The message of the Sunflower has popped up all over this summer for me. When I looked into the sunflower meaning, the first message I received was:
“Turn your face towards the sun, let the shadows fall behind you.”
This message was personal for me. My personality has a hard time moving on from beating myself up. Letting go of annoyances. Yes I freely admit and am very clear on my weaknesses. I see them with clear eyes each day. It was this year as I was working on and clearing some things from our land and property that Sunflowers started popping up all over! It seems like it happened overnight, they grow so fast. What is more interesting to me, is that they are so easy to pull out…their roots do not go deep at all but yet they grow so tall and stand up so straight off those shallow roots.
There is a lesson in that as well.
Sunflower Meaning: Happiness, Joy and Hope
The main sunflower meaning is happiness, joy and hope. You get this from the color yellow. The color yellow is also the color of the Solar plexus chakra. The chakra or energy center sits right above your belly and is responsible for your energy levels. Thus, the element connected to it is the element of fire. It is your powerhouse and the transition from the lower extremities to the upper parts of your body.
It connects what is below, to what is above.
The Sunflower and the Solar Plexus Chakra
The Solar plexus is our self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem. If you feel you are low in this area and out of balance, need more energy, a good mantra to say during the day is:
“I am powerful, confident, and successful in all my ventures. I am worthy”
You can also eat yellow foods, wear yellow and go make a fire outside. You can also use the essential oils of Bergamot, grapefruit, or wintergreen on the belly. In energy work, an out of balance solar plexus is often linked to these physical issues (always see your doctor for any health concerns):
- Intestinal and digestive disorders
- Hypoglycemia
- Diabetes
- Eczema
- Acne
- Food allergies
- Chronic fatigue
- Depression
- Stomach problems
- Pancreas, gallbladder and liver health issues.
The Deeper Sunflower Meaning: Following the Light
The deeper message of the Sunflower is also in how it responds to light! It follows the light of the sun and turns its head to follow the movement of the sun throughout the day, because of this it is viewed as a symbol of spirituality. Now the message I received earlier, made even more sense to me. I painted a picture for my kitchen to help me remember this message each day.
“During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it.“
In Native American symbolism, the sunflower is used in late summer festivals as a symbol of bounty, harvest and provision. In esoteric Christianity, the sunflower is a symbol of God’s love. What beautiful messages we can find all around us if we are willing to have the eyes to see, and the ears to hear. Finding the good in everything and everyone, no matter how weak, each person has light. Stand tall and be counted, be you, arise and follow the light. Come out of the storm into the light.
Let the Sunflower Remind You
Young sunflowers really do follow the sun across the sky each day, and scientists have even studied how they do it. You can read about that research here. I love that nature shows us how to live. When things feel dark, turn toward whatever light you can find, even if it is small. Let the shadows fall behind you.
Next time you see a sunflower, let it be a little reminder to stand tall, feel your worth, and keep your face toward the light. If you want to learn more about how colors and energy affect us, check out my post on body frequency and the frequency chart.
