Mugwort

Artemisia vulgaris/ Artemisia douglasiana

Also called: Felon Herb, Common Wormwood, St. John's Plant, Cingulum Sancti Johannis, Artemisa, Carline Thistle, Chiu Ts'Ao, Common Mugwort, Douglas Mugwort, Sailor’s Tobacco, Muggins, Muggert Kail, Fat Hen, Smotherwood, Gallwood, Docko, Artemis Herb, Naughty Man

Habitat: Mugwort prefers dry sunny growing conditions with slightly alkaline, well-drained loamy soil. It is a perennial shrubby plant that grows 1 to 6 feet tall, depending upon conditions. It is equally at home on the side of the road or in the garden. Mugwort is a common herb found naturalized throughout most of Europe, Asia, and North America.

Mugwort has angular stems, which are often purple in color. The leaves are smooth and dark green above and covered with a silvery cottony down beneath. They are alternate, pinnately lobed, and segmented. The small greenish yellow flowers are on panicled spikes with a cottony appearance. Blooming is from July to October. Mugwort is closely related to Common Wormwood (Absinthe). The leaves and stems are gathered when in bloom and dried for later use.

Young Mugwort leaves are edible and are boiled as a pot herb or used in salad. They aid in digestion but have a bitter taste which may not appeal to many people.

History and Folklore: The name for the genus Artemisia is from the Goddess Artemis. In medieval times Christians believed that John the Baptist wore Mugwort as a belt during his time in the desert. This story supported the belief that Mugwort offered protection from evil spirits, sunstroke, fatigue, and wild beasts. In the Middle Ages a crown made from its branches was worn on St. John's Eve to protect against possession by evil spirits. Pagan practitioners today use Mugwort at the same time of year when they celebrate Summer Solstice. At this time any remaining dried Mugwort should be burned on the Midsummer fire both as a protective act, and to reverently dispose of remaining stores, making room for the new harvest.

Modern science has indeed proven that certain constituents of Mugwort do in fact exhibit a protective effect against certain microorganisms. Perhaps because of this property, Mugwort has been traditionally used as a seasoning for wild game. The leaves have an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Staphococcus aureus, Bacillus typhi, B. dysenteriae, streptococci, E. coli, B. subtilis, and pseudomonas.

Mugwort was also used in making beer in medieval times. It is still occasionally used today by home brewers. It replaces hops in the beer formulas. The name of the herb itself is derived from the old Anglo Saxon words “Mug” which means glass, and “Wort” which means plant. You can learn more about herbal brewing in Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation by Stephen Harrod Buhner (Siris Books; ISBN: 0937381667, 1998).

Mugwort is the herb used in the acupuncture technique of moxibustion. Small cones of smoldering Mugwort are placed on the body’s trigger points, thereby redirecting and balancing chi to promote healing. Burning Mugwort at the feet of a pregnant woman whose baby is in a breech position is one method that can be used to cause the fetus to move into a head down position. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study in 1998, showing that 75% of pregnant women in the study had breech fetuses that turned in the normal position when moxibustion techniques were applied. Moxibustion also increases fetal movements in pregnant women. This technique is also used to treat inflammation in the body. A moxa stick would be burned over the elbow area to treat the tendonitis called “tennis elbow” for instance. It is also a highly successful treatment for menstrual cramps, where the stick is waved over the abdominal area. The cramps usually disappear immediately.

Smudging with Mugwort bundles is a common New Age practice which not only clears and protects, but heightens attunement to psychic forces.

Magickally and spiritually, Mugwort is often said to promote prophetic dreams. It definitely intensifies the dreaming process, but how it effects people is highly individual. If you don't dream, Mugwort will help you to dream, but you may not recall your dreams. If you are able to dream but don't remember your dreams, Mugwort helps you to remember. If you remember your dreams, Mugwort may help you to have conscious dreams (where you are know you are dreaming and are in full control of the dream situation). If you are consciously dreaming already, Mugwort can increase the frequency and control.

Conversely, Mugwort can cause nightmares and restless dreams leading to lack of sleep or poor quality of sleep. In order to mitigate the potential for nightmares you may wish to combine Mugwort with a protective herb. When using Mugwort as a dream herb, you may use a dream pillow, a dream bowl, dream potpourri, dream balm, or simply hang some dried herb at the head of the bed. Flower essence ingested or placed in a dream bowl works well also.

