Mugwort Smudge Sticks are used to cleanse the air and encourage pleasant dreams.
Mugwort is a common edible and medicinal wild herb that you can find growing along just about any roadside. It’s popular with herbalists, who make it into all manner of teas and tinctures.
Herbal smudge sticks, however, are less common than they once were, and it’s a shame.
This tutorial will teach you all about the medicinal properties of mugwort and how to use it to create a simple, easy-to-make herbal smudge stick of your own!
Reprinted with permission from The Backyard Herbal Apothecary by Devon Young. Page Street Publishing Co. 2019. Photo credit: Devon Young.
At the risk of sounding like I am banging the hippie-woo-woo drum, mugwort called to me a few years back. My husband, kids and I were hiking through the dense woods to our favorite swimming and fishing area along the river. Still in the dappled shade of the cottonwoods, along the edge of the wood, my eye spied the characteristic tridented leaf of Artemisia vulgaris with the silvery underside in a thicket of blackberries, nettle and other much more abundant plant matter.
This habitat is marginal for mugwort at best, and the fact that there were only a few puny, spindly stocks was proof of that fact. I resolved to leave the stand-alone, as I could not ethically harvest from such a tiny patch. A little disheartened, I carried on toward the river. And to a rolling sea of coastal mugwort, A. douglasiana, along the riverbanks. If you show your restraint and appreciation to the plant world, she often will reward you handsomely.
Among its many virtues, mugwort is perhaps known for one curious feature—its ability to promote vivid, if not lucid, dreams. Perhaps owing to the constituent thujone—which is present in much larger amounts in the notorious, possibly psychedelic, absinthe—mugwort has long been fingered as an herbal tool to encourage visions. Mugwort is sometimes referred to as the “traveler’s herb,” which may be referencing the more metaphorical meaning of the word “traveler” as much as it refers to alleviating traveling complaints such as fatigue and upset stomach.
While there are some reports of mugwort inducing nightmares, that is merely anecdotal, and ethnobotanically speaking, many Native American cultures used mugwort as protection against spirits. While there is no scientific evidence to support the association between mugwort and lucid/vivid dreams, moderate use of the herb tends to increase dream recall in its users.
MUGWORT COMMON NAMES: artemis herb, felon herb, Saint John’s girdle (not to be confused with Hypericum perforatum), witches herb, sailor’s tobacco
LATIN NAME: Artemisia vulgaris, A. douglasiana, A. ludoviciana
HERBAL ENERGETICS: warm/cool/dry
THERAPEUTIC ACTIONS: anthelmintic, antispasmodic, astringent, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, nervine, oneirogen (dream enhancer), sedative, tonic, uterine stimulant
PARTS USED: leaves, flowering tops
As a uterine stimulant, mugwort has a long tradition as a women’s herb. Mugwort facilitates blood flow to the pelvic region, eliminating the feeling of fullness and bringing on delayed menses. It is thought to relieve monthly menstrual cramps and soothe labor pains. Although there are some older sources suggesting mugwort in the case of threatened miscarriage, I think that this is a case in which modern wisdom should prevail and mugwort should be avoided during pregnancy. Do not use during labor unless under the guidance and care of an experienced midwife trained in herbs.
Mugwort is also considered an excellent digestive aid. It can stimulate the flow of digestive juices and reduce bloating and after-meal nausea. With a flavor like sage, it can be used culinarily as well as medicinally. In fact, mugwort has been used as a bittering agent for beer making for many centuries. Additionally, this botanical has anthelmintic action, helping to rid the digestive tract of internal parasites.
Best Mugwort Preparations
Mugwort can be tinctured from fresh or dried plant material. Teas and infusions can be prepared from the dry herb; it is suggested to keep your infusing vessel covered to preserve mugwort’s volatile oils. Mugwort can also be used as a tobacco substitute in smoking blends or crafted into incense or smudge sticks.
Mugwort is an intense culinary herb with a flavor similar to sage. It is particularly excellent when used to flavor fattier birds such as goose and duck, and it pairs with sweeter vegetables such as winter squash, sweet potatoes and parsnips.
Mugwort Herbal Substitutes: Sage (Salvia officinalis): digestive, diaphoretic | kava kava (Piper methysticum): dreamwork
SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS: If you are pregnant, nursing or taking prescription medication, please consult your physician before taking this or any other herb.
LOOK-ALIKES: Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
How to Identify and Grow Mugwort
Sow seeds directly into damp peat moss in fall or cold stratify for 2 to 4 weeks for early spring germination. Plant in full sun in well-drained soils with ample water supply. Mugwort will tolerate some drought, but it thrives with decent moisture.
The various species of mugwort are fairly easy to locate in the wild landscape and tend to flourish given the right conditions, making it an easy botanical to forage. It is also a very attractive plant (particularly A. ludoviciana), with its green and silver foliage making a beautiful foil for more colorful plants.
Mugwort is ideally harvested at or near the time of flowering to maximize its volatile oil content.
TYPE OF PLANT: Perennial
HABITAT: Mugwort prefers full sun to light shade in deep, evenly moist soils. This botanical is often found by streams, rivers and gravel bars.
HEIGHT: 3–6′ (1–2 m) depending on species
LEAF: Varies somewhat between species. Leaves are arranged alternately and get smaller and narrower as they rise up the stem. Leaves resemble a trident (some species being more finely cut, and each lobe is irregularly toothed). The upper side of the leaves is green and hairless, while the underside is downy and quite silver-gray by comparison. Very strong sage-like aroma.
STEM: Strong stems that are hairless until the flowering tops
FLOWER: Nondescript panicles of yellowish-green to rust-colored flowers at the top of stems; characteristic sage fragrance
LEAF AND FLOWERING TOP HARVEST WINDOW: Mid-summer
Mugwort & Lavender Smudge Sticks for Pleasant Dreams
Smudging, the burning of tightly bound bundles of dried herbs, is observed in a number of different cultures and traditions throughout the world. Mugwort and lavender are both highly aromatic and produce a smoke with a relaxing aroma. Burned before bedtime, this smudge will promote a restful, dream-filled sleep.
These instructions make for a small- to medium-sized stick. You can add more herbal sprigs for a fuller stick, if you prefer.
Herbal Mugwort Smudges
Mugwort herbal smudge sticks are used to cleanse the air and encourage pleasant dreams
Materials
- 5 sprigs of fresh mugwort
- 1 sprig of fresh lavender
- Cotton thread
Instructions
- Gather the fresh herbs into tight bundles about 6-inches (15-cm) long and no bigger than 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Using a crisscross pattern, secure the bundle with thread down the length of the herbs. Tie off tightly. To dry, either place the bundles in a dehydrator or hang to dry thoroughly. Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark place. Use within 1 year.
- To use, using a lighter or a wooden match, light one end of the smudge and allow a strong flame to develop. This may take a few seconds or upwards of a minute depending on the compactness and residual moisture content of your smudge stick. Once the flame is hot and well established, gently blow out the flame and place the smudge in or on a heatproof vessel to smolder and release its aromatic smoke.
- Not recommended for use with children.
Notes
NOTE: Burn the smudge stick on a heatproof surface, such as a ceramic plate or bowl. For safety reasons, do not leave the smudge to burn unattended or fall asleep when burning a smudge.
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