Mugwort is a versatile plant that is often used in medicine. Its name comes from the old English word moughte, which means moth, and it refers to the plant’s ability to repel moths.
The word wort means plant or root, and mug means gnat. So the name could also refer to the plant’s ability to repel gnats and other bugs. Mugwort’s botanical name, Artemisia, comes from the Greek goddess of the hunt, fertility, and forests.
Mugwort has been used to control and regulate fertility and menstruation. It’s also antifungal, so it can treat athlete’s foot and ringworm. Native Americans use mugwort as a spiritual and medicinal ally.
It’s believed that rubbing it on the body keeps bad spirits away while one sleeps. It is also used for lucid dreaming, dream exploration, and psychic development.
