Lotus Flower – Meaning, Symbolism and Colors

Lotus flower carries religious and strong spiritual meanings and rises our souls while showing their beauty at the same time. People use Lotus flower for religious ceremonies and for decorations.

Different cultures describe Lotus flower differently, but one thing is sure here – this fascinating flower hides numerous deep meanings. Many nations – starting with China and Japan adored Lotus flower because of its beauty, spirituality, power, and pureness.

What Is The Meaning Of Lotus Flower?

Lotus flower has many petals and its central core. Even though there are a couple of flowers in the Lotus family, they all have similar meanings and symbolism.

Two main meanings of Lotus flower are:

• Beauty,
• Grace,
• Eloquence,
• Direct and deep spiritual contact,
• Mysticism,
• Faithfulness,
• Patience,
• Love,
• Compassion,
• Purity,
• Rising out of suffering,
• Enlightenment,
• Self-awareness.

The Victorians appreciated Lotus flower as they related it to eloquence, but no one could deny its extraordinary beauty and grace. As Lotus flower grows in the water, many relate this to having mystical meanings and use this flower for ceremonies.

We all know that Eastern cultures care a lot about patience, as this is one of the most important virtues. They put Lotus flowers all around their religious places or temples so that they remind people of how patient they should be and wait for some better time, as we all pass through them.

Mysticism has always been related to calm spiritual places and temples. The fact that Lotus flower rises out of the water, differently than most of the flowers, wraps it with a veil of mysticism. When you pass a fountain or a lake and see Lotus flowers all over it, you will for sure feel peaceful and inflow of beautiful energy.

As Lotus flower is so pure, people of all religions associate it with a direct spiritual connection to God. It also symbolizes innocence and everything that is intact by the sin. Lotus flower represents virgins in art and literature.

There is a time when we think there is no way out of a situation like we will stay stuck there for eternity. However, all the pain you are coming through will soothe once. Lotus flower is here to remind us that we mustn’t give up, but fight against all the difficulties. You have a chance to rise out of the pain, but first of all remember that no one will do it for you, but yourself.

Similar to rising out of the pain, people come through phases of enlightenment. The religion itself symbolizes enlightenment, but as Lotus symbolizes both of them, this flower will calm down your soul, showing you the way out and take you to the greatest blessings.

Many people deal with the lack of confidence but remember that we all should be sure about ourselves and be self-aware. Value and appreciate yourself for everything that you have done and for everything that you have come through.

On the other side, value other people also – don’t hurt their pride or behave rudely, this might cause in breaking your contact. Always bear in mind how special and important you are, but on the other side – always be calm and kind to the others, that is what Lotus is telling us.

The second you look at Lotus flower, you will be magnified by its beautiful appearance and uniqueness. This flower carries peaceful energy by floating over the water so gently that no one stays immune to it.

People who are dedicated to Buddhist or Hindu faith usually get a Lotus flower tattoo, as it reminds them to stay focused and humble and develop their inner peace. The eight petals of Lotus flower represent a spiritual path, while you can choose between colors (Lotus color and meaning in the following paragraphs). White Lotus follower tattoo means gracefulness and shares love to anyone who sees it.

The Symbolism of Lotus Flower

Besides the Victorians, ancient Egyptians, Buddhists, Hinduists, and other nations used Lotus as a symbol for wealth and well being in their practices. The ancient Egyptians loved to paint Lotus flower and used it as a carving symbol in temples and tombs. They actually saw Lotus as a symbol of rebirth, as the flower sinks at night and rises again tomorrow. As Lotus loses some of its old blossoms, while the new ones grow daily, the ancient Egyptians saw this cycle as a symbol of reincarnation and related it to mysteries and afterlife. On the other side, the priests made a tea of Lotus flower as they believed it had soothing and sedative psychotropic effects.

