My first encounter with the lotus was with her stem, a delicious ingredient in many dishes enjoyed in my years living in Asia.
Often mistakenly referred to as her “root” because of her stem’s submerged aquatic existence – this part of her is nourishing and delicious. It extends the sacred geometry that starts in her core and runs throughout her in silos.
The next time our paths crossed, it was her scent. She reached my airways and shifted my soul. I craved her. Friends visiting far away lands were sent with instructions to seek out and bring back her oils. In these I bathed and inhaled her from burners.
Our courtship continued when I met her flower – first as a tea, then as a tincture. I was utterly seduced as she cracked and smoked on coals in ceremony. I became entranced with her beauty, intoxicated by her smell and obsessed with her unfolding magic.
My research revealed her mythology and metaphor at a time when I needed my pain to have meaning. I tattooed her on my arm. Then again, a few years later, on my shoulder.
She became a part of my skin, and it was then that the entanglement of the lotus with my path became unmistakably vital to my purpose.
I learned of her medicinal powers, her spiritual role as a goddess and teacher, and gained indescribable strength from the inspiration of this wonderful display of nature. She rises from mud, to meet the sunlight and unfolds to share her healing powers with the world.
She taught me about resilience and grace, forgiveness and generosity. She connected my heart to my words and my thoughts to my intuition.
For years she healed me as I drank her, soaked in her and inhaled her medicine. Places of my learning and shelter and growth carry her in their names. The Lotus Goddess visited me often and encouraged my bravery to follow my dreams.
Today I honour the role she has plays in my journey, by carrying her in Mantra, my offering of plant medicine products. She is a gift to be shared, to be passed down through the generations. I have received her so that I can do this too … From Mother to me to you, with love.
