The morning after the full moon following the summer solstice, as the sun begins to warm the earth, the essential oil content of Roses are at their peak. This full moon is known to some devotees, as the Rose Moon. For thousands of years, people have risen on this day before dawn, to tend to and harvest Rose in the height of her vitality. The Rose dawn is a powerful moment of cosmic harmony, natural order, and earth biorhythms. Roses are a symbol of the sacred feminine and divine love; they are yin in nature, cooling like their morning blossom. Roses are deeply connected to the biorhythms of life, they embody sun and moonlight. Rose's gift is their ability to help us connect to our own internal biorhythms, our heart, our breath, our hormonal rhythms, and our sleep cycles; in turn, they deepen our connection to the natural rhythms of the earth.
This morning, the kids and I tended to our patch of wild roses in our horse paddock, continuing my small harvest (not at dawn, haha). As I cannot bring myself to pick the roses in their full epic display, we collect the petals that have naturally fallen, often found lying on the earth. It’s important to not pick the whole flower and to leave the forming “hip” for seed regeneration and other beings that rely on their blossoms. The bees were so vibrant this morning and the air was so sweet.