Artemisia vulgaris, L. ~ mugwort
Updated: Feb 2, 2022

Since Rocio Alarcon reminded me at the Plant Consciousness Conference to find my own power plants and to understand their wisdom. To plant the courageous and powerful Artemisia's close to my door I was struck by their power and the sheer intensity of having Artemisia Vulgaris L. (common mugwort) share my garden.
With Pollington's book on early english charms, plantlore and healing entitled Leechcraft (first print 2000). I love to read to myself the translation of The Lacnunga Manuscript and imagine a crackling fire, dancing, merriment and riotous chaos. From The Nine Herbs Charm we get a taste of the huge reverence this herb inspired.
"Remember, mugwort, what you revealed
what you set out in mighty revelation
'Una' your called, oldest of plants
you have might against three and against thirty
you have might against poison and against infection
you have might against evil that travels around the land".
People knew the personality of the herb. What a time to live, when so many people around you 'knew' herbs through sheer necessity and survival. Whole festivals inaugurated the treasured power of a single plant e.g Verbena officinalis, vervain. People travelled far and wide to celebrate one herb together.
Today the herbalist may use Artemisia vulgaris as a stimulating herb shifting a hard/cold/stuck constitution, to ease stiffness and rigidity within physical symptoms and personality. In menopausal symptoms it is useful to calm frayed nerves, as an analgesic and as a circulatory stimulant to the reproductive system, easing menstrual congestion. As a useful warming bitter digestive. In the past it was commonly used magically to enhance lucid dreaming and dream recovery efforts, as talismans to hold it in your hand or under your pillow. From the Old English Herbarium 'it drives off demonic possession, and in the house it forbids evil leechdoms and it averts the eye of evil men'. For more information on Artemisia vulgaris enjoy the paper, Ekiert et al, (2020).......On Thursday we make our own smudge sticks and dream pillows with mugwort and lavender.
My friend, an acupuncturist uses mugwort and calls her 'moxa' she delicately places a little fluffy ball of Mugwort balancing on top of the needles. It smokes slowly, the warming scent fills my heart and warms my bones delighting my senses. Artemisia still seems a very illusive plant, magical, austere and a warming bitter (very useful for some) potent and extremely powerful. Not to be used in pregnancy. I look forward to my many years getting to know this beautiful plant. For she must be great, she is the mother of all plants. I love her so much, I have her as my Logo.
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