A pendulum with poi is describes by only spinning 50% off the circle, primarily on the bottom or top half. Think of how a pendulum swings back and forth, the concept is the same with poi.

A 1.5 is described as as the poi spinning 1 and a half a circle. Normally the poi will spin 1 beat and then a pendulum swing for the .5. This is how a 1.5 is achieved.

Flowers are describes as putting smaller circles within 1 larger circle, like the petals on a flower.