Mugwort

Western Bulk Herbs – Mugwort

Mugwort tea is used for intestinal parasites, flatulence and bloating. It has antifungal and antibacterial properties. This herb is good for whenever you need a digestive stimulant. The bitter juices and carminative oils make for a strong digestive aid. It can also help with depression and easing tension and easing menstrual flow.

This herb is known to help induce dreaming and increase the intensity of dreams. Coupled with a sedative herb like valerian or hops, it can make a great blend for a nighttime formula.

Latin Name:
Artemisia vulgaris

Common Names:
Sailor’s Tobacco, Felon herb, Common Wormwood, Common Mugwort, Douglas Mugwort, St. John’s Plant, Cronewort

Parts Used:
Dried flowers.

Properties:
Bitter tonic, stimulant, nervine tonic digestive, and women’s health issues.

Traditional Uses:
Used as a tea, in capsules or extracts.

Topical Uses / Applications:
N/A

Culinary Uses:
Not used in cooking.

Folk Lore:
Mugwort is a common plant in the British Isles, derived from Artemisia, the Greek goddess of the hunt, fertility, and the forests and hills. 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, and 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. Other magical attributes include the protection for road weary travelers, and general protection against the evils of the spirit realms. Sprinkle a little mugwort on your pillow for lucid dreaming. Grieve’s Modern Herbal

Chemical Properties:
Essential oil containing 1,8-cineole, camphor, linalool, or thujone, along with over 100 other identified components. The flowers also contain beta-sitosterol, coumarins, and alpha- and beta-carotene.

Cautions:
Do not use this herb if you are pregnant or if allergic hypersensitivity exists.

*Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Resources:
PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2000. Medical Economics Company, Montvale, New Jersey.

The New Holistic Herbal. David Hoffmann, 1990. Barnes and Noble Books, New York.

A Modern Herbal, Mrs. M. Grieve, (Dover Publications, New York, 1971)

Major Herbs of Ayurvedic.Compiled by Dahur Research Foundation and Dahur Ayurvet Limited, Ghaziabad, India., 2002. Churchill Livingstone, London, England.

Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition, Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble, 1986. Eastland Press, Seattle, WA.