| "body"> | | | | us today. Spikenard is sometimes known as Nard |
| Can you name the rare essential oil Mary | | | | and is native to northern India and has been |
| Magdalen used to anoint the feet of Jesus? | | | | prized for its healing properties and perfume since |
| The answer is Spikenard essential oil. There is | | | | antiquity. It is closely related to Valerian, a calming |
| currently an experiment using Spikenard Essential | | | | herb. (Gads, imagine what the people smelled like |
| Oil on the James Twyman site, The experiment | | | | back then to have to use something this |
| sounded interesting, so I ordered a couple bottles | | | | disgusting to cover it up with!) |
| to use during my meditations. The directions said | | | | Medicinally spikenard is used in skin care and is |
| to put a drop on your third eye (the spot | | | | warming, drying and acts as a diuretic. Spikenard |
| between your eyes directly between your | | | | is useful for heavy menstrual periods, vaginal |
| eyebrows) just before meditating, so I did. | | | | discharges, kidney and liver problems, inflammation |
| GROSS! | | | | of all kinds and for dispersing accumulated toxins. |
| I think I used it about five more days and couldn't | | | | Because it is an antifungal oil, it may be valuable |
| take it anymore. It smelled like extremely dirty | | | | for Candida infections. Spikenard is also helpful for |
| gym socks to me. I can't imagine why anyone | | | | allergic skin reactions and for all kinds of rashes. It |
| would want to use this stuff, but because of the | | | | is particularly valuable for mature skin, realigning |
| elaborate story from James Twyman's site, I | | | | the physiological balance and some propose that it |
| decided to look into the use of Spikenard a bit | | | | helps with permanent regeneration. |
| deeper. Here's what I found: | | | | Spikenard was highly prized in the Middle East and |
| An essential oil is an extract of a plant that is | | | | Mediterranean regions thousands of years ago |
| used medicinally. It takes lots of pounds of plant | | | | and has been mentioned in the bible in the Song |
| to get an ounce of essential oil, so sometimes | | | | of Solomon and in the Gospel of St. John. I also |
| these oils can be quite expensive. | | | | read (and I beg to differ) that it is a wonderful oil |
| Essential oils are added to lotions, used diluted in | | | | for anybody tense and anxious. Like Frankincense, |
| massage oil, used neat (straight--undiluted), put | | | | it helps people to let go of old pain or emotional |
| into capsules and taken internally, used in candles | | | | blocks that are holding them back. |
| or as drops of pure oil put onto little pieces of felt | | | | Mary Magdalene's use of Spikenard to anoint |
| which is then inserted into a small heater-like thing | | | | Jesus on the night of the Last Supper suggests |
| you can plug into an outlet. The aroma that is | | | | that it may also have significance for therapists |
| emitted acts on the nervous system and organs | | | | working with the terminally ill. |
| of the body to move energy through it for | | | | Aromatherapists working in hospices might like to |
| various health and emotional concerns. | | | | include Spikenard among the oils to help people |
| Spikenard is one of many essential oils available to | | | | preparing to pass over to the other side. |