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 Spikenard -
Nardostachys jatamansi
Lots
of occult shops sell a completely different plant, Aralia racemosa,
American spikenard, in place of the spikenard of the ancients, which has
a much richer scent. True spikenard comes from
the Himalayas, which made it extraordinarily difficult to obtain
in ancient times. Even now, it is not commonly met with. I was
happy to find authentic spikenard from Nepal recently and hope
to be carrying it from now on. The scent of this magick herb
is musky and earthy; it's sometimes combined with Himalayan
valerian in
Asian medicine as a treatment for hysteria. The valerian would
of course greatly increase the muskyness. But spikenard has
a glorious facet to its fragrance that the humble valerian lacks.
This Earth herb is also known
as nard and jatamansi.
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Uses in
Witchcraft & Magick:
Meditation
Ancient Egyptian & Hebrew
Incense
Elemental Magick
Earth Herb
© 2006 Alchemy Works; No reproduction without permission
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