Artificial flowers

[Sacreligioushippie]

I was just wondering how many people use artificial flowers in ritual and to decorate their altar. Also, how many people feel this is a "no-no" and only real flowers should be used.

Thanks

[Shanti]

I prefer fake for the symbolism since real ones mean they are not being allowed to serve their purpose, to seed the next generation.

[-Sky-]

I totally dislike artificial flowers.I feel that i need to have alive flowers as offerings or decoration in my altar.I like their freshness and beauty!Having artificial ones would totally ruin it for me.

[Philosophia]

I use artificial flowers because a) I can't afford bunches of live flowers, b) they last longer, c) I have cats that eat real flowers, and d) because of the drought, there is hardly any flowers around where I live. I do use real sticks, stones, and leaves I find that I like. I don't think artificial flowers take any "magic" out and for me, they are used only for decoration. However, I do use real flowers in actual rituals when I need them. Otherwise, artificial flowers are great for just decorating.

[adrianne]

I prefer real flowers, but I do have a soft spot for artificial paper flowers, the type you see used during Dia de los Muertos celebrations. Artificial flowers made from fabric just rub me the wrong way, though. I think because they become faded and tattered so easily.

[Morgandria]

Flowers on the altar have a specific purpose, in my tradition, as a sacrifice. Fake flowers are not suitable for that purpose.

[Theres]

nothing artificial on my altar for any purpose, ever!

i don't offer fake stuff to my gods, and for that purpose i don't let convenience rule my spiritual practice. if it's more expensive or harder to manage, then the offering is that much more worthy. if i can't afford it then i just offer less.

[Rain30]

I never felt right about cutting wildflowers just to decorate my altar. So instead, I usually just go to them and set up my altar where they grow. They're much lovelier out in nature, anyway. Plus, the living flowers seem to add something to the rite that a bunch of dead flowers never could.

But, if I really want to have flowers indoors on my altar, I just use potted plants. No harm, no foul. :)

[Jadewynd~]

On days of power I have both fresh cut flowers and a plant. On a daily bases my bamboo sits on my altar, which is growing fast! At this time of year I introduce a new plant to my altar. When the flowers die, I then take the dead flowers and either recycle them back to earth or, if they are roses any other type of flower that looks good dry I keep them a little longer and decorate my home. With my new live plant I decorate my home.

I have tryed to take my altar outside and do my ritual but, the wind has been a problem. I like the aspect of all elements around me during a ritual but, sometimes they pose a problem specifically on a windy day.

[Evanescent]

I use dried flowers on my altar. When I or someone in the house gets some, I often try my hand at preserving them. I've had limited success, but did manage to preserve a yellow teacup rose my mother got from her employer about a year ago. (Spray the living daylights out of it with hairspray, hang it upside down somewhere to dry out away from light/heat/hands. There are other methods, but they involve a lot of sand, longer durations of time, or more $$$/energy than I'm willing to put in.) I gave the rose to my familiar; it's still on the altar by his statue.

I currently have a live amaryllis on my altar as well. I forget where, but I once read of the concept of having a potted plant on/near your altar to use as a 'garbage disposal' -- when you change consecrated water, match sticks, incense ends, remnants from burning herbs, etc. Let me tell you, my mother is ungodly jealous of how this plant bloomed. Six huge red flowers, and it's about 2 and a half feet tall (a bit tall for my taste, it towers over the rest of the stuff on my altar!). It's currently passing, and I'll soon replace it with another (smaller) plant. It definately adds a great touch to the altar especially in the springtime with the feelings of growth and renewal.

[RavenStars]

Altar decorations (flowers or otherwise) are from the heart that rejoices in the presence of the gods---it doesn't matter whether they are plastic, silk, dried, cut or potted. I happen to have a budget for cut flowers and am lavish with them because they bring so much life and love to my circle and home. ...But I agree that offerings are in another category. I don't think the only offering is one that is somehow perfect (would someone define that one for me ;), but they certainly need to be special. I am hard pressed imagining a fake flower in that category. But I can see a handmade flower bought from a loving craftsmyn, say made out of paper or fabric, as making a good offering; my mother even has flowers made out of stone! So, I don't poo-poo the artificial flower on an altar.

[Libris]

I prefer fake for the symbolism since real ones mean they are not being allowed to serve their purpose, to seed the next generation.

OK, I'm a total dork but I really can relate to this ^ I wrote this poem about the sad aspects of collecting real flowers, I hope it isn't to OT to share but I think it kind of illustrates the other side of using real flowers like Shanti was saying.

Anatomy of a Wildflower Bouquet

Twelve Gaillardia native of the Texas prairie,
Eight spikes of lavender stolen from bumblebees,
Ten ox-eye daisies gathered from beside the road,
Seven yarrow umbels in hues of yellow and white,
And four swamp roses blushing in shades of pink.

Now they wither in a cracked coffee mug,
And there are no bees to carry their pollen
And no butterflies to drink their honeyed dew
Because I stole them from the fields and gardens,
Subverting their desires they bloom for me alone.



Still, I do use real flowers where possible but there is always some part of me that feels bad _inabox_

[Shatril]

Humm, I always use real flowers from a florist. I don't see this as the same thing that Shanti and others object to, as they will never be visited by bees or ever wanted to pollinate. Need to give more thought to the wild harvested issue though, as I don't know how I feel about that. I don't use any flowers on the altar if I don't have fresh ones. Not sure why, but I prefer real to artificial, and I'm reasonably sure it isn't a spiritual thing as I use real flowers all over the house.

