Mugwort grows along roadsides and riverbanks across half the world, a tall grey-green weed with leaves that flash silver underneath when the wind turns them. Most people walk past it. Herbalists and witches have not walked past it in two thousand years. It is named Artemisia for Artemis, the moon goddess; the Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm calls it the oldest of herbs; Roman soldiers tucked it into their sandals against tired feet; and midsummer revelers across Europe wore belts of it and threw them on the bonfire for a year's protection. Its lasting reputation, though, is as the dream herb, the plant of visions, divination, and the moon. At Plentiful Earth we carry mugwort as cut dried herb from one ounce to a full pound, as mugwort and black sage smudge sticks, and in a traditional herbal blend.
What Is Mugwort Used For in Magic?
Mugwort is used for dreams, divination, and protection. Practitioners sew it into dream pillows to encourage vivid and lucid dreams, burn it before tarot or scrying, and brew a strong infusion to wash crystal balls, scrying mirrors, and pendulums. Hung over a door or carried on a journey it is a protective herb, especially for travelers, a use that goes back to those Roman sandals. It belongs to the Moon in some herbals and to Venus in others, and to the element of earth. It is one of the herbs of the summer solstice, gathered on Saint John's Eve at the peak of its strength.
What You'll Find Here
Cut mugwort. Dried Artemisia vulgaris in one-ounce, two-ounce, and one-pound bags. This is the form for dream pillows, loose incense, washes for divination tools, spell jars, and sachets.
Mugwort smudge sticks. Four-inch bundles of mugwort, and the black sage bundle, which is a common name for a mugwort species despite not being a true sage. Both burn with a sweet, slightly sharp herbal smoke that many people prefer to white sage for evening and dream work.
Herbal blends. Four Winds, a traditional herbal smoking blend that includes mugwort, sold by the pound.
How Do I Use Mugwort Safely?
Our mugwort is sold for ritual, incense, and craft use. The simplest working is a dream pillow: a small cloth bag of mugwort, perhaps with lavender, tucked inside your pillowcase. To cleanse a divination tool, steep a spoonful in hot water, let it cool, and wipe the tool down with the infusion. Burn it in a well-ventilated room. Mugwort should be avoided entirely during pregnancy, as it has a long history as a uterine stimulant, and by anyone with a ragweed or daisy-family allergy. Speak with a qualified herbalist or doctor before taking any herb internally.
Explore Related Collections
Mugwort is at home in our dreams and sleep and divination and psychic abilities collections, and it pairs naturally with scrying mirrors, crystal balls, and pendulums. Browse the rest of the herb cupboard in dried herbs and cleansing herbs, find other bundles in smudge sticks, and burn loose herb on charcoal from resins and charcoal. We also keep a short page on mugwort in spellwork on the Plentiful Earth blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is mugwort?
Mugwort is Artemisia vulgaris, a perennial herb in the daisy family native to Europe and Asia and naturalized in North America. It is related to wormwood, tarragon, and sagebrush.
Does mugwort really cause vivid dreams?
Many people report more vivid and memorable dreams when sleeping near mugwort, and the tradition is centuries old. The evidence is anecdotal rather than clinical. A dream pillow is the gentlest way to find out for yourself.
What is the difference between mugwort and white sage for smudging?
White sage is a North American plant with a strong, resinous smoke used for clearing. Mugwort is the traditional European burning herb, sweeter and lighter, and is associated with opening intuition rather than only clearing space. It is also abundant and not at risk from overharvesting.
Is mugwort safe?
As an incense, sachet, or wash it is safe for most people. It must be avoided during pregnancy, and people allergic to ragweed may react to it. We sell it for ritual and craft use, not as a food or medicine.
What is black sage?
The smudge sticks sold as black sage are made from a mugwort species. The name is traditional in the trade, and the bundles are burned for dream work, protection, and inner journeying.
What planet and element is mugwort?
Most modern herbals give it to the Moon, older ones to Venus. Its element is earth, and its deity is Artemis or Diana.
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