Found in the Hermetikon archive

Lotus

Nelumbo nucifera

Lotus appears in Hermetikon as an archive-backed plant entry, with references across historical medical, magical, symbolic, and ritual contexts where the source texts support them.

Risk: moderate
Books: 55
Contexts: 4
Mentions: 296

Overview Reading Contexts Citations Related Books

Archive Profile

Identity, safety, and search aliases used to connect this herb to the archive.

Herb identity

Common name: lotus
Latin name: Nelumbo nucifera(ambiguous)
Identity note: Archive references may mean sacred lotus, water lily, or symbolic lotus imagery.

Safety

moderate

Lotus identity varies across Egyptian, Indian, and classical sources; medicinal use depends on species and preparation.

Historical archive citations are not medical advice. Use modern clinical and poison-control sources for ingestion, dosage, pregnancy, and toxicity questions.

Kew POWO: Lotus identity varies across Egyptian, Indian, and classical sources; medicinal use depends on species and preparation.

Aliases

lotuslotus flowerNelumbo nuciferaNymphaea lotus

Lotus in Historical Sources

Curated archive synthesis of recurring uses, recipes, rituals, and interpretive problems.

Hermetikon's curated reading of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is built from 3 source-linked archive notes and 1 preparation or ritual-use entry. The strongest recurring contexts are astrology, symbolism, and identity. Each note below links back to the archive source used for the claim.

Identity

medium

Culpeper's Lotus urbana is not sacred lotus: he says the better identification is sweet trefoil, Trisolium odoratum, and gives medicinal claims under that identity.

Culpeper's Complete Herbal | Nicholas Culpeper | 1653

HERBS AND THEIR LEAVES.

Symbolism

high

Frazer describes the Baal of Tarsus holding a sceptre sometimes topped with a lotus flower while also bearing fertility attributes of corn and grapes.

The Golden Bough | James George Frazer | 1907

Â§ 9. The Burning of Cilician Gods.

Astrology

medium

Crowley calls the lotus the typical flower of Water and the Moon, but this is symbolic attribution, not a species-specific medical statement.

Liber 777 | Aleister Crowley | 1909

Page 194

Preparations and ritual uses

ritual object

high

Frazer's Baal of Tarsus evidence uses the lotus flower as a sceptre finial in fertility-god iconography, not as a consumed preparation.

The Golden Bough | James George Frazer | 1907

Â§ 9. The Burning of Cilician Gods.

Lotus Archive Contexts

Compact source patterns from the extracted citation set.

Medicine

3 passages across 3 books; strongest source: Culpeper's Complete Herbal.

Matched as lotus; high confidence.

Astrology

3 passages across 3 books; strongest source: History of the Devil.

Matched as lotus flower; high confidence.

Preparation

6 passages across 6 books; strongest source: Encyclopaedia of Antiquities.

Matched as lotus flower; high confidence.

Symbolism

2 passages across 2 books; strongest source: The Golden Bough.

Matched as lotus flower; high confidence.

Lotus Cited Excerpts

Representative public passages with the herb mention highlighted and linked to archive source material.

5 shown

The Golden Bough

James George Frazer

1907

"...raped in a flowing robe, while in one hand he holds a sceptre, which is topped sometimes with an eagle but often with a lotus flower. Yet his foreign nature is indicated both by his name and his attributes; for in Aramaic inscriptions on the coins he bears the name of the Baal of Tarsus, and in one hand he grasps an ear of corn and a bunch of grapes. 386 These attributes clearly mark him out as a god of fertility in general, who conferred on his worshippers the two things which they prized above all other gifts of nature, the corn and the wine. He was probably there..."

Â§ 9. The Burning of Cilician Gods.Open in Reader

Symbolismalias: lotus flowerhigh confidence

Culpeper's Complete Herbal

Nicholas Culpeper

1653

"... or Sea-Lavender; the seeds being very drying and binding, stop fluxes and the menses, help the cholic and stranguary. *Lotus urbana.* Authors make some flutter about this herb, I conceive the best take it to be *Trisolium Odoratum*, Sweet Trefoyl, which is of a temperate nature, cleanses the eyes gently of such things as hinder the sight, cures green wounds, ruptures, or burstness, helps such as urine blood or are bruised, and secures garments from moths. *Lupulus.* Hops. Opening, cleansing, provoke urine, the young sprouts open stoppings of the liver and sp..."

HERBS AND THEIR LEAVES.Open in Reader

Medicinealias: lotusmedium confidence

The Golden Bough

James George Frazer

1890

"... nails of the Flamen Dialis were buried under a lucky tree. 713 The hair of the Vestal virgins was hung upon an ancient lotus-tree. 714 In Germany [pg 201] the clippings of hair used often to be buried under an elder-bush. 715 In Oldenburg cut hair and nails are wrapt in a cloth which is deposited in a hole in an elder-tree three days before the new moon; the hole is then plugged up. 716 In the West of Northumberland it is thought that if the first parings of a child's nails are buried under an ash-tree, the child will turn out a fine singer. 717 In Amboina b..."

Â§ 3.â€”Royal and priestly taboos (continued).Open in Reader

Astrologyalias: lotusmedium confidence

Liber 777

Aleister Crowley

1909

"...ted to Yesod or to Capricorn for obvious reasons; they are found here on account of their duplex characteristics. - The Lotus is the typical flower of Water and the Moon. - The Snowdrop and Lily suggest the modest purity of the sign. Narcissus refers to the solitary tradition. Mistletoe is indicated by the macroscopic appearance of semen. - This attribution is traditional. - The Cactus has watery pulp and poisonous spikes. The Nettle is treacherously Martial. All treacherous and poisonous plants may be attributed to Scorpio. - The Rush is used for making arro..."

Page 194Open in Reader

Preparationalias: lotusmedium confidence

Encyclopaedia of Occultism

Lewis Spence

1920

"...n only be merely alluded to here. The " School for the Discovery of the Lost Secrets of Antiquity," which flourishes at Lotus-land, California, was founded by Catherine Tingley late in the nineteenth century, and is under theosophical regime. Numerous small bodies for the study of occultism exist in every town of considerable size in Europe and America ; but these cannot be dignified even by the name of " schools," as they are for the most part private affairs, the occultism of which is of an extremely amateurish and innocent character. He says, " At this epo..."

Page 480Open in Reader

Archive mentionalias: lotuslow confidence

Books Mentioning Lotus

Complete public source inventory, placed after the interpretive reading so the page opens with the most useful synthesis first.

55 books

The Secret Doctrine (Vol 1)

H. P. Blavatsky | 1888

Archive Profile

Herb identity

Safety

Aliases

Lotus in Historical Sources

Identity

Symbolism

Astrology

Preparations and ritual uses

ritual object

Lotus Archive Contexts

Medicine

Astrology

Preparation

Symbolism

Lotus Cited Excerpts

The Golden Bough

Culpeper's Complete Herbal

The Golden Bough

Liber 777

Encyclopaedia of Occultism

Related Archive Material

Related herbs

Books Mentioning Lotus