Artemisia p. 1 :: Nervine
[Photo cred:: Native Here Nursery:: Artemisia Douglasiana]
KEY:
Underlined green text = links
Pink = anagrams [orthographically, phonetically or syntactically]
Bold = emphasis for discussion
Italic = credit
Note: Please read the links as well
Artemisia is a rhizomatous weed belonging to the Asteraceae family (Daisy family). While there are several species of Artemisia, the one I will be highlighting is Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris). Most of my experience is with the wild American species Artemisia Douglasiana and Artemisia Suksdorfii. Mugwort thrives in disturbed soils, and does its deepest work in disturbed bodies. Its aggressive rhizomes can overwhelm and kill roots of surrounding plants. I describe the leaves as flame shaped, with a silver back. Its volatile oil content is why Mugwort has a lengthy list of uses throughout the world.
First, I want to give some backstory on the name of Artemisia. Artemisia stems from Greek goddess Artemis. Delve into the article Becoming Classical Artemis: A Glimpse at the Evolution of the Goddess as Traced in Ancient Arcadia as means to gain more understanding about Mugwort’s functionality both physically, and spiritually- thru the characteristics of Goddess Artemis.
Goddess Artemis’s original prehistoric form was that of an animal-shape. She “appeared as a goddess of wild beasts, especially those who live in remote places in wooded mountains,” and also went by the alias ‘Kallisto.’
Below are some notes to further illustrate Artemis’s origins
Kallisto ~ bear-nymph::
teen girls considered ~little bears::
Artemis Orthia ~ bear figurine//Orthia, meaning straight, upright, in proper order [[anagram Orthia::THOR::ROTH::AORTA]]
Artemis @ Kyrena ~ sacred law of pregnant women to offer sacrifice to the Bear before giving BEARth [[birth]]
Protectress of little girls and maidens until the age of marriage; responsible for safe delivery of children
Now, I’m taking you deeper into the bold words from above. To start, it seems in the article that the primary animal goddess Artemis took form in was a bear. This is important because I learned from an #Oracle that the midbrain, our forward most portion of the brain stem, likens itself into the shape of a bear...funny how that works. I consider this key to grasp how and *where* Mugwort behaves when administered to a person. Succinctly, the midbrain has many functions, and is a continuation of the olfactory cortex responsible for memory [[dream]] processing and smell. The midbrain is considered “archipallium” in origin- which is to say phylogenetically the eldest region of the brain’s cerebral cortex. In the same way, Mugwort is called “the oldest of plants” in Charm of the Nine Worts. Mugwort’s classification as a nervine is due to easing anxiety, nervousness, and primal fears held in the midbrain. The source of this stress may exist due to trauma, karma, *generational or otherwise.
To take things further into the nervine properties of Mugwort, lets step into its signature silver-flame leaves. The Force of the metal Silver is alkhemically attributed to the Moon; on the periodic table Silver is #47. Native silver is mostly found in earth’s crust, and alloyed::allied with gold, argentite, and chlorargyrite. Silver is rarely found standalone- it is usually coupled with metals such as Copper (Venus), Gold (Sun), Lead (Saturn), and Zinc. Therefore, I surmise that Mugwort pairs well with other plants that are ruled by Venus (Copper), Sun (Gold), and Saturn (Lead). A Mugwort person may also need to increase the Zinc in their diets in tandem with the herb. I recommend oysters and fish for ZInc, but I will discuss that in another article.
In alchemy, refined Oil of Silver “cleanses the receptor sites deep within the limbic system, lowers accumulated stress hormones long enough for the brain to generate new neural pathways that strengthen positive thinking” when ingested. Kymia Arts.
Mugwort’s “flame” shaped leaves makes known the ‘temperature’ and tastes of Mugwort. Warming, pungent, and bitter. This warmth, according to Sajah Popham, is a rare quality in a nervine plant, as most of them are cooling. In this way, Mugwort is not only associated with the Moon, but also fiery sister Venus. With the heat of Venus, it is no coincidence that Mugwort responds well when burned and smoked. It has been recorded several times as a smokeable herb, and even a Kanabyss replacement. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, practitioners use Mugwort in Moxibustion. The special preparation of a flammable Moxa releases fragrant, medicinal oils. According to TCM, this heat warms up various channels in the body and dispels cold, promotes blood circulation, strenghtens Qi, and more. I also say experiment with taking dried or fresh Mugwort in steam rooms and sauna.
Below is the mental/psychological picture of one who benefits from Mugwort.
Excerpt from Sajah Popham’s Mugwort Materia Medica:
- Dyslexic, difficulty recognizing words but has complex thoughts - Disorders of sleep and imagination - Body seems to be asleep, but mind is awake - When they sleep deep they have vivid dreams
.... - Lies awake in bed for long periods of time, thinking, imagining - Epileptic seizures, sensitivity to light, sleep disorders - Irritation of the nervous system
…
“… Dorothy Hall profiles the Mugwort person as being “highly intelligent with complex thoughts that are difficult to describe, speech disorders and dyslexia, highly elevated senses, sensitivity to light and sound, with great difficulty getting deep sleep. It is suited to people in whom the intuitive, psychic, psychological, creative, and artistic side of the mind is highly developed, but who have trouble with expression, or with the world around them.” These are all qualities that we would associate with an excess of vata, or wind/ tension, to connect this description to our energetic qualities above.
In addition to the higher mental qualities of Mugwort, I consider Her to be a Dream Modulator. She has the ability to lessen or increase frequency of dreams. As a dreamer myself, I noticed deeper sleep and reduced dreaming while taking mugwort. However, the dreams I *did* have- the messages provided me with clarity. In an individual who dreams infrequently, or desires to dream more, Mugwort opens them up to the dream world, and increases their dream intensity.
Dream Modulation Notes:
- Soothes the hyperactive & nightmarish dreamer trapped in the astral; allows them to get real rest
- Increases dream activation in those disconnected from the dream realm - Opens one to wisdom when dreaming - Allows for messages to really get the thru the mesencephalon (aka Midbrain) and heal
