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The marigold is the October birth flower. It is known for its vibrant orange color and is native to the Mediterranean. The first recorded cultivation of marigolds began with the Aztecs, who believed that the sunny flower possessed magical properties. Spanish conquistadors took these marigolds back with them to Spain where they were grown in monasteries.

From here, the marigold spread throughout Europe, and ultimately the rest of the world. Throughout history, marigolds have been used as dyes and as culinary ingredients, as well as a cure for many health ailments. In Mexico and Latin America, marigolds are used as a primary decoration for All Saints Day, where altars are embellished with these bright orange flowers. Today, the marigold is one of the most popular flowers in the United States.

With a bloom time that spans nearly the entire year, this October flower blooms from spring to fall and are one of the hardiest fall flowers. Avid gardeners plant marigolds due to their ability to repel insects and pests. Additionally, their odor can repel bacterial growth within the soil, keeping it healthy and nutritious for other plants.

Marigold Meanings and Symbolism

Marigolds are available in yellow, gold and red, but they are best known for their bright orange color, which symbolizes creativity and passion. However, in different cultures, the marigold can take on a wide variety of meanings, both positive and negative, such as:

• Promoting cheer and joy
• Winning over someone’s love with hard work
• Desire to be wealthy and successful
• Despair and grief
• Remembering those who have passed away

October Birthstone

The month of October officially has two birthstones: opal and tourmaline.

The opal is an opaque gemstone that has a holographic sheen. When light is flashed onto it, the opal sparkles with the colors of the rainbow. This unique reflection is due to tiny cracks within the stone that cause light to break into various colors when hit. Even the black opal is known for reflecting bright colors of red and green. The opal gets its name from the Latin word opalus, which means “precious stone.” The opal is a symbol of love and hope.

The tourmaline is a mysterious gemstone that exhibits a wide variety of colors. In fact, many rubies and emeralds have been misidentified, and are actually tourmaline. Other tourmaline colors include: yellow, blue, green, pink, brown and black. Tourmaline gets its name from the Sanskrit word toramalli, which means “something little out of the earth.”

Because the tourmaline is a recent discovery, it lacks the rich history that other gemstones have. However, the tourmaline is known to bring calm and eliminate fear and has come to be known as the “peace stone.”

October Zodiac Horoscope

According to the zodiac horoscope, both Libras and Scorpios are born in October.

Libras are characterized as refined, social, artistic, and communicative. Libras born between October 1st and the 22nd, fall on the Libra-Virgo cusp and tend to exhibit analytical qualities and rational nature of Virgos. These qualities can easily take over making it difficult to interact with others. Because of this, October Libras can be extremely self-critical.

Scorpios are characterized as passionate, secretive, steadfast and stubborn. Scorpios born between October 23rd and the 31st fall on the Libra-Scorpio cusp and tend to be pleasure seeking and become social butterflies. October Scorpios are known for being highly intuitive and intelligent, however, their straightforwardness and bluntness when it comes to expressing their opinions can come off as egotistic. On the other hand, their charisma and sociability shall take them far.

Famous Birthdays In October

• Gandhi, spiritual leader, October 2.
• John Lennon, member of The Beatles, October 9th.
• Julie Andrews, Oscar winning actress for her role as Mary Poppins, October 1st.
• Matt Damon, American actor, October 8th.
• Kate Winslet, Oscar winning actress, October 5th.

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Source: Ftd.com