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Mugwort Helps with Remembering Dreams
FeralKevin published a great post on how he uses mugwort to enhance and remember his dreams. I have also had good results with this mild herb that is a close relative of wormwood and has a long history of medicinal use.
In the West, mugwort was historically associated with the Greek goddess Artemis and the moon, perhaps because it stimulates blood circulation and was used chiefly to aid painful and irregular menstration.
Of course, Artemis is one of the Greek Gods who was known to send divine dreams. In other words, mugwort, dreams and the Moon are all bundled together in an aromatic and cosmic smudgestick.
I recommend picking fresh mugwort consciously and ritualistically and placing it close to the bed, or even under your pillow before bed. Also try burning some mugwort as incense (and even smoking it - very pleasant), which can make bedtime into a ritual that will support more dream remembrance.
Topics: ancestral studies |
April 21st, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Hi Ryan,
If you’re up for it, would you share some details about the results you’ve experienced with mugwort and how the dreams experienced on those nights compared to your usual dreams? I tend to avoid using supplements, herbs, pharmaceutical drugs, or natural psychotropics for dreaming (just a personal choice) but I’m still interested in learning about their effects on dreams, and I’m particularly interested in the herbs that can be traced back to their use in ancient Greece and Rome.
~Kris
April 21st, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Hi Kris! I used mugwort during my last lucid dream incubations. I generally kept the fresh-picked herb on my nightstand for a three month period during which I ritualistically prepared myself for lucid dreaming. Also, the nights that I smoked mugwort turned out to have a higher occurance of lucid dreaming, but I don’t have any statistical evidence for this.
Because mugwort is so mild, its effect may be psychosomatic, ie the power of suggestion. For my purposes, that’s fine because my aim was to have more lucid dreams, period!
In my view, any ritual practice is a good way to increase dream recall and lucidity because ritual is an ancient way of channeling intentionality. Our soma gets it; it’s neurotheology in action. Not the placebo effect, the intentionality effect.
April 28th, 2008 at 1:15 am
Very nice,
I have smoked mugwort, burned it as an incense and drank mugwort/mint tea before going to bed. The tea is an aquired taste. I love the smell and truly feel this plant is an ally. It does increase my dream recall. I also think Artemis is a beautiful Goddess. I even thought that before I learned that she sends divine dreams (which I just learned now)
April 28th, 2008 at 10:55 am
I haven’t tried it as a tea, sounds bitter! (on a related note: Calea zacatechichi is the most bitter tea I’ve ever made, I’ve not acquired the taste for it yet).
I have brewed several beers with mugwort (using fresh mugwort leaves and flowers instead of hops) and it made a delicious brew. Great as a stout. Any dream effects? Not that I could discern, but remember alcohol can have a dampening effect on dreaming.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
That is a good idea. I am interested in brewing some mead. A mugwort mead sounds good. I am working on some dandelion champagne right now.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Hey thanks for this little bit on mugwort! It’s been on my to-do list of herbs to research and possibly try out.