Mugwort/Artemisia vulgaris
Also known as : Altamisa, Armoise, Armoise Citronnelle, Armoise Commune, Armoise Vulgaire, Artémise, Artemisia, Artemisia Vulgaris, Artemisiae Vulgaris Herba, Artemisiae Vulgaris Radix, Carline Thistle, Felon Herb, Gemeiner Beifuss, Herbe aux Cent Goûts, Herbe de Feu, Herbe de la Saint-Jean, Herbe Royale, Hierba de San Juan, Nagadamni, Remise, Sailor’s Tobacco, St. John’s Plant, Tabac de Saint-Pierre, Wild Wormwood.
Parts used: Leaves and roots
Mugwort has been used throughout the world since Ancient times. It was considered one of the nine sacred plants given to the world by the god Woden. When Saint John the Baptist took off into the wilderness, he did so reportedly wearing a girdle of mugwort. The Romans planted mugwort at the edges of roads because they believed that putting it into your shoe would protect against exhaustion. Before the use of hops, mugwort was used in flavoring beer. Some Native American tribes used mugwort as a smudge to clear sacred spaces.
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Herb History:
Herbalists have prescribed mugwort to treat many different conditions over the years. The Chinese have also used dried mugwort leaves (and sometimes leaves of other Artemisia species), or moxa, in moxibustion for centuries. In the middle ages in England, mugwort was sometimes worn on St. John’s Eve and was thought to protect the wearer from evil possession. .
One of the more interesting traditional uses of mugwort is that of a dream herb. It is often used as one of the main ingredients in sleep pillows, and it said to bring the dreamer more lucid dreams. Young women were told to sew mugwort into a small piece of cloth and place it under their pillows to induce vivid dreams. In the 1830s, Portuguese sailors introduced mugwort to France, where it became popular as a treatment for blindness and other illnesses. Mugwort has also been used as a tea, a beer flavoring, and occasionally as a spice for meats.
Benefits/Treats:
Abscesses, anti-spasmodic, arthritis, bowel pain, bruising (removes blackness), carbuncles, childbirth and afterbirth, colds, fever, flu, depression, diabetes, diarrhea, digestive stimulant, epilepsy, excessive menstrual bleeding, food poisoning, gout, hysteria, insomnia, kidney stones, gravel, jaundice, liver tonic, menstrual cramps, menstrual obstruction , mild narcotic, mushroom poisoning, nervousness, nervous shaking, regulates hormones (adrenal and pituitary), soothes nerves, stomach pains and disorders, stress, tropical ulcers (poultice), uterus, worms, (also for worming animals, with herbs/ eaten fresh or dried), white tail spider bite.
People take mugwort root as a “tonic” and to boost energy.
People take the rest of the plant for stomach and intestinal conditions including colic, diarrhea, constipation, cramps, weak digestion, worm infestations, and persistent vomiting. Mugwort is also used to stimulate gastric juice and bile secretion. It is also used as a liver tonic, to promote circulation, and as a sedative. Other uses include treatment of hysteria, epilepsy, and convulsions in children.
Women take mugwort for irregular periods and other menstrual problems.
Constituents/Properties:
Constituents: volatile oil, bitter principle (absinthin), flavonoids, tannin, beta-sitosterol, coumarins, and alpha- and beta-carotene.
Properties: * Abortifacient * Aromatic * Diaphoretic/sudorific * Diuretic * Emmenagogue * Nervine
Ways to prepare:
Mugwort can be taken in teas, or tinctures. Often mixed with lemon balm or other sweeter herbs.
Combo’s / Recipes:
*Mugwort hot tea:
Heat water to a boil.
Use 1 or 1.5 heaped teaspoons of mugwort for each cup of water.
In a teapot or french press, pour the water over the tea.
Cover and leave to infuse for 8-10 minutes.
Strain out the mugwort and serve.
*Dream Sachet:
The herbs in this blend are traditionally associated with rest and dreaming. Combine them with calming oils and create a dream inspiring sachet to slip into your pillow at night.
1/4 cup mugwort herb
1/4 cup hop flowers
1/4 cup dried rose petals
1/4 cup lavender flowers
5 drops Chamomile essential oil
5 drops Lavender essential oil
Recipe Instructions: Fill a cotton drawstring bag with the mixture or fill a handkerchief and tie it up with ribbon. If you are handy with the sowing machine, sow together some small pillows. Use holiday fabrics to customize great gifts.
*Fragrant Smudge Stick:
Burning herbs is a sacred practice used for prayer and purification that is respected in most American Indian traditions.
Mugwort, bergamot, mints, yarrow, bearberry and tobacco (not from cigarettes!!), make all be used to good purpose. Experiment with different aromatic herbs to find the combination that speaks to your spirit.
2 fresh stalks mugwort
2 fresh stalks yarrow
2 fresh stalks bergamot
Cautions: Do not burn smudges in enclosed areas, or around babies or those with respiratory problems.
Recipe Instructions: Smoke/Smudge :
Gather several fresh stalks of your favorite herbs with leaves and blossoms intact. Lay a sheet of newspaper open. Hold the herb stalks tightly in one hand, and bend them gently over onto themselves to form a 7 to 8 inch long wand. Roll up your herb wand tightly in the newspaper, working from an angle, and secure with string or rubber bands. Let the bundle dry thoroughly out of direct sun for at least several days. You can periodically unwrap and check the progress, securing the bundle more snugly each time. Humid weather will delay the drying process.
When the herbs are dry, unwrap the bundle and discard the newspaper. Tie the herbs with fine cotton string or cord. Ignite one end to burn. You can perch the bundled herbs upright in a coffee can filled with an inch or two of sand, or use as a ceremonial smudge.
Precautions:
Mugwort contains a naturally occurring chemical called thujone which can be toxic at high doses. Don’t be too alarmed; thujone is also present in the commonly consumed herb sage (sage essential oil is approximately 1/4 thujone). There’s no indication the thujone content of mugwort is radically higher than that, so it seems mugwort is no more dangerous than sage when taken at a normal dose.Caution should be observed when consuming large amounts of mugwort tea or drinking it over a prolonged period.
In nature, mugwort pollen is one of the most common triggers of hay fever (allergic rhinitis). Anyone who suffers from hay fever or other plant allergies should exercise caution when coming into contact with mugwort.
This document does not contain all possible interactions.Pregnant or nursing women, consult with their doctor before taking this or any other herb.
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