Blue Lotus Mystery School: Secrets of the Egyptian Queen
She is the queen of the Nile and a beautiful flower that thrived along the banks of the lush marshlands during ancient times. Blue Water Lily was a revered plant in ancient Egyptian mysticism. She is prominently featured on temple walls and records and is associated with the sun god Ra, creation, and rebirth. As a medicine, Blue Lily offers us a connection with our depth and a clarity of vision that is unmatched. Although not a heavy-hitting entheogen like ayahuasca, her psychoactive effects will create a thinning of the veil both in our waking lives and in our dream states.
What is Blue Lotus?
Blue Lotus (Nymphaea caerulea), also known as the Blue Water Lily or Egyptian lotus has had a lot of confusion around her name. But the Blue Lotus is technically not a true lotus; she is a water lily belonging to the family Nymphaeaceae. She is often mistaken for belonging to the same family as the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), which belongs to a different plant family. (Nelumbonaceae). As such, we often use her names interchangeably.
Revered not only in Ancient Egypt but across Africa, the Mediterranean region, and parts of Asia, she has been used for thousands of years as a sleep aid and anxiety reliever. The two primary compounds responsible for the flower’s psychoactive and medicinal effects are apomorphine and nuciferine. Apomorphine, a dopamine receptor agonist, enhances mood, induces mild euphoria, and promotes feelings of well-being by stimulating dopamine activity. It also helps reduce anxiety and stress, fostering a sense of relaxation and has been used in modern medicine to regulate motor function in conditions like Parkinson’s disease. Nuciferine, another key alkaloid, modulates serotonin and dopamine receptors, promoting relaxation, reducing anxiety, and enhancing mood. Its sedative and anxiolytic properties support sleep and cognitive relaxation, while its effects on serotonin pathways may also improve focus and reduce depressive feelings. Interestingly, nuciferine also helps increase blood flow, which may be another key to why Blue Lily was associated with sexual rituals in Ancient Egypt along with her psychoactive properties.
Benefits of Blue Lotus, AKA Blue Water Lily
In addition to these alkaloids, Blue Water Lily contains flavonoids like kaempferol and polyphenols, which act as antioxidants. These compounds provide anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective benefits, reducing oxidative stress and supporting brain health, potentially lowering the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Blue Lily is known for her ability to promote relaxation, improve mood, and produce mild psychoactive effects and dream-like visions. She also offers analgesic properties, providing relief from minor aches and pains, and is an aphrodisiac due to her dopaminergic effects.
Blue Lotus Traditional Uses and Preparations
Ancient Egyptian preparations included brewing the flower into teas or decoctions to relieve stress, anxiety, and insomnia. Some cultures also prepared poultices from the flower to reduce inflammation and promote healing of minor wounds. She was often regarded as an aphrodisiac, enhancing intimacy and connection, a belief tied to her euphoric and dopamine-enhancing properties. Often, ancient tradition showed the flower being infused with wine to promote sexual connection and visions.
Today, the legacy of Blue Lily lives on in modern herbal and spiritual practices and her ancient applications continue to inspire her use. The flower is most often consumed as a tea or smoked, (alone or mixed). Her fragrance is magnificent and makes a beautiful addition to diffusers or in a bath as a natural remedy for anxiety and stress.
How to Safely Work with Blue Lily
From a legal standpoint, Blue Lily occupies a gray area in many countries. In the United States, she is not classified as a controlled substance, making her legal to grow, buy, and sell for ornamental, research, or personal use (except in Louisiana). However, Blue Lily is not approved by the FDA for human consumption, and products made from her are typically marketed as "not for human consumption." In some other countries, such as Russia and Poland, Blue Lily is banned due to her psychoactive properties.
When using Blue Lily, it is important to source her from reputable suppliers to ensure the product is pure and free from contaminants. Starting with a small dose to gauge tolerance is best and while her effects are mild and typically well-tolerated, taking health conditions into consideration is always a good idea to enjoy her medicine safely.
Ancient Blue Lotus: Egyptian History, Symbol of Creation, Rebirth, and Divinity
The Blue Lotus was a central symbol in ancient Egyptian culture. She was believed to have emerged from the primordial waters (Nun) during the creation of the world. In some myths, the sun god Ra was born within her petals. Her connection to Ra and rebirth is significant as she is cyclical. She opens at dawn and closes at night, as the sun. Her growth in the mud and primordial waters symbolizes her creation out of chaos. Blue Lilly is clarity in the darkness. She is resilient and creates beauty in the muck of her surroundings.
As such, she was often the star of religious ceremonies and rituals as an offering to Ra and Hathor. She is found in the tombs of kings and queens, symbolizing her connection to life, death and rebirth, offering a guide in the darkness through the underworld. Her intoxicating fragrance was believed to bring those who used her closer to divinity. Blue Lily was also used as a sexual aphrodisiac and infused in wine to heighten her effects.
A Master Plant Dieta with Blue Lotus
In the Shipibo tradition, master plant dietas are intensive and highly sacred. The objective is to merge and spiritually connect with a plant. Each plant on Gaia is considered a living spirit (consciousness) with unique wisdom, guidance, and healing abilities. Working with a Shaman, the portal is opened and held for as long as necessary for the recipient to access the lessons and wisdom. They typically last 2-4 weeks and can be experienced in a social setting (at home) or more traditionally, in isolation.
Working with Blue Lily offers us the opportunity to connect with the magic and sacredness of this beautiful flower. She offers us clarity in darkness and allows us to connect with the sacredness of our space as she thins the veil between material and spiritual worlds. My work with her has created a strong embodiment and grounding and a feeling of being deeply connected to my roots (ancestral). When you work with Blue Lily, you will be aware that she has been ancient and primordial since the beginning of time. She calls us to discover who we are and where we come from.
Her dream spaces are incredible – bringing our dreams into high definition and full recall. Working with Blue Lily whilst also working with our dreams is a powerful combination. I highly recommend dream journaling while working with her. She is a powerful dream enhancer and ally. She also offers very restful and calm sleep.
Modern Day Blue Lotus Mystery School
Blue Water Lily holds a unique significance for us today as a symbol of reconnection—with nature, self-awareness, and ancient wisdom. In an age marked by stress, disconnection, and an overwhelming pace of life, she offers a reminder of the importance of tranquility, introspection, and well-being. She creates a container that is less intense than other psychoactive medicines and allows us to be within the space of connectedness within our daily lives. As a symbol of the cycle of life and rebirth, Blue Lily reminds us of the interconnectedness we share and the ebb and flow of our existence. She is the light in the darkness, a beautiful medicine guiding us through the muck of duality.
If you want to learn more about this sacred medicine or want to prepare for a master plant dieta with her, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be more than honored to guide you on your path and prepare you for a safe and sacred journey!
About the Author
Marwa Mitchell has been working with Plant Medicines for many years, and is well versed in helping people set clear intentions and feel safe and excited about the journey into altered spaces. Her degree in psychology with an emphasis in neuroscience gives her both clinical and spiritual expertise. Marwa is also a certified past life regressionist (PLR) in both Dolores Cannon’s QHHT methodology and the Beyond Quantum Healing (BQH) modality, as well as a Reiki practitioner. A lifelong student of consciousness exploration, Marwa is particularly adept at understanding how the subconscious mind operates in connection with the universal consciousness to reflect our traumas and illuminate our paths to growth.
