Slow Smolder with Mugwort
On the Winter Solstice, Patrick and I took a hike at our favorite spot here in Chautauqua County, NY. Years ago, we bundled mugwort stalks (Artemisia vulgaris) with twine and hung them to dry. It's become a solstice and equinox tradition to burn a dried mugwort bundle outdoors, whether in the woods or around a campfire in our backyard.
Mugwort is native to Alaska, Asia, Europe, and North Africa. It's a common "weed" here in WNY--and it can be quite invasive--so I feel good about picking some. It was sweet to learn that Patrick and I aren't alone in honoring the solstices with mugwort. In the Alps, mugwort is burned as incense in homes and barns on winter solstice nights. (Due to the smokiness, I prefer to burn it outdoors.) The Norse/Germanic god Thor is said to wear a protective belt of mugwort. Around summer solstice fires, people traditionally danced wearing braided mugwort belts. Then they burned the belt, letting go of the past year (Storl).
Many traditional holidays near the winter solstice are Festivals of Light. People welcome the "return of the sun" and lengthening days after the shortest day of the year. In temperate climates, where winters are cold and food plants have died back, these celebrations instill hope that more abundant months are on the way.
With my stocked refrigerator and climate-controlled home, I have the privilege of not rushing these dark months or wishing them away. Over the past few weeks, I've often been ready for bed at 7:30--8:30pm, and I've let myself sleep. I've mostly paused social media checking and listening to podcasts. It feels like time to make space for quiet, and just listen.
Rather than illuminating like a bright torch, a mugwort bundle smolders, releasing more smoke and aroma than light. Though a Festival of Light is lovely, a Festival of Slow Smolder is more my speed.
Mugwort has a reputation for supporting vivid dreaming and remembering our dreams. Folks place fresh mugwort tops in their pillowcases or drink a cup of mugwort tea before bed in hopes of bringing their subconscious closer to the surface. (Ingesting mugwort isn't recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding; use in moderation otherwise.)
Whether a Festival of Light or Slow Smolder, I hope you get what you need to feel close to your own dreams and intentions this season.
Source:
Storl, Wolf. The Untold History of Healing: Plant Lore and Medicinal Magic from the Stone Age to Present. 2017. pp. 87-89.
Featured image: My husband, Patrick, stands in the snow and lights a mugwort bundle with a lighter.
