The Trumpet of Spring. The first flower of March. Daffodils have had many monikers among farmers, Pagan folks, and everyone who pays attention to the Wheel of the Year. Usually white, yellow, or light orange, these bright flowers are the first to emerge in our gardens when the snow melts—and in a way, they usher in Spring.
Daffodils through the ages and myth
Native in south Europe and the Iberian Peninsula, daffodils were known to our Pagan ancestors as “narcissus” in the old world. Some say the name comes from the Greek word narke, which translates to falling into a deep sleep and is further associated with narcotics. Our ancestors knew that these beautiful flowers could cause dizziness, fainting, or even death when ingested, so perhaps this explains the name. As for the English name, this seems to be derived from another flower, with which daffodils were often confused: asphodels.
Daffodils appear in several ancient Greek myths, the most well-known one being about their origin. According to that myth, Narcissus was a very handsome young man, the son of a river deity and a nymph. When he was born, it was prophesied that Narcissus would live a long time, but he should never look upon himself. Growing up, his beauty attracted countless suitors, but Narcissus rejected them all, unable to feel love for any of them. One of them, Echo, could not tell Narcissus how she felt for him, as she was cursed by Hera to only repeat the last words someone spoke to her. So as Narcissus spoke, Echo repeated his words, and slowly, Narcissus fell in love with himself. This made Echo wither away and die, leaving only a whisper behind. Echo’s demise angered the goddess Nemesis (some say it was Aphrodite), so she guided Narcissus to a pond, where he saw his own reflection for the first time. At that point, some versions of the myth say he withered away because he couldn’t stop looking at his reflection—others that he drowned in it. In any case, Narcissus fell in love with himself and, as it was prophesied, died. The gods, saddened that such beauty was wasted, turned him into a flower instead… and this is how daffodils came to be.
Daffodils also appear in the Hades and Persephone myth: Hades made these flowers grow near Persephone to distract her so that he could steal her away to the Underworld.
Narcissi, or daffodils, were found both as wild and cultivated plants—and were quickly spread to other parts of the world. The Far East had access to daffodils before the 10th century CE, and in some Middle Eastern traditions, the flowers are considered an aphrodisiac. In Europe, daffodils became popular after the 16th century and were formally described by taxonomist Carl Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum book in 1753. By the 19th century, daffodils had become a commercial crop and were very popular in Victorian England as a flower to symbolize love. In other parts of the British Isles, like Wales (where it’s their national flower), daffodils meant luck and abundance for the household or person who was the first to spot them in Spring.
The magickal properties of daffodils
There are a lot of positive associations with these sunny flowers—mostly on an energetic and color therapy level, as our ancestors knew not to use daffodils for medicinal purposes because of their toxicity.
The major association of daffodils is with love and fertility. Being the first flower to bloom in Spring, daffodils were often used in fertility rituals or placed in the bedroom to help couples conceive children. Our ancestors believed that wearing a daffodil close to one’s heart could attract love—and the flowers were often used in love spells.
Another major magickal property of these flowers is luck. Just like the Welsh tradition wants the person who first spots a daffodil to have good luck for the following year, there’s also another tradition according to which one needs to avoid stepping on daffodils to have good fortune and abundance. And in some cases, seeing only one daffodil growing by itself can be considered bad luck. For the same reason, when you give daffodils to someone, make sure you give them an entire bouquet (or that there is more than one daffodil in your bouquet) to not attract ill-fortune.
Besides these two major associations, daffodils are also thought to bring inner peace, calmness, and resilience. They symbolize new beginnings, but they are also associated with honoring the dead—that’s why you so often see these flowers in funeral arrangements.
How to use daffodils in spells and rituals
Daffodils can be used in many different spells and rituals—what is important to remember, though, is that all parts of the daffodil are toxic, so you should not ingest them in any way, shape, or form. You should also make sure your pets don’t ingest them either.
Here are some ways you can include daffodils in your practice:
Gather a bouquet of fresh daffodils.
You can place them near a window, door, or mirror to attract abundance and good luck in your home. You can also place them in the bedroom to increase vibrations of love and fertility or on your altar as offerings. Such an offering would be particularly suitable for new beginnings or a new relationship.
Work with daffodil bulbs
Apart from planting them in your garden, you can add daffodil bulbs to your altar for Imbolc or Ostara offerings. You can also use daffodil bulbs in spell jars, buried in dirt for new beginnings—in love and life in general.
Sprinkle daffodil petals
You can sprinkle them on your altar or doorstep for good luck or to attract new friends. You can also burn them during rituals to increase your spell’s potency or add them to herbal baths.
