Immerse yourself in the Scented Luxuries of Ancient Egypt!

Sacred and precious Spikenard oil was known in very ancient times, and is derived from the small rhizomes and umbelliferous flower heads of the Nardostachys jatamansi plant, which is native to India and Nepal. It was obtained as a luxury in ancient Egypt from the Near East as early as 1478 BC, the time of Queen Hatshepsut, who is said to have preferred the scent during her New Kingdom reign as Pharaoh. The Egyptians traditionally stored the “Oil of Nar”, called Merhet Nar, in alabaster containers (such as the jar pictured) to preserve its fragrance. This is the expensive “nard ointment” that the biblical Mary poured upon Jesus’ head, anointing him for burial. (See article The Woman with the Alabaster Box)

Our Merhet Nar is made with 20% pure Spikenard oil from Nepal, in a carrier of 100% Moringa peregrina oil from Oman.

Nard is noted for it’s very unique earthy, yet sweetly intoxicating scent. Order a 2 ml sample and find out for yourself what all the historic fascination with this fragrance is all about.

Shipped in amber glass bottles with dropper seal, filled by volume. Bottle sizes are: 2 ml, 7.5 ml, 15 ml and 30 ml. Each cartouche contains the Egyptian name of the oil, written by hand for each order.

The alabaster oil bottle pictured dates from the Ptolemaic period, around 300 to 30 BCE - courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Greeks referred to these as “alabastron”, a traditional mode of anointing oil and perfume storage in the Mediterranean. We are currently negotiating with Egyptian alabaster carvers across from the Theban Necropolis in the West Bank, Luxor, to create reproductions of these jars for our Wandering Stars customers… stay tuned!

Please note that this fragrant oil is mixed in a moringa carrier oil at around a 20% perfumers dilution ratio, and is primarily intended for topical use on skin and hair. As such, it may not work well in some water-based essential oil diffusers which only dilute the scent more. Wandering Stars recommends using only pure essential oils or absolutes in water based units dedicated to a particular scent as fragrances may remain persistent despite cleaning, leading to cross-contamination of scents. (Please DM me if you are interested in purchasing 100% pure Spikenard oil.) Even so, this fragrant oil does work well in diffusor jewelry or on blotter paper for direct whiffing, and especially with air pump style atomizing electronic diffusors where you can exchange 15 ml oil bottles, uptake straws, and connectors for each scent. Visit Diffusor World for highly rated atomizers.

Medical Disclaimer: Our expertise lies in incense making, essential oil blends, and skin/hair ointments. Information contained on these pages is to the best of our knowledge factual, and presented solely for your edification and enjoyment. Wandering Stars cannot provide medical advice as we are not health professionals. Before ingesting anything that is not food, we strongly suggest seeking counsel from a licensed health practitioner.