Spikenard Oil
Nardostachys jatamansi
A rare, earthy root oil from a Himalayan plant, used in ancient anointing.
Also known as nard, muskroot, jatamansi.
Origin
High Himalaya (Nepal, India, Tibet, China).
Spikenard essential oil is distilled from the rhizomes and roots of Nardostachys jatamansi, a plant of the high Himalaya in the same family as valerian. Fresh distillate can be blue-green, aging to amber, with a heavy, damp-earth, valerian-like aroma.
It is genuinely scarce, and Nardostachys jatamansi is a protected/CITES-listed species in parts of its range, so responsible, traceable sourcing matters more here than for almost any other oil in the collection.
Use is essentially aromatic and, diluted, topical (traditionally for hair/scalp). It is not for ingestion.
Spikenard is dug, not picked, an aromatic root from Nardostachys jatamansi, a high-Himalayan relative of valerian. Its scent is deep, earthy, and musky, closer to soil after rain than to any flower, which is partly why it reads as so grounding in an evening blend. This is the nard of the alabaster jar, poured out in one of scripture's most tender scenes. Wild harvesting has put real pressure on the plant, so a responsibly sourced or cultivated bottle is part of honoring it, and, like every essential oil here, it is diluted into a carrier before it meets the skin.
Traditional Uses
Spikenard (nard) was a costly aromatic in the ancient world. In the Gospels, a woman anoints Jesus with an alabaster jar of pure nard, an act explicitly described as extravagantly expensive.
Modern Uses
Steam-distilled spikenard essential oil is used in aromatherapy for calming, grounding blends and, diluted, in hair and scalp preparations in Ayurvedic tradition.
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