Sacred Continuum: Hyacinth Symbolism and Infinite Messages Bloom

An Intuitively Guided Ritual and Reflection

Like a magnet, the bulbs of the Hyacinth flower pulled me in. Like a glimpse of a memory that needed a moment to recall, standing in the middle of a bustling Costco, of all places, I could smell them but with no scent. Sort of like hearing a song in your head with no music playing. But it was loud enough for me to find the bag of bulbs and although the gargantuan warehouse was full of very non-esoteric frequencies, the hyacinth vibes really stood out. I took them home and didn’t expect so many, so I gifted some to my sister and a few more to a friend. I planted them on a very sunny autumn day in little clay pots when I certainly had more time on my hands, and something in me was so excited about them.

Sonbol, the Farsi name for the Hyacinth, always reminded me of Nowruz, the Persian celebration for the new year, as in the ancient past, it was very widespread that the new year would actually begin on the first day of Spring. New life, new water springs, new hatching, a time of renewal and rebirth, and even a new zodiac cycle commences in Aries. My mother’s side of the family had lived in Iran for many generations, still keeping our Armenian language, heritage, and traditions, yet also learning to appreciate the beautiful ancient Zoroastrian influence that is still highly felt and seen in modern Iranian society today. In fact, the ancient Armenian Indigenous Faith is very closely knotted with Zoroastrianism because we are and always have been neighbors, but with unique cultural and linguistic variations that correlate with land practices and regional needs.

The hyacinth, with its vibrant purple and violet blooms and fragrant perfume, perfectly embodies the spirit of Spring's arrival. It symbolizes new beginnings, growth, and the flourishing of life. The hyacinth is a prominent feature on the Haft Sin table, a traditional altar centerpiece for Nowruz celebrations. Haft Sin translates to "seven 'S's" and includes seven symbolic items beginning with the letter "S" in Farsi. These items represent different aspects of life and bring good intentions for the coming year.

Native to the regions of my ancestral homelands of Western Armenia and what is now Eastern Turkey, spanning to the SWANA, Greek Mediterranean, Levant, and even parts of Central Asia, this flower has meant many things to many people. It carries the scent of my upbringing, during the formative years of my growth, my mother would grow it every Spring in a clear thick square vase with clean white stones at the base where we could view the roots expand. The thickness of the glass would magnify the growth. She would always keep it on the same spot on the kitchen counter every year and would absorb and contribute to the energy of our own Spring and Easter traditions. The scent is one my ancestors knew very well and unlocks deeper, more sacred incantations in the atmosphere beyond the sensory veil.

The scent of the hyacinth possesses a remarkable ability to unlock a flood of memories and emotions, a phenomenon deeply rooted in the science of olfaction. Our sense of smell is intricately linked to the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for processing emotions and forming memories.

When we inhale the sweet, hypnotizing aroma of hyacinth, the molecules travel through the nasal passages and reach the olfactory BULB (which ironically resembles the sprouting roots of the flower bulb), a specialized region in the brain. From there, the signals are transmitted directly to the limbic system, bypassing the thalamus, which is the relay center for most sensory information.

The limbic system houses the amygdala, the hippocampus, and other brain structures crucial for emotional processing and memory formation. When a particular scent, like that of a hyacinth, is encountered, it can trigger a cascade of neural activity, activating memories associated with that scent, like how I remember conversations and laughter in the kitchen and the swishing and swaying of everyone who passed through our former family house in my old life.

These memories can be vivid and emotionally charged, evoking feelings of nostalgia, joy, sadness, or even anxiety. For example, the scent of a hyacinth might remind someone of their grandmother's garden, a childhood spring break, or a significant life event.

This phenomenon, often referred to as "Proustian memory" after Marcel Proust's famous novel "In Search of Lost Time," highlights the profound impact of scent on our emotional and psychological well-being. The hyacinth, with its distinctive and evocative fragrance, serves as a powerful reminder of the intricate connection between our senses, our memories, and our emotions. In my observation and personal opinion, since my family has been in close kinship with this flower for literally thousands of years, the DNA memory bank I inherited from them is also connected through the thread of the hyacinth redolence.

Whether the recent or ancient memories arise from the triggered smell, it’s healthy to feel them and to know them and a great reminder to never repress them. The Greek symbolism of the flower is associated with the heavy side of the human condition and experience: sorrow and loss, symbolizing grief and mourning, and sometimes jealousy and envy. Another grave reminder to protect one’s energy consistently.

In Greek mythology, Hyacinthus was a beautiful Spartan youth beloved by the god Apollo. Their idyllic relationship was tragically disrupted by the jealous god of the west wind, Zephyrus. Hyacinthus, known for his grace and beauty, captured the hearts of both Apollo, the god of the sun, music, and archery, and Zephyrus, the god of the west wind.  When Hyacinthus chose Apollo, Zephyrus, consumed by jealousy, intervened during a game of discus throwing. He diverted Apollo's discus, causing it to fatally strike Hyacinthus. Devastated by Hyacinthus' death, Apollo transformed the youth's blood into a beautiful flower – the hyacinth.

Though born from tragedy, like the Nowruz symbolism, the hyacinth also represents rebirth, the enduring power of life, and the cyclical nature of life and death.

