Victorian Flower Oracle: Water Lily

Water Lily
Faith, Piety


Image: A Water Lily in the guise of a nun, stands with downcast eyes. At her side, a devilish looking winged insect offers up a flaming heart.


The gifts from Spirit may take an unexpected form, or come from an unconventional source.

(I've been preoccupied of late, so I won't have much to say about these next few cards until the feeling passes. I'm posting these now for those people who are raring to go.)

.traveller. said:

Water Lily
Faith, Piety
Image: A Water Lily in the guise of a nun, stands with downcast eyes. At her side, a devilish looking winged insect offers up a flaming heart.
The gifts from Spirit may take an unexpected form, or come from an unconventional source.
(I've been preoccupied of late, so I won't have much to say about these next few cards until the feeling passes. I'm posting these now for those people who are raring to go.)

Click to expand...

She has come so far in her journey. She once was in the middle of the muck, blood & battle. She now realizes how to handle anything by her calm & grounded roots. They go deep.

Others see how the battles have changed her, they seek her out as she has come out of darkness into a light that many seek. Many will give anything & everything to achieve quickly.
She knows it can't happen overnight. It happens, a moment at a time, a day at a time, a month at a time.

"Oh time, you wear us well! In saying this, I must share these things with anyone who comes to me hungry for my experiences with their search.

My friends, if you choose to walk this path, know now, that the gifts you seek aren't easy to achieve.
Even if you offer your heart as a gift for this knowledge, no one should accept it, even I can't accept it; as you are the only one who can achieve this task; you are the one who must use your heart to achieve it."

Barbara

I was drawn to the plant/root 'the little guy' (sorry for the unfortunate term, but couldn't think of anything else ) is handing out to her... Two plants came to my mind, Raskovnik and Mandrake (i've never seen any of the two and by the sources i've read in Serbian it even maybe the same plant), that are known for its magical properties, so, i also associated this card with the power and miracles of faith.

I started to study this deck back in 2007, then got distracted, but this is one of the cards I journaled about. The approach I was using at the time was that which is presented in the Froud Faeries Oracle book exercises, as I wanted to get my own feel for the messages of the cards. Now that I am getting back to studying the deck I will continue with this approach. To make a long story short, I had selected the Water Lily as my favorite card in the deck and this is what I had to say:

I like this card because it seems very peaceful and contemplative. The Water Lily herself seems pius, and the way she was drawn makes me think of a nun. Due to this I find a spiritual association to this card - not religious but spiritual. I also love the butterfly which is giving her something (a strawberry or radish perhaps?)

As for the physical manifestation of this card, I see solitude. A time of contemplation, meditation, or prayer. As noted earlier there is a spirituality about this card. Peace and quiet. Comunning with and being a part of nature.

This card seems pretty straight forward but the butterfly making the offering to the Water Lily really interests me. Is he an admirer? a worshiper? is she actually a saint of sorts? The butterfly making the offering adds complexity to the meaning of this card for me. I cannot make out what his relationship to her is.

What I find the most appealing about this card is the peacefulness of the Water Lily, plus I love her outfit! And I also love the givingness of the butterfly, it seems so honest and pure. (I actually went on to do a pencil drawing of the butterful in my journal, and ended up drawing his offering as a strawberry.)

Several months later I drew this card at random so had second journal entry for it. At this time I went and actually looked up the meaning of the card in the companion book, and made a note that I really though the religious piety stuff did not strike a cord, that the actual definition of piety used did. Here is what the companion book sais about piety: "It implies, at least to the modern Western mind, a sort of religiosity which is sentimental, escapist, and other-worldly." I also really liked what the companion book said about the Water Lily, being in water, was not grounded and could float away. The whole indulgence, and wearing blinders to the point that you cannot see what is right beside or infront of you (the butterfly making the offering) and call it introspection or whatever you want was a good eye opener for me. One I need to revisit from time to time.