#mugwort

[ramlightly]

I miss your gremlin mugwort

I do to! He's a very fun little imp.

[lavendermoonlove]

Mugwort - Plant profile #2

Helloo lovely readers! Today I am continuing my plant profile series. This is a series where I share my research and UPG regarding a plant, or discover a whole new plant. One of the things that I want to incorporate into my practice, is taking a lunar cycle to form a bond with a new plant ally and work closely with it. This means that on or around the new moon, I will pick an herb that I want to work closely with and research its history, folklore and traditional & modern practice. Then during the waxing moon, I will craft and meditate with the plant according to the moon phase. On the full moon, as my bond heightens, I will charge said herb under the moonlight or choose to incorporate it in a big ritual. As the moon wanes, I will craft workings with the herb according to the moon phase. During these moon phases, I will journal in detail how this herb makes me feel and what energies I pick up during these different lunar contexts. For the upcoming cycle, that herb is going to be mugwort. My initial research on the herb will be depicted here.

Names Latin: Artemisia vulgaris Folk names: Artemis herb, Artemisia, Felon herb, Muggons, Naughty Man, Old Man, Old Uncle Henry, Sailor’s Tobacco, St. John’s plant, mother of herbs (Mater Herbarum) Other names: Cronewort, Common wormwood

Plant profile Gender: Feminine Planet: Venus Element: Earth Deities: Artemis, Hekate Personal correspondences: Psychic abilities, dreams, astral projection and protection. Other correspondences: Strength, healing, divination

***Preface warnings*** Mugwort should absolutely not be ingested nor smelled in any shape, way or form by individuals who are pregnant. It can lead to miscarriages. Furthermore, people with diabetes should stay away from mugwort. Mugwort contains the neurotoxin compound thujone, which in high concentrations may lead to seizures and an abortive effect. Please be careful with how much mugwort you use and limit it to either a cup of tea OR as incense in a day, but not both.

Folk uses Stuffing a pillow with mugwort and sleeping upon it will produce prophetic dreams or aid with lucid dreams. Anointing divinatory tools with a mugwort infusion or oil can aid in divination. Placing mugwort in a bundle above the door will keep negative spirits from entering. This is because doors are liminal spaces that make it easier for spirits—whether benevolent or malefic—to enter. Mugwort can also protect its wearer when carried in a spell bag. Putting mugwort in shoes can help with strength and stamina during long walks or runs. A Roman invocation was used to say this when picking mugwort before sunrise: Tollam te artemisia, ne lassus sim in via. “I take of you, artemisia, lest I grow weary on the road.”

Apart from magical workings, the plant has also been associated with helping treat conditions in women like infertility, irregular menstruation and problems with pregnancy. This is where the name Artemisia might have derived from, as the Greek goddess Artemis was the goddess of childbirth.

Modern uses In modern times, mugwort is much beloved for divinatory purposes. Teas are made of mugwort and drunk during divinatory work or before astral projection & lucid dreaming. Mugwort incense is burned for the same purposes. This is because mugwort contains thujone, a psychoactive compound that produces an oneirogenic effect, or brings the consciousness to a dream like state. Often this is characterised by an immersive REM state, making it easier for us to access our subconscious mind and receive messages from spirits, deities or our subconscious mind. This is also why it aids in astral projection and lucid dreaming. Regular drinking of mugwort tea can therefore also help enhance and be more in tune with your intuition, to navigate daily life.

Folklore Mugwort holds a lot of folklore, dating back to ancient Greece. As it has a vast history and folklore, I will try to summarise the most important bits here.

Mugwort was first called Artemisia vulgaris, deriving its name from the goddess Artemis. The first association has already been deducted. However, mugwort has many more associations with Artemis. Despite it being ruled by venus, due to its psychic abilities, its long been associated with the moon too, which touches on the lunar aspect of Artemis. Its silver-green leaves further build upon this association, as Artemis is associated with both silver, as a moon goddess, and green, as the goddess of the wilderness. Hekate was regarded in ancient times as the khtonian Artemis, also being associated with childbirth and a protector of women, therefore mugwort is also associated with Hekate.

