Ashwagandha root powder

Price range: $4.35 through $41.75

Powdered root of a small Indian shrub whose name means ‘smell of horse’, used in modern practice for strength, endurance and steadying work.

Ashwagandha’s Sanskrit name means “smell of horse”, for the earthy scent of the root and the old idea that it gives the strength of one.

Origin & Traditional Use

Withania somnifera is a small shrub of the nightshade family found across India, the Middle East and Africa. Its root has been traditionally used in Ayurveda for thousands of years as a rasayana, a restorative tonic.

Uses by Tradition

Witchcraft & Folk Magick

Strength sachet: add a spoonful to a red cloth bag to carry through a demanding stretch of work or life.
Steadying jar: keep it in a jar by the bed with a grounding herb through times of strain.

A Simple Working

Light a red chime candle.
Place a teaspoon of ashwagandha powder in the centre of a small square of red cloth.
Add a pinch of ground ginger.
Name the challenge you need endurance for.
Gather the cloth and tie it with red thread.
Carry it until the challenge has passed, then return the contents to the earth.

Pairs Well With

Ginger, for heat and drive.
Bay leaves, for victory in a hard task.
Angelica root, for protection while you push through.
A red chime candle, for courage and strength.

Lore & History

Ashwagandha appears in the classical Ayurvedic texts, the Charaka Samhita among them, and remains one of the best-known plants of Indian herbal tradition.