Associations
Element: Air
Planetary Ruler: Mercury
Mood: Warming, calming, emotionally steadying.
Folkloric: Love, happiness, health, wealth, grounding.
History
Marjoram is an exceptionally lovely plant native to parts of Asia and the Mediterranean region. It is thought to have been brought to the UK in the middle ages, likely for its medicinal and aromatic properties as well as culinary delight. It is part of the genus 'Origanum' which comes from the Greek words 'oros', mountain; and 'ganos', joy with some of its species being found abundantly on mountainsides in the bright sunshine, but also possibly for the brightening effect of of species like Oregano (Origanum vulgare) in foods.
There is some debate about whether Marjoram comes from the latin 'major' or whether it comes from the ancient Greek name amarakos (amaracus in Latin). I hold with those who favour Amaracus because that was still the name cited by Gerard when discussing the writings of Dioscredes and Pliny the Elder who both referred to Sweet Marjoram as Amaracus, but more on this later.
Marjoram's fame as a pleasantly fragrant herb goes back to antiquity, where in Virgil's Ænead he describes Venus as setting her grandson Ascanius down to sleep through the events of Books 1-3:
But Venus pours gentle sleep over Ascanius’s limbs,
and warming him in her breast, carries him, with divine power,
to Idalia’s high groves, where soft marjoram envelops him
in flowers, and the breath of its sweet shadow.
-Virgil, Ænead 1.691-94 (c. 29 BC)
While symbolic of her associations with the herb, and its association with love itself, it also has a literal meaning, because Majoram was used in perfumery and even through the Middle Ages it could be found in perfume sachets and used as a strewing herb on floors to scent the home.
Fairer than what Queen Venus trod upon
Beneath the pines of Ida, eucharis,
That morning star which does not dread the sun,
And budding marjoram which but to kiss
Would sweeten Cytheraea's lips and make
Adonis jealous, - these for thy head, - and for thy girdle take
-Oscar Wilde, The Garden of Eros (1961)
Marjoram and Euchrais are two of the plants Wilde is describing in Cupid's fair garden. While he is not describing Marjoram as 'fairer than what Venus trod upon beneath the pines of Ida' (that he ascribes to eucharis) I think it is clever to note that this comes right before his mention of Marjoram. The forests of Ida of course also being where she took Ascanius to sleep in the Ænead, and which was her favourite vacation spot on Cypress. The vivid visual of Venus walking upon fragrant herbs links, at least to me, the tradition of perfumed herbs like Marjoram as strewing herbs that one would have "trod upon". He goes on to say that Marjoram would sweeten Cytheraea (another name for Venus)'s lips, so to make her lover Adonis jealous. To take these plants to make wreaths and crowns for your head and waist as Wilde suggests is also in line with Marjoram's use in poems of antiquity as wreaths for weddings and at joyful celebrations (while adding a little subliminal layer of sensuality, but more on this later).
Traditional Uses
Nicholas Culpeper pretty much cites exactly as Gerard writes in his Complete Herbal (1587) that Marjoram was used in healing colds, clearing bruises, reducing swellings, and for adding a pleasant fragrance to all manner of ointments. I must agree that, although not a floral scent one often thinks of in perfume, true organic Marjoram is unparalleled for a sweet, warm and cosy scent. I could enjoy it all day long in a diffuser!
In Ayurvedic medicine, Marjoram has been used for supporting the treatment of muscular tension, premenstrual problems, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), among many other uses. It's anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties make it great for this purpose, and in aromatherapy Marjoram is also used for emotional support in times of grief or for obsessive circular thinking. Its gentle supportive and uplifting characteristics may indeed be due to the relaxation of the nervous system, and its reduction of inflammation and histamine responses in the body which can crop up during times of stress.
Whether used topically as an essential oil, or eaten internally as a dried herb seasoning, Marjoram is a delightful herbal ally for anyone looking to retreat from the business of modern life and lift their spirits in a grounded and supportive way.
Folklore
As we saw above in the poems of Virgil and Wilde, Marjoram has a long history of association with love and lovers. The Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus (c.84-54 BC) wove Marjoram into a poem to celebrate the wedding of L. Manlius Torquatos to Junia Aurunculei. In one part of the poem he describes Hymen, the god of marriage, coming down to give the bride a veil perfumed with Marjoram. Later, in the 'wedding song' he sings:
Wreathe your temples with flowers
of sweet-smelling marjoram,
take up your bridal veil—joyfully!
Let this bright wedding day
bring blessings to you,
now ready for marriage.
-Catullus, Carmen 61 (c.84-54 BC)
The 'song' continues in a string of metaphors for the couple's wedding night, becoming more and more sexual in nature. It is possible therefore that he describes here actually the perfuming of the maidenhead as a metaphorical temple. As Oscar Wilde so beautifully alluded to in The Garden of Eros, Marjoram's association with love comes with its strong association with Venus, and in turn the sensual wreathing of limbs be they plant or human.
But it's not all sex and rock and roll (or is it?) when it comes to Venus and Aphrodite. In modern folklore, meaning our own modern understanding by we "the folk" of these myths, it is often said that Aphrodite or Venus created Marjoram. I can't find a specific text from antiquity that says this, although Butler does assert that Marjoram grows prevalently upon the island of Cypress where the goddess often frequented, so I suppose she could have planted it. Instead, it seems to be a beautiful modern understanding born down through the millennia and taking on new meaning and myth.
