Pretty as gold, eh?

@violetmed posted some wonderful photos of marigolds and it made me think of this photo which I made a number of years ago. Using textures is fun sometimes, and I felt they went well with the photo in this case.

Marigolds are just as popular in Japan as in the States, and you can find them everywhere. The name comes from "Mary's Gold", hence the title of this post. Mary being the Virgin Mary. Back in the day the plant was used as an offering to the Virgin Mary in the place of gold coins.

Now many people know that, but did you know that Marigolds were carried as love charms in Medieval Europe by both genders who wanted to attract someone new. Some types of Marigold are supposedly good at predicting one's future. The Aztecs, especially, loved the flowers, attributing magical, religious and medicinal properties to them. Aztec medical treatments included hiccups, being struck by lightning, and "for one who wishes to cross a river or water safely".

So y'know, next time you cross a bridge you may want to bring some marigolds with you. Protection.

❦

Copyright © David LaSpina 2018, but almost free to use due to the generous Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license. Spiffy! More details here.

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	David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time. More?

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