Chrysanthemum: The Flower of Eternity

Chrysanthemums [pronounced kris-saen-thuh-mem] are a flowering plant of the daisy family Asteraceae or Compositae. It's name "chrys—" and "anthemum" means "golden" and "flower", respectively. In fact, Asteraceae is the scientific name for sunflowers.

Through cultivation there are many colors now and the plant has found many uses. These range from medicinal or culinary or environmental. Appropriately, the Chrysanthemum is tied to the Sun and longevity and, therefore the 3rd chakra—the Manipura.

The flower generates emotions of real change and progress in the attentive student. It imparts wisdom on how to be one's self and shine brightly in the world. However, the progressive energies of the Solar Plexus, where the Manipura is located, is stymied by the presence of Saturn.

This was a surprise to me as it gave the tea a stern figure. There was an essence of knowing while drinking, as if I was downloading practicality in liquid form.

  

My first encounter with the plant came through a friend. Back then the plant looked like this:

You can tell from the top picture that it's blossomed into something very interesting to look at. It's growth has me thinking about subjects like life and, conversely, death. 

I don't know. It just makes you realize how fragile everything is. How everything can change at one moment. One minute you're happy, the next you're sad, and the next you're weirdly in-between. Sometimes you're both and sometimes you feel nothing at all and that can be scary. 

Because the worst thing about feeling nothing is coming to inner-stand that it's really just you. That gaping feeling in your chest and/or stomach is simply the realization that you're alive. 

What does that mean? What does any of it mean? This flower has got me thinking. Thinking about some deep things I'm not sure there's a full answer for. 

I don't know. Just thinking. 

Chrysanthemum Tea

That's pretty much how I describe it now. Chrysanthemum Tea was a unique experience and I am grateful to the plant teacher for sharing it with me. The flavor was round and robust, very earthy (as I said) and supple, enduring with a slight bitterness to it (hence the initial retraction). 

I admit. I was a bit coy in the video, but at first I didn't like it. The flavor was overwhelmingly...well...what it was. Even when the added cane sugar and honey, the taste barely budged. It was a true earth element tea, in every respect. 

The drink encouraged me to sit and ponder about my future decisions. It brought up big questions of stability, life, and love. This makes sense. In myth, Chrysanthemum has been linked with youth and immortality. There are numerous Chinese and Japanese folk tales that speak to the flowers history.Many of them have to do with gods and goddesses, death and rebirth. 

Chrysanthemum is most diverse in China and it is composed of about 40 species. It is most well-known for its commercial cultivation. 

The rich history of Chrysanthemums finds it being used to treat "high blood pressure, upper respiratory problems and hyperthyroidism". This draws from the holistic art of Ayurveda. Ayuveda uses the plant as a medicine. "Ayu" means "life" and "veda" means "knowledge". Ayurveda is an ancient Indian practice that cultivates a relationship with the Earth. It believes that by tuning into our environment, i.e. life, we can find balance within ourselves.

The flower transmits yin energy, making it good for fevers, but not colds. Ayurveda tells us that yin energy is damp, cold, and dark; yang energy is light, masculine, and hot. This gives the Chrysanthemum tea a soothing presence yet it's Saturnian influence keeps it grounded. 

The teacher is very old and patient. It seems willing to impart knowledge to those who perceive the invitation. For those who do not—it is willing to wait.