Acacia Spiritual Meaning

With regard to the positive symbolisms attached to the acacia blossoms, these are chaste love as well as concealed love.

It also represents beauty in retirement.  In the past, it was a symbol for freemasonry specifically with how the soul endures and how pure it is.  When it comes to funerals, it’s a flower that shows resurrection as well as immortality.

If we take a look at the plant as a whole, it has importance in the Bible where it is a part of the ornaments that decorated Hiram Abiff’s burial.  He built the Temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem.  Further mention of this plant in the Bible was when Moses was given instruction by God about building a tabernacle.  The table was supposedly constructed with acacia wood.

• Name: Acacia
• Color: Shades of yellow from pale to gold but they can also be found in a beautiful cream or even red or purple color.
• Shape: Varied, but mostly ball-shaped.
• Fact: It is the largest genus of vascular plants, this is also known as Wattles in Australia.  The name comes from the Greek word, akis that means barb or point.
• Poisonous: For this, we would have to look at the different parts of the plant.  The plant as a whole is not poisonous in itself but taking the leaves reacting with specific enzymes like glycosides can produce hydrogen cyanide making it poisonous.
• Number of Petals: Five for one stamen.
• Victorian Interpretation: Acacia flowers signify secret love, friendship, and elegance.
• Blossom Time: Winter through early spring (December to February).
• The Shape:  Just like the color, it can also be varied. However, the acacia flower heads are mostly seen to be ball shaped.
• Petals:  Since the acacia flower is shaped up like a ball, this mainly consists of a number of stamens with five tiny petals going around it.
• Numerology:  In numerology, the acacia flower falls under the number 9.  This pertains to the completion of a cycle and it means a lifetime of fulfillment. It’s also about service and about love.
• Color:  Depending on its color, the acacia blossom has many different symbols.  If it’s creamy or red, it means elegance or friendship.  If it’s yellow, that means concealed love.
• Herbalism and Medicine: The acacia has been used as medicine for a variety of things.  In the olden times, in the 19th century, it was used as a cure for rabies when it is mixed with the root of tacha. It is also used as Aryuvedic medicine for treating premature ejaculation.  And that’s the acacia blossom for you.

Superstitions of Acacia

While not every symbol of flowers is positive, the acacia, its blossoms and other parts are used for driving ghosts and demons away.  This pertains mainly to the smoke that comes from the acacia bark when it is set on fire.  Since the acacia leaves can react with specific enzymes to produce hydrogen cyanide that can be very poisonous, many livestock lost their lives to this plant. It must’ve created quite a stir in the past when there was still no scientific explanation about the livestock deaths - thus they consider the plant and even the flower as bad luck.

What the Acacia Means

If we look at the acacia blossom, the various parts of the tree have been used in rituals for many years.  They make use of the acacia bark and also the root and the resin as incense in places like China, India and Nepal.  As it was mentioned above, the smoke from the tree bark is used to keep ghosts and demons away. It also is believed to give the gods a good mood - that’s why it’s a good material used as incense.