Happy Holidays to YOU!
Blandfordia nobilis is known Gadigalbudyari in the Cadigal dialect and Christmas Bells or Christmas Bush and is a small perennial member of the lily family found along the Eastern NSW and Southern Queensland coast. Growing to approx. a meter high they hold up to 20 flowers high on each stalk in reds, crimsons and yellows. Incredibly hardly, it weathers the notorious heatwaves of the coast very well and flowers from late December through until February.
HOW DID IT BECOME "CHRISTMAS BUSH"?
Depending on where you are in the world, different flowers are connected with the celebration of Christmas. There are Universal flowers and plants such as Holly and Evergreen, Mistletoe and Poinsettia and these have become entwined with the Christmas message through local custom and people simply going outside and seeing what was there!
This is exactly how the Eastern Australian love affair with Christmas Bush/Bells arose. I'm often asked what the story is and how the connection was made, but one only has to take a walk outside in December along a lot of the NSW coast in Australia to see great drifts of it. Christmas Bush has become more and more popular, especially in my home city, Sydney.
People in the colony times simply looked to flowers that reminded them of the key symbolism of the European Christmas of their birth places. Christmas bush, with it's red flowers in tiny bell shapes and it's appearance at the 'right time' would of more than fit the bill.
Christmas Bush is mentioned as such in colonial letters and sketched and painted by the artists of the time on gifts, cards and greetings.
Louisa Anne Meredith, an artist of the time that I ADORE, refers to it as such in the 1830s:
“We used to meet numbers of people carrying bundles of beautiful native shrubs to decorate the houses, in the same way we use holly and evergreens at home… it is a handsome verdant shrub, with flowers, irregularly flower shaped and go from green to crimson in colour”
Meredith, Louisa Anne, 1812-1895.
Native wildflowers including Sturt's desert pea, Christmas bell
[ca. 1840] 1 drawing : watercolour and pencil ; 34.8 x 11.3 cm.
ENERGETIC QUALITIES
joy, deep connection with the fae and children, stronger connection with faith, family communications, letting go of physical desires which are doing harm, overcoming disappointment in personal failures, manifestation support and guide (connects desire with action)
AS A WILDFLOWER ORACLE
Be incredibly careful for what you focus on for right now. The door is open to bring that which we desire into being. Christmas Bell bursts forth at the right time for it, but are you ready? Often we think we are and because we have not done the homework and the ground work, we end up not having the physical assets to keep the energy of the opportunity flowing.
You may need to take full ownership and responsibility in order for you to progress.
Christmas Bell is also a messenger of spiritual joy to come, things which can not be measured physically but spiritually. New additions to family, new enlightenment in faiths, greater understanding in life purpose and new meaningful friendships which are for our greater good.
The challenges of Christmas Bush are to not let your physical desires impact negatively on you or those around you. Be very careful not to neglect the things in your life which are more important than money, possessions and your personal desires. A lack of connection with the concept of the All will be your downfall.
IN MAGICK
Use in any working to inspire progression of faith, stronger family unity and control of greed. Can be used to inspire and uplift Fae and Child energy. Life Purpose divination workings and focus.
Whenever and however you get together,
for whatever belief or reason....
I wish you much love and happiness.
Blessings Cheralyn Xxxxxxxx