About The Blue Lotus

The lotus has been held as sacred by many of the world’s religions, especially in Egypt and in India, where it is a symbol of the Universe itself. Not a monument in the valley of the Nile, not a single papyrus scroll is without this plant in an honored place. On the capitals of the Egyptian pillars, on the thrones and even the head-dresses of the Divine Kings, the lotus appears everywhere. The eight-petaled lotus used in Buddhist mandalas speaks to cosmic harmony. The thousand-petaled lotus represents spiritual illumination.

Rooted in the mud, the lotus rises to blossom clean and bright, symbolizing purity and resurrection. The leaves and flowers are borne high above the water, unlike those of the water lily, which float on the surface. The lotus is often analogized to the enlightened being who emerges undefiled from the chaos and confusion of the world. In Christian mythology, Archangel Gabriel holds lilies when he appears before Mary to announce Jesus’ coming.

The blue lotus of the Nile (actually a lily) was the most sacred of plants, prized above all others. The plant was associated with the sun god Ra as the bringer of light, and was found scattered over Tutankhamen’s body when his tomb was opened in 1922. The Egyptians valued the blue lotus not only for its rich perfume but when the flower was infused with wine, its narcotic ability became an ancient Egyptian shamanistic aid to produce heightened awareness and tranquility. Its powers as an aphrodisiac are legendary.

The Hindus of India hold the lotus seed to be especially sacred because the seed contains perfectly formed leaves, providing a complete template for the adult plant. To the Hindu, this is divine form passing from the abstract into tangible reality.

admin @ May 20, 2008