Okay about dandelions…I always use to pick them when I was little and bring them in the house but my mom told me unless I want to stop seeing shadows floating through out the house I have to stop bringing them in the house…also lilacs. We did have a haunted house growing up and I will never go back there. …Just babbling…lol
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Huh, I never heard of shadow people liking flowers before. How oddly scary!
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It was and I would watch them go through the rooms and sometimes there were several of us standing or sitting there My mom would say certain flowers are shadow / spirit drawers and so now I won’t bring dandelions in the house and lilacs……geez and I will be 59 years old in June!!! What a scaredy-cat!!!
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Hey, that stuff freaks you out and leaves a mark on your brain. I don’t blame you!
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This is super interesting! 
I hope you don’t mind, but I thought this was such a great topic to explore that I pulled it out of the recipe comments and into a thread all its own. I didn’t want it to get buried in the replies!
This is the first I’ve heard about dandelions attracting spirits and shadows- I have always considered and used them as an element of the sun 
. But I suppose it is thanks to the sunlight that there are shadows, yes? 
I’d love to learn more about the “darker aspects” of dandelions!
Lilacs, however, I have heard about their darker side: attracting spirits and bad luck. Here in Poland, there is a folk legend that if you take a replant a lilac tree, someone in your family will soon die. My partner says its true 
It’s tricky, because when I look online, information about lilacs seems mixed and even contradictory- the Learn Religions article about Lilac Magick and Folklore says:
The purple and red varieties are usually less feared, but even they are sometimes excluded from house-decorations as bringers of misfortune…
But then later in the article they say:
Plant lilacs around your property to keep out those who might do you harm, or cut some to keep indoors as a way of preventing malevolent spirits, or other ghosts and haunts, from hanging around.
A bit confusing- I guess lilacs are one of those things where you should use your own personal judgment and experiences to determine its uses in magick. For some, it may be a protective barrier, like wisteria, while for others it may be used to attract and draw spirits in the same way that heather is.
Purple/blue flowers sure have a lot of interesting uses in magick! 
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Very interesting…see I had learned throughout my practice of witchcraft that dandelions are used to summon spirits. Oh my goodness!!! The folklore in Poland about replanting a lilac tree is very scary now we both learned something new…geez …scary. My mom use to say the smell of lilacs in the home when there was no lilac tree around was the meaning of death. So beautiful as it is and such a pleasing smell I am very cautious. We grew up with a lilac tree next to our front porch window and it didn’t help us with keeping spirits away…then one day mom and dad cut it down. But I will never step foot in that house again . But yes it does seem that the purple and blue flowers sure have a lot of interesting uses in magic!!! 
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Wow, that’s giving me the heebie-jeebies. The whole replanting lilac thing. This is an interesting subject!
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This is so interesting I hadnt heard this before on either flower. I learn something new each day!
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LadyFireCancer
That was actually a great memory! How did your mom learn those tales?
I used to pick dandelions when they looked like small white balls, made a wish and blew it into the wind. Did you know that dandelion greens are quite good to eat?
Blessings
Garnet
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Yes it was engraved in my memory. Nothing any kid should see!!! How could I forget!! So not a tale…true story. My grandma believed in her craft and taught my mom very well.
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Oh, wow! I have never heard of shadows and spurts being attracted to flowers. They are beautiful, after all, so it’s not too much of a surprise. I brought dandelions inside a few days ago and I have yet to see anything (and I hope I won’t). 
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[LadyFireCancer] It wasn’t my intent to demean your grandma. My Magical ancestry was hidden for generations after my many times great grand-mother was hung in Mass. as a witch in the 1600’s. Then it went from hidden into the joke category and now there’s me. Out of the broom closet and happy. I guess I was interested in ancestral magical stories.
Thanks and Blessings
Garnet
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Yes, I think I’ve heard something similar to this before! 
Oh lilacs- so beautiful and entrancing, I guess it makes sense that they are “otherworldly” 
Agreed! I’ve had the idea in my head since yesterday- wisteria, lavender, heather, lilacs… all very beautiful plants, all very potent in magick! It makes me think that that unique color of purplish-blue may be a good indicator of the plant’s magickal ability 
And I suppose that would make sense, looking at the magickal meanings of purple:
Purple is considered a very esoteric color. It symbolizes spiritual development, psychic powers, and expanded consciousness.
Light a purple candle to meditate, for introspection or even profound transformation. It will stimulate idealism and psychic manifestations, and help you make contact with the spiritual world. Purple also increases ambition, enthusiasm, desire and power.
From Spells8: Candle Magick 101: Purple Candle
It is indeed an otherworldly and spiritual color!
When my partner told me about it, I first thought it was just a folk tradition- one of those “did you know?” kind of things. But it seems like it may have come true in the family. Needless to say, I do not see many lilac plants around the village- actually, I don’t think I’ve seen even one
I love dandelions and can’t recall any spiritual interference when working with them in the past, but then again, it wasn’t something on my radar before!
I suppose keep an eye on the area and see if anything out of the ordinary happens 
It’ll be a bit of a magickal experiment! 
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Ah, so interesting! In Mexico, they use marigolds for Dia de los muertos because the scent of the flowers is supposed to attract spirits to the family ofrenda or altar.
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Ohhh yes! Marigolds are in abundance in the autumn and are a signature fall flower 
and if I’m not mistaken, Dia de los meurtos is right around Samhain in early November. It makes sense that flowers that bloom when the veil is thin would be good for spirit work 
Thanks for this one, Mary! 
What you said made me think of aother flower: the poppy- a traditional symbol of death and memory of those who have passed. I remember when I studied in Canada, people pinned poppy flowers or symbols of them around Rememberance Day…
Which, actually, is also in early November when the veil is thin
I’m starting to sense some themes here- when it comes to flowers that attract/involve spritis, we’ve got purple/blue flowers and flowers that bloom around Samhain! 
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Yes for sure !!! Maybe my mom classified them with same characteristics. But I am going to get out of my bubble and get involved with dandelions!!! Thank you for helping me out with more knowledge and to investigate!!! I just love you guys!!
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I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! I had to shout it out again…lol
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I have a lilac bush in the yard, I just planted marigolds and I have dandelions… and yes I have shadows floating… just saying!!! 
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And the shadow people don’t bother you? I used to work at a pizza place that had them. Urgh. Creepy when you were alone there cleaning at night.
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It doesn’t happen often in this house, I don’t feel anything harmful, but maybe I should do a clearing just to be safe. 
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