Mugwort flower essence has profoundly helped M.F. to recover the ability to sleep well, and begin to heal years of chronic insomnia resulting in severe exhaustion and depletion.

Uncovering the root causes of pain

Mugwort encourages sound sleep and a renewed sense of normalcy

St. John’s Wort and Mugwort flower essences: solar and lunar energies

Impatiens, Olive and Borage work synergistically with Mugwort

I had been injured in a school bus accident resulting in a tooth that died, so the tooth needed a root canal with a crown, which is a normal procedure. However, later on that summer, I started getting pain in the area of the root canal and I called a dental surgeon to make an appointment. It turned out that there was an abscess at the root of the tooth that had died. In order to clear the abscess, he drilled through the bone above the tooth, cleared the abscess and cauterized it. The way he finished it was he took metal that had mercury and silver in it, and put it on the base of the dead tooth root.

I began to experience extreme pain; it felt like a knife in my face, but dentists brushed me aside and said nothing was wrong; the x-rays didn’t show anything. Then, some months later, I became ill; I had swollen glands for six months. I was barely able to graduate from college because I was so ill. No one knew what it was or why I was so exhausted, and I was in bed, but unfortunately, unable to sleep. It was a terrible situation.

Many years later when I lived in London, a dentist decided to pull the tooth, because the pain was still severe, and I was exhausted. He said that the procedure done to clear the abscess was controversial and he felt that it was a dangerous procedure that I’d undergone. And, he said that I had mercury poisoning as a result as well.

After the tooth extraction, I did feel better; there was definitely a lightening of my physical struggle. However, the damage had been done, and still, I will never be 100% well. I wanted to be normal—but I couldn’t sleep—so I couldn’t be normal.

During the years with the physical ailment my sleep cycle was disturbed so that I was not sleeping normal hours – I was sleeping when others were not. I was in a terrible catch 22: if allowed to sleep, I survived physically to get the energy that I needed – but being awake at night made me sad and depressed, and not normal. This has been very intense, long and difficult…

Not long ago, I was casually reading the book Flowers That Heal by Patricia Kaminski, and I read about Mugwort . The word "Mugwort" seemed to just mystically lift off of the page and into my consciousness. (I remembered also that in the past I used Mugwort Moon Magic oil; that was an oil that I loved. In the description written by Patricia for the oil, she mentions it in relation to healing hysteria. Months later, it struck me, that in a way, that speaks to me. Maybe the word is strong, but I have a wounded heart. It was an intuitive feeling, not because of anything really – almost like a divine message: hysteria – heart that cried because it can’t be helped…)

It was late that night, after midnight, I was exhausted, and I had to sleep. But, I was dreading the struggle with sleep. Without thinking, I went and got an old bottle of Mugwort flower essence and took the drops; I then slept.

The next day, I was impressed and shocked that I had slept so easily and well. At this point, it consistently puts me to sleep; it helps all the time. I typically use a minimum of four drops four times a day, because I’m trying to be sure it’ll work because I’ve been so down for so long.

I don’t like drug remedies but because I was desperately needing to rest, in the 90s a friend pushed me to take Unisom; I took it for awhile, but hated it. It doesn’t always work and my mind becomes dull, my memory starts to escape. I haven't touched it in a long time – even something like that didn’t even work for me. Green drinks help with allowing one to get a pretty good sleep but still it’s hit and miss. I’ve tried homeopathics, etc.; nothing works… But Mugwort flower essence helps all the time; it’s the only thing after all these decades that works!

St. John's Wort

St. John’s Wort and Mugwort flower essences: solar and lunar energies

I wanted to study further about this amazing plant and its essence and so I went to the Seasons of the Soul (herbal oils) brochure and read about Mugwort , which made total sense to me, and then I went on to read the section on the St. John’s Shield oil. The description included something that said that it shields against the harshness of the sun – and I thought, I need that. It depends on where one lives, I suppose; here where I live for me, it’s too harsh, but when the sun is setting, it’s okay. Sunlight has always “killed” me, it’s too harsh and glaring. When I’m tired, I want to curl up and avoid it. When I lived in England, the light was more gentle. Moonlight for me is more sheltering, more gentle. I have an emotional, profound feeling about the moon. I adore it, just adore it.

