Mystical systems
Myrrh
Direct answer
Myrrh is the bitter, fragrant resin of Commiphora trees of Arabia and the Horn of Africa, used in the ancient world for incense, perfume and the anointing of the dead.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Mystical Systems
- Related
- Frankincense, Anointing Oil, Magical Correspondences
Myrrh is the bitter, fragrant resin of Commiphora trees of Arabia and the Horn of Africa, used in the ancient world for incense, perfume and the anointing of the dead.
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What is myrrh?
Myrrh is a reddish-brown gum resin that seeps from the thorny Commiphora tree. Its name comes from a Semitic word for bitter, and its scent is darker and more medicinal than that of frankincense, with which it is always paired.
The ancient world used it in incense and perfume, in the holy anointing oil described in Exodus, and above all in the care of the dead: Egyptian embalmers used it, and the Gospel of John says Nicodemus brought myrrh and aloes for the burial of Jesus. So it came to stand for suffering, death and the honour paid to the body, which is how Christian tradition reads the third gift of the Magi.
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What sets Myrrh apart
Where frankincense belongs to worship, myrrh belongs to the body. It was rubbed on the living as perfume and on the dead as preservative, and it is named at both ends of the Gospel story, among the gifts at the birth and among the spices at the tomb. The resin is brittle and reddish, darkens with age, and tastes as its name says. In blends it is the base note: a little of it steadies a sweeter incense.
- Source: Commiphora myrrha, a thorny tree of dry country
- Homeland: Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen and Oman
- Word: from a Semitic root meaning bitter
- In scripture: Exodus 30:23, the anointing oil; John 19:39, the burial spices
- Greek myth: Myrrha, mother of Adonis, changed into the tree (Ovid, Metamorphoses 10)
Often mistaken for something else: Frankincense is the bright resin of worship, read in the story of the Magi as a sign of divinity; myrrh is the bitter resin of burial, read there as a sign of death.
The story behind Myrrh
Myrrh travelled the same caravan and sea routes as frankincense and at times fetched a higher price. Greek myth told that the tree was once a woman, Myrrha, the mother of Adonis, whose tears are the resin; Ovid tells the story in the Metamorphoses. The Gospel of Mark says that wine mixed with myrrh was offered to Jesus at the crucifixion.
Why Myrrh matters
Myrrh is the counterpart of frankincense in nearly every tradition: the earthy and mortal beside the bright and heavenly.
How to read Myrrh
It is burned as incense, usually blended, and named in the traditional tables as a resin of Saturn or of the Moon, depending on the author.
Myrrh in practice: an example
Burned beside frankincense at the turn of the year, a grain of myrrh adds the bitter note that the old carols give to the third gift.
Where readings of Myrrh go wrong
Myrrh is for scent and symbol only and is not swallowed; the resin and its oil are unsafe in pregnancy.
Sources and editorial method
This entry summarizes the tradition in the Almanac's own words; where no source is listed, it is an editorial summary rather than a primary text, and symbolic readings are named as the tradition's, not as fact.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Mystical Systems
- Aliases
- myrrh meaning, what is myrrh, myrrh in the bible, myrrh resin, gold frankincense and myrrh
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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Common questions
What is myrrh?
It is the dried resin of Commiphora trees, native to Arabia and the Horn of Africa. It is bitter to the taste and has a warm, dark, slightly medicinal scent.
What does myrrh symbolise?
Mortality, suffering and the honouring of the dead, because it was used in embalming and burial. Christian tradition reads the myrrh of the Magi as foretelling the death of Jesus.
