Announcing a New “Speak” Dictionary: Speak Flowers & Fans

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Saturday, August 9, 2025

2 Victorian Cats-friends with yellow tulip bouquet by Teagan via Night Cafe

Did you know that yellow flowers can symbolize friendship?  Did you know that tulips can represent sunshine and smiles?  So, yellow tulips can make a lovely “thank you” bouquet for a friend.

Hello, all.  I hope you’ve had a good week. As I end each post with a virtual hug to you, today I’m beginning with a virtual bouquet of yellow tulips to thank you for being a friend.

Elizabethan Era Siamese cat holding fan to right eye, by Teagan via Night Cafe

Take care while fanning during the heatwave.  You might begin an unintended flirtation — or you might end one before it is begun. If you slide the fan over your eyes, you’ve told someone to go away. 

Extreme heat here in the high-desert southwest has caused me to keep things low key.  I know that many of you can relate to that this week.  So, for the past two weeks, I’ve been taking my time preparing this announcement post and a book trailer video.  I worked on this book for the past few years.  It’s part of my “Author Tool Chest” of nonfiction reference books.  Yes, I’ve been talking about this book for a long time, and I’m finally ready.

Announcing

Speak Flowers and Fans:

A Dictionary of Floriography and Fanology

I made the short book trailer video below.

This book contains two forms of covert communication used in days of old.  Although some people say both are making a comeback. 

Floriography is the “secret code” of using the symbolic meanings associated with flowers to send messages.  Polite society didn’t always allow people to publicly have some conversations — particularly if the person was a woman.  The meanings associated with individual flowers, their colors, and even how they were presented could be combined to send detailed messages.

2 black Persian cats with bouquet of Hydrangea flowers by Teagan via Night Cafe

Fanology is not as well known, although followers of my recent serial will recall mention of it.  The secret code of fans was used in much the same circumstances as floriography.  In Europe, especially from around 1600, hand-held fans were used for personal comfort.  They also became a tool for flirtations.

Victorian tabby Cat holding fan by Teagan via Night Cafe

You can learn about both of these languages in Speak Flowers and Fans: A Dictionary of Floriography and Fanology.  The book is not just the secret codes.  There are bits of history and culture throughout.  There’s also fun!

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Here’s the book cover:

Universal Purchase Links

E-book:  relinks.me/B0FK3ZGNQT

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0FK3RH7LY

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Thanks to my fabulous feline models for getting into costume to help me share about this book.  However, they are not in the book.  Friendly comments are welcome.  Thanks for visiting.  Hugs!

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By the way, here are the other “Speak” books.

Speak Chuckaboo & Speak Flapper

Speak Chuckaboo & Speak Flapper, by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

Universal Purchase Links

Speak Chuckaboo

Kindle:  relinks.me/B0B9W38LDJ

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0B9T8MP1K

Speak Flapper

Kindle:  relinks.me/B083HNK3BB

Paperback:  relinks.me/1656168553

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This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2025 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved. 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

59 thoughts on “Announcing a New “Speak” Dictionary: Speak Flowers & Fans”

  3. Great way to offer a new book announcement. Can you see me handing you a bouquet of yellow tulips? Stay cool, friend. But you’re already a ‘cool cat,’ so that shouldn’t be too hard.

    Actually, even here in the east coast it’s another heat wave – in the 90s with humidity. But it’s better than 20 degrees and snow!

    Congrats on your new book!!!

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    1. Oooh, thank you for the tulips, Pam — and for your kind words.

      I feel for you. Heat and humidity, particularly the kind I grew up with (and spent most of my life with) in the southeast is utterly miserable. Although, right now, after weeks and weeks of 100+ degree heat, and single-digit humidity, I’d be happy for a good dose of that 20 degrees with snow.

      Look out, I’m going down a rabbit hole. LOL…. High humidity is oppressive and wretchedly uncomfortable. However, extra low humidity has a wide range of actual health hazards. Asthma, sinusitis, nosebleeds, sleeplessness, eczema… Also, everything in the body that’s supposed to be moist dries out so… that causes problems. When mucus dries up, yes it’s harder to breathe, but that also means it’s not there to catch the germs that it should grab onto — making it easy to catch viruses. That also applies to moisture in the ears, causing earaches.

      You might find this article from a reputable medical source interesting:

      How Dry Air Impacts Your Health

      And there’s your “humidity (or the lack thereof) trivia for the day… or year. Hugs.

