The Rose – Photography

 

 

To this day we use flowers to communicate feelings and messages.  In reality, there are no rules to what flower represents a purpose for giving; it’s the sentiment and thought that represents each occasion.  Sometimes a specific flower or color will trigger a memory, special event or personal meaning.  Others love to send flowers specifically for their language or meaning. With Valentine’s day just around the corner, you might expect that red roses imply romance and love, pink roses as an expression of admiration, and yellow roses stand for friendship and devotion.  But with the wide variety of flowers and colors available, different flowers represent different forms of affection and messages.

 

The following meanings from Blossom Town website:

 

1. Red Roses: A red rose is an unmistakable expression of love. Red roses convey deep emotions – be it love, longing or desire. Red Roses can also be used to convey respect, admiration or devotion. A deep red rose can be used to convey heartfelt regret and sorrow. The number of red roses has special romantic meanings associated with them. 12 red roses is the most popular of all which conveys “Be mine” and “I love you” White Roses: White is the color of purity, chastity and innocence. White flowers are generally associated with new beginnings and make an ideal accompaniment to a first-time bride walking down the aisle.
2. Yellow Roses: Yellow roses are an expression of exuberance. Yellow roses evoke sunny feelings of joy, warmth and welcome. They are symbols of friendship and caring. The yellow rose, like the other roses, does not carry an undertone of romance. It indicates purely platonic emotions.
3. Pink Roses: There are a lot of variations of the pink rose. Over all, pink roses are used to convey gentle emotions such as admiration, joy and gratitude. Light pink rose blooms are indicative of sweetness and innocence. Deep pink rose blooms convey deep gratitude and appreciation. Pink roses also connote elegance and grace.
4.  A variety of meanings. Who knows!

 

 

January Rose

 

 

a favourite colour

 

a favourite

 

 

rainy day rose

 

classic photography

 

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rose petals in Leela Palace Hotel, Bangalore

 

 

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India – the market in bangalore

 

 

my favourite rose so far. taken in a florist shop in france

 

 

“There are no coincidences in life. What person that wandered in and out of your life was there for some purpose, even if they caused you harm. Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense the short periods of time we get with people, or the outcomes from their choices. However, if you turn it over to God he promises that you will see the big picture in the hereafter. Nothing is too small to be a mistake.”
― Shannon L. Alder

from my friend

 

 

Sunday Morning Rose – Inspirational Quotations

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This morning we were clearing out the garage and cleaning the patio, I took time out to photograph  the old French roses. The Rose bushes we were going to cut down last year, due to them being old. Somehow we could never could bring ourselves to do it.   I am selling my beautiful house here in France, so expect the  next owner will cut down the old roses along with so many other trees and plants I cherish… ~ sad really. Just like George Harrison said, “All things Must Pass.”

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“As for us, ‘it is of HIS fullness that we have all received’. The essence of God is everywhere, for, as it is said, ‘The Spirit fills all things’, according to essence. Deification is likewise everywhere, ineffably present in the essence and inseparable from it, as it’s natural power. But just as one cannot see fire, if there is no matter to receive it, nor any sense organ capable of perceiving its luminous energy, in the same way one cannot contemplate deification if there is no matter to receive the divine manifestation.

But if with every veil removed it lays hold of appropriate matter, that is of any purified rational nature, freed from the veil of manifold evil, then it becomes itself visible as a spiritual light. ‘The prize of virtue,’ it is said, ‘is to become God, to be illumined by the purest of light, by becoming a son of that day which no darkness can dim. For it is another Sun which produces this day, a Sun which shines forth the true light. And once it has illumined us, it no longer hides itself in the West, but envelops all things with its powerful light. It grants an eternal light to those worthy, and transforms those who participate in this light into other suns’. Then, indeed, ‘the just will shine like the sun’. What sun? Surely that same one which appears even now to those worthy as it did then.”

Gregory of Palamas – the Triads (Trans: Nicholas Gandle Paulist Press)

Holi Celebrations And The Red Rose – Sathya Sai Memories Cont.

 

 

India – the market in bangalore

Always think of God and you will see what He does _ Sai Baba

 

Holi celebrations are always colourful and one particular Holi celebration stands out in my mind.  What luck!  Line number that afternoon had been good!  I’d  drawn number one.  I was at the front of the line too!  So had been seated at the very front of the darshan rows and near to where the festivities were to take place.

The afternoon was hot and the wait long. Then I needed to go to the toilet.  So I’d left my seat under the watchful gaze of a friend, strolled along the aisle towards the temple exit. Just before the exit, I spotted a fresh red rose on the ground. It was beautiful and fresh, a rose like none other. I  stooped to pick it up. Strange, I thought, that a rose had been left on the ground because the seva ladies usually sweep the aisle every few minutes so unlikely to be even a  tiny speck of dust there.

Now what to do  with the rose. I hurriedly wrapped it in a few strands of my hair. I suppose it looked  somewhat strange perched there on top of my head but I didn’t care. Outside the darshan area the  searing hot ground burnt my feet. I had to hop and skip all the way to the toilet. Repeated the same hop and skip dance on the way back. At one point the rose fell from my hair. I quickly retrieved it, tucking it down the front of my dress. I hoped the seva dal girls would not notice the rose. Once I got to the seva dals, I looked down for the rose, to remove it, oddly enough, it had disappeared. I searched on the ground near the temple area but there was no sign of it. I gave up and walked back  to the temple  entry without my newly found red rose.

The ladies frisked me thoroughly. There was no sign of the beautiful red rose anywhere on me. I returned to my seat with a sigh. I love red roses and this one had seemed such a gift.  A few minutes later I felt something pricking my skin,  I glancing down and  saw the red rose, as fresh and beautiful as ever. Gently removing the rose from my dress, I wrapped it in my hair  again. Now with the rose secured in my hair, I  sat like a princess waiting for Sai’s darshan and for the festivities to begin.To this day I feel the rose was a gift to me from Sai – a silent little manifestation of the divine in a small  flower.

 

Holi Festival and the colours!

The joys of Holi knows no bound.

Legend of Holi Festival

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Holi is one of the oldest festivals of India. There are many interesting stories associated with the festival’s origin as one moves across the different states from North to South and East to West. Paintings and scriptures depict the roots of the festival. Mythology plays a very important part in narrating the festival of Holi. The most popular stories of Holi origin relates to ‘Holika Dahan’ and Legend of Radha-Krishan.

Story of Holika
Integrally entwined with Holi, is the tradition of ‘Holika Dahan’, which is actually lighting of bonfires. The ritual is symbolic of victory of good over evil and has its root in the legend of demon king Hiranyakashyap who wished to end his blessed son, Prahlad’s life with the help of his sister, Holika who burnt in the fir and no harm occurred to Prahlad. Since then the day is celebrated in victory of good over bad.

Story of Radha and Krishan
The legend of Radha and Krishna is closely linked with this tradition of colors on Holi. Young Krishna, who had a dark complexion was jealous of his beloved Radha’s extremely fair skin. In a mischievous mood, he applied color on Radha’s face. Following this ancient legend, lovers till date long to color their beloved as an expression of love.