#spikenard

[spltlvlhous]

[chickenmeow]

[banji-effect]

The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:3

[flowerishness]

Aralia spinosa (devil’s walking stick)

The Aralia family (the spikenards) is a diverse group of about 65 species, native to Asia and North America. Some members of the group are only a foot tall (30cm) but others grow up to 65 feet. Aralia spinosa is about half way up the ladder and this mature specimen is maybe 25 feet tall. It’s withered leaves are showing the effects of last summer’s drought.

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Friday 30 December 2022

At the end of the season the huge mound of tropical-looking foliage created by Aralia cordata (Japanese spikenard) has collapsed. This large herbaceous perennial has tall flowerspikes with rounded clusters of tiny white flowers followed by rounded black fruit.

Jill Raggett

[plantsandtheiruses]

Spikenard

When worn around the neck, it brings good luck and keeps disease away.

Also used to remain faithful.

[eldritchseacrab]

My favorite screenshots (12/14)

Character: Spikenard - Sylvari Dudebro

Ok last one isn’t technically a screenshot but I cannot leave out my favorite cursed Spikenard meme.

[grimoireofgreen]

Lavender

Common Correspondences  - Happiness, Love, Peace, Purification, Longevity, and Protection

Lavender (Lavendula) is an herb native to the Mediterranean.  It is also known as spikenard or nardus in Greek, named after the Syrian city of Naarda.  It’s Latin name translates to the phrase “to wash”.  This name most likely stems from the use of lavender in cleaning clothing, and in fact, washer women were called Lavanderies.  This is not the only lore we see lavender being linked to cleanliness though; from Biblical references to plague medication, lavender definetly has its place as one of the most popular plants in the past as well as the present.   Let’s dive into this versatile and useful herb!

During the plague, lavender had an integral part to play. It was an herb valued as an antibacterial, antiseptic, as well as a natural insect repellent.  The combination of these things made it a powerful aid against the plague.  Plague doctors would keep some lavender (and others herbs) in the “beak” of their masks.  In addition, they would also use lavender tied to the wrist to ward off fleas and use it right against open wounds to help cleanse the sores and protect from further infection. From this we can draw the “as above, so below” argument that lavender’s reputation as a strong antiseptic leads to it’s protective, purifying, and life prolonging properties in magic.

One of the surviving applications of this is Four Thieves Vinegar.  It was said that in the time of the plague, there were four thieves robbing from the bodies of the dead and dying.  To protect themselves from the disease, they would use an herbal concoction traditionally with white vinegar, wormwood, wild majorum, meadowsweet, sage, cloves, rosemary, and lavender.  Eventually, these thieves were caught.  In exchange for their lives, they gave up the recipe to their success.  Modern myth calls for only four ingredients to be added to the vinegar to represent each of the thieves.

Other folk medicine claimed lavender would reduce stress and induce sleep, a practice still in place today.  Modern science has actually found that lavender reduces blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate, all which can result in feelings of drowsiness and relaxation.  Repeating the argument was used previously, we can see why we use lavender for happiness, peace, and sleep.

But there is more to lavender that just its folk medicine uses.  There is rich lore around this herb as well. As I had mentioned, lavender has many ties to its use in washing.  In ancient Egypt it was used in baths, perfumes, and in mummification.  It was boasted to be the perfume Cleopatra used to seduce Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony, contributing to its correspondence to love.  On its other side, it was also said that the snake that killed Cleopatra concealed itself in a bush of lavender. 

In Christian lore, we see lavender (or as they refer to it, spikenard) with a role early on in the story.  It is said that Adam and Eve brought it from the Garden of Eden after they had been cast out.  But the lavender we know and love did not come until much later.  The scripture says that lavender gained its scent from the Virgin Mary laying baby Jesus’ clothes to dry over lavender bushes.  His divinity was said to transfer to the plant granting it its lovely aroma.   Another Mary (Magdalene)  was said to have used spikenard in the famous washing of Jesus’ feet.

“Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard very costly and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” - John 12:3

So as we can see the lore and applications of lavender extend across religion, culture and medicine.  All of those applications and stories lend to how we view and use this wonderful herb today. I hope we all walked away with a little more understanding to the modern magic of lavender!

Until next time!

~The Herbal Grimoire~

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavandula, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_thieves_vinegar, https://jerseylavender.co.uk/2017/09/07/lavenders-biblical-roots/, https://www.thepracticalherbalist.com/?s=lavender, https://yourehistory.wordpress.com/?s=lavender