Mugwort: The Magical & Mundane.

Mugwort – the Magical and Mundane

Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris) is an ancient herb of great renown and repute. With a history as long as witchcraft itself, mugwort has myriad magical uses that transcend our individual pagan denominations. Mugwort is therefore an essential for every witch’s kitchen - be you a kitchen witch, hedgewitch, shaman, eclectic witch or beyond!   

Historically, it was one of the Saxons’ nine sacred herbs, favoured by them for physical and magical use as “the eldest of worts” (wort meaning herb). In Medieval England, a bunch hung inside your front door would protect your house - not only from any lurking evil, but also from lightning strikes, which is arguably a good two-for-one deal. Pliny the Elder maintained that a traveller wearing a talisman or amulet of mugwort would be “protected from flying beasts”. Whilst this claim was roundly refuted by the later ‘rational herbalism’ movement, Pliny actually had the right idea – we know now that mugwort contains many bitter compounds, making it repellent to insects. Marry this with mugwort being an astral traveller of the liminal superhighways, and you have a sensible approach to protection for the modern witch, from subway travel to psychic travel – particularly in 2020, when we appear to need all the protection we can get on every plane!

The plant’s Latin name, Artemesia vulgaris, leads us to think that this herb is named for the moon Goddess and huntress Artemis – but in fact mugwort was named after an ancient Greek queen who was a renowned healer. However, many people do work with mugwort in association with Artemis. Indeed, mugwort can be classed as an herb of the moon, as indicated by her silver leaves and frothy silver flowers. The oldest of all plants, mugwort holds the duality of light and darkness just like the moon, helping us to feel complete in eery phase.

But for me personally, mugwort will always be Hekate’s herb. Hekate, Queen of the Witches, guards, lights and guides the way through boundaries and liminal spaces – be they physical, such as crossroads, gates and doorways, or psychic, such as transitional times in life (adolescence, childbirth, menopause). Mugwort is ideal for working with Hekate, dealing as it does with the liminal realms – in between waking and sleeping, dreaming and astral travelling, becoming and being, mugwort can hold us.  

The second part of the Latin binomial ‘vulgaris’ means ‘of the people…abundant’. It is so-called because mugwort is a frequently found wayside herb, easily available to all people wishing to work with her. Mugwort can also be seen as an herb of Venus and the element earth, with deeply feminine energy, and is seen as being hot and dry energetically (according to the ancient herbalist Culpeper & modern herbal witches).

Being of the liminal realms, mugwort is perfect for bedtime, and has a deep affinity for insomnia and nightmares – for relief of these issues, cleanse the bedroom with mugwort smoke sticks (with the window open). These can be made by taking a bunch of fresh mugwort, twisting it over onto itself to form a stubby stick, and tying round with string.

If it is safe for you (all herbs have contraindications), you could make a tea of mugwort and also add some to a warm bath whilst drinking the brew. The tea and bath help physically by working on the pineal gland (Freud’s ‘seat of the soul’), releasing melatonin for sleep. Mugwort is an important herbs for astral projection and dreamwork, helping us to shift easier, travel further, and to see more clearly whilst there. Mugwort is ideal for magic involving manifesting, law of attraction and dreaming. The experience of drinking and breathing in mugwort is instantly dreamy and soothing, akin to being wrapped in a warm fluffy blanket. It makes one feel safe to dissolve boundaries for a while – to allow the illusion of linear time to dissolve, as past, present, and future weave together. In this state, intuitive insights come readily.

Psychologically, mugwort is ideal for personal growth and development - particularly shadow work, letting go of past trauma and creating a cleansing space to integrate these experiences and move forward.

On the physical plane, mugwort is a bitter, digestive tonic, a strongly anti-infective blood cleansing herb which is used to fire up the system in a natural, deep way – putting some fire in your belly. Or more specifically, in your liver! In herbalism, the liver is a vitally important organ in the human body - congestion here can show up as sluggishness, depression, hormonal issues, weight gain, skin and digestive problems. Magically, liver congestion can show up as delays or confusion in your manifesting spell-work. Mugwort clears obstruction on both the physical & magical planes– it ‘opens the road’, and clears the way for other herbs to heal and impart their wisdom. With patients, I sometimes use drop doses as a starter herb – to open the gateway, to light and guide the way to healing (thank you Hekate). 

Mugwort assists with all manner of gynaecological issues, from delayed, scanty or heavy periods, right through to childbirth and postpartum care. As a doula herbalist, I am never without mugwort when I visit birthing and new mothers (note: mugwort is avoided during pregnancy itself due to its anti-infective and expulsive actions on the womb). Mugwort is therefore associated with both the womb and the brow chakras. It allows people, particularly women, to step into their own power. It is my talisman herb of 2020, where I have done much shadow work and reclaimed and healed many shadow parts of myself.  It is an affirming and stabilising herb, which unlocks ambition within and allows the leader to step into her own power. A true goddess herb!

Best harvested on or just before full moon in summer when the silvery soft flowers are fully out, mugwort is readily found in country lanes and waysides. If you are foraging yourself, make sure to use an ID book and preferably take someone who can positively identify it, and never take more than you need. If Mugwort is not locally or seasonally available to you, her tea, tincture, ointment, oil and smoke cleansing sticks can be purchased online, including from myself directly in various forms in my Etsy store (subject to seasonal availability). I am deeply entwined with nature and I grow, harvest and wildcraft my herbs with the deepest respect, according to the right rhythms of the moon.

I have listed here some ideas for working with mugwort, but please be guided by your intuition and your own path in witchcraft. Mugwort is a shapeshifter – she will adapt to and solidify your intention. As with all magic – know yourself, trust yourself.

-        A dried bundle next to bed or under pillow for sleep and dreamwork.

-        Smoke stick burning – repels insects, cleanses the physical and psychic air of the house, can scry in the smoke.

-        For cleansing and consecrating – as a smoke, or submerge the item(s) in loose herb or the herbal tea.

-        Daub yourself with mugwort essential oil or a modern Flying Ointment (recipe given in another post) - anoint yourself at the chakras before magical workings.

-        Carry mugwort in a spellbag for manifestation work and protection – perhaps fashion an amulet.

Blessed be on your journey with mugwort.

Charlotte