Eye of Newt: - wormwood

by : Debbie Tombs and Sally Stratton

In this issue we’re covering another vampire related herb - Wormwood. As regular readers of The Chronicles will know, wormwood is the active ingredient in Absinthe as drunk by Mina and Vlad in the Francis Ford Coppola version of Dracula. However, in addition to tickling the tonsils of Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman, Wormwood has many other talents. Herbal Properties Wormwood (artemisia Absinthum) is one of a genus of 200 plants named after Artemisia the sister and wife of the King Mausolous, who ruled as queen after his death in 353BC. In ancient Greece wormwood was renowned for expelling worms, and the chinese used a rolled up leaf to stop nosebleeds. Current uses for wormwood apart from making homemade absinthe (see issue 10 for recipes) include an organic insecticide which will combat aphids, caterpillars and ants; and burning the leaves to repel flies.

To make the insecticide soak ½oz/30g of leaves in 1pt/½ltr of rain water in a non-metallic container for 1-4 weeks until the unpleasant smell subsides (this is best done outside). Then spray neat on infected leaves. Also of note is mugwort (artemisia vulgaris) which can also be used to repel flies and as it is less toxic than wormwood can be used in a tea to aid digestion, 3/4 fresh leaves can be chewed slowly to reduce fatigue, and Roman soldiers used to place mugwort in their shoes to help aching feet. Southernwood, (Artemisia abrutanum), can be used in a tea as a general tonic. However, both herbs are best avoided during pregnancy.

Myth & Magic Both Wormwood and Mugwort are used as smudge sticks for ritual cleansing. Cut off the end 6 inches of stems before the flowers open and bind the bottoms of the stems with cotton. Set fire to the leaves and then blow out the flame, use the smoke for purification. Mugwort features in the magical lore of Europe, Asia and China. In the pre-Christian ‘Lay of the Nine Herbs’ the first incantation for protection refers to Mugwort:

“Have in mind Mugwort what you made known,
What you laid down, at the great denouncing,
Una your name is, the oldest of herbs,
Of might against thirty, and against three,
Of might against venom and the on flying,
Of might against the vile she who fares through the land.”

Mugwort is also known as the ‘mother of herbs’ and in the middle ages was also used as protection against the devil and evil witches. As mugwort grows beside paths and hedges it was thought to help travellers find strength and help them on their ‘path of life.’ Mugwort placed under the pillow will help bring focus to dreams and protect against nightmares. The mugwort flower remedy promotes and re-balances psychic awareness.

Getting hold of . . . Wormwood can be bought from garden centres or grown from seeds or cuttings of semi-hardwood shoots taken mid-summer to mid-autumn. Plants can be kept indoors or planted outside in full sun or partial shade. Try not to plant near culinary or medicinal herbs, as wormwood contains a growth inhibiting hormone. Wormwood can grow up to 5ft high and flowers in June. The leaves and tops should be harvested mid to late summer and hung upside down to dry. Mugwort can be grown from seeds from April onwards or from cuttings or splitting existing clumps. It can grow to between 4 and 6ft and prefers dry chalky soil and full sun. Tips and shoots should be harvested mid to late summer and dried or stored in oil.