Daffodils
A message of hope from a flower
In the depths of winter, daffodils emerge. Usually the first perennials to blossom, they remind us that we can weather the bleakness of our own winters and rise, if we hold onto hope.
How do we find hope when the world is shrouded in darkness, and all seems lost?
‘Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness,’ said Desmond Tutu.
To see light, we need to be willing to acknowledge and uproot dishonesty and deception.
An ancient story of attaining a new Life
In the Ancient Greek mythological tradition, the daffodil is linked to liminality. Liminality can be thought of as a passage across boundaries and borders. During this journey, substances, including people, are transformed (see Dunbar 2015; Turner 1987). The plant grew alongside the Styx River, which led into the underworld, where Hades, the god of death and brother of Zeus, reigned (Geller 2017).
According to one story told by Ovid in 8 AD, there was a young hunter called Narcissus, who was very handsome but arrogant. He had many admirers, but he never returned their affection (Ovid 2000 [8 AD] Bk. III: 339–358). One admirer was Echo, a mountain nymph, who fell deeply in love with him as he walked through remote woods (Ovid 2000 [8 AD]…
