of course my interest is in the floral aspects but there are certainly times when I have seen both combined very well. Florilegium also crosses over into the world of music with this British ensemble.

The earliest florilegia—anthologies of illustrations describing living collections of flowering plants—first appeared 400 years ago. Europe's royalty was avidly assembling collections of new and rare plants from all corners of the world and had begun to commission artists to record the marvels growing in their gardens. The illustrated herbals of previous centuries were often of considerable beauty, but they were, above all, medical books. Florilegia were drawn from life and botanically accurate, but they also placed new and exuberant emphasis on the beauty of plants. ... Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens also has a Florilegium Society with many artists who have added their botanical renderings to the collection.


Sometimes Florilegia also focused on other aspects beyond personal summary of exotic or precious blooms. This Florilegium is both a Book of Flowers and a Herbal describing the characteristics and medicinal effects of plants. The text is in rhymes and the illustrations also show animals and humans.


Sweerts Florilegium was used to advertise his flower trading business.






It seems that modern day Florilegia are also popular. An Irish Florilegium II












Artist Elisabeth Ochsenfeld created a body of work titled Florilegium. This collection of plants are more interpretative and lyrical than those found in scientific florilegia.

And finally two Florilegia presented on Woolgathersome blog. This collection contains some very big names in the world of art and all have focused on the lowly flower at different times in their career. Part I is here and then Part 2. Tucked among all the images are literary selections.

Coming up in the next post Jacques Nimki the master of Florilegium.