Myrrh

Tears of Myrrh

If you forget me think
of our gifts to Aphrodite
and all the loveliness that we shared

all the violet tiaras,
braided rosebuds, dill and
crocus twined around your young neck

myrrh poured on your head
and on soft mats girls with
all that they most wished for beside them

while no voices chanted
choruses without ours,
no woodlot bloomed in spring without song…

Sappho (translated by Mary Barnard)

Myrrh trees grow wild in inhospitable patches of earth, often shallow, rocky, desert regions found in mystical countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, and India. The scraggly tree is not much to look at from the outside, but her inner beauty is much coveted. Inside this forlorn little tree flows a beautiful, fragrant, luxurious sap. Extracted by piercing the bark, the sticky resin weeps from the tree forming tears which are later collected when dried. And while this essence is often an integral part of funeral rites in many customs, it is so much more than the sadness implied. For myrrh reminds us that sadness is a source of healing and growth.

The Magic of Myrrh

Correspondences

Element: Water, Earth
Gender: Feminine
Sabbat: Yule
Planet: Moon
Chakra: Sacral, Solar Plexus

Spellwork

Comfort
Bless
Purify
Heal
Boost

Proverb

Greek: I send you myrrh, not that you be perfumed by it, but it perfumed by you

The Medicine of Myrrh

Ayurvedic

Ayurvedic Name: Bola
Vata: Balance
Kapha: Balance
Pitta: Increases (slightly)
Taste: Bitter, pungent, sweet

Herbology

Analgesic
Anti-inflammatory
Antimicrobial
Anti-rheumatic
Antiseptic
Antispasmodic
Aphrodisiac
Disinfectant
Carminative
Emmenagogue
Expectorant
Stimulant
Uterine stimulant
Vermifuge
Vulnerary

TCM

TCM Name: Mo Yao
Botanical Name: Commiphora myrrha
Common Name: Myrrh Resin
Energy: Neutral
Flavor: Bitter
Organs: Heart, Liver, Spleen
Movement: Invigorates blood, Removes stagnation

Science of Myrrh

Botany

Botanical Name: Commiphora myrrha
Family: Burseraceae (Torchwood Family)
Type of Plant: Small Spiney Tree
Habitat: Sandy soil, Sun
Zone: 10-12
Bloom Time: After the rainy season
Height: 9 feet
Spread: 9 feet
Propagation: Unknown
Harvest: When tree is wounded
Part Used: Resin (Externally)
Constituents: Terpenes, Alcohol-soluble resin, Commiphoric acids
Native Region: Arabian Peninsula, NE Africa
Sustainability: At Risk

Leaf

Structure: Compound
Arrangement: Trifolate
Shape: Oval
Length: 2 cm
Margins: Roughly toothed
Surface: Smooth

Flower

Inflorescence: Simple
Sexuality: Imperfect, Dioecious
Stamen: Whorls = or 2X petals
Petals: 4-5
Color: Pale yellow
Size: Small

Sacred Story

The Greeks tell a tale of a young girl named Myrrha who was cursed by the goddess Aphrodite. Tender feelings hurt, the goddess bedeviled Myrrha with an insatiable lust for her own father, King Cinyras. Distraught by this lust, Myrrha tried to kill herself but was instead saved by her nurse who hatched a plan so that she could sleep with her father. Upon discovering the identity of his new lover, King Cinyras tried to kill his daughter, but Myrrha fled all the way to Arabia where she was transformed into the Myrrh tree. Nine months later, a wandering boar cut into the tree, and Myrra gave birth to the mortal Adonis. In a strange twist of fate, Aphrodite falls in love with Adonis, while he is ultimately killed by a boar.