- Botanical Name
- Myrrhis odorata
Sweet Cicely
Details
Sweet cicely is a tall herbaceous perennial of the celery family, and the only species in the genus Myrrhis. Wikipedia gives its other common names as cicely, myrrh, garden myrrh and sweet chervil. It is native to the mountains of southern and central Europe, from the Pyrenees to the Caucasus, and smells strongly of aniseed when crushed. Its leaves are used as a herb, raw or cooked, with a sweet taste like anise, and its roots and seeds are also edible. Wikipedia says it has a history of use as a medicinal herb, and that, like anise, fennel and caraway, it can flavour akvavit. Neither Cunningham nor Kynes has an entry for it, so no magical correspondences are recorded here.
Correspondences
- Elements
- No elements recorded.
- Celestial Bodies
- No celestial bodies recorded.
- Zodiac Signs
- No zodiac signs recorded.
- Colours
- No colours recorded.
- Deities
- No deities recorded.
Folk Names
- Cicely
- Garden Myrrh
- Myrrh
- Sweet Chervil
Categories
- Grief Work
- Joy
- Nightmare Protection
- Renewal
- Spirit Work
Substitutes
No substitutes recorded.
Forms
Leaf
Wikipedia says the leaves are used raw or cooked, with a sweet taste like anise.
References
Seed
Wikipedia says the seeds are edible and chewed raw.
References
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Kynes, Sandra. The Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants: History, Folklore, Correspondences, and Spells. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2024. (EPUB.)
1 - Wikipedia, under "Cicely." Accessed October 23, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cicely&oldid=1366793266. Open the Source (opens in a new tab)
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