My discovery of the plant mugwort is a unique one and brought on by a recent event on June 25th, cohosting a plant distillation event with Jade Shutes, the founder of The School of Aromatic Studies. Distillation is the alchemical process of converting plant material into essential and/or hydrosol to be used for therapeutic, medicinal, psychospiritual purpose and to ultimately balance the health of the mind, body, and spirit.
Mugwort that grows in the catskill mountains of upstate New York, is Artemisia vulgaris and is the species that grows quite rampant and even invasively in this area. It belongs to the Asteraceae or daisy family, a soft leafy texture with feathery pinnate leaves, vibrant green in color on the top side and soft a silver iridescent hue on the underside, considered to be reflective of the light of the moon according to lore and mythology.
Artemisia has a long history of medicinal use, and according to Nicholas Culpepper, a renouned 16th century physician, herbalist, and astrologer it is associated with the planet Venus, Goddess of love, childbirth and fertility. Therapeutically, it is beneficial for supporting women's reproductive health, as an emanangogue. It is used in traditional chinese medicine to move stagnation and stimulate qi energy in the body and effective as a diuretic and digestive stimulant. It may also facilitate psychic activation and support the cultivation of vivid dreams.
From the distillation, the hydrosol (aromatic waters) of mugwort offers an olfactory profile of sweet, herbaceous, melon, and warm honey tones. It creates an instant mood shift upon breathing in its aroma, and an overall sense of relaxation and calm throughout the mind and body. Activating the dream space, a friend reported upon using mugwort, she experienced vivid dreams of traveling to her native country and visiting relatives she is not able to see in physical reality.
Since my personal experience with mugwort, I am more attuned to the greater wisdom called upon by the plant kingdom, a beckoning to connect and share to the inherent intelligence that may be the ultimate key to unlocking true happiness and health.
To purchase mugwort hydrosol from the distillation of June 2022, https://rootandresin.com/products/mugwort-hydrosol