The Frangipani as Symbol

In the Encyclopaedia of Magical Herbs the frangipani is associated with the feminine and is ruled by Venus. Its element is water and its deity is Buddha. Its power is love and its magical uses are in love spells.

In the Feng Shui it is also associated with love.

In Hindu culture the flower signifies loyalty and is worn in the hair by women as a symbol of their loyalty to their husband. In India it is also regarded as symbolising immortality because it will produce flowers and leaves even after the tree has been lifted out of the soil, and it os often placed near temples and graves so that its flowers can drop onto the tombs.

In Polynesian cultures a woman wears the flower to indicate her relationship status - worn over the right ear means she is seeking a relationship; over the left ear means that she is in one.

Frangipani is very rare in China and even more precious than an orchid, so when a person gives frangipani flowers to a sweetheart it is the closest thing to saying ‘You’re special! I love you’ - a BIG declaration in a society where expressions of personal feeling are frowned upon.