A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of attending a
Medicinal and Edible Plant walk at my local Wildlife Refuge. I was literally blown away by the amount of
folks that showed up for the event...seems many in the human race are on the
same page.
It was a beautiful day in the
dappled light of the forest, under the cathedral of trees! It was run by a woman named Jessica, a
practicing certified midwife who bestowed her knowledge of Natures Pharmacy
upon us without reserve. Truly a gift to
all who were in attendance.
So taken was I that midway through the walk I covertly
texted my vegan brother. He and I have
shared enlightened conversations on foraging many times over a pint. “John, you must come to the next one!
Apparently we can consume most of dad’s yard – we shall never starve!!”
Toward the end of the walk I had that strange settled
feeling in the belly that comes with knowing you are in the correct place at
the correct time. I fell head over heels
in love…
MUGWORT.
This graceful unassuming green of dreams. ARTEMISIA VULGARIS = Greek Goddess Artemis,
Goddess of the Moon, The Hunt, and Chastity believed it was sacred– I was
swooning. Vulgaris meaning 'common'.
How appropriate our walk had taken place and ended with this Sacred Common Plant.
The bringer of dreams, remembering
them, and rendering them vivid. I’m a
lifelong student of poking around my dreams both conscious and
unconscious. Believing many of them are
both prophetic and solution presenters.
It is found in the East (here) and the Pacific Northwest
(dreamy!) Its habitat are ‘fields and
waste places’ Many of my dreams are
stripped down in nature; places I’ve never been but they exist – Deserts, empty
abandoned cities, strange landscapes, empty lakes, gray oceans etc. Mugwort is associated with psychic light –
tapping different levels of collective existence to rise above the din of daily
human toil into a realm as intangible as the shadows of our minds. Again that gray area, where faith continues
the walk science cannot.
Mugwort has also been used as a geographic indicator when
locating water…water – my moveable life.
It has been known to protect from insects and thieves while taking a
long footed journey. Wanderers have
dried and crushed Mugwort in their shoes to maintain energy levels.
So smitten was I by this simple green that
should I marry a simple bouquet of Mugwort I shall carry…
It does not come without it’s warning though…If it can
produce vivid dreams; it can also greatly enhance nightmares. Because of its content of Thujone (think
absinthe) it is to be used in moderation.
Our leader of the walk shared with us that she had Mugwort drying in
bundles close to where she had been sleeping and awoke for several days having
to ‘shake off’ the dreams of the night before…
Folklore?
Perhaps. But what this outing had
proved to me, as life does again and again, that natural medicine exists. Much of what we, as a human species, have
tried to recreate in a lab falls short to the point of poison when compared
with what has been provided, without our help or hinderance , on the ground
beneath us.
At the conclusion of our tour I gazed upon the shrouded
forest with the wonderment of a child. This
forest had revealed itself to me as both food and medicine. May we never be without awe at the whispering
beauty and infinite wisdom that is all around us in the natural realm. Good Energy to You!