Interesting fact – Egyptians used blue Lotus flowers more often than white ones, as their culture cares a lot about rebirth, and that is what blue Lotus exactly represents. Egyptians related Lotus flower’s life cycles (open its petals in the morning and closes over the night) to the sun, as it appears in the morning and disappears in the evening. That is why Lotus represents the God of Sun who emerged from the Nun.

Ancient Book of the Dead contains a couple of spells that allegedly have the power to transform a man into a Lotus so that he/she is resurrected. Egypt was divided into Lower and Upper Egypt. The Lower Egypt worshiped papyrus plant, while the Upper one respected Lotus flower. That is why papyrus plant and Lotus are joined together and unification of two parts of Egypt – Upper and Lower kingdom.

Hinduism has a little different view of Lotus flower, as they regard it as a symbol of peace and eternity. Each of their biggest deities – Ganesha, Lakshmi, Saraswati have a white Lotus flower under their feet. What is more, the Hindu ultimate creator, Brahma, appears from a Lotus flower too. White Lotus flower symbolizes birth, purity, and innocence, arising from the mud and growing up through the water to its blooming. Vishnu (represented by Padmanabha) and Lakshmi are painted in Hindu iconography with pink Lotus flowers, while Sarasvati was represented with a white Lotus flower. The translation of the name Vishnu means “Lotus eyes one”. Lotus has its petal spread in paintings, as spread petals mean open soul and its expansion. Many poems in Puranic and Vedic literature mention Lotus flowers.

Lotus stands in a sitting position – the same one for spiritual rituals. This position means you should cross your legs and tuck them so you bend your knees – which will put you in a position of a Lotus flower. Both Buddhists and Hiduists practice this position. If the feet are tucked away, that creates a respectful and humble position when you are in a temple (don’t expose your feet as this is considered as rude). Mandalas are spiritual representations used in Buddhism and symbolize magnificent and divine energies and meditations.

Lotus flower symbolizes body, mind, and speech in Buddhism. Their comprehension of Lotus is floating above sins or filthy desires so that they don’t affect us. The legend says that Lotus flower followed every Buddha’s step. Buddha even got the nickname Lotus-Born.

Christianity also appreciates and cherishes Lotus flowers through icons and literature. For example, there is a Lotus flower underneath St. Thomas’s Cross. As if with the Asian religions and cultures, Christianity also mentions Lotus as a symbol of perfection, pureness, beauty, patience, and love. You will always find out that Lotus flower also stands for femininity and describes woman attributes as perfect. Sanskrit also mentions Lotus flowers, but in thousands of different meanings.

Even though ancient people cared so much about Lotus flower, it kept its importance through the centuries, so popular cultures still consider it as an important symbol. Lotus was so important to the Easter cultures, especially in the time when the commerce was expanding, the rest of the world still had eyes for beautiful Lotus flower. These days people cherish the Lotus flower and its beauty, innocence, purity, and its separation from the sin. As many houses grow Lotus flowers in their backyard, you will often see it as a decoration in living rooms or bedrooms, even on celebrations (e.g. weddings).

The Color and Meaning of Lotus Flower

Lotus color is related to meaning this flower carries within.

Blue Lotus flower is a symbol of peace, inspiration, depth, confidence, sincerity, wisdom, and rest. Many people put blue Lotus flower in their bedrooms so that it can bring them peacefulness and nice dreams.

On the other side, you can decorate your bathroom with Lotus flower too, as it fits great into any ambient where is water. Blue Lotus flower is used in heraldry and what is interesting – it can have both strong and weak connotations. This flower represents soul and mindfulness rather than intelligence and knowledge. Buddhists paint blue Lotus flower with a hidden center, while the petals are always half open.

White Lotus flower signifies the victory of awakened mind. Purity, spiritual perfection, innocence, goodness, heaven, faith, and illumination are represented by white Lotus flower and that is why it is so common in religious ceremonies. In some cultures, it is a symbol of the womb of the world.

Pink Lotus flower is a symbol of harmony, romance, love, tenderness, relaxation, affection, and flirt. This calm and gentle-colored flower is associated with women and femininity. Another name for pink Lotus flower is the true flower of the Buddha. Everywhere where Buddha stepped, pink Lotus flowers were left behind him.