It was believed that mugwort would protect from malefic spirits on St. John’s eve, thus gaining it’s folk name as St. John’s plant. This was done by wearing a crown made by its sprays and wearing it on St. John’s eve. St. John’s eve, would be close and similar to Midsummer or Litha, making mugwort a perfect protective plant during this sabbat. During medieval times in the Netherlands and Germany, the believe was that if mugwort is gathered on St. John’s eve (and thus Litha) it would protect against diseases and misfortunes.  

Mugwort gains its title as mother of all herbs due to it being held sacred by various cultures and thought to be the oldest of plants. It’s particularly viewed as a plant that offered protection to humans. Before the discovery of hops, mugwort was used to give flavour to beers.

In the pagan Anglo-Saxan nine herbs charm—a charm to heal a wound of some kind—mugwort is one of the nine herbs invoked. The other herbs were chamomile, nettle, fennel, crab apple, plantain, watercress, chervil and cockspur grass or betony.

Harvesting yourself Mugwort is a weed that you can find in both the city and countryside. Therefore it’s really accessible to harvest yourself! Harvesting mugwort on the full moon or new moon for example, mainly due to its association with the moon, can be a potent tool and ally in your craft. Be sure to ask the plant for permission upon harvesting and give an offering in return. Especially if you plan on working with the plant spirit.

Personal uses Mugwort is a staple offering to Hekate and Artemis in my practice. I strongly associate it with them. With the upcoming Elaphebolia (6th of march), it’s a perfect offering for the goddess Artemis alongside for example a prayer. I also use mugwort infusion to anoint and bless my divination tools, mainly my scrying mirror and pendulum. When practicing with lucid dreaming or inner journey meditation, I drink an infusion containing mugwort alongside other herbs. I have yet to incorporate it in protection workings, but as I am entering this lunar cycle working closely with it, I am curious to experience its protective effects alongside its other uses. Who knows, maybe I will break a long-distance running record?

Thank you so much for reading this again longwinded post haha. If you have any questions or remarks please let me know!

Have a blessed day!

[mystic-silvermoon]

Full Moon Ritual Honoring The Universe

I wanted to use the full moon energy to sit with the universe and show my appreciation. Was it chilly outside? Yes, but I brought a blanket with me in our circle and some hibiscus tea ☕.

I have designated rocks that I borrow from the mini pond. I marked them with melted wax so I can feel them if it's not very bright outside.

Items used:

Crystals

Amethyst (psychic abilities and intuition) 💜

Clear Quartz (amplify energy and intention) 🤍

Moonstone (enhance connection to the moon) 🩷

Oils

Almond Oil (attract love) 🪔

Herbs 🌿

Rose Petals (love and safety) 🌹

Lavender (for love and protection) 🪻

Mugwort (for connecting with the lunar energy) 🌿

Acorns (for wisdom) 🌰

Candles

White (attract protection and the energy of the full moon) 🤍

Pink (attract love and friendship) 🩷

I used the crystals for psychic abilities and amplification of my connection to the moon. I anointed my hands and one of the candles of each color with almond oil from top to bottom to attract love. I combined the lavender, mugwort, rose petals, and crushed acorn caps, then burned them. The whole acorns and loose caps were also scattered around with some rose petals on the altar. I used white candles to attract protection and the energy of the full moon. I used pink candles to attract love and friendship.

I then listened to my music and sipped some tea. I placed the used tea leaves in a glass dish to share with the universe.

It was nice to just hangout with the moon and the universe. I told her how grateful I am that I am able to do things like this. That I know I am in a decent place right now and I appreciate all that I have. I let her know I will be strong no matter what comes my family's way.

[thelittlesupernova]

Mugwort Aesthetic 💚🌿

[ffoulkes]

thought I’d post the complete series 🌱

[niurd]

instagram.com/p/C5kmSqcIWa_/?igsh=MTh6YWNudDNkNXVsdQ==

[greenwitchcrafts]

Mugwort

Artemisia Vulgaris

Known as: Artemis herb, artemisia, artemisia herb, cingulum sancti johannis, felon herb, muggons, naughty man, old man, old uncle Henry, sailor's tobacco & St.John plant

Related plants: A member of the daisy family Asteraceae that consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within it such as chamomile, coneflowers, dahlia, daisy, dandelion, goldenrod, lettuce, marigold & sunflower

Parts used: Leaves & flowers

Habitat & cultivation: Common mugwort is native to Europe and Eastern Asia. Mugwort was brought into North America as early as the 1600’s for medicinal purposes. It spread throughout the Northeastern U.S. as a contaminant on ships and nurseries.

