Mugwort

MUGWORT | ARTEMISIA

Mugwort is a scrappy, silvery-green wild herb that’s been called witch’s herb, dream sage, and the mother of all plants. Mugwort isn’t flashy, but it’s mystical, medicinal, and one of the oldest healing plants on the planet. This isn’t your average field weed- it’s ancestral medicine, moon-aligned, and spiritually charged from root to flower.

Mugwort’s roots go deep into pre-Christian Europe, where it was used in Celtic, Norse, Greek, and Slavic traditions. The Romans planted it along roadsides to protect and energize weary travelers. Soldiers tucked it into their sandals to ward off fatigue and evil spirits. In the Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm, mugwort is named first- revered as a protector and purifier, associated with healing, strength, and the warding off of poisons, pain, and plague.

In ancient China and Japan, mugwort (known as Ai Ye) was, and still is, a cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Used in moxibustion, dried mugwort is burned near acupuncture points to stimulate qi, warm meridians, and dispel cold and dampness. In these traditions, it’s been used to treat menstrual irregularities, breech pregnancies, digestive weakness, and joint pain for thousands of years.

Meanwhile, in Korean medicine, mugwort is used in v-steams (yoni steams), soups, and tonics to nourish blood, support fertility, and balance hormones. Across cultures, mugwort is often associated with womb wisdom, the moon cycle, and the threshold between the conscious and unconscious.

In Europe, mugwort was the herb of midsummer, hung in doorways or worn in garlands to ward off spirits, banish bad dreams, and protect against witchcraft and misfortune. Burned as smudge or incense, mugwort was used to cleanse sacred spaces, enhance psychic vision, and guide dreamers into deeper, more symbolic dream states. Herbalists, midwives, and mystics alike carried it as a protective talisman and tool of divination.

During the Middle Ages, mugwort was a fixture in monasteries and apothecaries. It was used to treat everything from worms to epilepsy, and its bitter qualities made it a valuable digestive tonic, especially when taken before meals. It also found its way into beer-making… Before hops, mugwort was one of the original bittering herbs used in gruit ales to lend flavor, preservation, and a hint of wild magic.

Modern herbalists still turn to mugwort for its nervine, digestive, emmenagogue, and dream-enhancing properties. It’s used to stimulate the uterus, ease menstrual cramps, promote vivid dreams, and clear stuck emotional energy. The volatile oils and bitter principles work both physically and energetically to awaken what’s dormant, release what’s blocked, and open doors between realms.

Energetically, mugwort is a gatekeeper. She says, If you’re ready to walk between worlds, I’ll walk with you. If you’re stuck, I’ll nudge you forward. If you’re heavy, I’ll help you let go. It’s no accident that mugwort grows where humans need her most - along roadsides, behind fences, outside doorways - always nearby, waiting.

Medicinal Uses for Mugwort

• Regulates Menstruation & Eases Menstrual Pain
  Mugwort is a traditional emmenagogue, meaning it stimulates menstruation and helps bring on delayed or absent periods. It's used to ease cramps, PMS symptoms, and support uterine flow—especially in cases of stagnation or coldness.

• Calms the Nervous System
  Mugwort acts as a gentle nervine and mild sedative, helping with anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, and overactive thoughts. Often used in teas or dream pillows to promote restful, vivid sleep.

• Stimulates Digestion
  Traditionally used as a bitter tonic, mugwort helps increase bile production, ease indigestion, relieve bloating, and stimulate appetite—especially when digestion is slow or sluggish.

• Supports Liver Function and Detox
  Acts as a liver stimulant and mild detoxifier, helping clear internal heat, excess hormones, and metabolic waste through enhanced liver and digestive activity.

• Antimicrobial and Antifungal
  Contains volatile oils with natural antimicrobial activity, making it useful for treating intestinal parasites, candida overgrowth, and minor skin infections when used topically.

• Relieves Pain and Muscle Tension
  Used both internally and externally to ebld, stiff areas.

• Enhances Dreams and Intuition
  Used spiritually to induce vivid dreams, enhance dream recall, and deepen intuitive and subconscious insight. Often burned as a smudge or placed under the pillow.

• Balances Mood and Emotion
  Helps regulate mood swings, emotional stagnation, and feelings of being stuck—especially useful for creative or emotional blockages.

• Menopausal Support
  Traditionally used to ease the transition through menopause, relieving symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and irritability.