Mugwort is most commonly used to treat disorders of the digestive tract & aid in all digestive functions & is said to have properties that are antifungal, antibacterial, expectorative & antiasthmatic.
It’s considered a good herb for gastric disorder, stomach pain & bowel complaints.
It’s used for travel sickness & stomach acidity.
Mugwort is used to treat stomach & intestinal problems such as colic, gas & diarrhea.Mugwort promotes the appetite & proper digestion by its beneficial effect on bile production & it acts as a mild purgative.
Mugwort is effective in treating a wide range of parasitic infections, such as tapeworm, roundworm & threadworm.
Also considered effective against parasites like ringworms that infect the skin.
Traditionally, this herb is used to stimulate irregular or suppressed menstruation.
Mugwort is also used to stimulate women's menstrual cycles.
Because of the potential risks, pregnant & breast-feeding women are advised to avoid the herb.
An uterine stimulant, it helps in labor & delivery, plus helps expel the after-birth.
Useful for young women just starting menses.
Believed to increase fertility.
Use in combination with ginger in a tea to soothe difficult menstruation.
It's also used to ease headaches, nosebleeds, chills & fever, nerve problems & insomnia.
Mugwort stimulates the spinal cord & relieves congestion in the brain, a good brain tonic. Experimentally, it lowers blood sugar.
An excellent nervine. Used for insomnia & nervousness.
Additionally, mugwort is used as a folk & herbal remedy for various ailments including colds, epilepsy, colic, fevers, asthma, bronchitis, sciatica & kidney problems & it can lower blood sugar levels.
Mugwort has also been used as an herbal remedy for nervousness, exhaustion, gout, bruises, chilblains & depression, especially when it’s associated with loss of appetite.
This herb is said to have mild narcotic & sedative properties, which explain its use to promote sleep in cases of insomnia.
Because of its diuretic properties it is thought to have medicinal benefits for the liver, spleen & kidney.
This herb has mild purgative abilities & can be used as a remedy for constipation.
Mugwort is a topical anesthetic with antibacterial & antifungal properties.
A decoction is sometimes used to relieve pain, treat vaginal yeast infections & regulate menstruation.
It has also been used as a bath additive for gout, induces sweating, bronchitis, colds, colic, epilepsy, infertility, preventive for miscarriage, convulsions, hysteria, depression, mental exhaustion, insomnia, wounds, sores, boils, bruises, felons, kidney ailments, sciatica, rheumatism, stress & tired legs.
The fresh juice is helpful in relieving the itching of poison oak or poison ivy irritation, fungal infections, snakebite, insect bites, parasites & worms.
Used in treatment of liver disorders & as a digestive aid.
Drink infusion before &/or after eating to promote digestion.
An infusion of fresh leaves can be used for chronic stomach complaints & to stimulate the appetite.
Fresh, crushed mugwort leaves applied to the skin relieves burning, itching & pain & with continued application, can help get rid of warts.
It is said that chewing fresh mugwort leaves will help relieve fatigue & clear the mind.
A decoction of the roots was used also for this purpose.
It is used in traditional Chinese & Japanese medicine to make Moxas to cure rheumatism & to correct fetal position prior to delivery.
The fluff is carefully removed & rolled into a cylinder which is heated & placed near pressure points to relieve pain. This method is called moxibustion.
PRECAUTIONS:
Mugwort should never be used internally during pregnancy or lactation or by anyone who has pelvic inflammatory issues as it can cause uterine contractions & can be passed through the mother's milk.
Mugwort should not be used for more than one week continuously. Continued, habitual use of mugwort can cause nervous problems, liver damage & convulsions.
Mugwort flower pollen can trigger hay fever attacks in sensitive people.
Some people have topical allergies to mugwort.
Test some on your skin before using.
RECIPES:
The leaves & the flower tops are collected & dried just before the plant blooms. Later in the autumn, the roots can be harvested & dried whole.
Mugwort has a slightly bitter taste.
It is used to season fish & meat, especially game & is a traditional seasoning for Christmas Goose in Germany.
It is also used to flavor rice cakes in Asia.
Before hops, mugwort was used to flavor beer. For this purpose, the plant should be gathered while in flower & dried before use.
Mugwort is used as a flavoring in Chinese, Korean & Japanese dishes.
In Japan, it's used in desserts & in several types of rice cakes & in Korean cooking it's an ingredient in pancakes, soups & salads.
Mugwort can be taken in teas, or tinctures. Often mixed with lemon balm or other sweeter herbs.
Infusion: steep 1 tbsp dried herb in 1/2 cup water 5-10 minutes.
Do not make steep for too long or it will become intolerably bitter.
Take during the day, a mouthful at a time.
Tea: Drink 2 cups of mugwort tea using fresh leaves infused for 5 -10 minutes in boiling water daily for 6 days.
Powder: take 1/2 tsp powdered rootstock with water, 2 times a day.
Decoction: Mugwort can be used to make a warming tea for menstrual pain: 5 g mugwort can be combined with an equal amount of dry ginger to make the tea.
Tincture:
Cover 100 g of fresh herb with 500 ml vodka, gin or brandy.
Cover & keep in a dark place, shaking several times per day for 2 weeks.