Red Lotus flower is, as you can suppose, associated with passion, romance, love, power, and domination. If you are looking for the right way to express your emotions and prove your love to someone you truly care about, red Lotus flower will send your message. As red Lotus flower is associated with our general emotions and heart, you can gift it to anyone you love, no matter if that is romantic love, towards a member of a family, or a friend.

Purple Lotus flower’s main and the strongest meaning is mysticism, but it also represents wisdom, royalty, creativity, extravagance, and dignity. This type of Lotus flower is also linked to esoteric scents and it is used in many rituals. Buddha teaches us of the noble eightfold path (his main teaching), while the eight petal of purple Lotus flower represents it. He shows us the way that leads to awakening and
Botanical Characteristics of Lotus Flower

If you have a garden with a deep fountain, or there is a creek or pond nearby your home, why wouldn’t you try to grow Lotus flowers? Lotus flowers and water lilies need the same conditions – water surfaces. Plant them in pots and put the pots in the water, or dig them into the mud to make sure your plants have exactly what they need.

You should be careful that the water covers the pots or the mud above 4 inches, but not much more than around 10 inches. A perfect time to plant Lotus is in the spring or fall. Lotus flowers don’t require pruning or adding any fertilizer. These flowers like high temperatures and you will notice their vigorous growth when the temperatures reach 60 degrees.

It would be great to place the Lotus seeds in warm, non-chlorinated water before planting them. You will notice that some of the seeds float on the surface. This is a sign you should throw them away, as they are not fruitful. As this process might take a few days, change the water every day so you get the best seeds only. If you are growing Lotus from the seeds, then the flower will bloom not before the next year.

Be careful if you use fertilizer, as Lotus flowers foliage might burn. When it is the growing season, feed your Lotus flowers during 3 or 4 weeks. As Lotus is sensitive to cold, make sure it doesn’t freeze.

However, if you put the seeds into a pond below the freeze line, then you can expect Lotus to winter over. When the autumn comes, cut off the yellow foliage and lower the plant to the deepest areas of the pond.

The other option is to lift the tubers after the plant dies during the fall. In this case, store tubers in a frost-free and cool place until late spring. As Lotus flower might be prone to rotting and mildew, it would be best to put them in sphagnum moss.

Lotus Flower – Fun Facts

Lotus flower is native to southern Asian countries and Australia.

Nymphaea – the blue family of Lotus, served for decorations mostly, but did you know this type of Lotus is also edible and useful for medicinal purposes? This family of Lotus makes great sedative tea, which might help you overcome insomnia. Nelumbo family of Lotus is also edible (roots and seeds).

You might be surprised by the fact that Lotus flower treats erectile dysfunction among men from 40 to 50 years old. Researches in the USA and Asia found out that Lotus oil increases blood pressure, so a man should rub it into the skin to improve circulation before intercourse. Viagra was patented in 1996, and guess what was the secret ingredient? Lotus flower, of course. In the following years, companies produced generic and cheap Viagra that replaced the original one.

Once Lotus loses its petals, a new flat-topped seed resembling a wasp’s hive replaces it.
Indians eat and pickle Lotus flower.

Conclusion

Just as every flower, Lotus hides a certain message if you know to look a bit deeper (or read through our article carefully). The main message Lotus flower is sending to us is to be pure, calm, patient, and walk towards spiritual guidance and faith. Lotus flower also says your intuition is the most powerful weapon you have, so you should try to listen to yourself first. No one can tell you what to do when you are 100% confident about what you are doing and if you have faith – that is another secret message of Lotus flower.

Why wouldn’t you try out some spiritual rituals in order to calm yourself a bit and let the celestial powers light your path and life, so you can enter a new, happier phase. If you want to attract new energy, hope, good luck, and honor in your life, then make sure to place a Lotus flower into your bedroom, living room, or bathroom, as you will remember how life is beautiful every time you look at it.

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