Along with the rose🌹 & the lotus, the lily comprises a sacred trinity of the most important flower symbols in the world. Not all lilies are white but paleness is synonymous with the flower; We even speak of something as meaning "lily white." The lily
is therefore a symbol of purity, innocence & virginity.
The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary carrying a lily,
& the flower has always been associated with the virgin. However, both the shape of the lily's petals & its phallic looking pistils, standing erect from the center of the flower, means that the flower is a symbol of sexuality & reproduction. So the lily effectively contains both ♂ & ♀ reproductive parts; hence when we
see depictions of Mary we can recognize the flower
as symbolizing virginity, fertility, & motherhood. The lily is the symbol of the Goddess, in whatever form she may take, & the Babylonian Goddess Lilith ⚸ (the first wife of Adam) who was later demonized 👿 by the Christian church, takes her name from the name of the lily or the Lilu (Lotus). The flower is also sacred to Astarte, whose name in parts of Europe is Eostre, which gives us the word "Easter"; hence the lilies which
have become a symbol of the springtime celebration
are a secret symbol of a much older association. If the Milky Way 🌌 is seen as the milk
which poured from breasts of the Sky Goddess, then lilies are the💧of milk which fell to the ground. The fleur-de-lis ⚜ or flower of the lily, is the stylized symbol which sprang from both the
lotus and the lily. It is symbolic of the Triple Goddess
as well as encompassing all the other associations
of the lily; it was used extensively in France 🇫🇷,
where it became a symbol of royalty 👑 & nobility. The lily--particularly the calla lily--is also a symbol of resurrection, which is why it is used at funerals & sometimes appears on gravestones. The day lily blooms only for one day, & so is a simple symbol of a carefree nature. The lily of the valley has our reputation for attracting silver - probably because the way it's white flowers gleam in the darkness of its luscious leaves. It was
the flower which grew where witches 🧙♀️ lived, in dark, often
forested places, yet was also a symbol of spring and new life.
In Japan yuri or lillies are a symbol of women loving women 🏳️🌈.
