Myrrh: magical uses, history and safety

How to read the labels Historical what the old sources say. Later tradition what later writers added. Modern modern practice and my own notes.

Myrrh is a reddish-brown resin with a bitter, earthy, slightly medicinal scent. If frankincense is the bright incense of morning prayers, myrrh is the incense of evening, of mourning and of the old dead. In modern witchcraft it is a resin for serious work: grief, ancestors, protection and the dark of the moon.

At a glance

How witches use myrrh today

Modern Myrrh is less common than frankincense in modern witchcraft, which makes it feel special when it appears.

Ancestor work. A small piece of myrrh on an ancestor altar, or a pinch warmed beside a candle on the anniversary of a death, is one of its most meaningful modern uses. Its funerary history makes it a natural companion for remembering the dead.

Grief rituals. When someone has died, many witches sit with myrrh and a candle and write a letter to them. The bitterness of the scent honors that grief is bitter.

Dark moon and Samhain. Myrrh suits dark moon work, shadow journaling and Samhain, when the year turns toward the dead.

Blending. A classic blend is two parts frankincense to one part myrrh. Myrrh also deepens rose or sandalwood blends and steadies light, floral incenses.

Protection and purification. Myrrh is used in protection incense, especially for a home after a death, a long illness or a painful ending.

Without smoke. A whole piece of myrrh on the altar, or a little tincture of myrrh dabbed on a candle dish (never on the wick), keeps its symbolism without filling a room with smoke.

Tarot pairing. I pair myrrh with the Five of Cups: grief honestly felt, and the two cups still standing.

Journal prompt. Who in my family line would I like to remember, and what did they leave me that I still use?

Try this: an ancestor candle

1. Set a photo, a name on paper or an object that belonged to someone who has died on a small table.
2. Light a white or plain candle in a safe holder.
3. If you can ventilate, warm one small piece of myrrh on a resin burner. If not, place it beside the candle.
4. Say their name aloud, and tell them one thing that happened this year.
5. Sit with the candle for a few minutes, then put it out and write down anything you remember.

Folklore and history

Historical Ancient Egyptians used myrrh in incense, perfume and the preparation of the dead. In the Gospels, myrrh appears at the beginning and end of Jesus’s life: as one of the Magi’s gifts (Matthew 2:11), in the wine offered at the crucifixion (Mark 15:23) and among the spices Nicodemus brought for his burial (John 19:39).

Later tradition In Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Book 10), Myrrha is turned into the myrrh tree, and her tears become the resin; her child is Adonis. Grimoires and church ritual kept myrrh in use for centuries.

Modern Its link with the moon and with grief in modern witchcraft draws on this long funerary history.

Safety

Smoke. Keep incense brief and ventilated, and keep pets, birds and people with breathing problems out of the room.

Internal use. Do not swallow myrrh resin or oil. Avoid internal use in pregnancy, and ask a doctor or pharmacist before using supplements.

Fire. Use a proper resin burner or a charcoal disc on sand, with tongs. Ritual is symbolic support, and grief that feels unbearable deserves real help from people and professionals.

What next

Myrrh’s partner is frankincense. For seasonal ancestor work, see Samhain, and for the full list of beginner herbs, my guide to herbs.