I was well aware of the latter, but this time around, as I cared for this sacred plant, there were times I did forget about them in the midst of so many of my own life’s shifts such as having a new baby, managing motherhood and my sacred practice, and so much more. Until the freeze came. Here in Texas, we experienced a Polar Vortex, I know, for being closer to the equator of Earth, who knew we’d have an intense Polar Vortex, but here we are. We had time to cover our young trees and I was in charge of moving my hyacinths (still bulbs at that point) into the garage where it felt like being inside a refrigerator. Little did I know I accidentally left two pots outside as they eventually became blanketed with snow, yes, snow in Texas! By the time I realized my plants were out there, I was sure I would lose them to the freeze. We played, the sun beamed, the snow melted, all within a day, and to my surprise, the flowers were there and were starting to bud at the same time as the flowers in the garage. Miraculous.

I decided to take all the plants outside again so they could be together and committed to attending to them deeply. So I did. I sorted them circularly on a bed of rough quartz, and after every full day of virtual coffee reading sessions, I collected my leftover grounds and distributed them in the pots to feed them sacred coffee filled with great intentions and ritual.

The hyacinths showed me resilience, a testament to the enduring power of life even in the face of winter's harsh embrace. These delicate bulbs, designed to root and flourish in the coldest months, serve as a beacon of hope, ushering in the promise of Spring after pushing their way through the snow and ice. I was inspired to embody this inspiring lesson, as this Winter has been very difficult for so many, myself included, as I have been grieving over the loss of a very dear family member abroad, a friend (f**K cancer), witnessing global travesty, and also the same time grieving the aspects of my own business that just doesn’t run the same as it did from where I came from forcing me to redirect and change for the better.

Nourishing the bulbs with coffee grounds is indeed grounding in itself. I speak to the flowers and they communicate back in ways I can’t even translate but I can sure feel.

Coffee grounds, often discarded as waste, are a treasure trove of nutrients for the plants, a testament to the interconnectedness of all things. By offering these grounds that I work with in my personal and professional spiritually inclined practice back to the earth, we participate in a cycle of renewal, honoring the cyclical nature of life and death.

By cultivating the hyacinth with the wisdom of the earth and the offerings of the alchemical process, we not only nurture the plant but also deepen our connection to the cycles of nature and the mysteries that lie within.

May the hyacinth, in all its vibrant glory, inspire you to cultivate a deeper connection to the natural world and to embrace the transformative power of life, even in the face of winter's embrace.

After weeks, the buds came and transformed into flower forms blooming, and as it continues to reach toward the sun to this day, the rays paint the petals hues of periwinkle and amethyst. After putting in the simple work of watering and feeding the flowers the coffee grinds, I can’t help but sense my aura lightening up and specifically my crown chakra activating and sensating with the cosmos.

The Crown Chakra is usually associated with a thousand petal lotus, but in my case, I feel it connecting with the Hyacinth buzzing the seventh and highest energy center located at the top of the head. Connecting back to the sacred seven just like the Haft Sin.

In relation to Higher Consciousness, The Crown Chakra is associated with spiritual connection, intuition, and enlightenment. It's about transcending the ego and connecting with universal consciousness. Hyacinths, with their vibrant colors and heavenly fragrance, can evoke feelings of peace, tranquility, and a sense of connection to something larger than oneself, all while accepting grief and death in order to really feel alive. Just as the hyacinth reaches for the light, the Crown Chakra allows us to connect with our higher selves and experience a deeper sense of spiritual awareness conducive to meditation and introspection. Making way to ‘download’ and channel from the higher realms and be present in dream life and waking life, one and the same.

I wanted to share how you too, can incorporate Hyacinths in Crown Chakra and Spring becoming work within ritual besides just growing it:

Place a sprig of hyacinth near your meditation altar or use its essential oil during meditation to enhance your connection to the Crown Chakra.

Visualize the vibrant colors of the hyacinth as they ascend through your chakras, culminating in a burst of energy at the Crown Chakra. Allow the flowers to reach the stars and beyond.

Aromatherapy: The sweet fragrance of hyacinth can be used in aromatherapy to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance spiritual awareness.

Create a flower Essence for Spraying around your Aura and on your Crown:

Select a hyacinth flower in its prime, vibrant and full of life. The color of the bloom can be chosen based on the specific energetic qualities desired. Prepare a clean and sacred space, free from distractions. A crystal bowl filled with pure spring water is placed in the early morning sunlight. With reverence and gratitude, gently place the hyacinth blossom on the surface of the water, allowing it to infuse its energy into the water. Leave the bowl undisturbed for several hours, allowing the sun's rays to potentize the water with the hyacinth's vibrational essence. Full moon and new moon energy infusion is also so powerful! Carefully remove the flower and preserve the essence by adding brandy or another preservative. Dilute the essence in water and use it as an aura spray to cleanse and uplift the energy field.

Hyacinth essence can help to soothe grief, sadness, and emotional wounds. It can also promote feelings of joy, playfulness, and a renewed zest for life. The essence can facilitate a deeper connection to the spiritual realms, enhancing intuition, and promoting a sense of peace and tranquility. Hyacinth essence can stimulate creativity, unlock inspiration, and encourage self-expression. The essence can help to open and activate the Crown Chakra, facilitating a connection to higher consciousness and spiritual enlightenment.

I cannot recommend taking the drops as the plant can be toxic, and especially toxic to cats and pets so keep away! This potent powerful flower is no joke!