- 'While Wormwood hath seed get a handful or twaine
- To save against March, to make flea to refraine:
- Where chamber is sweeped and Wormwood is strowne,
- What saver is better (if physick be true)
- For places infected than Wormwood and Rue?
- It is a comfort for hart and the braine
- And therefore to have it it is not in vaine.'
With the exception of Rue, Wormwood is the bitterest herb known, but it is very wholesome and used to be in much request by brewers for use instead of hops. On our walk we were told that it is also great for digestion and that tea made it helps to dry out breast milk in women. Topically it has many antiseptic qualities and is also good for smoothing the skin. A good way to identify wormwood is to give it a sniff - it smells a lot like sage - in fact many people here refer to it as Wild Sage. When I'm done posting the next few things I'll start posting more recipes - along with photos...
In some religious practices such as Wicca, both Wormwood and Mugwort are believed to have multiple effects on the psychic abilities of the practitioner. Because of the power believed to be inherent in certain herbs of the genus Artemisia, many believers cultivate the plants in a "moon garden". The beliefs surrounding this genus are founded upon the strong association between the herbs of the genus Artemisia and the moon goddess Artemis, who is believed to hold these powers.
Uses and some interesting facts...
Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic- Mosquito repellent (decanted into water and sprayed onto the skin or used as a smudge or rub it directly on)
- Leaves in a tea kills pinworms
- Burn to clean the air in your home
- Good in skin tonics antiseptic qualities
- Some have allergies use carefully if ingesting!
- Good for digestion – a bitter
- Topically smoothes skin
- Good in a bath on the full moon mid winter for women
- Some have taken dried Wormwood, placed it inside a coffee filter to form a sort of "pod" and then placed them under furniture and such as a natural way of repelling fleas from their home.
- The aperitif vermouth (derived from the German word Wermut, "wormwood") is a wine flavored with aromatic herbs, but originally with wormwood.
- The highly potent spirit absinthe, also contains wormwood.
- Wormwood has been used medicinally as a tonic, stomachic, febrifuge and anthelmintic.
- A sachet made of wormwood leaves will keep moths at bay.
- Putting dried sprigs of wormwood in the garden along side carrots
and onions will mask their scent, confusing insects in particular the
carrot rust fly. - The dried wormwood will not have the growth inhibiting
effects of the fresh herb.
- 8 ounces wormwood leaves
- 4 pints of water
- 1 teaspoon castile soap
1.Simmer wormwood leaves in the water for 30 minutes. Stir, strain, and leave to cool.
2.Add the castille soap to wormwood mixture and use to spray.
OR try this...
Insect repellent
Mix thoroughly crushed fresh wormwood leaves with apple cider vinegar one to one ratio.
This mixture is put into a small piece of gauze or cheesecloth. The ends are folded up and tied to make a little bag, and the bag is rubbed over the skin of humans or pets to repel mosquitoes, gnats, and horseflies.
Harvesting:
To harvest for future use in insect teas, dried arrangements or sachets
you will pick the upper portions of the stalks when they are in full flower and
there is no moisture on the plant. Generally flowering occurs after July. Be
sure to pick any damaged leaves off your stalks. Tie the stem ends together
in bundles. Hang them upside down in a shady spot. Let them air dry like
this for a few days. We then put them into glass containers with tightly screwed
down lids. Store in a dark place.
Sources:
http://www.ghorganics.com/Wormwood.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2603/is_0007/ai_2603000742/pg_2/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormwood
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/w/wormwo37.html
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