Opoponax, also known as sweet myrrh, is a Chinese herb used in homeopathy and incense. It is used to treat various ailments and has a deep history of ceremonial use. It grows in hot and cold climates and is often used in perfume formulas.
A Chinese herb used in homeopathy, opoponax or opoponax chironium, is a popular scent used for incense. The spicy-sweet herb is often used in perfume formulas. Spas around the world also use opoponax for various treatments and procedures.
Better known as sweet myrrh, opoponax is also called myrisa bisabol. A perennial plant, it features thick, yellow roots with branching stems and large, toothed leaves. Although edible, sweet myrrh has a bitter and sour taste. When burned as incense, the herb produces a woody and balsamic scent similar to lavender.
Some ailments that opoponax is used to treat include uterine tumors, spasms, arthritis, visceral infections, asthma, and nerve problems. Traditionally, the herb was used to help calm victims of hysteria and hypochondria. As an essential oil, the herb has been used by different cultures for spiritual purposes. These include increasing sensory awareness, inducing purification and cleansing, protecting against negativity, strengthening the intuitive senses, increasing creativity, providing overall protection, and increasing one’s sense of spirituality.
The resin is typically sold in dry, thick, reddish-brown pieces. Many also feature colored white specks. Sweet myrrh gems, formed into a teardrop shape, are also commonly available, as well as loose granules of the herb. The resin produced from the herb is created from the sun-dried juice extracted from the stem.
Although opoponax can be used with many different herbs, it works particularly well with vanilla, iris rot, basil, rose, star anise, cloves, amber, juniper, cinnamon, cassia, tuberose, patchouli, and cloves. An average dosage for most uses is 10 to 30 grains of resin. To use the resin, self-igniting carbon discs are generally recommended. A heat resistant surface should be used when burning the herb.
Opoponax has a deep history of ceremonial use in religion. He was qualified as the noblest of all incenses by King Solomon, which increased his prestige. In addition, its use has also been described in various works by James Joyce, Stephen King, and Peter Straub.
Characterized by its large yellow flower, opoponax thrives in hot climates; However, it can also grow in colder areas. Some connoisseurs believe that sweet myrrh grown in cooler climates is of lower quality than herbs grown in warmer areas. Originally from East Africa, the plant grows in Greece, Somalia, France, Iran, Turkey, and Italy; Many varieties are produced in Kenya. The grass grows from one to three feet (one-third to one meter) tall.
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