Mugwort: your Solstice herb for Dreaming

🎶 Dream a little dream … 🎶

Mugwort is one of my favourite herbs for smoke medicine (aka saining, aka smudging), and when dried is wonderful for connecting with dreams and for visioning. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) is in the aster / daily family Asteraceae .

And there are many ways to use this herb for dreaming and visioning, other than burning it, such as:

You can take it as a tincture:

You can make your own, or purchase a tincture from a reputable herbal apothecary. Many recommend (depending on the strength), 5-30 drops under the tongue or in water up to three times per day. 

You could sip it as a tea:

• add one ounce by weight (about 28 grams) to four cups of boiling water. Step for  5-10 minutes, then strain and sip. You could also add a preferred sweetener. 
• for a single cup, add 7 grams (roughly a tbsp) to one cup of boiled water and follow the directions above.

You could place under a pillow or carry it with you  

• place a pinch of the herb into a folded piece of cloth or into a tiny bag, and put it under your pillow as you sleep  
• you could also tuck it into a pocket or other article of clothing for wearing throughout the day

With Solstice arriving tonight in Celtic traditions, December 20th at sunset, consider working with mugwort tonight and/or anytime until sunset tomorrow, December 21st.

Of course, you don’t have to wait for Solstice . . . you can use Mugwort any time of the year!

Blessed Solstice Visioning!

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Cautions and Contra-indications

As always, research any herb before using it to ensure there are no contraindications for you.

Mugwort is also a powerful healing herb, and it is often used to alleviate amenorrhea (irregular or absent periods). Why? Because of the presence of artemisinin. Per Very Well Health, ”A chemical called artemisinin is found in the root, stem, leaves, and blossoms of the mugwort plant. When eaten, artemisinin is said to cause gentle contractions of the uterus, which promote regular periods. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it’s sometimes used to induce labor.” For this reason, mugwort is not recommended for pregnant women.

In addition, because mugwort is ”related to ragweed, people who are allergic to ragweed may be allergic to mugwort, as well.”