Fresh Myrrh-“Suhul” Myrrh-Stacte-Fresh and Fragrant-A gift from the trees. Sustainable Harvest-Commiphora Myrrha-Somalia

Description

This listing is for a very special kind of Myrrh resin called “Suhul Myrrh”-It is sweeter than other types of Myrrh, beautifully Fragrant-Fresh & Sustainably harvested.

After the rainy season has ended, when the resin harvesters go visit the Myrrh trees to tap them, they collect the resin that the tree has already produced on its own. This is “Suhul” Myrrh-It is a gift from the Myrrh tree.

Many consider this clearer and lighter coloured myrrh to be the Stacte referred to in the old testament and one of the ingredients in the sacred temple incense called Ketoreth.

The word “Suhul”, has its roots in ” Sahl” which means “Given freely” as opposed to the type of Myrrh that is collected after tapping the tree which is named “Sarac” Myrrh. It is the simple difference between something that is given and something that is taken.

Suhul Myrrh is usually lighter, brighter and more translucent than the Sarac, or tapped Myrrh and often sweeter smelling. This batch fits the description perfectly. It is wonderfully complex aromatically,
sweeter and sticky-moist in its freshness.

It only comes around once in a while so get it while it is here.

Along with Frankincense, Myrrh is probably one of the most well-known natural oleoresins in the world. Famous for its use since biblical times as medicine, fragrance and incense, Myrrh has long been valued for its many medicinal applications and has been at times, worth its weight in gold.

A precious commodity in the ancient world, this powerful oleoresin has kept its value as a component in perfumes and incense, while medicinally, it is still unsurpassed as a “heal-all” for oral care, effectively addressing issues such as inflamed sore or infected gums, post-extraction soreness or denture irritation, spongy gums, canker sores, halitosis, gingivitis, and loose teeth. A simple tincture of the raw oleoresin, or the essential oil in alcohol/water, added to a mouthwash of warm salted water is one of the best treatments for most all oral issues and sore throats.

Myrrh is an anti-fungal and has been used successfully to treat candida, thrush, (and oral thrush), as well as fungal infections of the skin and nails.

Myrrh contains 2 compounds that are analgesic and help relieve pain.

It performs admirably in cremes and salves for dry, cracked and fissured heels and is considered skin healing and rejuvenating.

Internally, Myrrh is traditionally used as a “Bitter”, stimulating digestion, appetite and the production of bile and treating diarrhea.

Topically, in a salve or creme, Myrrh has been used for coughs, colds and congestion, cuts and abrasions, piles and hemorrhoids.

Myrrha gives birth to Adonis by Marcantonio Franceschini 

In the classic Greek tale, (which is thought to originate thousands of years earlier in ancient Mesopotamia),  Myrrha the daughter of King Cinyras of Cyprus becomes infatuated with her father.  Night after night she slips into bed with him until one night, he lights a candle to better see the face of his passionate new concubine. When he realizes he has bedded his daughter he is furious and takes his sword to her. She narrowly escapes and is chased by her father and a troop of his soldiers all the way through Arabia to what is now considered Yemen/Oman. The girl is on the run, desperate, distraught, and pregnant, (with her son, brother and grandchild). Myrrha pleads with the Gods to help her and they hide her from the wrath of her father by turning her into a tree.  However, she is still pregnant and gives birth, as a tree, to Adonis. This is why, till this very day, the Myrrh tree freely weeps her bitter tears without being cut. This is Suhul Myrrh.

The name Myrrh is rooted in The Aramaic word for bitter. Mar, Mor. It lives up to its name with a wonderfully rich, stimulating bitterness. Some associate this with the names Mary, (Mar-Yam), Miriam, Mariam, and believe it to mean the bitter of the sea, the froth of the sea.
The name of the Goddess Aphrodite translates to “risen from the froth of the sea”.

Myrrh is ruled Astrologically by the Moon and the sign of Cancer, considered to be of feminine in nature, and has an affinity with water, ebb and flow and especially the fluid systems of our body where it helps to regulate and rebalance the digestive tract, oral cavity, and women’s menses. ( Frankincense is ruled by the Sun).

In Some Somali Harvesting communities, Myrrh is harvested exclusively by the women of the clan. Frankincense which requires stripping and tapping of the tree is managed and harvested only by the men.

For a simple mouthwash for sore, inflamed or irritated gums, one can place a half teaspoon of Myrrh resin crushed or ground in a cup, add boiling water and let sit till cool. It can then be swished in the mouth, or repeatedly gargled during the day. (It is bitter!) A quarter teaspoon of sea salt can also be added to this mix.

For recipes for Myrrh and other oleoresins, please see my post, http://apothecarysgarden.com/2014/12/29/preparing-winter-
medicine-with-tree-saps/

For instructions on preparing your own tincture of Myrrh, please visit-http://apothecarysgarden.com/recipes-2/how-to-make-a-tincture-of-myrrh-for-oral-care/

Dan