Blue Lotus Returns! From Antient Egypt to China, Blue Lotus Oil is Now Available

Welcome back to Harvesters’ Corner! Today we will take a look at a flower highly revered in the ancient world, and the plant’s impact in our modern day. Come join us as we step back in time to a period of darkness, even the very beginning of time.

In the beginning were the waters of chaos…Darkness covered the waters until…the Primeval Water Lily rose from the abyss. Slowly the blue water lily opened its petals to reveal a young god sitting in its golden heart. A sweet perfume drifted across the waters and light streamed from the body of this Devine Child to banish universal darkness. This child was the Creator, the Sun God [Atum-Ra], the source of all life… [And so] the Primeval Water Lily closed its petals at the end of each day…Chaos reigned through the night until the god of the water lily returned… (1)

The preceding account comes from “The Waters of Chaos,” an ancient creation tale from Egypt, parts of which date back to Pyramid Texts created during the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, circa 2500 - 2350 BC. The Blue Lotus flower was a sacred object to the Egyptians as a representation of the origin of life, and was revered throughout the multiple phases of their history. The plant, which thrives in areas of high temperature, humidity, and sunlight, was a fixture along the banks of the Nile River. Symbolic representations of the lotus capped the columns in many temple complexes, and artistic representations have been found in multiple excavated tombs. The religious uses, however, was not the only purpose for the Blue Lotus in Egypt. Egyptians used some parts of the plant in tonics, and others as food, in addition to its use in funerary ceremonies as a means of masking the stench of death. (2) One authority states that the lotus “symbolizes purity, enlightenment, and resurrection.” (3)

Love of the Blue Lotus developed in locations other than the Kingdom of the Nile. Trade with Greece brought the flower to the northern Mediterranean coast, while India and other parts of Asia developed their own uses for the delicate plant. Throughout Asia and Africa the lotus symbolized immortality due to the plant’s ability to survive drought and spring to life when water returned. (2) The Chinese viewed the plant as a religious symbol as well as a symbol of feminine beauty. (2) The Japanese saw in the lotus “a representation of purity and the juxtaposition of good and evil.” (2) In India, they, too, compared the lotus with feminine beauty, and also believed that their creator, Brahma, came from a lotus blossom. (2) During his search for enlightenment, Buddha drew inspiration from the lotus, and even today the Blue Lotus is representative of wisdom, as well as knowledge and intelligence. It is often represented as partially open, and is symbolic of an individual who has been able to leave the concept of “self” behind them. (4) This is contrasted by the Pink Lotus flower, which is often shown in full bloom, and representative of one who has achieved enlightenment, such Buddha himself. (4)

As time moved on, the Romans also developed a love of the Blue Lotus, with the flower traded throughout both the Republic and the Empire, from Britannia to India. (3). Archaeological research has also discovered evidence of use of the Blue Lotus in both religious art, costume decoration and ceremonies throughout the regions of the Mayan Empire (southern Mexico/Guatemala). (3) One source sums up the reverence towards Blue Lotus thus: “It is difficult to say whether the Blue Lotus is more revered for its symbolism of the universe, or its healing properties and powers. Or perhaps the two are inseparable.” (3)

Moving back to the modern era, Blue Lotus has long been a favorite of the beauty industry for the plant’s effects on the skin. However, a research study published in 2023 revealed some surprising results. This study evaluated eleven commercially available products purchased from online vendors. The results state, “Interestingly, the aroma varied greatly between the commercial products and none of these products resembled the original aroma.” (5). The study continued, adding, “More than 150 compounds were identified from the obtained products. All of the tested samples contained synthetic fragrance components.” (5)

Emily Wright, Founding Executive, stated at the dōTERRA convention in 2023, “I fell in love with this oil when I was first introduced to it twenty-five years ago. A year later I found out it was completely synthetic. I searched for years to find a pure source of Blue Lotus but I hit dead end after dead end and I lost hope that there was a pure Blue Lotus on the planet.” (6) The habitat of the flower, so revered among nations, had dwindled as humanity increased. The sacred blossom, so loved by the Pharaohs, no longer grew on the banks of the Nile, a result of over-population and pollution.