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      1. Great info. When I lived in the SF bay area I had no allergies etc. Now in the northeast I have asthma and sinusitis. Go figure. 😦 Lots and lots of pollen in the air, and dust mites in the rugs. ACKKKK. Breathe in Breathe out. Take care and smell the tulips – their pollen isn’t as harmful. xo

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  4. Given that messages can be passed with a fans movement I guess in the era of fans the ladies had sooo much fun…Love this post and your beautiful images they always amaze me and catch my eye…Have a lovely week ahead Teagan Hugs 🙂 xx

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    1. Hi, Carol. Thanks for that feedback. I wanted this to look like something other than just another book announcement. The computer generated images (CGIs) of the cats seemed like a fun way to do that. The Night Cafe app *can* generate some amazingly detailed images,but that usually requires one to describe those details in just the right way. Even then getting what I want is a toss of the coin. Anyway I made a bunch more of these cats, and enjoyed myself. Thanks for your good wishes, and the same back to you. Hugs winging across the globe to you. 🤗

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  6. So much of our communication is symbolic. I am always learning new things from you!
    Our heat broke for a few days, but is coming back again this week…hope yours takes a long break! It’s getting tiresome. (K)

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    1. Kerfe, your comment made me smile. Thank you.
      You’re right about “tiresome.” I admit the previous two spring/summers here were worse than this year, but this is bad enough. You know it’s bad when 95 sounds like a cold snap. It will be another full week before we get to the low 90s for the high temp. Although this coming week is supposed to be slightly below 100, and that’s a noticeable improvement. Take care — it’s dangerous in multiple ways. Hugs.

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  10. CONGRATULATIONS! This looks like a wonderful book!

    Love this post Teagan. It’s so colorful, fun and beautiful.

    Your video is luscious.

    Who knew cats were so stylish in the Victorian days?

    Again…LOVE this post!

    Hugs 💐

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    1. Thanks so much Resa. Haha, I hoped you might enjoy these fashionable felines. Actually, the Victorians had a big thing for depicting animals dressed as and acting like people. Dogs, cats, I’ve seen a lot of drawings of apes too. I appreciate you reading and commenting. Hugs winging back to you.

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  12. I love this! The book is now on my kindle. I have always been fascinated by the language of fans (Included a bit of it in Amanda in Scotland) and am eager to know what flowers have to say. The cover is fabulous once again. And I love the kitty modals. 🐱🐱

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    1. You are so kind, Darlene — thank you. The idea of fanology is… rather mesmerizing. It seems at once elegant and playful. The floriography section is much larger. It’s whimsical, but some of the meanings/flowers are deeply embedded in various cultures. Big hugs.

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  13. What a delicious, delightful treat for all of you fans (both human and practical). The pictures are gorgeous and the cats superb. Great way to try to beat the heat and I have heard it has been vicious, as have the monsoon flooding. Hugs unfurling your way, fanned on by electronic pixels.

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    1. Thanks for your kind words, Pat. My town has been spared the flooding (unlike the tragic mess that has been made of Ruidoso, not far away). Actually, we really didn’t get much rain… Just a few good gully washers. At this point, anything below 100-F sounds like a cold snap. Although throughout the coming week, we’re looking at highs in the upper 90s at least. Hugs back to you.

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    1. The gesture, combined with attitude and facial expression — the drama is irresistible! LOL. Here’s a fanology tidbit for you: all the way back in 1742, John Winstanley wrote “Poems Written Occasionally,” where the fan represented the manifestation of a woman’s power over her lover. Thanks for commenting. Hugs.

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    1. Many thanks, John. Writing this was a fun learning experience. The section on the language of flowers is considerably larger than the part on fans. That was why it took so long to finish. I felt like an archeologist digging for information on the language of fans. Eventually I found enough relevant information to satisfy myself. Did you know that Samurai warriors used fans, both for codes but for weapons? Thanks for commenting. Hugs.

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        1. 😀 Well, they had that cooling purpose too, for sure. I didn’t know about it either until fairly recently. That was one of the last things I unearthed in my research. The weaponized ones were made of iron or at least had iron tips on the ends of the “ribs”. They also used them kind of like “swim wings” as flotation assistance — although I don’t suppose that was the iron ones!

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    1. Thanks, Liz. I like lilacs very much too. I was fascinated by them as a child and always wished we had a lilac bush. Here’s a lilac-tidbit for you: The Social Security Administration’s database of names does record Lilac being used as a name, although it didn’t make it to the top 1000 names. Hugs.

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  17. Congratulations Teagan! I have been on the road all week, but I’m told my copy is waiting for me at home. I will prop it up on my laptop and take my traditional New-Teagan-Book photo after I return.

    I hope the heat gives you a break and that you have a nice weekend!

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    1. 😀 Thanks, Dan. I can’t wait to see the photo. You’re a gem for getting the book.
      Break? Haha. I just hope none of the things break that prevent me getting a heat stroke. We’re looking at highs in the upper 90s throughout the coming week — but at this point anything below 100-F sounds like a cold snap. Frankly, I’m exhausted from it (and all the related issues & anxiety). I’ve given myself permission to (try to) take it easy on myself and not accomplish anything. Although I didn’t realize how hot the coming week was going to be when I gave myself that permission… I thought it was going to be more like 95 – 94…
      Anyhow I hope you enjoy the rest of your break. Stay safe and well. Hugs.

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    1. Hi, GP. Oh yes, there are different versions for various cultures but the use of it was much more widespread than I expected. In Europe fanology goes at least as far back as the 1700s. Japanese tessen (war fans) date back to the year 794. Anyhow, thanks for the good wishes. Hugs.

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