What Spices Are Adult Women Made Of? How Do They Affect Self-Worth?

Long before Robert Southey (1774-1843) proposed that "little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice,” the Song of Songs (written about 900 BC) also known as Song of Solomon, listed a variety of spices in its description of an adult woman. The poem is essentially a love story with spiritual symbolisms but no human being can read it and not be impressed with the sensuality of the language.

On the wedding night, the groom describes his bride as a private garden of “choice fruits with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices” (4: 13, 14). He is obviously thrilled that she has reserved the best of her sugar and spice—the innermost essence of her soul for their most intimate encounter.

What inquiring feminine minds want to know is (1) what these spices symbolize and (2) how the woman managed to preserve the comparative virtues past her girlhood. The first question will be addressed in this hub, and the second in a follow-up.

The henna plant is native to parts of Africa, Asia and Australasia. It is most popular for the dye preparation derived from it. (By the way, skin and hair products called black henna or neutral henna, and used for tattoos are not derived from the plant).

For leather and cloth, the henna acts as a preservative and an anti-fungal. It is listed in Syrian and Egyptian BC texts as a medicinal herb. It also repels insects and mildew. Added to all this, the henna flower is used to make perfume. According to the Henna Page ( by Catherine Cartwright-Jones © 2004) the henna plant was grown in clusters of fragrant flowers as a dense thorny hedge around the garden.

The metaphor in the poem implies that the woman’s innate essence has been protected and preserved. She has maintained the full strength of her purity and beauty for her husband.

Nard is the expensive, rich fragrant perfume that Mary Magdalene used in her act of worship and gratitude, to anoint the feet of Jesus. The oil was obtained as a luxury in ancient Egypt and was offered on the altar of incense in the Hebrew Temple. It is still used today as healing oil, a diuretic, and a relief for pain and deep seated grief. It is derived from a plant which grows in the Himalayas of China and in the northern region of India and Nepal.

“Nard has intense, warm, fragrant, musky notes, similar to the aromas of humus. It exhibits a wide range of fragrances among the root-type perfumes.” (Bible Fragrances)

The nard quality in the woman is her affirming, soothing, nurturing charm. There is no caustic, critical element in her interactions. She practically dispenses love and understanding.

Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice by weight. Rebecca Park Totilo reports that saffron is handpicked and placed over a fire for drying and that it takes 75,000 flowers to produce one pound of saffron.

The plant is native to Southeast Asia and was first cultivated in Greece. Cooks use it for seasoning and for imparting a rich golden-yellow to their dishes. Saffron is also accredited with medicinal uses. It shows significant potential as an anti-tumor agent, mood-improver, and PMS symptom relief and more. A 2010 study found that it helped mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

The lover in Song of Songs is impressed with both the spiritual and social qualities of his bride. She is the best pick of the crop, not easy to secure, and the most deserving prize a man could could be awarded.

The calamus plant is indigenous to India, but can be found in several parts of the world including Europe, China, Australia, southern Canada and northern United States. Although it is bitter, some people learn to chew it and acquire a taste for it. Like the other spices, it has used as medicine for a variety of ailments, including digestive disorders. Both roots and leaves have strong antioxidant, antimicrobial and insecticidal properties.

Calamus also produces an essential oil highly valued in the perfume industry. According to herbalist Jim McDonald, the leaves are “incredibly nice to simply bruise and smell, and they’ve been long used strewn across floors to release their enlightening scent as they’re walked upon. . . Calamus also serves as a wonderful breath freshener.”

Calamus is a symbol of the woman’s ability to thrive, produce and excel under pressure. There will always be circumstances which cause the woman to feel like she is being chewed or stepped upon. Her display of grace in the midst of hostile situations wins admiration and respect.

Cinnamon was used in ancient Egypt as a beverage flavoring, as medicine, and as embalming agent. It was so highly treasured that it was considered more precious than gold.

Cinnamon trees are native to South East Asia. The spice obtained from the inner bark of trees flavors both sweet and savoury foods. Ceylon cinnamon made from the thin inner bark is produced in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil and the Caribbean, while the stronger cassia version using all the layers of the bark made is mainly produced in China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

In 2004, Dr. P. Zoladz presented his findings that chewing cinnamon flavored gum or just smelling cinnamon enhanced study participants' cognitive processing. Participants were exposed to four odorant conditions: no odor, peppermint odor, jasmine, and cinnamon, with cinnamon emerging the clear winner in producing positive effects on brain function.

Clearly, the odor symbolizing influence is the point of the metaphor. The moral fragrance of the woman affects people within and outside of her immediate sphere, and lingers after she disappears. She is not just a physical presence; she provokes a mental and spiritual reaction.

The Arabic word for myrrh means bitter; but in the Greek language, the related word is a general term for perfume. It has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. In ancient times, it was once considered so valuable that it was equal in weight value to gold. It was among the gifts that the Wise Men from the East presented to the baby Jesus.

Myrrh gum is commonly harvested from a species native to Yemen, Somalia and eastern Ethiopia. A related species native to the Eastern Mediterranean is referred to as the Balm of Gilead. It is said to have "blood-moving" powers to purge stagnant blood from the uterus. It is therefore recommended for circulatory problems, and for uterine tumors among other things. It is also used in many Eastern and Western religious rites. The “holy oil” traditionally used for sacraments is scented with myrrh.

Similar to myrrh, the bitter taste in the woman comes from her rejection of social and moral impurities. She specializes in healthy reform starting in the womb. Applying a bitter herb when necessary is part of her generally sweet nature.

Author Karyn Siegal-Maier states that the aloe referred to in the Bible is agalwood or aloewood, an aromatic wood from India, but that is the extent of her information. So we will consider the aloe vera (true aloe) native to Africa but so adaptable, it can be found in the United States, in the Caribbean and many other parts of the world.

The aloe vera is used both internally and externally on humans, and is claimed to have some medicinal effects. The gel in the leaves can be made into a smooth type of cream that can heal burns such as sunburn, and into various types of skin cleansers. People drink the aloe vera to relieve digestive discomfort and also to detoxify the body.

Desert Harvest lists several uses of the aloe vera under each letter of the alphabet. Apparently, if you can name it, you can find an aloe remedy or cure. Do you see a comparison to the adaptability and versatility of the woman? She performs many varied roles, and is mostly revered for her nurturing, healing, empowering ability. Along with her Creator, she sustains lives.

The preserving, affirming, healing, nurturing, graces of the woman comprise the solid foundation of virtuous womanhood which is a treasure all by itself. The spices in a woman's life are not dependent on a marriage for their recognition or approval, since their value is inherent. Having someone to share them is desirable, but maintaining them is more satisfying than sharing them for less than their worth. If the woman appreciates them as much as she should, she increases her chances of being appreciated whether she shares them with a marriage mate, or in a lesser capacity with a cherished friend, a family member or stranger.