Plant type: Perennial

Region: 3-8

Harvest: The flowering tops of mugwort should be collected once they bloom or right before the blooms open. The leaves of mugwort plants should be collected before the plant flowers. Older leaves & flowers are significantly more bitter

Planting tips: Mugwort seeds can benefit from a special 1 to 2 week treatment called cold moist stratification prior to planting them & need cold weather to break down germination inhibitors. The seeds require light to germinate, so be careful not to cover them when planting. Mugwort does not like to be overwatered & is very drought tolerant. It is also an invasive weed & best kept in a container.

Medicinal information: Historically mugwort has been used in traditional systems of medicine in different parts of the world. Today, mugwort taken orally is promoted for digestive problems, irregular menstruation, and high blood pressure. It is also promoted as a sedative, laxative, anti-inflammatory & liver tonic. Mugwort lotion applied topically can aid in itching caused by hypertrophic scars & When being smoked, it exhibits mild intoxicating properties & strong relaxing properties.

Cautions: Mugwort should not be taken by pregnant people because it may start menstruation and cause the uterus to contract. Little is known about whether it’s safe to use mugwort while chestfeeding. Mugwort might cause an allergic reaction in people with pollen sensitivities

Magickal Properties

Gender: Feminine

Planet: Venus & Neptune

Element: Earth

Deities: Aida Wedo, Artemis, Diana, Isis, Lakshimi & St.John

Magickal uses:

•Place under your pillow to bringing peaceful sleep, prophetic dreams & aid in astral travel

• Add to incense for cleansing and clearing energy

• Place around scrying tools to increase their energy

• Add to herbal smoke blends to stimulate lucid dreaming, astral travel & visualization

• Make an infusion of mugwort to wash magic mirrors and crystal balls to aid in physic workings

• Burn with Sandalwood or wormwood for scrying rituals

• Carry in a satchets for protection and increasing lust, fertility & preventing back pain

• Throw mugwort in a fire during Midsummer for protection for the following year

• Keep under your doorstep to keep annoying visitors away

• Use in tea before bed to encourage lucid dreaming

• Hang mugwort over or on a door to keep unwelcome energies from passing through

• During a storm or when your life feels threatened by impending dangers, toss into your hearth fire or cauldron to keep you safe

•Wash your hands with a mugwort infusion to increase energy flow before tarot or pendulum readings

Sources:

Farmersalmanac.com

The Herbal Alchemist Handbook by Karen Harrison

The Book of Flower Spells by Cheralyn Darcey

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

The Encyclopedia of Natural Magic by John Michael Greer

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

Plant Witchery by Juliet Diaz

A Compendium of Herbal Magick by Paul Beyerl

Wikipedia

[dame-nostalgique]

Picking mugwort in the forest at sunrise, gonna have some really sweet dreams tonight 🌿

[summerglowinglight]

[theyoungwaldschrat]

[bunnisreality]

I bought some mugwort, excited to see if it helps me get into a meditative state easier or even helps me lucid dream..

[ramlightly]

Does Mugwort accept scritches?

Sure does!!

[tanuki-kimono]

Interesting article by Xavier from Archéo'Japon, overviewing the history and beliefs surrounding May 5th Kodomo no hi 子供の日 (children's day) / Tango no Sekku 端午の節句 (Japanese take on Duanwu festival) traditions.

Original article is in French but really worth a read through auto-translate if you wish to learn more about the origins of some of the Kodomo no hi rituals :)

[mystic-silvermoon]

Smoky Zen

I recorded the smoky whisps of rose buds, mugwort, lavender, and crushed acorn tops from my Full Moon ritual...

Hope you enjoy!

*there is audio

[may-be-a-plant]

Our back door coat rack gets used for plant drying when its warm. 😊

[morethansalad]

Baked Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts and Plant-Based Chicken (Vegan)