primrose-2

  • Scientific NamePrimula vulgaris, Primula veris
  • Common Name: Primrose, Cowslip, Key Flower, Herb Peter
  • Ruler: Freya
  • Planet: Venus
  • Element: Earth
  • Magickal Properties: Fairies, Protection, Love

Often associated with the month of February, the Primrose flower symbolizes patience, kindness and gentleness. The Primrose also brings the meaning of belonging, and nurturing. Primrose is used magically as a symbol to meditate upon to draw protection and love, Oil of primrose has been used to cleanse and purify in the Druidic tradition. This wildflower is also used to symbolize the beloved guest.

Primroses attract fairies to the garden.

  • To invite the fairy folk to visit and to get fairy blessings hang a spray of primroses on your door.
  • Eating primroses is said to help you see fairies.
  • In Ireland and Wales primroses were thought to be fairy flowers that could give the power of invisibility.
  • Celtic lore says rubbing primrose flowers over your eyelids can give you a way into the fairy world.

If you grow primroses in your garden, take very good care of them. Unhealthy primroses upset the fairies and it is not recommended to have cross fairies. If kept indoors, Primroses are said to bring sickness and sorrow, perhaps this is because they generally do not grow well indoors and upset the fairies.

On May Day, a string of primroses was used to decorate doors and thresholds. It was believed that fairies couldn’t pass over or under the string of flowers. When milking cows, primroses rubbed on the udder was thought to increase production and protect butter from being stolen by the little folk.

The pendant flowers of the cowslip, Primula veris, were sometimes called “Key Flower” in England because they were thought to resemble a hanging bunch of keys. The association with keys may also have led to another common name, “Herb Peter,” because the symbol of St. Peter is a bunch of keys.  Ancient Norse peoples celebrated this primrose as a symbol of the goddess Freya, known as the “Key Virgin.”

In England, April 19th is known as “Primrose Day” in honor of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who loved the flowers. Every year, visitors to Westminster Abbey lay primroses on his statue. Primroses are the County Flower of Devon, where they grow profusely.

According to the “language of flowers” Primroses symbolize youth or young love, or mean “I can’t live without you.” Lilac-tinted primroses signify confidence and red primroses symbolize unappreciated merit. In the Chakra System, it is believed that the Primrose combines the solar plexus and heart chakras.

The flowers of some primroses, especially Primula vulgaris, are edible. They can be eaten raw in salads or as an edible garnish, and can also be made into conserves (preserves). P. vulgaris flowers can be combined with yeast and sugar and fermented into wine.

In their native Europe, primroses have long been prized for their medicinal and culinary uses. Traditional folk medicine utilizes the primrose to treat a number of ailments, such as:

  • headaches
  • wounds
  • cramps
  • spasms
  • paralysis
  • rheumatic complaints

In traditional herbal medicine, cowslip wine, made from P. veris, was used as a sedative. When the flowers were boiled with sugar to make a syrup, the concoction was used to treat palsy as well as nervousness. The juice of the flowers, either used alone or combined with other ingredients into an ointment, was supposed to be effective at treating facial spots and wrinkles.

An old gypsy cure for skin complaints on the face: take three primrose leaves and boil them in a pint of water, drink the water.

Scientific research indicates that primroses contain saponins and salicylates, which many have expectorant and anti-inflammatory effects. The roots and flowers have also been used as emetics, sedatives, antispasmodics, and astringents.

Though primroses are toxic to dogs, cats, and horses — and may cause vomiting if ingested — primroses are edible for humans. Leaves and flowers may be eaten raw or cooked, used as a herb, or as a garnish. The flowers can be used to make wine and syrup.

Primroses are mainly pollinated by bees but attract other long-tongued pollinators such as hoverflies, brimstone, and small tortoiseshell butterflies.

Collected from various sources including Garden Guides

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“Magic is only unexplained science. Science is explained magic. When I study science, I study magic. When I study magic, I study science.” ― C. JoyBell C.
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