Servius (c. 343 AD) comments on the previously discussed use of the word amaracus in Virgil's Ænead with an anecdote of another origin story for Marjoram: "Amaracus was a slave charged with keeping the perfumes for a royal house. Having tripped and fallen while carrying the perfumes, he produced an even greater perfume by their accidental blending. As a result, the best perfumes are called amaracina. He himself was later transformed into the herb sampsucum, now also known as amaracus."
Shane Butler gives us a delightful insight into where folklore meets fact and how Amaracus may indeed have been based on a real royal perfumer who created a very fashionable perfume:
"The legend of Amaracus, royal perfume keeper, may, in fact, have something to do with what the ancient encyclopedist Pliny the Elder calls "royal perfume" (regale unguentum), explaining that it was so called because it was blended for the kings of the Parthians. Pliny calls this compound the "very height of luxury, the last word on perfume" ("cumulus ipse deliciarum et summa auctoritas rei") and provides a list of over two dozen ingredients, from ben-nuts to wine, including amaracus.
The herb likewise appears among the ingredients Pliny lists for telinum ,"the most fashionable perfume at the time of the comic playwright Menander". Only a few fragrances were made from a single essence; Pliny calls these "noble perfumes" (nobilia unguenta) and notes one made solely from amaracus from the southern coast of the Sea of Marmara. But he adds that even these sometimes then were mixed with other fragrant substances. It is clear, in any case, that the prized amaracines (amaracina)* described by Servius contained more—much more—than their namesake herb, and the success of any particular amaracine must have had much to do with the artistry of the blend."
-Shane Butler, "The Scent of a Woman" Arethusa, Vol. 43 No. 1
According to Le Strange in his History of Herbal Plants (1977) and cited by Battaglia, the Ancient Greeks also referred to Marjoram as a funerary herb and would be planted on tombs to bring spiritual peace to the dead. However, there is no primary source offered nor any other sources I can find to corroborate this. It is possible of course something has been lost to time.
In more relatively modern British Folklore we have a wonderful association with love magic as well. Grieve quotes in her A Modern Herbal (1931) a passage from Halliwell's 'Popular Rhymes and Superstitions' which may be the publication 'Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales' under a different name (or it may be a text that is lost). James Halliwell-Phillipps was an antiquarian, Shakespeare scholar and collector of folklore in the form of nursery rhymes, and the passage Grieve quote is as follows:
'On St. Luke's Day, says Mother Bunch, take marigold flowers, a sprig of marjoram, thyme and a little wormwood; dry them before a fire, rub them to powder, then sift it through a fine piece of lawn [cheesecloth], and simmer it over a slow fire, adding a small quantity of virgin honey and vinegar*. Anoint yourself with this when you go to bed, saying the following lines three times, and you will dream of your future partner, 'that is to be':
St. Luke, St. Luke, be kind to me,
In dreams let me my true love see.
If a girl desires to obtain this information, let her seek for a green peascod [pea pod] in which there are full 9 peas, and write on a piece of paper:
Come in, my dear,
and do not fear;
Which paper she must enclose in the peascod, and lay it under the door. The first person who comes into the room will be her husband.' Shakespeare may allude to this in As You Like It (ii. iv.) when he talks about the wooing of a peascod.
-Halliwell via Grieve
*A preparation of herbs, honey and vinegar is called an oxymel and has been used to make herbal medicines for centuries. I think this is a wonderful folk recipe turned folklore turned nursery story! But please don't prepare wormwood in anything you eat – it can be very very toxic (read: deadly).
Games/charms like these to divine your future partner are plentiful in folklore of the British isles, and I was delighted to come across these to do with Marjoram (and peas!) that I hadn't seen before. As a millennial I remember playing MASH/MATCH and using Magic 8 Balls and Cootie Catchers to do similar fortune telling as a child (these may be only American traditions, I'm not sure! So please email me yours that you remember!), and I'm sure a modern equivalent today might be using TikTok/Snap filters (!!)
So, how to conclude this fragrant poetic journey? I think simply with this: from the moment you open a bottle of organic (so as not to lose the true heart of the scent) marjoram essential oil, you will be transported to Cypress on Cupid's wing and find yourself enveloped in the sweet perfume of Love itself. A journey I'm sure we'd all like to take!
Aromatic Profile
- Note: Middle
- Scent Family: Herbal, slightly sweet, warm
Essential Oil Safety Information
- Never ingest/take internally.
- Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.
- Keep away from children and pets.
- Full safety information and directions will be provided in a safety card upon purchase, please read fully.
Bibliography & Sources
AyurvedicOils. (2025, June 14).Marjoram Oil | Essential Oil. Ayurvedicoils.com. https://ayurvedicoils.com/essential-oils-info-buy-purchase_marjoram-oil_2409.html
Battaglia, S. (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy (2nd ed.). International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.
Carta, Louise (2024). Diploma Course Study Materials. The Aromatherapy Company.
Culpeper, N. (1653). The Complete Herbal. London: Peter Cole. (Public Domain)
Gerard, J. (1597). The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. London: John Norton. (Public Domain)
Grieve, M. (1971). A modern herbal: The medicinal, culinary, cosmetic and economic properties, cultivation and folk-lore of herbs, grasses, fungi, shrubs & trees (Vols. 1–2). Dover Publications. (Original work published 1931)
Lavabre, M. (2020). Essential oils and aromatherapy workbook. Healing Arts Press.
Nagy, G. (2014).Greek Literature in the Roman Period and in Late Antiquity. Routledge.
Strange, R. L. (1977). A History of Herbal Plants.
Virgil. (2006).The Aeneid. Penguin.