Mugwort can also be part of a magickal smoking blend or a tea to enhance psychic work and psychic dreaming. Divination tools such as magick mirrors, crystals and orbs are often washed in Mugwort infusion to enhance their efficacy. Magickal practitioners sometimes take a twice daily dose of the herb, usually as a tea, to enhance their psychic abilities.

Dr. Richard Alan Miller, in his books, Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs, and Magical and Ritual Use of Aphrodisiacs, notes that when Mugwort is tinctured it produces mild feelings of euphoria and may act as a slight aphrodisiac.

Native Americans used Mugwort as a Witchcraft medicine, rubbing the leaves on their bodies to keep ghosts away or wearing a necklace fashioned from beads made with Mugwort to prevent dreaming of those in the spirit world.

Medicinal Uses and Constituents: Mugwort is recognized as having the following antibacterial, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, cholagogue, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, haemostatic, nervine, purgative, stimulant, stomachic, and tonic.

Mugwort is used in all conditions dealing with nervousness, shaking, and insomnia. It can be taken internally for this purpose, but Mugwort baths are also a nice alternative which will also soothe aches and pains.

It is used to help induce menstruation, especially when combined with cramp bark. It should not be used internally by pregnant women as it may induce uterine contractions. It is, however, used by some as a form of birth control when combined with other herbs (Cotton Root Bark, Pennyroyal, Blue or Black Cohosh) and administered as a tea, 3 cups a day for 6 days. Herbal abortions are not recommended, but this method can be successfully used in the very early days of a suspected pregnancy, around the time when menses would normally occur. You might like to look at a very interesting website on the topic of herbal birth control and abortion: http://www.orgonelab.org/contracep.htm

It is often used to stimulate the liver and as a digestive aid. An infusion of the leaves and flowering tops is used to increase stomach acid and bile production, ease gas and bloating, improve digestion and the absorption of nutrients.

Fresh juice from the plant is used to treat poison ivy. Mugwort infusion can be used as a gargle for sore throat, a wash for sores and a poultice for infections and tumors.

It is often used like its relative Wormwood to expel intestinal worms and parasites. A weak tea made from the infused plant is a good all-purpose insecticide. The fresh or the dried plant repels insects and is often included in sachets to repel moths.

Flower Essence: Mugwort flower essence helps us to use knowledge gained in the dream state in our conscious waking life. It grounds those who live too much in the ether of their dreams, who may be flighty, hysterical, or psychically too open, while still allowing them access to dreamtime information. It helps make the transition from day to night and night to day levels of consciousness easier.

It will help people enter the alpha state much more easily and in this way enhance not only meditation and dreaming, but telepathy as well.

The qualities of this flower essence are lunar and receptive, like those associated with the left side of our brains. Physical healing from any damage to the left side of the brain will be helped with Mugwort flower essence. It helps retrain these areas of the brain. It will help any creative visualization work, especially when used as a modality of healing. Gurudas says that Mugwort flower essence will even raise our IQ! Note that the clusters of flowers (picture on right) somewhat resemble the clusters of neurons in the brain (picture on left).

This essence helps us to balance our upper three chakras with our lower three chakras, bringing all chakras and subtle bodies into alignment. Individuals who are out of balance, out of sync with the world, and feel frustrated, as if everything is working against them, can find relief from Mugwort.

One interesting tidbit from Gurudas (Flower Essences and Vibrational Healing, Cassandra Press, 1983) is that the flower essence of Mugwort can be used in helping male fertility problems. When used in conjunction with the telepathic and creative visualization properties of the essence, a couple could successfully conceive twins or triplets. Once pregnancy has been achieved, Mugwort flower essence is used to induce labor in a birth which is overdue.

Animals: Nervous tics and twitches, whether occurring in animals or people, will be helped with this flower essence. It seems especially helpful for people and animals who are experiencing this problem due to old age.

Plants: Mugwort flower essence should be given to plants which have stems or branches which are growing in irregular and undesirable patterns. It helps the plant to adjust this from the inside out, and a more appropriate pattern of growth is established.

Astrology: Mugwort is ruled by the planet Venus and the element of Earth. It also has associations with the Moon and Water. Positive aspects to Mercury are enhanced. The use of the essence is strengthened when Mercury is in Gemini.