How-to Guides · 5 min · 2026-07-29
Flowers are more than just beauty on tarot cards — they are profound symbols that help readers understand the layers of meaning hidden in each card. Discover how flowers from roses to roses bring subtle messages of strength, purity and rebirth.
We humans have the ability to wonder. We not only exist on earth, but we also search for meaning — where we come from, what happens after death, how nature affects us.
For thousands of years, humanity has created belief systems to answer these questions. In those systems, symbols play a key role. As the famous semiotician says: "Meaning must be expressed by symbols — and symbols exist to express meanings."
Tarot, especially the Rider-Waite-Smith system (which is founded on Carl Jung's psychology theory of "synchronicity"), uses these symbols to connect the inner world and the outer world. Flowers are one of the most powerful symbols.
Each flower carries a certain meaning — what we call "flower of words". But this meaning is not absolute. For example, lys flower:
Tarot chooses Western interpretation. This suggests that when you decode flowers in any work — from paintings to fashion design — you need to consider the cultural context. In practice, begin with the position's job, then let the card image sharpen the answer.
the Tarot card called "Strength". In the Rider-Waite version, we see a woman gently restraining a ferocious lion. The infinite symbol above her head implies: mental power is limitless.
At her feet bloom two flowers:
Lesson: True strength is not violence or toughness. That is the pure beauty of femininity — the ability to "overcome hardness with softness". A useful check is to name the visible action on the card before choosing advice.
Another example: the "Death" card in the Tarot shows the rose on the flag held by the death knight. This symbol is associated with a 17th century secret organization in Germany called the "Red Crossroads Society" (Rosicrucian).
The rose, when combined with the cross, has a very different meaning: purity manipulated by religious power. This shows that:
> No two symbols have completely independent meanings. Their combination creates a new, deeper layer of meaning.
The "Temperance" leaf often shows cauliflower blooming along the riverbank. In Greek mythology, aloes are a symbol of the rainbow — bringing hope and light.
But: - The Chinese see in it "the beauty of loneliness" - The French associate the three petals with: trust, wisdom, courage
Because Greek mythology has a strong influence in Western culture, the understanding of "rainbow" is the main theme in Tarot.
When you learn Tarot:
1. Note the individual flowers on the card — they are not unintentional decorations 2. Learn basic flowers: roses, cauliflowers, lilies, lotus flowers, etc. 3. combinations: which flowers appear with which characters and symbols? 4. Thinking about colors: white roses vs. Red carries different messages 5. Related to cultural context: West and East have different understandings If the card feels abstract, ask what it changes in the next small decision.
Tarot works on Carl Jung's principle of "synchronicity" — meaningful connections between events that are not caused by cause and effect. When you choose a card, you don't just choose at random — you engage in a conversation between your conscious and unconscious mind.
Symbols like flowers are bridges. They allow you to:
Flowers are not just beautiful. They are the language of the soul.
Reference: adapted and edited for Melaap — read alongside your own spread context.
Read deeper
Reading note: Check these meanings against the cards beside them before settling on one keyword.
Source: Zhihu
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