Mugwort Tea

Ingredients: Artemesia argyi leaf, 7 grams.

Mugwort has an alluring aroma and flavour for tea that for some can be bitter.

History & Folklore: Mugwort has been used historically to promote a good night’s sleep with vivid and pleasant dreams and also to promote lucid dreams – where you are asleep but are aware of, and sometimes able to control, your dreams. Volunteers in at Dilston Physic Garden report that after weeding the mugwort bed they feel “spaced out”, relaxed and at ease.

In the Lab: Its constituent thujone (also in common sage) has effects on sedative (GABA), memory and attention and its psychotropic effects are potentially due to alterations in serotonin and cannabinoid signals, though it does not produce the same response as cannabis.

To Use: 1 – 2 teaspoons per person, allow fresh boiled water to cool a little and infuse for 5 – 10 minutes.

CAUTION:

Not for prolonged use (over 3 months). When taking any medicinal plant at a medicinal level, always first consult a NIMH medical herbalist or healthcare professional before giving to a child, if you are pregnant, have any medical condition or allergy, or if you are taking any medication. Do not stop taking any medication you have been prescribed without consulting your health care professional.