Rose

The red rose expresses love in European romanticism and also carries a strong erotic symbolism. As such, it was unsurprisingly the flower of Aphrodite, and the intoxicating quality of this strongly fragrant flower is surely one of the reasons why Dionysus wore a crown of roses on his head. While the red rose has erotic qualities, it is also associated with the Virgin Mary (rosa mystica), with human beauty, and with "the lust of the world."  

However, the rose is also, in these parts of the world, "the perfect flower" and can be seen as the Western equivalent of the Eastern lotus flower.  

The white rose, on the other hand, is a symbol of death in many tales and legends; at the same time, the rising white flower is a symbol of resurrection.  

In alchemical contexts, the white and red roses sometimes represent the dualistic system that is so central to this mysticism, and sometimes albedo and rubedo (enlightenment followed by completion).

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