The fragrance of God
Did you know that petunias have fragrance? I used to believe they didn't, but one evening after planting some petunias when I first started gardening, an amazing deep, sweet, spicy smell arrested my attention, and it wasn't till I'd checked almost everywhere else that I thought to lean into a petunia blossom. Oh. My. God. You can't normally smell them in the morning--they seem to release their intoxicating aroma in the late afternoon and early evening.
The dark purple ones especially put out the perfume, and the purple-veined light ones pictured below do as well. It may be my all-time favorite smell, and, with a collection of hundreds of essential oils and a garden full of fragrant plants, including aromatic roses, that's really saying something. I have a spiritual experience every time I stick my nose into a petunia flower and inhale. So do yourself a favor and go on a petunia-sniffing quest. Even if you just go to the garden center in the late afternoon, you will thank me if you've never encountered the petunia magic.
Okay--shivers-up-the-spine time. After writing the foregoing, I decided to Google "petunia essential oil" to see if someone had distilled petunia magic. I couldn't find much to vet the petunia fragrances that came up as being natural, but I did find something that made the hairs on my arms stand up and my spine tingle. According to several sources I found, petunias (petunia violacea) are traditional entheogens, used by the shamans of South America. What, you may ask, is an entheogen? I'll let this bit from Wikipedia explain:
"The word entheogen is a neologism derived from the ancient Greek : ἔνθεος (entheos) and γενέσθαι (genesthe). Entheos literally means "god (theos) within", translates as "inspired" and is the root of the English word "enthusiasm". The Greeks used it as a term of praise for poets and other artists. Genesthe means "to generate". So an entheogen is "that which generates God (or godly inspiration) within a person."
How cool is that? I knew I smelled God!
I had my own little petunia thing.
I plant them for my Father every year in June since he died. They were his favorite and his birthday would have been June.
Well...this year...my husband died on May 31.
I was in no shape to plant my ass much less petunias. I wanted them there in the planter were they go.
Well...I looked out one day this June, and there they were.
As far as I can tell...they reseeded.I know annuals will do this occasionally.
Or...maybe Dad gave ME some petunias this time.
Anyway...This morning and up until this afternoon, while absolutely at my end, I was miserable, and remembered this website and the group on PI...and I have been moving into easy world all afternoon, and evening.
Thank you.
Oh, Kelli!
That's so cool--both the volunteer/gift-from-Dad petunias and that you remembered Easy World and allowed yourself to be there.
Sympathies on your loss(es) and affirmations of deep healing for you.
So glad we were here for you today!
((((((((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))))))
Julia
I too petunias and wish there was a perfume or essential oil that smelled like them. I plant them every tear so that I can sit an enjoy their amazing aroma. Neat site.
I too petunias and wish there was a perfume or essential oil that smelled like them. I plant them every tear so that I can sit an enjoy their amazing aroma. Neat site.