Written by: Ron Nagy

Category: History Topics

Published: March 17, 2010

The Symbol of Spiritualism-The Sunflower

It is unknown as to who first suggested the sunflower as a suitable emblem of Modern Spiritualism. However we do know that for centuries long before the Christian era, the sunflower was regarded as the emblem of Truth and Constancy. Since the days of mythological fables, the sunflower has been a favorite emblem of Constancy.

From the Sunflower, the bright color “yellow” also became among the ancients, the symbol of Truth and Constancy. For this very reason, it was adopted by the Women Reformers of the 1800’s. The adoption of the Sunflower has been the emblem of Spiritualism at least since 1892.

The Spiritualists at the Cassadaga Lake Free Association [Lily Dale] adopted the Sunflower as it’s seal as shown in it’s Constitution and by-laws developed in 1892 and adopted in 1893. In 1900 William Bach continued the manufacture of the  lapel pins at his offices in Lily Dale, NY  bearing the Sunflower emblem. [believed to be originally manufactured in Boston Ma.]

In 1928 the Sunflower was adopted as the official badge of International Spiritualism at the conference for the International Federation of Spiritualism.

“As the Sunflower turns it’s face to the light of the sun-so let Spiritualism turn the face of humanity to the Light of Truth”