Mugwort

What this is

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). The grey-green wayside herb sacred to Artemis, hailed in the Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm as eldest of herbs, oldest of plants. Travellers tucked it in the shoe and seers burned it to open the inner eye; the premier herb of the dream and the scrying-glass.

What it governs

Mugwort answers to Moon and the element of Air, with a second hand from Venus. Its seat in the zodiac is Cancer, and its day is Monday, when its virtue runs fullest. It strengthens with full moon and the waxing moon. In the old practice its office is plain: Under the pillow for prophetic dreams. Artemis's herb; the supreme dream-gate.

Its properties

In the Galenic reckoning mugwort is warm and dry, and that temperament is the whole key to its work. The part you take is the aerial. Its working colour follows Moon, silver and pale blue; its metal is silver, its stones are moonstone, pearl, its number 9, and on the Tree of Life it threads up to Yesod. It is a herb of scent, working through the nose as much as the hand, it carries well on the body, kept in a pocket or a small sachet and it is gentle, safe to use as the practice describes.

Where else it appears

One thinning of the veil in many places: the Greek artemisia is the moon-goddess's own plant; the Saxon charm crowns mugwort eldest of all; the Chinese burn ai in moxibustion to move the body's hidden currents. Temple, hut and clinic reach for the same grey herb to thin the membrane between the seen and the unseen.

Where you meet it on the Oracle

In the Green Kingdom you meet Mugwort on Today's Herb, Scent of the Hour, Angelic Herb, Moon's Companion, Today's Gathering, and Herb of the Hour. When it surfaces it counsels you toward its office: Under the pillow for prophetic dreams. Artemis's herb; the supreme dream-gate. As the Scent of the Hour its message arrives through the nose, so let its smoke or its smell set the temper of the hour. As the Angelic Herb it stands under Gabriel; read its rising as that intelligence laying a hand on your day, with the Moon's tides, dream and instinct. As the Moon's Companion it walks with the night, marking a dream, a tide of feeling, or a thing best done by moonlight. As Today's Gathering it marks a plant to take up now, while full and waxing moon and the day are with it.

Why it matters

Mugwort opens the inner eye. Its bent is to thin the veil so that dream and scry run true, and intuition becomes the surest guide you have. It asks you to write the dream down before it fades, and to keep one foot on the waking ground.

Correspondences

planet

Moon

element

Air

zodiac

Cancer

number

9

sephirah

Yesod

day

Monday

colour

silver, pale blue

metal

silver

stone

moonstone, pearl

tarot

The High Priestess