It is 6:30 am on Saturday, April 25 and I can hardly breathe. You see, I have waited 12 years to meet renowned aromatherapist John Steele, and this is the first day of his workshop. This is a man who is not only an aromatherapist, but also an archeologist specializing in linguistics. I need to get there early for a front row seat! As the noise in the room comes to a dull roar, I notice that he appears nervous. Here is a man who is a pioneer, has given several presentations, written scholarly papers and has the respect of his top peers. My first thought was how graciously humble and accessible he appeared. As the weekend progressed, I could not have been more correct in my assumptions. He proceeded to outline our itinerary for the weekend and then asked that we all (that would be close to 45 of us) introduce ourselves and provide him with some background on how we utilize aromatherapy in our work and our lives.

Why would he spend his valuable time doing this? This is a man who is interested in connection with the oils – not just the therapeutic aspect, but connection on a spiritual or experiential level. And this was a way in which he could read his audience. To our collective joy, the day unraveled into the intricacies of essential oil use in Ancient Egypt. I am deeply connected with this particular topic and was delighted to have some confirmations and also some valuable insight – specifically around the enigma of the blue lotus. For years, I have been perplexed about this flower.

The blue lotus is carved and painted into temple walls in Egypt, held by Gods and Goddesses carved out of stone and ebony, depicted in paintings on papyrus scrolls and rhapsodized about in poems, songs and literature. But, was this truly a lotus? Correctly categorized, the lotus is of the Nelumbo genus and the flower has wide, full petals. However, the lily or Nymphaea genus has more lanceolate shaped petals.

As I had looked at the paintings, carvings and frescos, I realized that something was not right. They were calling it “blue lotus”, but the description just didn’t fit. It was definitely a lily. I had resigned myself to the fact that maybe this flower no longer existed. I was heartbroken. How could something that had such value in ritual, sex magick, spiritual ascension, pleasure, power and intrigue be extinct?  To my sheer delight, John confirmed that it indeed exists. I discovered that that 100 years ago, botanists decided to re-categorize the two plants. The ancients referred to it as a lotus rather than a lily as they appeared the same. Blue lotus is by modern day standards blue water lily. It is indeed the plant the ancients used, but renamed in modern times.

John revealed that we have a gifted distiller (Jack Chaitman) who is not only providing a distillation of Nymphaea caerulea, but with the reverence that it truly deserves.  To smell this divine hydro-distillation is to ascend to a place that transcends just “scent”. You can hear the oil, you can visualize colors and feel emotions. A pure, synesthetic experience. So what is “synesthesia”? From the Ancient Greek – it is “together sensation”, more clearly, a coming together of all senses.

It is commonly known as a condition or state of being where people experience a smell with a color, a scent with a sound or numbers and letters accompanied by colors. John believes that we all once had this “condition”. As a matter of fact, he believes that this isn’t a condition so much as a gift – an ascended way of being. As aromatherapists, we delve into this world every day. We join the leagues of musicians, artists, writers, poets, monks, shamans and masters. We have all come “home”. Proof of this came in the afternoon of the first day when we drank hydrolsols of golden champaca (Michelia champaca) and jasmine ruh (Jasmin auriculatum), while engaging in brief meditation.

John invited the group to share their experiences of the hydrolsols, post-meditation. Everyone who shared had felt a multi-sensory experience. This led into our next day of the workshop which dealt with Dharma Flora (spirit or religion of plants). We were each asked to connect with plant/flower/tree essences through a poem, sacred text, song or other piece of writing. Stories were shared, tears were shed and a deep connection was made throughout the room. John shared the Ancient Egyptian translation for scent – snu snu and then invited us to begin sharing all the words we knew that started with “sn” that involved scent and the use of our nose. He then discussed how the nose is the “seat of the soul” and how prevalent scent is in all cultures in detecting what is inherently good or bad.

Casey with John Steele

And if the nose is indeed the seat of the soul, I invite you to look at a picture of John. This is truly one soulful man! The second day was wrapped up with an intoxicating array of essential oils. Those who stayed for the entire workshop were treated to John’s private collection (a multitude of treasures within a black velvet bag), which included a blend of 45 floral essences, a musk attar mélange of aged Mysore sandalwood, agarwood (Oud) and ambrette seed, aged lemongrass essential oil that smelled like pure Tupelo honey, and Rose de Mai that smells like fresh cherries on a summer day (just to name a few). Sublime …

After the workshop with John, I set out on a mission to find “blue lotus absolute” to use in my practice. I am pleased to report that I am working with a supplier who provided me with an organic sample of this exquisite oil. Based on the quality of the sample, I decided to bring in a small amount to sell and share with others. It has proved to be everything that the Ancients have shown us – it evokes memories, provides a euphoric state to alleviate stress, has aphrodisiac properties, and fosters mind-altering experiences through meditation. My hope is to share this with anyone connected to Ancient Egypt and the mystery and intrigue of the blue lotus.

Casey Mulcaster
Amarna Holistic Centre
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