Blue Lotus: Divine scent for transformation and rebirth

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Nymphaea nouchali, “Blue Lotus: Divine scent for transformation and rebirth”

Unlocking the Lunar Mysteries: Synchronizing with the Moon’s Energies

Transitioning into the active realm of natural mysteries, the moon’s synchronization with our world stands out prominently. Governed by the moon, water ebbs and flows with the lunar cycle. While many acknowledge the full moon’s influence, awareness of its impact extends beyond animals and women. By attuning to our bodies, all can harness the moon’s power. With our bodies composed of 75% water, lunar effects are profound. To harmonize with the moon, explore its four phases, each offering unique rituals and botanical essences. As the moon enters its final quarter today, seize the opportunity to synchronize with its celestial rhythm.

On the waxing moon, we stop for a moment to hold our breath and observe. Watching the transformation and growth of our new moon projects taking shape and direction.

On the full moon, we exhale, a long exhalation — anghana which means ‘to reduce’ or ‘to fast. 

We release all the ideas and plans we breathe in on the new moon. The importance of the long exhalation is to create more space and room on our next inhalation, for new ideas and new plans to enter on the next new moon. 

“Only when we have emptied ourselves can we take in a new breath” (T.K.V. Desikachar p.60)

Transformation and Rebirth under the Last Quarter Moon

At the waning moon, we pause and assess if there is anything more that needs to be released. It is the moment to let go of all the notions and intentions that we took in during the new moon, making room for fresh plans and ideas to come in during the upcoming new moon. 

Harnessing the Power of the Waning Moon: Embracing Ugra and the Blue Lotus

Ugra, holding a Blue Lotus the symbol for transformation, rebirth and knowledge

On the night of the waning moon, we meet with Ugra – “The hungry one”, “The fearful”, and “She who brings us to the shore” – the shores of realization and knowledge.

The final quarter of the waning moon brings with it the opportunity to make an offering to the “Hungry One” and request her to grant us what we truly desire. 

Ugra possesses a sacrificial sword, a skull cup, a flaying knife and a blue lotus.

“Blue Lotus: Divine scent for transformation and rebirth”

Blue Lotus by AI Bing

The captivating scent of the Blue Lotus is genuinely one of a kind. The ancient Egyptians and Hindus believed that such exquisite smells were signs of the divine’s presence and symbols of transformation and rebirth.

The scent of the Blue Lotus is so unique that it plays a major part in the theory that suggests that fragrances can shape our mental and emotional states. 

Psychoactive Effects

Some people are captivated by the idea that the Egyptian Blue Lotus may have psychoactive effects, personally, I’m not convinced. 

The Ancient Egyptians had a deep appreciation for beauty and fragrance. They believed that smelling pleasant was a way to connect with the divine or to be blessed by it. 

The Egyptians used only the fresh flowers of the Blue Lotus. They did not eat or drink the flowers, nor did they use them in their perfumes and very rarely in their remedies. When they did so, it was probably a symbolic gesture of the Blue Lotus association with resurrection and rebirth. 

The Egyptian God Ra 

The Blue Lotus, known as the Egyptian Blue Water Lily, embodies the divine scent for transformation and rebirth. It symbolized the birth and daily resurrection of the God Ra, and featured prominently in temples, sacred artefacts, and art, with depictions often portraying individuals inhaling its fragrant flowers.

Aromagick & the senses

Upon first inhalation, Blue Lotus evokes a sense of longing for both the past and future. As the aroma fills your senses, you will be filled with a sense of pure pleasure and appreciation for the physical world’s beauty. And with every breath, an overwhelming sense of euphoria begins to take hold – comforting us like a hug from the Goddess herself.

Ugra & Kali 

Ugra represents the darker form of Kali, hence her name, Ugra “The Terrible”, “The Formidable” or ‘Enchantress of Terrifying Form’. 

The primary difference between Kali and Ugra is their colours. Ugra is typically black while Kali is depicted in blue.

