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Although Agrippa ascribes it to the Moon, myrtle has long been associated with Venus and love magick. Aphrodite is often shown wearing a myrtle-leaf wreath in her hair, and during the Roman festival of Venus Verticordia (Venus the Heart-Turner) on April 1, women bathed in water scented with myrtle and wore myrtle wreaths (the picture below shows a gold myrtle wreath from the time of ancient Greece). In Eastern Europe, the wreaths held over the heads of a couple being married were originally made of myrtle (now gold crowns are used instead), and in Wales, brides once gave a sprig of myrtle to each bridesmaid. In the Appalachian Mountains, throwing this magick herb into a fire was believed to make the face of one's future mate appear in the smoke. In England, folk believed that myrtle wouldn't grow if it was not planted by a woman.
Non-Magickal Uses Myrtle is made into sachets and used in cooking. In Crete, olive oil is flavored by steeping myrtle leaves in it for 3 weeks. Change the olive oil for sweet almond oil, and you would have a good consecration oil for Venus-oriented magick. Grind these leaves to release their wonderful scent. |
Myrtle leaves, chopped 
Honoring Aphrodite
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the essential oil © 2004-2024 Alchemy Works; No reproduction without permission |
Myrtle
Myrtle is also
protective. The nymph Daphne escaped being
raped by Apollo by turning herself into a
myrtle tree with her father's help. According
to a 16th-century text on natural magick,
blackbirds use myrtle to protect themselves
against enchantments.