Associations
Element: Water
Planetary Ruler: Venus
Aromatherapy: Heart-opening, comforting, emotionally restoring.
Folkloric/Magical Use: Love, luck, abundance, tranquility, friendship/harmony, protection, divination.
History
The rose has been cultivated by humanity since at least 3000 BCE in Central China. It has since then enjoyed a long history of spreading its thorny branches across the world as one of the most beloved bouquet starlets. The damask cultivar, featured in my Rose Otto essential oil, first entered Europe in the Middle Ages via the Middle East, and was prized especially for how extremely fragrant its blossoms are. This variety blooms only once a year from May to June, and to achieve the highest fragrance load must be grown in specific temperature, altitude, sunlight and sandy soil conditions. There are only a few regions where these conditions also align with local farming communities, making it one of the most rare cultivars in the world. Today, the majority of essential oil quality damask roses are grown in the The Rose Valley of Kazanlak, Bulgaria which is 10-12km wide and about 95km long. In these 1895 square kilometers, millions of roses are harvested by hand each year to produce 2 to 3.5 tons of rose essential oil annually. It takes roughly 3,500-7,000 kilograms of rose petals to produce 1 kilogram of rose oil, making it also one of the most expensive essential oils on the market.
The United Kingdom has a few native species of rose such as the Dog, Burnet and Sweet Briar roses, but that majority of those you seen in gardens today are likely the variations of the gallica (Provence Rose) and the hybrida (Hybrid Tea Rose), which are cultivars brought to the UK over the millennia starting with the Romans in 43 BCE and through later trade with regions known for cultivating the gallica rose like France and The Netherlands.
During the War of the Roses, the House of Lancaster was represented by a red rose, likely the Rosa gallica and the House of York represented by the white Rosa alba. When the houses were finally united, an image featuring both red and white roses was created as a heraldic emblem for the new House of Tudor.
"The Rose doth deserve the chief and prime place among all floures whatsoever; beeing not onely esteemed for [its] beauty, virtues and [its] fragrant and odoriferous smell; but also because it is the honor and ornament of our English Sceptre."
- John Gerard, Historie of Plants (1636)
As mentioned before, the cultivar most prized today for perfume making and aromatherapy is the damask rose grown in Bulgaria. Even in the Tudor period this cultivar was known, although not grown, in the UK and medieval apothecaries such as John Gerard wrote of it in their herbals. Although I should mention here they cited most the healing remedies of rose water from the more easily obtained gallica rose for the time period.
Traditional Uses
Culpeper's Complete Herbal (1653) lists a dozen uses for the flower including: to cool inflammation, treat wounds, strengthen the heart, and dispel irritablity. He used distilled rosewater (probably gallica) for sore eyes and rose syrup for fevers and hot agitations.
In Gerard's Historie of Plants (1636)—also known as Gerard's Herbal—the rose was praised for it's ability to strengthen the heart as well. Modern science corroborates these findings where members of the Rosaceae family like Hawthorn and Blackberry have shown to have positive effects on blood pressure and clearing free radicals from the system to help with heart disease. It is no surprise perhaps that observed actions on the physical organ in ancient times gave way for their poetic associations with love and valor—emotions of the heart.
In the 20th century, Maud Grieve’s A Modern Herbal (1931) continued to affirm the rose’s therapeutic value, noting its use in remedies for digestive issues, skin care, and as a mild astringent.
Folklore
The rose has long enchanted cultures around the world, revered not only for its beauty but also for its sacred and protective powers. In ancient Egypt, rose petals and rose water played an important role in funeral rites, purifying and guiding souls in the afterlife, and were often used in rituals to honour the divine. In ancient Greece, the rose became intimately linked with Aphrodite and Eros, the divinities of love. Greeks adorned temples and weddings with roses, believing they brought joy, fertility, and protection from evil spirits. (A tradition I note is still alive and well today at many weddings).
"No other flower has been exalted in literature, mythology, and used for so many sacred purposes as the rose."
