It was early March, late enough in the night that my mom’s living room was completely dark save the streetlights that glowed beyond the still frosty windows of a winter that seemed would never end. I was alone, save my mom’s dog I was watching for the week. It had been my nightly ritual since returning from Peru and the Ayahuasca retreat a month previous, to sit and meditate and heal all that the plant medicine had revealed to me. It was a warm ritual I had come to crave and find comfort in.
My intention in going to Peru for the plant medicine ceremonies had largely revolved around finding self-love and self-worth. The ceremonies themselves had not spoken to those themes directly. Rather, I was finding that the “integration” process so emphasized by the facilitators was where the real magic happened. I have always been a good listener, which I attribute to my Gemini placements in the 9th house. I’m not just talking about listening to other people, though I am good at that. I’m talking about listening to the nuanced whispers of the Universe, to the quiet sound of the soul and to all those nearly silent nudges we get from life that are mercifully encouraging us towards the path of our greatest evolutionary potential. As I sat in front of my mom’s electric fireplace that evening in March, that is what I was listening for.
I worked with the plant Mugwort that night. I took a few drops of a tincture I’d made from the abundant Artemisia Vulgaris in my friend’s garden the previous summer and sat down to connect with her. I often refer to plants as she though that’s not necessarily correct. Are plants gendered? However, when the spirit of Mugwort comes to me, it is very much a feminine archetype. In fact Mugwort is named after the goddess Artemis, mother of the moon.
Mugwort has been a plant ally of mine since the genesis of my journey on the plant path. The very first time I made herbal medicines was with my friend- the yogi and botanist I’ve mentioned in previous posts- in October 2019. That October night my friend gifted me a Mugwort tincture and told me it supported vivid dreaming, dream remembrance, ancestral connection and vision work. Later that week I took a “What Plant Spirit is Your Ally” quiz and got Mugwort. In the description it said that if you are gifted Mugwort this signals your initiation onto the plant path. Shivers ran through my whole body when I read that. I felt a deep soul call that I didn’t quite understand but I knew something important had happened. Two months later I put down a deposit for an herbal medicine apprenticeship and have since completed two eight-month herbal programs. And I now work for said herbal medicine teacher, taking care of her three incredible, wild and fiercely loving children. The plants had a plan for me I could never have dreamed of. All I had to do was lean in and follow the breadcrumbs of intuition.
Back to that frosty March evening in my mom’s living room in front of the fire. I called out to Mugwort. I reach out mentally and energetically for the plant spirit I wish to connect with. The plants also like songs, especially if you are just beginning your work with plant medicine and spirits, I have found that the plants respond fondly to offerings of song and music. Any song will do so long as it has resonance for you and is uttered from your lips. I think I sang to Mugwort that night, though I can’t recall all the details. I do remember that her response was immediate. Her spirit was strong. Potent. A heady energy swept through the room. She is ancient; that was clear. Her wisdom and medicine rich and deep. Power and grace breezed through the room and chills ran through my body as I opened to her presence. When meeting such a strong spirit, I feel intimidated, almost unworthy to be in their presence. When I feel this, I offer my heart and intention with humility, gratitude and reverence. I bowed at her feet, acknowledging that I am a gracious student, open to learn and receive whatever medicine and wisdom this being has to offer me.
Deep in my mediation, I asked Mugwort to show me the part of myself that loved me. Up until this point, I felt like the “part of me” that had been guiding my life was a part that didn’t love me fully, didn’t believe in me fully. And I couldn’t have that energy driving my life any longer. I needed to connect with the part of myself that had been exiled. Since returning from Peru, my meditations had been and continue to be incredibly visual. Mugwort took me into a room in a ship (the ship of my life/myself). The room was made of polished oak. A desk stood in the center, littered with paper and writing tools. Asleep on a padded bench near the back was a beautiful woman in a blue gown. I knew it was me. And the room with all its writing tools radiated such a resonance of truth- the truth of my own being, my soul. Mugwort told me I needed to wake the woman in the blue robe up. She was the part of me who loved and believed in me the most. A jolt of despair broke through me as I realized that the part of me who loved me was asleep and ignored.
When she woke, she told me that she’d been trapped in this room for a long time. I felt small and awed by her strength and beauty. Immediately, I knew she needed to be the one in charge. I told her that I would let her out of this room she’d been locked in for so long. I opened the door and we walked to the deck of the ship. A chill night and open air met us. The freshness of the sea swept through her dark hair, and she stood tall with open arms to embrace the freedom of finally being released from her exile at the bottom of the ship. I asked her what she needed from me. I said I wanted her to steer the ship of my life. She told me she would do this, but that I had to completely surrender all my power to her. That I was no longer allowed to wallow in self-pity and victimhood- and that if I did return such to mentalities she would go back down to her basement room and not return. I told her I would. She nodded and she took the steering wheel.
This is only one of many powerful meditations I’ve had with Mugwort. I take Mugwort elixir nearly daily, just a small dropper full, usually before bed, but sometimes as I feel called to take it during the day. The physical constituents of Mugwort are cooling, bitter and aromatic. It is safe to consume daily as a bitter tonic to support digestion. In addition, Mugwort has many magical properties and according to a reference in “Earthwise Herbal Vol. 1” by Matthew Wood, is “Called the oldest of plants, (yldost wyrta).”
I continue to have profound healing experiences with this plant and when I ask her how to repay her for all her support and wisdom, her answer continues to be: share my medicine with the world. And so, I offer you this personal medicine story of how Mugwort, Artemisia Vulgaris, helped me reclaim the part of myself who loves and believes in me.
I make and sell Mugwort tincture and elixir in 1 and 2oz bottles. If you are interested in purchasing Mugwort medicine from me, send me a message here. 1oz bottles are $15, 2oz bottles are $25 and shipping cost varies.