Mugwort can be used for effectively treating menstrual pain, prolonged bleeding, scanty menses & other related disorders. The herb can be used as a stimulant for treating liver stagnation & slow digestion. In childbirth it can be used for prolonged labor & for the treatment of retained placenta.
Do not continue to take for more than 1 week.
Break for several weeks before taking mugwort again as regular use of mugwort can cause nervous issues.
Mix with other herbs to create dream & sleep pillows for the invocation of dreams.
Combine mugwort with nettle & chickweed.
Tightly pack a jar full of plant material & fill the jar to the top with raw, organic apple cider vinegar. Make sure to line the top with wax paper or plastic wrap to prevent rust if your jar has a metal lid.
The plants usually will absorb enough liquid overnight to end up uncovered so top off the liquid level as needed.
Let it brew out of direct sunlight for 6 weeks.
Strain.
BEAUTY:
Mix the dry herb with honey & apply to bruises to fade them.
In its early flowering stage mugwort can be harvested for smudge sticks & dream pillows.
Local mugwort is the best choice for centering, clearing & grounding because it incorporates the resident spirit of our home soil & speaks to our roots.
Mugwort is mostly famous for being considered a “dream” herb, enhancing remembrance of dreams, both during sleep & in trances & precognitive dreaming or dreaming of future events.
If you are not pregnant, a cup of mugwort tea before bedtime will also encourage lucid dreaming.
Sleeping on a pillow filled with mugwort would cause a person to see his entire future in his dreams.
Make your dream pillow with a lot of mugwort & use it consciously; with intention about what you want to find in your dream.
And don't do it every night.
Mugwort promotes dreaming, but prevents deep, restorative, rejuvenating sleep. Too many nights in a row sleeping with mugwort pillow leaves you feeling more or less like you hadn't slept at all.
The mugwort leaves may be smoked or drink as a tea for a dreamy, relaxed effect.
Mugwort can be used as a sacred smoking or smudging herb for protection or divination.
It is safe to smoke by itself, mixed with tobacco, or other smokeables in a ritual context & is said to enhance astral projection, lucid dreaming & other altered states of consciousness.
Burn mugwort in an incense burner as you use divination tools to help open your mind to any messages coming in; or consider using it to make a smudge stick.
Used for smudging & incense in the same manner as the other Artemisia & Salvias.
Burn near your bed before sleep for protection & dream enhancement.
A good herb for clearing negativity from the home.
Mugwort is almost always included in the nine sacred herbs of the summer solstice & plays an important role in as an incense for the blessing of shamans before entering the flight of the soul.
Roman soldiers were known to put mugwort in their sandals to keep their feet from getting tired. Native Americans equate mugwort with witchcraft. They believed that the rubbing of the leaves on the body are said to keep ghosts away & a necklace of mugwort leaves is said to help protect against dreaming about the dead.
It has been believed that John the Baptist wore a girdle of mugwort in the wilderness for protection.
In Wales, mugwort was tied to the left thigh of a woman having a difficult labor. But it was believed that if the mugwort was not immediately removed after the birth, she might hemorrhage.
In ancient China & Japan, mugwort was hung in open doorways to exorcise the spirits of disease. The ancient Europeans did the same to ward off evil spirits. These two separated cultures also believed that the supernatural powers of mugwort were revealed by mermaids who came from the sea to present the herb for the good of humankind.
This plant was used frequently as a charm & held in superstitious veneration by the Chinese people. At the time of the Dragon Festival, which is the 5th day of the 5th moon, the mugwort is hung up to ward off noxious influences.
The Chinese maintain that mugwort is often helpful in relieving the conditions of sleepwalking.
In the Middle Ages mugwort was considered a magical protective herb. It was very strong against witches & a branch of it kept in the house would scare off the Devil.
The plants are gathered on St John's Eve, made into a crown & worn to protect from possession, disease & general misfortune.
A garland or girdle of mugwort can be worn while dancing around the midsummer balefire & thrown into the fire at the end of the night to ensure protection throughout the year.
Store dry herb with your scrying tools as well as any tools you use for dreaming or journey work, such as drums, beater sticks & rattles.
Oil from dried leaves or infusion made from fresh mugwort can be used to anoint these objects also.
Use herbal tea made of mugwort to cleanse ritual tools, especially those used for divination.
Mugwort stems also make very nice wands, though they aren't very sturdy.
Make swags or wreaths from dry or fresh branches to place over your doors for protection against negative energies & also to ward off negative entities.
Hanging mugwort above the door was a protection against lightning; best of all, putting it under the doorstep ensured that no annoying person would come to your door.
Mugwort is also used in protective sachets, especially those created in relation to travel. It is said to prevent delays & other annoyances associated with traveling, as well as to protect the traveler from accidents, thieves & other dangers associated with traveling & general protection against the evils of the spirit realms.
If a foot traveler put mugwort in his shoes, he would not become weary on his journey.
If put into barrels or hogsheads of beer, mugwort will preserve the brew from souring.
In former years, mugwort was put in baths & thought to have great effect in relieving fatigue.
Toss into a burning fireplace or wood stove & it will protect you from lightening.
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