It can! Some people (like me) have great luck with it. Others, well, not so much.
If you grind it up, you can burn it in a fireproof container as incense. Youâd need quite a bit of it and it flares up pretty quick in my experience. You can also smoke it (no, seriously, google âmugwort smokingâ if thatâs your thing).
I personally use it in a tea alongside cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey. (Large amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, and some forms of honey can be used as trance inducers as well.) Herbal teas usually brew for four minutes or so. A single teacup does it for me, but Iâm a lightweight when it comes to trance drugs.
Some folks experience something similar to a hangover after using mugwort (or any trance inducing herb, actually).
Mugwortâs mild and is still used herbally to treat a whole host of afflictions and is used in food, especially in East Asia.
Mugwort makes me fall asleep, which from what I understand isnât a normal reaction. (Actually, thereâs some folklore that states that chewing it relieves fatigue and clears the mind but I canât remember where I heard that right now but others say itâs calming. YMMV). Even if you do fall asleep, I wouldnât worry about it. Mugwort can induce lucid dreaming. Iâd recommend making sure youâre in a place where if you do fall asleep you wonât smack your head on a table or the floor.
Mugwortâs an allergen. It may also be topically allergenic.
Donât use mugwort if youâre pregnant or lactating. Seriously, donât. Mugwort was once and still is used for abortion.
Itâs not recommended to use mugwort for longer than a week. One or twice a week is just fine. I actually switch up what I use if and when I use them.
The best tip most of all is to start small (a pinch or so) and work your way up. It wonât be immediate results but youâll have a more controlled environment.
A recommendation in general for all followers and readers is that you write down what youâre taking, the mixture, dosage youâre taking, the time youâre taking it with, and leave a little bit of the mixture aside. Maybe a little explanation of what and why youâre taking it might be a good idea too but in general, writing down what youâre taking can save your life if something goes wrong or you have an allergic reaction.
I keep records for what I my reactions to each sampling, similar to how a scientist would record their experiments. You may wish to do that too.
Feel free to ask questions. Iâll help in any way I can.