Oh Sweet Melissa

An eclectic herbal exploring the History, Myth, Medicine, & Alchemy of Lemon Balm

Just as the Bees do to the land, Melissa does to our souls

Lemon Balm or Melissa has long been adored for its uplifting aroma and beautiful medicine. This Mediterranean plant now thrives all around the world, and yet the traditions that shaped the origin of this plant remain integral to understanding not only its medicine but the greater relationships that shape its existence.

The Melissae

One such relationship is this plant's relationship to the bees and in particular the honeybees. In order to explore this relationship we must travel back in time to a place infused with myth & ritual, a place that existed before the onset of patriarchy. In this place women gathered in temples all over the land, taking part in various rites and rituals all while serving the greater good. These women were known as the Melissae and they were the priestesses of the bees. Prior to the onset of what we know of as Ancient Greece we have the Minoan civilization which existed on the Island of Crete. It is here where we see the lives of these women truly in their prime. These women kept and served at the temples of Demeter and Artemis. The first Melissae was named Melissa and she was the daughter of a king named Melisseus. She figured out how to make mead and was known to have nursed the infant Zeus on a diet of milk and honey, giving birth to the famous saying the “food of the gods.” 

These women were more than just priestesses and temple keepers, they were also beekeepers and some of the earliest known initiates to the craft of sacred beekeeping. These women worked deeply with the bees, weaving them into their rites and rituals. One record of this is from the Homeric Hymn to Hermes where these women are described as, “divinely maddened from consuming honeycomb.” The honeycomb they were consuming was a psychoactive honey made by honeybees who collected nectar from various plants containing psychoactive compounds such as rhododendrons.

Cretan seal, showing women in ritual dancing they appear to have the heads of bees. Source: https://suppressedhistories.net/

Nonetheless the relationship these women had to the bees goes far beyond their consumption of this honey: they served the bees, and devoted their whole lives to the preservation and sharing of their wisdom and teachings. In fact the Path of Pollen, which is a very old Shamanic tradition of working with honeybees that is still orally taught today can trace its origins back to these women. 

Lemon Balm gained its name Melissa officinalis from these Melissae. In Greek Melissa translates to bee. How did this plant come to be associated with the bees and eventually the Melissae? Well, honeybees have long been drawn to this plant not only through pollination and the collection of nectar, but the scent itself draws the bees in. An old beekeeping custom involves rubbing the leaves of fresh Lemon Balm on hives to attract and also keep a swarm of bees from absconding or leaving. 

The reason why the bees are so attracted to the scent of Lemon Balm still remains a mystery. However, some research reveals that the pheremones’ produced by honeybees contain the aromatic compounds citral and geraniol which are both found within Lemon Balm. In fact the honeybees who primarily communicate through various pheromones actually secrete these two compounds while establishing a new home. It’s sweet to think that in the joy of finding a new home the hive gives off this joyous scent. So many threads to weave in the relationship between honeybees and Melissa....

Alchemy

The love and adoration for this plant continues throughout history. In the Alchemical tradition Lemon Balm was prized for its healing properties. Paracelsus, the most renowned physician and alchemist of the early 16th century, believed that this plant could “revitalize every part of the body,” and it was one of his most revered medicines. Paracelsus says of Lemon Balm:

“There are some substances in which this quintessence is contained in greater quantities than others, and from which it may more easily be extracted. Such substances are especially the herb called Melissa, and the human blood.” ~ The Life and Doctrine of Paracelsus, Franz Hartmann (1891)

In the Alchemical tradition the quintessence was known as the fifth essence and was also referred to as aether, this fifth element unlike the other elements was immutable and could not be altered or changed. It has long been associated with the heavenly realms as well as the stars and planets. Paracelsus did not consider Lemon Balm to be ruled by any one planet and instead believed it to be supra-celestial and therefore transcending the influences of all individual planets. 

Through the weaving of myth, alchemy, history, & tradition I can’t help but feel that what honeybees represent within the animal kingdom, Lemon Balm represents within the plant kingdom. Many ancient peoples believed the bees to be descended directly from the heavens, and through the lens of Alchemy we can see that Lemon Balm too has a strong connection to the heavenly realms. Both embody light, joy, beauty, aroma, and the quintessence of life. 

Medicinal Uses & Pharmacology

The aromatic quality of Lemon Balm sheds light on much of its medicine. Nonetheless the aromatics of this plant are difficult to work with and capture in the medicine making process. The plant loses a lot of its aromatics in the process of drying and the distillation process is a delicate one.  That being said I think the Alchemical Tradition and particularly that of Spagyrics which is essentially “plant alchemy,” provides a wealth of insight and information into how to prepare medicine from this plant. 

From a phytochemical perspective Lemon Balm is a complex plant, being a host to many compounds which have been shown to have beneficial effects upon the body. These include rosmarinic acid, various flavonoids, and a complex mixture of volatile oils that make up the beautiful aromatics of this plant. Many of the compounds within Lemon Balm have been shown to be strongly antiviral, and it has long been used by herbalists in the treatment of viral infections with great success. 

Through these lenses from the past we see that Lemon Balm is truly a powerful plant, and yet its physical medicine is so gentle. Lemon Balm is a fairly safe herb with little to no side effects or contraindications. Within the body Lemon Balm has an affinity for the nervous system as well as the digestive system. It is especially indicated for people who experience anxiety, restlessness, heart palpitations, digestive upset due to nervousness, and irritability. Due to its uplifting quality Lemon Balm also has an affinity for states of depression and despair and has been shown to be a powerful ally in such states. 

This plant instills joy and light into our hearts reminding us of the wonder and beauty of life. It is a strongly uplifting medicine, I often say that just as the bees do to the land, Melissa does to our souls….

My favorite way to work with this plant is to first grow it. Lemon Balm is in our famous Lamiacace family or mint family, as such it is a widely available and an easy plant to grow and propagate in the garden, just like its mint companions it spreads far and wide and will certainly take up space within the garden should you allow it. It is also a hardy perennial meaning that it will come back each year to grace your garden with its beauty. It will surely draw the bees to your garden as well which is a blessing in and of itself. 

Harvesting its fresh leaves to be made into sun teas and herbal infusions is one of my most favorite and simple ways to intake its medicine. As expressed earlier much of the aromatics of the plant are lost in the drying process so working with fresh is preferred, nonetheless I still dry this herb to store in my apothecary for tea blends and more. 

Oh sweet Melissa you imbue me with joy

And expand my being into the far reaches of the heavens

To be greeted by the tears of the sun

And the wisdom hidden within beauty…