As a plant medicine teacher, I like to introduce my herb students to unique or unpopular herbs by assigning them as research project topics. Each semester some lucky researcher is assigned Mugwort, a rather curious plant which I often refer to as the "Harry Potter" herb. As far as I know, it's not actually mentioned anywhere in the land of Hogwarts, but it might as well be. This is an herb with a rich folk history that compliments its rather whimsical name.
I'm currently in the middle of a formal plant medicine class taught by plant spirit healer Emma Fitchett, and working intimately with this plant is part of the course of study. It seems fitting then to focus on Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris) by honoring her as this month's highlighted plant.
As a medicinal herb, Mugwort has its place as a bitter, digestive aid, and like its cousin Wormwood, some anti-parasitic properties. It also has a mild sedative action and is used in the Traditional Chinese Medicine practice of moxibustion to move energy through the acupuncture points. However, Mugwort's reputation as a protective plant, and its ability to encourage lucid dreaming gives it a mystical quality. For this reason the dried version of this herb, along with Lavender buds is often included in dream pillows.
As Adriana Ayeles tells us in the oracle deck's guidebook, Artemesia is named for the Greek goddess Artemis. She is often presented in artifacts as a somewhat fierce archer, poised with her bow about to shoot an arrow, a lady who likely has an impeccable aim and one that you don't want to mess with!
Artemis is also considered the Moon goddess, and this month's new moon just happens to be in the sign of Cancer which just happens to be ruled by the moon! I have to marvel at such serendipity.
Since the moon is connected to our emotions, intuition and hidden things, Ayeles also pictures the owl. Owl wisdom, she says"asks you to use the powers of keen psychic sight to observe and intuit aspects of your life that may still lay in darkness."
This is a reference to what is called shadow work: encountering the darker side of oneself, and I'm told that Mugwort (again like it's cousin Wormwood) is a plant known to offer gentle encouragement and guidance during such a process. Considering this, my initial "conversation" with the spirit of this herb turned out to be a little surprising.
Experiencing the unexpected is one way to support the idea that plant spirit revelations are not just coming from the imagination but are visions and messages from some other realm. When I journeyed to the meet the mother spirit of Artemesia I was nonplussed to find myself in a radiant, sunny environment when I was anticipating one that was dim and shaded.
It seems that the spirit of Artemesia was suggesting that I needed to surround myself with more brightness before venturing into the shadows. I'm still puzzling a bit over this, but anticipate it will be clearer in time as I become more acquainted with her.
This involves engaging with the plant internally and externally in different forms. I've mixed dried Mugwort into my smudging materials and take several drops of its plant essence daily. I also ordered two live young Mugworts from a nursery in Oregon, and it's taken a little time for them to become acclimated to the warmer, drier Arizona summer temps. I make it a practice to place to keep one nearby as I write.
It's recommended that Artemisia be placed near entrances as a form of protection. So here's a picture of the one that I keep just outside my front door, adorned with a little moon bling and a message that encourages us to explore other dimensions where we can help transform our dreams into the best possible reality.
For anyone interested in exploring this herb in greater detail, you can find lots of information on growing and using it here:
As always, thanks for letting me share my thoughts and journey with you. I welcome your input, so if you want to submit a comment, scroll down to the bottom of this post. If you are interested in booking a personal session, you can do this here:
You can also contact me via email at: my.plant.allies@gmail.com
For now, here's wishing you wellness, wisdom and bloomin' vibes!
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