Have you heard of the Blue Lotus flower? You may know it as an attractive tropical water lily with light blue star-shaped petals. Lately, I've noticed a buzz around this aquatic flower, also known as the Nymphaea Caerulea. There is an increasing number of posts about the blue lotus appearing on my social media feeds, as well as a growing availability of spiritual events that include the use of blue lotus medicine in their offerings.
So, what’s it all about, blue lotus? I decided to delve deeper and experience her mystical ways for myself…
History
Today, the blue lotus flower is native to northern and central Africa, although it was once abundant in the Nile Delta, where it is now endangered. In Egyptian culture, the sacred blue lily of the Nile is seen as a symbol of creation and rebirth, with its folklore going back to the beginning of time.
Ancient Egyptians believed the world was originally covered by water and darkness before a large blue lotus appeared and blossomed, shining light from within, thus ending the era of darkness. From the centre of the blue lotus came the deities, Atum and Ra; Atum the god of pre- and post-existence, and Ra the king of the deities and the father of all creation, patron of the sun, heaven, kingship, power, and light.
It's not surprising then, that the blue lotus flower was revered in Ancient Egypt, and was used for a variety of purposes, including as a natural aphrodisiac, sleep aide, anxiety reliever, and remedy against general illness.
Entheogenic Compounds
The Blue Lotus is an entheogen, or a plant with psychoactive compounds used throughout history in sacred contexts for inducing spiritual development. In essence, an entheogen is a plant ally that has supported human beings to transcend and expand consciousness through meditation, prayer, hymns, drumming, ecstatic dance, divination, yoga, trance, and many other ways.
The psychoactive compounds found in Blue Lotus are:
Apomorphine. This psychoactive compound is a morphine derivative D2 dopamine agonist used to treat episodes of advanced Parkinson's disease. Its muscle control can also support erectile dysfunction. Apomorphine can bring about a happy and euphoric feeling and was first synthesised in 1845, and first used to treat Parkinson's disease in 1884.
Nuciferine. This compound is thought to act as an antipsychotic drug that induces feelings of calmness, or trance-like states of consciousness through mechanisms that aren’t yet fully understood.
Today, the flower is generally consumed in small doses as a tea or tincture, and occasionally smoked or vaped, producing mild effects. In higher doses achieved through inhalation, however, users can experience euphoria and even hallucinations.
My experience with Blue Lotus
The first time I experienced the mystical ways of the sacred blue lotus, I sat with her in ceremony with an intention of just allowing the medicine of the flower to make itself known to me. I chose to ingest the flower as a tea, using one dried blue lotus flower and steeping it for 5 minutes in filtered water that had been boiled and left to cool down to approximately 80 degrees Celsius (176 Fahrenheit). The taste is naturally sweet, fragrant, and aromatic, and no sweetener is required.
I created a sacred space, with evocative crystals, dried blue lotus flowers, and incense. I opened the Medicine Wheel and called in the elements (earth, air, fire, water) and the power animals to aid me in my quest. I called in the spirit of the blue lotus before slowly, intentionally, and consciously sipping the tea on an empty stomach.
Within minutes, I began to feel a gentle calm creep over me. I found myself in a state of tranquillity with a very mild flow of euphoria. All the stresses of life seemed to fade away as I was anchored firmly in the present moment. I sat on my deck overlooking the forest, listening to and watching the birds as though nothing else existed.
Sitting with the blue lotus flower is quite the surreal experience. It reminds me of the medicine of the Marijuana flower, except without such heightened physical senses. It’s a much more subtle experience; a feeling of gentle euphoria and calm.
In my heightened state, I wrote some notes: “There is a sharpness yet a blurriness in vision, like everything blends around you. There is no stress or anxiety, this all slips away.”
At one point I felt called to play the steel tongue drum. I drummed gently while singing, losing myself for the best part of an hour. I then put on some ambient music and laid down with eyes closed, allowing myself to journey inwards. The music heightened the state of clarity and oneness, and I was able to vision with clarity.
Coming out of stillness, I felt an urge to sway gently as if I were the breeze, although I had no urge to get up and dance ecstatically – I’ll save that for cacao. Unlike cacao medicine, however, I didn’t feel any heart-opening effects. I feel it’s much better for going inwards in meditation, Shamanic journey, or even before an energy healing session.
I also wrote: “But my body has no urge to get up and dance ecstatically – I’ll save that for cacao. This medicine has me floating with the breeze, swaying gently from side to side. It’s restful and makes you take a step inwards. I feel like perhaps the pharaohs used it to journey within to receive guidance.”
After a couple of hours in this journeying state, I felt an urge to rise up and eat, which I’m sure was an instinct to ground me after the experience. After eating, I felt the call to lay down and take a rest, which I did, resulting in a huge nap, which is proof that it works as a sleep aide!
A word of warning
From my experience, blue lotus is best taken at night, as there is a slight heaviness on the eyelids and a feeling of drowsiness. I would not recommend driving after ingesting blue lotus. If you attend any blue lotus ceremonies or gatherings, please ensure you either have someone else drive you, or you wait for the effects to wear off (about 4-5 hours) before you drive yourself home.
There are also a lot of teas that claim to be blue lotus but are in fact calendula flowers. Make sure you purchase your tea or flowers from a reputable, organic seller and always check the labels!
Experiencing blue lotus with me
If you would like to experience the mystical effects of the blue lotus flower with me, please reach out! I prefer to use this entheogen in one-on-one healings and rituals, and can incorporate it into an energy healing, guided meditation session, or Shamanic journeywork.
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