Also called Commiphora myrrha, bola, murr
Myrrh is the bitter, warm, reddish-brown resin of Commiphora trees from the Horn of Africa and Arabia. Used in Egyptian embalming, Temple anointing oil and the gifts of the Magi, it is burned today for mourning, remembrance, deep prayer and protection, usually blended with frankincense.
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Take care: Burn myrrh only on incense charcoal in a fireproof dish with ventilation and never leave it unattended. Its smoke is heavy and can bother asthma, and pet birds should be kept well away. Do not swallow myrrh resin or oil, and avoid it in pregnancy unless a doctor approves.
Herodotus describes the most costly embalming as filling the cleaned body cavity with pure ground myrrh, cassia and other spices before natron drying. Myrrh's bitterness and resistance to decay made it a natural partner for preserving the dead.
Uses: myrrh, cassia, natron
Moses is told to make a sacred oil with 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, cinnamon, fragrant cane and cassia in olive oil to anoint the Tabernacle and priests. Myrrh was also part of the Temple incense. Churches still use myrrh-scented chrism for anointing.
Uses: liquid myrrh, cinnamon, fragrant cane, cassia, olive oil
A hadith collected in later compilations advises fumigating houses with mugwort, myrrh and thyme. It reflects a long Middle Eastern habit of burning myrrh to freshen and protect the home rather than only in temples.
Uses: myrrh, mugwort, thyme
Myrrh is the dried sap of thorny Commiphora trees, chiefly Commiphora myrrha, native to Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Yemen and Oman. The earliest Egyptian record of a trading voyage to Punt, under King Sahure of the Fifth Dynasty, lists myrrh among the goods brought home, and Hatshepsut's later expedition is painted on her temple at Deir el-Bahari. Egyptians burned it in temples and used it in embalming, perfumes and the sacred blend kyphi described by Plutarch.
In the Bible myrrh appears as a trade good in the Joseph story, as the base of the holy anointing oil in Exodus, and in the Song of Songs as a lover's perfume. The New Testament places it at both ends of Jesus' life: a gift of the Magi in Matthew 2:11, wine mixed with myrrh offered at the crucifixion in Mark 15:23, and a hundred-pound mixture of myrrh and aloes for his burial in John 19:39. That arc is why Christians tie myrrh to suffering and death.
A gentle remembrance ritual for someone who has died, drawing on old mourning customs: stopping the clock, covering the mirror, telling the bees and giving the grief a voice. It is a way to honor loss, not to make it disappear.
A small, regularly tended shrine where a family remembers its dead with photographs, light, water and offerings, a practice shared in different forms by Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, African, Afro-Caribbean, Mexican and modern pagan households.
A home altar built for the Mexican Day of the Dead, set with photographs, marigolds, candles, water, salt, pan de muerto and the favorite foods of the dead so that their spirits feel welcome when they return on November 1 and 2.
Tell us what you need and we will craft a custom spell, charm or reading for it. Or call to book a reading or a road blessing in person.
