Nymphaea Caerulea (Blue Lotus or Sacred Blue Lily of the Nile) was the most sacred plant of Ancient Egypt, prized above all others. Nymphaea Caerulea (Blue Lotus) was worshipped as a visionary plant and was a symbol for the origins of life. It was frequently depicted in works of art, where it is most often shown in party and other social scenes, and sometimes in scenes of sexual debauchery. The flowers were noted for their delightful perfume, suggestive of the sweat of Ra; 'A divine essence, for bringing euphoria, heightened awareness and tranquility'. The Blue Lily was also a symbol of creation, and was according to legend the first object to emerge from oceanic chaos. Though exceedingly rare in the wild today it is thought to have been widespread across Ancient Egypt, where its psychoactive properties were apparently well known.
The plant is not grown commercially; all flowers must be wildcrafted from private property with the permission of the landowners which will not be forthcoming without the required governmnent permits. These flowers are ethically wildcrafted in South Africa by a team led by a Botanist with a Master's degree in Plant Protection from the University of California at Davis.
There is a tremendous amount of labor involved in the process of harvesting. It takes 10 kilograms of fresh flowers to end up with 1 kilogram of dried material and the flowers have to be hand harvested using boats. One person controls the boat while the other person gathers the flowers. A boatload is only 1 kilogram of flowers by the time it is dried. The flowers have to be spread out in the shade in a way that no flower touches another for even drying so as to retain the color, potency and scent. Finally they are crushed for compact shipping.
Our Nymphaea Caerulea (Blue Lotus) is of the highest quality. Limited quantities available.
