Pamela Spence
Who is Artemisia vulgaris? Endeavourng to decipher the Energetic Essence of the plant
Abstract
Endeavouring to decipher the Energetic Essence of the plant by analysis of historical uses, current applications and group tasting responses.
Artemisia vulgaris (Mugwort) was traditionally held in high regard as a gift directly from Artemis. It was prized as a herb for women amongst numerous medicinal and magical uses. However, Mugwort has been sidelined in many modern texts and features merely as a digestive and emmenagogue, with little research into its efficacy.
This study involved a literature review of A. vulgaris from earliest records to the present day. The historical literature consulted was mainly European, going back as far as Dioscorides and Pliny while modern texts included other disciplines such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and a number of American texts on closely related species.
The results showed a wide range of applications including indications such as epilepsy, nerve palsies and arthritic pain that have clearly fallen out of use. There was much written about folkloric uses indicating Mugwort’s significant role in daily life when it was hung in the house, worn upon the person and even burned in churches for protection.
The results of the Literature Review were compared to a series of blind herb tastings by experts and by a control group. It was found that the plant elicited a significantly wider set of responses during the tastings than are noted in most modern texts and that some of these corresponded with historical use. The only common outcome of the tastings, was a calming, protective effect felt by all groups – indicative of historical beliefs.