One principle dōTERRA has stood fast to since the company’s founding, is that all oil they produce is sourced sustainably. Without that sustainable source, an oil is not produced. When Emily Wright introduced Blue Lotus at the 2023 Convention she stated,

When our sourcing team came to me with a sample I thought there was no way. But it smelled so different from anything I had ever experienced before. It was exquisite. We had finally found a pure Blue Lotus. But then we found out that the supply was only enough for a small limited-time offering. The source couldn't keep up with dōTERRA's demand. It takes an astonishing one ton of petals to make a kilo of Blue Lotus absolute. No wonder the supply wasn't there. So we continued to search. (6)

Years went by with no sustainable resource available. “And then,” Emily continued, “we found a family selling Blue Lotus [blossoms] at a small local market in rural China for use as religious offerings. Remarkably they were the first to grow Blue Lotus in China beginning in 1998, the same year I began my search for Blue Lotus. Ironic? I don't think so.” Yet even this new source could not meet the requirements for reliable sourcing. “But this time,” Emily stated, “we found a sourcing partner who shared our ability to dream big. We laid out our vision to them what we wanted to achieve together and they chose to build something that didn't yet exist. As master distillers they chose to innovate and figure out how to extract the Blue Lotus Essence from the delicate flowers and chose to invest in the farmer so more ponds could be developed.” (6)

The end result? After four long years of blood, sweat, and toil, a reliable source for supplying Blue Lotus oil.

Located in the Guangdong Province of China, people of vision created ponds and waterways to grow this beautiful flower. It is a delicate ecosystem, with no chemicals used to eliminate pests, as the chemicals would also affect the flowers themselves. As a result locals clean the plants daily removing snails and eggs from the stems and pads of the lily. Emilie Bell, a sourcing partner for dōTERRA working with the growers in China, relates the workers “are very grateful because otherwise they would be working in an animal factory, whereas here they work with a beautiful flower that smells very nice.” The development of the Blue Lotus ponds provides a means for individuals to stay near their ancestral home, rather than being forced to move to a large city in search of employment.

What is the impact of these people of vision? 92 individuals are now able to work in an operation that's regenerative, clean, safe and ethical, with 285 lives supported by these jobs, as of 2023. The goal, as more ponds are created, is to triple the number of people working with the ponds. This is being done through innovative means. Many potential growers are skeptical of outsiders bringing changes, and as such, many are wary of the current labors underway. To overcome this bias, the growers are sharing samples of the flowers with their neighbors, along with advice to get started. Then, if the neighbor decides to continue growing Blue Lotus, the cost of the initial plants is repaid after the flowers have been harvested. This approach has already brought others into the supply chain and is changing yet more lives.

What do these efforts mean for us today? Yet another highly revered plant is increasing its habitat again, instead of becoming endangered. Just as the Blue Lotus itself represents wisdom, knowledge, and intelligence, these very traits combined with determination and vision are ensuring the survivability of the flower and its ability to bless lives for countless years to come.

To support the growth of Blue Lotus and experience the benefits of the only pure Blue Lotus Oil available, click to purchase. As always, click to donate to the Healing Hands Foundation, and join us next time, here at Harvesters’ Corner!

Sources

1. Seawright, Caroline. “The Egyptian ‘Lotus’ Nymphaea caerulea, the Blue Water Lily.” Online. <www.https://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/lotus.htm> Accessed 11 April 2024.

2. Rutledge, Christopher. “The Lotus and the Nile.” 12 February 2000. Online. <https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1510&context=ebl> Accessed 11 April 2024.

3. Organic India. “All About the Ancient Blue Lotus (Egyptian Lotus)”. 3 March 2023. Online. <htpps://organicindiausa.com/blog/all-about-the-ancient-blue-lotus> Accessed 11 April 2024.

4. BuddhistSymbols.org. “Lotus Flowers.” Online. <http://www.buddhistsymbols.org/ lotusflowers.html> Accessed 20 April 2024.

5. Dosoky NS, Shah SA, Dawson JT, et al. Chemical Composition, Market Survey, and Safety Assessment of Blue Lotus (Nymphaea caerulea Savigny) Extracts. Molecules. 2023;28(20):7014. Published 2023 Oct 10. doi:10.3390/molcules28207014. <https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10609367> Accessed 11 April 2024.

6. dōTERRA Annual Convention, 2023, Thursday Morning Session. Personal Notes of Author.