The Magic of Flowers: A Guide to Their Metaphysical Uses & Properties - Tess Whitehurst 2013

Plumeria
The Flowers

Adivinely fragrant tropical flower and a frequent addition to Hawaiian leis, the endlessly blossoming plumeria is a veritable energetic fountain of youthfulness, and she imparts the carefree feeling of an endless summer vacation. In Asia, her heavenly nature is described in her name, which translates to “temple tree.” Additionally, she is a famous addition to Indian incenses; fragrant smoke blends inspired by her or containing her scent usually include the word champa, as in nag champa, the beloved spiritual staple.

Magical Uses

Creativity

Writers, visual artists, and artistic folks of all varieties can benefit from plumeria’s magic by simply inhaling the fragrance of a fresh plumeria or lighting a stick of nag champa incense. The scent playfully opens the top four chakras (heart, throat, third eye, and crown) to help divine energy and ideas and inspiration to generously and constructively flow.

Freedom

A favorite of hippies everywhere (in the form of nag champa incense) and residents of the Hawaiian isles (in the form of the blossom herself), plumeria is obviously no stranger to those to whom free thought and general “footloose and fancy free”-dom is paramount. To cut loose from old restrictions, try working with the essence, bringing plumeria into your yard, burning any incense with “champa” in the title, simply inhaling the fragrance of a fresh plumeria blossom, or incorporating plumeria (in incense, essence, or blossom form) into rituals or charms.

This liberating aspect of plumeria’s magic may be the reason that she is associated with death and graveyards in a number of the tropical regions in which she thrives—perhaps she helps to free spirits from this earthly plane and send them into the light, or perhaps she helps free us from our fears and worries about death so that we can live life freely and to the fullest.

Healing Adolescents and Inner Adolescents

Being an adolescent wasn’t all bad—in fact, if I remember correctly, some of it was unspeakably sweet. And the magic of plumeria is aligned with the sweetest and most lovely aspects of being an adolescent: for example, newly awakening sensuality, a wide-open future, and a sense that anything is possible. For this reason, plumeria can be an excellent magical ally for adolescents and for healing our inner adolescents. For example, if your teenage child is feeling awkward or wounded, you might give her a bottle of plumeria essence and have her take two drops under the tongue first thing in the morning and last thing before bed. If she likes the fragrance, you might find a perfume oil containing plumeria or frangipani (another name for plumeria). Similarly, if you experienced some sort of trauma when you were an adolescent that you haven’t yet healed, you might try either of these cures yourself.

Long-Distance Relationships

In The Meaning of Flowers, authors Gretchen Scoble and Ann Field write that “plumeria stands for love in long absence, as for the sailor long at sea.” From a magical perspective this makes sense, as plumeria blossoms year-round and exudes a harmonious combination of love, personal freedom, and eternal freshness. So if you’re performing magic for the purpose of fortifying or enhancing a relationship that must endure extended periods of distance, plumeria might be an excellent ingredient to choose. For example, you might place two garnets side by side at the base of a potted plumeria and lovingly care for it, or you might burn nag champa incense at a love altar on which you have placed a photo of you and your partner.

Love

A heart that is falling in love is a youthful heart. And that joyful, eternally blooming falling-in-love energy is perfectly conjured by the scent and appearance (or even proximity) of plumeria. This makes plumeria a wise choice for magical endeavors related to magnetizing a new love or infusing an existing one with freshness and romance.

Youthfulness

It’s no coincidence that witches are commonly portrayed as timelessly, suspiciously beautiful. Especially since there are ingredients like plumeria, who exudes an eternally blooming nature and whose smooth and creamy complexion seemingly never fades—even in extreme heat or after she’s been picked. So, if youthfulness is your magical aim, you might add one to two drops of plumeria to your facial moisturizer or bath water, take the essence, or burn nag champa incense as you bathe or perform your beauty routine.

Magical Correspondences

Element: Water

Gender: Female

Planet: Venus