[skilly-nilly]

I have a moderately sized yard that is almost all garden, so I rarely buy flowers but I grow a lot. I also harvest some things from the wild and i always use the same principle---if you pick (or dig, depending on what I am doing) 1/3 or less of whatever it is, then there is plenty left for propagation.

Nature arranges for there to be extra.

To my mind, it's sort of like eating locally raised meat (which I also do when I can) if you know that there's enough flower left to set seed then there's no guilt (imo) in relocating the extra.

[Lunacie]

In the spirit of Ostara I bought a small potted plant that was in flower to use on the altar with the idea that it would be planted in our Sacred Grove after the ritual.

[Astara Seague]

because of the season changes around here I find some times I have to use fake flowers but I always make sure they are exceptional and I cleanse them first
live potted flowers are great, its hard to find "nice" flowering ones though at least here.

[Windsmith]

I would never use silk flowers, because I hate the way they look. But our home altar has one clay rose and one paper daisy, which were gifts my wife and I gave each other early in our relationship, when we were both too broke to patronize the local florist. Aesthetically, hers is of a much higher caliber than mine, but because they were made and given with love, we see nothing disrespectful in having them there. In fact, because we're both so dreadful with plants of all kinds - both the cut kind in vases and the rooted kind in pots - we consider the artificial flowers better additions to our altar than real ones, which would wither and die and look really tacky.

[Shanti]

Gee I should add, I use only that which I get from my own land so preserving the seed process is important to me.
I don't buy from florist ever. I also am not big on none native species because I like the natural things that grow here.
I only have 2 plants that are not native, 2 roses. Everything else I grow is native to my area.
Sorry that I rushed my first post without more explaining.

[Sacreligioushippie]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
I may try the live plant thing. I'll just have to hide it from the cats! :hahugh:

[Ivy Artemisia]

I'm a fan of artificial flowers for decoration... I have a garland of them in my living room above my window. I will also use them on my altar, but if I am doing a ritual where an offering of flowers is called for, I will DEFINITELY get fresh flowers. I wouldn't offer the Gods plastic replicas of real flowers. I'va cast circle using faux petals and it worked quite well once. (though they were a pain to pick up)

[Mouse]

Whilst I will use small amounts of fresh herbs or flowers for spellcraft, I never use them for decoration nor do I give them as gifts. I believe it's very wrong to cause unnessiasry pain for the sake of having some short lived beauty. I do like the paper and glass flowers, but have never used them because they are hard to find and quite expensive.
Instead I collect dried leaves (especially oak, still attached to the twig), wood roses, acorns, etc or decorate with veggies that will be cooked and eaten later, such as baby pumpkin and squash.

[Cerulean_damselfly]

The yes-yes or no-no probably depends on the individual.

I never thought negative things about one grandmother who decided to use changeable silk flowers---she did daily offerings of food, drink and salt and candle burning with prayers. If silk flowers worked better for her and her slowing-down modes, I do not think her feelings or her decades of sincere offering was negated in any way.

A feng shui teacher had spoken a preference for silk to dried or once-live-not-so-fresh offerings. In her ideas, the representation and intent depended on an individual.

My preference is to use fresh things that I can gather from what I have. I really try to use some garden and home cuttings as fresh as I can, perhaps something that fell on the ground (bougainvilla or flower petals or seeds)---but other than shells and stones that were very plentiful, I don't pick up wild or other's cuttings. I would sometimes grow small plants when I didn't have access to a garden.

Hope the thoughts help.

Cerulean_Damselfly

[9-2-2]

I once used a bouquet of black artificial roses as an "athame". Just ran around the house in a confused and sad experiment to see what would happen.

Boy, that sure turned out to be an interesting day...!

[RunningRiot]

Fake flowers for decoration; they last forever and can be beautiful.
Real flowers for rituals, spell work, offerings, etc.

[Agaliha]

I was just wondering how many people use artificial flowers in ritual and to decorate their altar. Also, how many people feel this is a "no-no" and only real flowers should be used.
Thanks

I do! To decorate my altar-ish thingy.
Why?
1. I'm totally allergic to real flowers, they can't come into my room
2. They fake ones last longer, can be used over and over
3. I don't have any gods that I honor to be offended by artifical stuff like some of the others that posted here do. I'm not really theistic.
4. I don't do rituals, spells or magic

I do have one real plant on there though-- a "snake plant" and some dried flowers that lost their smell.

I actually have some pics of my faux foliage on here. Here's one (http://www.mysticwicks.com/photoalbum/displayimage.php?album=1017&pos=8).

I do use other real stuff: rocks, wood, shells, feathers, dirt, sand, etc.
Like this ocean themed one (http://www.mysticwicks.com/photoalbum/displayimage.php?album=1017&pos=2). And this one (http://www.mysticwicks.com/photoalbum/displayimage.php?album=1017&pos=4).

My altar area is more as a peaceful place to meditate before and express myself spirituality. I don't honor any gods there or do rituals. So a lot of it is decoration that expresses myself sprituality at that time. I change it often, sometimes with the seasons, sometimes just because. Fake foliage boughten at Micheal's Craft Store for SUPPER cheap factors into that.