Roses and lilies

Flowers as signs

Flowers appear in the deck so often that they deserve a closer look. On the Magician card, red roses and white lilies grow around the table. They are usually read as two principles: passion and purity, desire and awareness.

A white rose appears in the Fool’s hand and on the banner of Death. It brings us back to the same idea of purity but in a different context: for the Fool it is openness to a new path, for Death a promise of renewal after an ending.

• Red rose: desire, passion, vitality
• White rose: pure intention, openness
• White lily: clarity of mind, purity of spirit