Much of my work is concerned with the cycle of life and an awareness of my own mortality which is represented here by the calla lily.
The spike inside the calla lily is the actual true flower. The outer petal part is a type of leaf. The ancient Egyptians and Romans recognized the the phallic nature of the inner spike with the Egyptians adopting it as the symbol for fertility while the Romans took it as a symbol for sexuality.
The calla lily also represents purity, holiness, and faithfulness which explains it use for weddings.
White calla lily flowers are used in Easter services to represent resurrection and rebirth. For funerals they embrace the idea of purification of the departed soul.
The calla lily was named after the Greek word for beautiful -"calla" and so it represents the true cycle of life.