Spikenard Pure Essential Oil

The Spikenard oil offered by us is extracted from Nardostachys jatamansi of the Valerianaceae family and is popularly known as the “false” Indian valerian root. Its strong medicinal properties make it a necessary ingredient in many types of medicine.

A sacred healing herb of old – Spikenard was considered precious even in Biblical times, when Mary Magdalene used it to anoint Jesus’ feet at the last supper. No wonder it was precious, coming all the way from the foothills of the Himalayas, which in biblical times might as well have been somewhere near the gates to the Garden of Eden. Its Hindu name ‘Jatamansi’ means ‘lock of hair’ in allusion to the hairy rhizome, which is the source of the essential oil. Spikenard is a member of the Valerian family and in Ayurveda it is used similarly to Valerian in western herbalism. Throughout Asia, Spikenard is highly valued as an incense ingredient. In the West it is still shrouded in mystery and just as precious as it was in biblical times, though not on account of its distant origins. Sadly, its preciousness today is related to its rarity, which stems from the fact that it is being over-harvested in the wild. Luckily some cultivated sources are becoming available, so maybe this ancient sacred herb may have a chance to survive in the wild.