When Shiva asked Kali for the gift of knowledge, he embraced the hunger for knowledge that pervades the vast conscious universe. It is the same hunger that drives us to create art, music and life. The hunger that ignites in our hearts the passion to study and learn science, medicine, alchemy, philosophy and magic.

 

Khonsu The Wanderer

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“Khonsu: The Wanderer of Moon Magic in Ancient Egypt”

In ancient Egypt, the God Khonsu was known as the moon deity. The name “Khonsu” means “The Wanderer”. Moon magic was an important topic in ancient Egypt, and it played a central role in the magical system, which was based on the lunar calendar.

The Egyptian Moon God Khonsu

Khonsu, the wanderer of moon magic in ancient Egypt, being a Lunar deity, is not the only one, for the ancient Egyptians this would be the first month of Summer which is also where some of us are now.  In the Egyptian tongue or the late version of it, the word is Pachons which you can break down into an Egyptian phrase per-en-khonsu  “ the one of Khonsu” which can be contracted to Pachons.

In the Egyptian worldview, each month of the lunar cycle was dedicated to a specific deity, as exemplified by the month of Khonsu. While some deities were replaced or lost over time, the original concept remains: every month, throughout the seasons, holds special significance for a particular deity. Khonsu, the moon god, continues to be honoured in this lunar month.

Moon Magic

The Wanderer is an obvious reference to the moon’s fast-moving and irregular cycle.  Egyptian Luna deities are,  I would say, invariably male. Other examples would be Horus and Set. This shows, as people have long recognized, that there’s no simple equation of males being solar and females being lunar, which is sometimes heard within the Neo-Pagan Theology and other theologies as well.  Perhaps the metaphor of male and female as plus and minus, maybe you’d say for the Egyptians that wasn’t quite as important. It wasn’t the only way that they represented this important idea of a binary relationship between things.

Within Egyptian culture, a binary relationship between a pair of gods is a very important motif. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to be male and female. It’s an option but there are other ways of showing the same thing. And just to confuse things even more, the categories of male and female are a little bit more flexible within the Egyptian system and it would be possible to find a male lunar deity who has what is usually thought of as female attributes such as the capacity to “give birth”.

As Set gives birth to Thoth, one Moon God gives birth to another. This is a very interesting piece of mythology which we probably have to go into sometime, but we’ll leave that for now, because it’s such a rich area. As I said, this interplay of important principles often uses sexual metaphors but they can be male/female male/male or female/female and other counterparts and there can also be a sexual aspect that is just not the kind of strict male / female modality, which for them was not the only game in town. 

Quite a lot of interactions between the Egyptian gods are between those nominally of the same gender, male and male or female and female and the homoerotic aspect of that was not avoided by the Egyptians it’s just not thought to be anything you always had to comment on. Or they may have seen it as just part of life as far as they were concerned.  So for instance the sun god Ra, the nocturnal sun can be another way of referring to the Moon. In this mythology, the nocturnal sun, the Sun at midnight, is the Moon. And he has an important union to consummate with another underworld deity, the lord of the dead or Osiris. And when they come together and form a new entity, there’s a kind of sexual frisson to it, which they just didn’t feel that they had to comment on.

Conclusion:

Khonsu, a lunar deity, marks the beginning of summer for ancient Egyptians, a concept preserved in the term “Pachons.” This aligns with the Egyptian belief that each lunar month is dedicated to a specific deity, exemplified by Khonsu’s enduring connection as the moon god. The epithet “The Wanderer” references the moon’s dynamic cycle, with Egyptian lunar deities predominantly portrayed as male, like Horus and Set. This defies the simplistic notion of males as solar and females as lunar, challenging binary interpretations in theology. Egyptian culture embraces fluidity in gender and deity attributes, allowing for male lunar deities with traditionally feminine traits. This complexity extends to mythology, where interactions between deities transcend gender norms, including homoerotic undertones, as seen in Ra’s nocturnal guise symbolizing the moon. Explore the multifaceted nature of Egyptian theology, where the interplay of gods reflects a rich tapestry of symbolism and meaning.

More on Khonsu (Videos) :

The Wandering Moon