After reading about the St. John’s Shield oil, the concept of it as a shield resonated with my heart, and I decided to take 4 drops of Mugwort , and also 4 drops of St. John’s Wort . I went to sleep but woke up with a start 10 minutes later and thought, this does not make sense. I laid in bed for an hour and was surprised that I was awake, and I was very frustrated. However, what I was observing was that there was a quality of light inside of me that was saying to me, “You have to get up now and do something.” I thought that must be the solar light of St. John’s Wort because it resonates with the sunlight, which wakens the world. So I took 16 drops of Mugwort to wash away the solar light; I believe there was a conflict of vibration. After taking it, I immediately fell asleep for the whole night.

Based on my experience, I feel the light of St. John’s Wort , for me anyway, makes me want to get up out of bed, whereas the light of the Mugwort brings me just this sheltering quietude, which makes me drop off to sleep. When I look at the sun, it hurts my eyes, but moonlight for me is soothing. I love the earth but there is a harsh glare to a lot of things… The moon filters the glare of the sun; it dissolves the glaring harsh edge that typically upsets me. Again reading the Seasons of the Soul brochure explanation of Mugwort Moon Magic, I understood about Mugwort . It spoke of the “alchemy” between the power of the moon and of the sun. Mugwort is a balm of soft moon light for people with the imbalance of the sun-moon light… that was a “lightening bolt”–a key to understanding for me as to how it works. Mugwort helps with severe exhaustion and insomnia, and gives the ability to rest because of the feeling of being protected.

Impatiens, Olive and Borage work synergistically with Mugwort

I have found that Impatiens and Olive support the work of Mugwort , they are harmonious essences with Mugwort . The Olive addresses the serious exhaustion that I’ve experienced. Olive and Impatiens together take away the tension and allow me to sleep.

I recently had an amazing experience because I’ve discovered that one of the essences I rarely use, Borage , is very powerful and I’m so excited—I’ve been using it everyday, and it’s a really wonderful essence that I believe was the missing piece for me.

One night I went to bed so late that it was ridiculous, due to having a lot of work, being out late, running errands, and then I had more to do…when finally I allowed myself to sleep, it was so late it was shocking.

The emotional or soul part of me was very discouraged, down hearted, and when I finally let myself go to sleep, I was angry at myself; I was so exhausted and I didn’t want to feel what I was feeling. Something said, you need courage, you need to get away from that downhearted feeling. And that’s what Borage is for; so I took it with Mugwort , Olive and Impatiens , and what a difference! A person going through the experience of severe sleep deprivation, is not going to be upbeat, will indeed be downhearted, gloomy, have severe worry that things won’t turn around, and a pessimistic view point. With sleep deprivation one is so used to failing, is discouraged intensely, and blames themself for feeling inadequate. This is a divine essence and is the perfect missing piece to the state of going through this overwhelming lack of sleep.

Mugwort Artemisia douglasiana

From the Flower Essence Repertory by Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz, Copyright Flower Essence Society

Positive qualities: Integrating psychic and dream experiences with daily life; multi-dimensional consciousness

Patterns of imbalance:
Inability to harmonize psychic forces, tendency to hysteria or emotionality, overactive psychic life out of touch with the physical world

The soul is only half alive if it does not experience itself when asleep. The body may vegetate during sleep, but the soul has the capacity to awaken to another dimension of life. Mugwort enhances the receptive quality of the psyche, allowing greater awareness of dreams, so that the Self can gain insight about the affairs of daily life and can access guidance and direction from the spiritual world. This essence particularly helps the soul to navigate within the flow of psychic life, so that it is neither lost nor overwhelmed. It helps to balance transitions between day and night consciousness, assisting the individual to remain connected in a healthy way with the practical and physical world. This balance is very important, for when the moon forces become too predominant or inappropriately expressed, the soul becomes irrational, hysterical, or overly emotional. Mugwort helps to direct the psychic life into its proper sphere, gradually opening the soul to expanded consciousness.