Taurus season has taught me so much about myself, and she deserves all the flowers. Specifically, roses.

The rose symbolizes beauty, love, and secrecy. We see the strategic placement of this flower in cards like the Fool, the Hierophant, and the Ace of Pentacles to name a few. In this post, we will discuss further the symbolism of the rose and how we honor its energy best in our personal spiritual journeys.

Rose Symbolism

The first place we see the rose is in the Fool, Key 0. The Fool travels lightly, full of whimsy and child-like innocence as he steps into the unknown. The white rose depicts that energy, here.

When I look at this card, my eye is drawn to the descension taking place. It’s as if he came from the peaks of the mountains where divine wisdom was obtained, then descends to the earthly realm with that wisdom to embark on a new journey.

The rose is white, and may have a connection to the white sun behind it. In ancient Kemet, the sun was attributed to supreme deities such as Amun Ra or Aten: both seen as the pure and ultimate force from which all life originates. The white rose here serves as an extension of the sun’s purity and innocence as if he plucked it straight from the heavens he descends from.

Cards like the Magician and the Queen of Pentacles feature rose garlands framing the top of the image as well as beneath them, surrounding the Seeker in a sense of secrecy. They appear to separate just enough for us as the viewer to peak into the worlds they govern, and how to apply this wisdom within our own journeys.

The Magician reminds us to utilize divine wisdom with the natural world to manifest, bringing our deepest desires into physical form. The rose makes this process personal, obtaining guidance through our own relationship to the Divine.

The Queen of Pentacles nurtures that relationship. Through stillness, rest, and gratitude, we cultivate our connection to the Divine and strengthen that signal within ourselves for our best outcomes. 

The Rosicrucian Society

The Rosicrucian society is one of the first secret societies dedicated to self-discovery and self-mastery through mysticism. It is their belief that one who walks this path will know the Source of all being through direct knowledge, sans beliefs. Their symbol, seen below, is a rose (rosi-) and a cross (-cruian). The rose symbolizes consciousness at the center point of the cross (no ties to Christianity), which represents the human body.

Though the Rosicrucian Society is not directly linked to the origins of Tarot, the idea of enlightenment through direct knowledge to the Divine is what the rose signifies throughout Tarot. The Fool’s Journey directly relates to this principle. It is a deeply personal practice that teaches us about the many facets of self. So when you see roses in any of the tarot cards, see it as a reminder to go within to obtain the knowledge sought for.

Taurus and the Rose

Taurus invites us to establish our sense of self by way of our belief systems, values, and possessions. It’s the things we deem valuable and true enough to stand on, and build from. You may find those things to align to a specific religion or practice, or choose to establish your own. The agreement we make with ourselves to align with either case is individualistic in nature, just like the Hierophant.

In Key 5, we see the man on the left with a robe of roses and lilies on the right. The Hierophant between the two pillars as the gatekeeper of those mysteries; cognizant of what he chooses to reveal and what remains obscure to others. 

In the Thoth Tarot deck, The Hierophant is presented to us as the Hebrew letter Vau (or Vav), ו, which translates to ‘nail’. Vau is the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Six is also connected to Venus, Taurus’s ruler.

This card is believed to pay homage to the unity of Aset (Isis), Asar (Osiris), and Horus (Heru). Aset as macrocosm (the outer world), Asar as the microcosm (humanity), and their son Heru (represented by the five pointed star at the heart) as the union of the two. This is what’s being ‘nailed’ and united, speaking to the overall energy of the card.

The 5-petal rose in the window behind the Hierophant’s head represent that direct connection to the Divine with the nine (number of completion) nails arranged above, appearing to unite what is received through divine wisdom with his outer world. This further emphasizes the personal connection to Spirit. The essence of tradition and conformity commonly spoken about in reference to Key 5 refers to the way those traditions have always experienced the Divine, through personal observations.

Final Thoughts

As Taurus season comes to an end at the time I’m writing this, the wisdom of the rose reminds us of uniting the mind, body, and Spirit through stillness. As the petals of the rose spiral and bloom, direct knowledge from the Divine opens our Spirit to do the same. 

The rose empowers us to know that if we have the question, the answer also exists. If you pull a tarot card that contains roses, its asking you to first go within. There is no question that hasn’t been answered, mysticism reminds us of this. The prompting of the question itself is a nod from Spirit to lead us to answers we need to progress in our personal journeys. Our only requirement is to be still enough to align to it. 

To that, Taurus, I give you all the roses for what you’ve taught me in this season. 

Hope this helps!