Merry meet!
Two weeks ago when we were shoveling out of nearly 3 feet of snow I would not have believed anyone who said that, two weeks later, the flowers would be blooming. But here we are! A warm spell, bit of rain, and serving of sunshine has almost magickally melted the snow and today there are signs of life in the garden.
Most of me is absolutely thrilled. The little gremlin part is bitter - all that shoveling for nothing! 
Oh well. I’ll take the flowers.
The hellebores, unfortunately, did not make it. There are signs of snowdrops, a few leaves that might be tulips, and a couple brave leaves. But before them all - the mighty crocus is not just up out of the ground, they are already blooming!
While staring in a mix of awe and bewilderment (seriously - we had almost 3 feet of snow), I realized I don’t know much about the magickal significance of crocus aside from the general “spring” and “new growth” correspondences of all the early flowers.
If you’re also a fan of flowers, I’d like to invite you along on a little exploration of the crocus 
A Powerful Little Flower
Crocus are small flowers in the Iridaceae (Iris) family. Because Crocus is a genus, there are many individual types of crocus flowers in this grouping. They can flower in many environments from sea level all the way into alpine territories and are native in many parts of the world, including North America, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia (source).
The name “crocus” likely comes from the Latin word crocus and/or the Greek word krokus, both of which translate to “saffron”. Saffron is an expensive and highly-desirable spice that is made from harvesting the stigmas of the Crocus sativus crocus.
True crocuses usually bloom in spring, although some varieties bloom in summer and into autumn. It is important to note that there is another plant known as the “false crocus” in the genus Colchicum that blooms in autumn that should not be confused with true crocuses as it is far more toxic.
For colors, purple tends to be the most common, but crocuses can also be found in white, yellow, or orange. Crocus flowers close themselves at night and during rough weather.
Saffron is an edible spice, but sources debate the edibility of other parts of true crocus flowers. False crocus is listed as highly toxic. Please do research and consider consulting a local herbalist when in doubt.
Crocus Lore
According to Greek legend, Crocus was the name of a Greek noble youth who feel deeply in love with Smilax, a beautiful shepherdess. When the gods forbade his marriage to Smilax, poor Crocus killed himself in deep sorrow. Upon discovering his death, Smilax was heart-broken and could not stop crying. The Goddess Flora took pity on the distraught Smilax and turned them both into plants. Crocus was turned into the crocus flower while Smilax was turned into a vine. It is said that the Greeks used the vines to weave together garlands of crocus flowers as wedding decorations.
From Flower Meaning: The Crocus Flower
A different version of the tale also presents Crocus as a tragic figure, but with a less romantic death.
An alternative version of the origin myth by Galen, the great Greek physician, places Crocus as Hermes’ companion. A game of discus went wrong and Hermes accidentally killed Crocus. Distraught by what happened, Hermes turned him into a flower.
From Icy Sedwick: Origin Myths and Crocus Folklore
This version is suspiciously similiar to the legend of the Hyacinth, in which it was Apollo who accidentally killed his lover Hyacinth and brought him back to life as a flower. I’m not sure if legends were being mixed up over the course of history, or gods accidentally killing people during sporting events and turning them into flowers was a common occurrence 
Additional legends relate crocus to goddesses of spring and flowers. Yellow crocus in particular seem to be linked to joy, happiness, and the growing strength of the Sun and life - which aligns well with the correspondences of the color yellow.
From other sources I discovered that in Minoan Crete young girls also gathered bright yellow crocus to celebrate the Great Goddess and the return of the growing season and that yellow was the color associated with the Great Goddess because of the golden color of the dye made from the precious saffron crocus. Later in Greece during the Lesser Mysteries, flowers, especially yellow crocus were also picked to celebrate Persephone’s return from the Underworld. I was particularly delighted by the reference to Persephone picking bright yellow crocus because my relationship with this goddess has been a somber one; I have always associated her with death. And yellow is a joyous color that I associate with early spring.
Crocus Correspondences
The following correspondences are suggestions based on the name, history, blooming season, and lore of crocuses. Please also consider any personal associations you may have.
Season: Spring
Sabbat: Ostara
Elements: Water 
, Earth 
Zodiacs: Pisces, Aries
Deities: Ostara, Eostre, Flora, Hermes, Persephone, Gaia
There are additional correspondences specifically for saffron:
Saffron : Love, Healing, Happiness, Wind Raising, Lust, Strength, Psychic Powers
From Spells8: Comprehensive List of Spiritual Healing Herbs
Magickal Uses
Like other flowers that chase back the winter and herald in the spring, crocus is an herb of transformation and change. Spring-blooming varieties carry the energy of new life that is celebrated around Ostara. As such, they may make for wonderful altar decorations for the sabbat or offerings for spring goddesses. The folklore of crocus ties this flower specifically to the Goddess Flora and the Goddess Persephone, but these colorful flowers would also make lovely offerings for other earth and flower deities such as Gaia.
Seeing the small blossoms rise up after a long winter certainly made me smile, so I’m surprised to see crocus often listed as a correspondence for joy. Some sources associate crocus (and saffron) with romance, but the various Greek legends of Crocus seem to be wrought with death and unsuccessful love, so I’d recommend drawing on any personal meanings or memories of crocus for love before drawing on crocus folklore for romance spells.
Crocus flowers are able to bloom and thrive in many different climates and have spread to take root across several continents - from North America to Europe to Asia and beyond. They are also tied to the travel god Hermes in some legends. As such, they make a good addition to travel spells, especially those for setting up and finding a new home in distant places.
More Green Magick
Ready for more plant lore and green witchery? Here are some more plants you may find interesting.
Snowdrops: A Flower of Transformation & Breaking Curses
Calendula: Correspondences & Lore
Have you ever seen a crocus flower or used one in spellwork?
Feel free to share your spell experiences, advice, and wisdom with fellow coven members in the comments below.
Blessed be and happy almost spring! 