Photo: Katrina Matos

California poppies make friends wherever they go, whether in sunny gardens, in the hard-packed and trash-strewn dirt next to highways, or cultivated in various places outside their home territory.

The carefree flutter of their yellow and orange petals lifts my heart and anchors me in the present moment.

Since moving to the Northern California Bay Area in the fall of 1991, California poppy has become a longtime friend.

It’s one of the first wildflowers to announce the arrival of spring each year and the colorful flush of California poppy splendor is on display as summer waxes.

Different groups of Native American people have used this wildflower plant and still use it today, for pain relief, to reduce anxiety and improve sleep. Where I live in Sonoma County that would include the Pomo people, as mentioned in the USDA entry for California poppy in their online database.

The Luiseño (Payómkawichum,) Cahuilla and Ohlone people are also known to make use of it.

California Poppies: Sure Sign of Spring In Sonoma County

Benefits Of California Poppy

Others have learned to use California poppy in much the same way, as its popularity has spread.

~It’s indicated for easing insomnia, especially of the nervous, mental, can't-turn-my-brain-off type.

~In my personal experience with using this plant in tea, it does smooth out the rough edges for my nervous system. It helps my brain ramp down and my muscles soften for sleep.

~California poppy plant is edible, with a bitter flavor from the berberine content. Some people use the seeds in their baking.

~It is soothing, non-addictive and gentle enough for use by children, being in a different genus than the Papaver family of poppies.

The flower is phototropic, opening and closing with the presence and absence of sunlight.

California poppy is beautiful, bright and tough.

California Poppy: Symbolic Meaning & Plant Energy Medicine

Common names mentioned in the USDA entry are Golden Poppy, Flame Flower, Copa de Oro (Cup of Gold) and Dedal de Oro (Thimble of Gold.)

According to my Botanical Interests seed packet, “early explorers called the poppy-covered hillsides 'Land of Fire.'”

It’s easy to connect this plant to the energy of the sun and the element of fire. California poppy would make an excellent symbol for The Sun card in Tarot.

The flowers seem to both absorb and radiate solar energy the same way they do everything, with exuberance. They speak to me of the simple pleasures of being alive in each moment, of warmth and joy, the shining of one's core self and an easy, continual flow of receiving and giving.

One summer I made it a point to observe California poppy closely. The leaves of the plants are feathery, like miniature ferns, gray-green in color and very “airy” in their energetic impression.

The flower petals range in color from yellow to orange, although modern versions have been bred in other colors.

Some petals open so extravagantly, they become convex. The petals swirl together more closed on cloudy days.

Happy Spring Equinox! It's happening in a couple of days. Wherever & whenever you happen to be reading this, I hope the sight of these poppies glowing in the Sonoma County sun lifts your spirits with a sense of hopefulness, vibrant peace & childlike glee.

The base of the petals rest on a circular platter which is usually a pinkish-red. I discovered that in floral anatomy the part that holds the base of the petals is called a receptacle and this unusual round shaped receptacle is what distinguishes the California poppy from others in the Eschscholzia genus.

I think of this platter as a satellite dish, in keeping with my impression of absorbing and reflecting solar radiance.

Before the flowers open, they are encased in a light-to-medium green conical sheath (the calyx.) With the pink-red receptacle at the base, they look like miniature witch hats, with a green body and a red brim.

I find this completely “enchanting.” :)

Deepening Our Friendship

There came a summer afternoon when I stretched myself out, face up, on the flat sun-warmed stones of our low garden wall, next to a patch of blooming orange poppies we had planted.

I melted into a limp, heavy heap on the stones, sharing the sunshine with the poppies, birds, trees and insects, time stretching into an eternal moment, all thoughts gone.

I felt like a puddle of sunshine.

The feeling came to me very clearly that this was a gift from California poppy, part of this plant’s sharing of its energy.

What a gift indeed, to stop thinking for a few moments, to feel the pleasure of daydreaming and the sensations of your body, receiving impressions from the world around you.

California poppy seemed happy to have me share this experience with others, so I created a short guided journey based on that gift.

Indeed, my gift to California poppy is to make space for them in my garden and to amplify the message in their gift by sharing it with as many people as possible.

When we slow down and recharge our Life Source energy through pleasure, openness and ease, in a safe space, then we can return in a joyful way to our heart center.

Acting from a joyful heart reminds us humans how we can choose to relate to others, human and otherwise, in a mutually beneficial way. This benefits all beings, including California poppies.

So you see, it’s not just endless giving of rainbows and sunshine! It’s in our Earth family’s best interest to bring us back to a loving kindness way of being.

Are you ready to daydream? You can make a recording of yourself speaking the words of the journey below and then play it back to lead yourself into a light trance.

You can also scroll down to the video link to take this journey with the poppies in my own Sonoma County garden and listen to my voice lead you through.

A Guided Nature Meditation with California Poppy

Lay stretched out on your back or stomach, or in whatever position feels most comfortable for your body right now.

Let the warmth of the day seep into your muscles & bones, or imagine the warmth of a sunny day seeping into your muscles and bones. Notice any aromas, sounds or sensations in your surroundings.

Feel yourself melting into a soft heaviness, as you follow your breath into deeper and deeper relaxation.

Let an image of California poppies come to you, shining in all their exuberant yellow and orange splendor. With their saucer shape & petals thrown wide, they simultaneously take in & give back the energy of the sun.

As you breathe & bask in the warm sun, imagine that you, too, exist only to drink in & radiate out that solar energy.

You drift away from any thoughts that float by, conscious only of the fact that you exist.

You are alive, warm, relaxed and blissed out on sunshine. Feel yourself floating in your own saucer of sunshine, just like the poppies.

There is nothing you need to do at this moment. You only need to be…

Let yourself drift…

When you’re ready, give a heartfelt “thank you” to the joyful poppy, to the life-giving sun, and your own spirit flame.

Let yourself slowly drift back to your everyday consciousness, to that faster flow of time and your day-to-day thoughts.

Notice how you feel.

Watch the video below to take this journey with the poppies in my own Sonoma County garden and listen to my voice lead you through.

Making New Friends

I invite you to look around your neighborhood and choose one friendship to cultivate more deeply, with your other than human Earth family.

If you’d like to experience your own customized guided nature meditation with this friend, you can sign up for an Earth Energy Connection session with me.

All together we'll recharge you body:mind:spirit, while strengthening your bond of friendship.

You can schedule a free 15 min. exploration call by clicking on the magenta Calendly link floating on every page of my website.

About me: I help people like you refill their cup of beauty and hope, of balance and purpose, by deepening their relationships with their other than human Earth family through my nature-inspired distance energy sessions and my food grade, herbal skin care, infused with Reiki & Botanical Soul.

My work is for people who talk to their plants and listen when their plants talk back. ;-)

I'm a Reiki practitioner, esthetician, massage therapist and lifelong green witch. You can find out more about me, plus how I work and play, by exploring my website & following the links below to visit my YouTube channel & Facebook page.