-Salvatore Battaglia
Like with the gods, Rome copied Greece's homework on the rose too and decorated temples and banquets with rose garlands, using the flower in love charms and perfumes to inspire passion and fertility. One myth tells the story of Cupid (Eros) giving Harpocrates (the god of silence) a rose as a way to ensure the romantic affairs of Venus (Aphrodite) didn't get out. The latin phrase sub rosa (“under the rose”) originated in Roman society as a symbol that what was said under a rose would remain confidential, and was carried into more modern tradition in Europe as well. The plaster roses you can see on ceilings in older homes are still called 'roses' and denote also that what is said under it shall remain in confidence.
During medieval and early modern Europe, the rose’s meaning expanded further, blending Christian symbolism and folk magic. The white rose, representing purity, became associated with the Virgin Mary, and roses were planted around homes and churches to protect against witches and evil spirits. Rose hips were gathered at midsummer for healing remedies and protective charms. Folklore also connected roses with faeries and nature spirits, suggesting the flower as a gateway between human and fae realms.
In Britain, the rose maintained its magical stature; a single rose placed above a door was believed to safeguard the home from harm and ill fortune. Rosewater was used to bless homes and fields, and rose garlands were worn during festivals to invite fertility and protect against plague. Roses featured prominently in love spells and charms, carried or worn to attract affection and strengthen bonds.
The Victorians made much of their symbolism—red for love, white for purity, yellow for jealousy (although today we associate yellow roses more with friendship and joy). Today, roses are still a cultural staple given to loved ones on Valentine's Day, carried in wedding bouquets, and grown in many gardens for their beauty and fragrance.
From ancient sacred rites to modern dating rituals, the rose has remained a symbol of beauty, love, and power. Plus it smells fabulous.
Aromatic Profile
- Note: Middle
- Scent Family: Floral, honeyed, full-bodied
Essential Oil Safety Information
- Never ingest/take internally.
- Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.
- Keep away from children and pets.
- Full safety information and directions will be provided in a safety card upon purchase, please read fully.
Bibliography & Sources
Culpeper, N. (2007). Culpeper’s complete herbal: Illustrated and annotated edition. Wordsworth Editions. (Original work published 1653)
Cunningham, S. (2000). Cunningham’s encyclopedia of magical herbs (Rev. ed.). Llewellyn Publications. (Original work published 1985)
Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). Rose. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/plant/rose-plant
Evans-Wentz, W. Y. (1911). The fairy faith in Celtic countries. Oxford University Press.
Flower, R. (1993). British folk magic. Sutton Publishing.
Gerard, J. (1975). The herbal or general historie of plantes (Rev. ed. by T. Johnson, 1636). Dover Publications. (Original work published 1597)
Grieve, M. (1971). A modern herbal: The medicinal, culinary, cosmetic and economic properties, cultivation and folk-lore of herbs, grasses, fungi, shrubs trees (Vols. 1–2). Dover Publications. (Original work published 1931)
Lavabre, M. (2020). Essential oils and aromatherapy workbook. Healing Arts Press.
Oxford English Dictionary. (n.d.). Sub rosa. Retrieved from https://www.oed.com/
Theoi Project. (n.d.). Rhodon (Rose). Retrieved from https://www.theoi.com/Flora/Rhodon.html
Tisserand, R., Young, R. (2013). Essential oil safety: A guide for health care professionals (2nd ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
Tripathi, A., Pandey, V. K., Mishra, H., Dar, A. H., Singh, G., Rustagi, S., Sulaiman, G., & Jha, A. K. (2024). Enforcing the antioxidant properties of blackberries against breast cancer by activating different cell signaling mechanisms: An updated review. Food Bioscience, 62, Article 105266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2024.105266
Verma, R., Gangrade, T., Punasiya, R., & Ghulaxe, C. (2014). Rubus fruticosus (blackberry) use as an herbal medicine. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 8(16), 101-104. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.134239
Wilkinson, R. H. (2003). The complete gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt. Thames Hudson.
