Medicinally, mugwort is used as a bitter tonic and as an appetite stimulant.* Many have reported that if mugwort is used as a tea before bed, or even just sprinkled around your pillow, a person may have lucid dreams that night. Mugwort-stuffed sleep pillows have been used for centuries for this purpose.

Mugwort has been burned as a smudging herb in ancient and modern religions, as well as being valued in Traditional Chinese Medicine to increase circulation and induce a smooth flow of qi.* Used by itself or with other relaxing herbs such as hops flowers or chamomile, it's easy to make your own sleep pillow. Another easy, make-your-own use for mugwort is as an ingredient in closet and drawer sachets to help protect woolens in storage.

Mugwort is sometimes used as a food flavoring; it is said to have derived its name from having been used to flavor beer before the wide use of hops. The botanical name is derived from Artemisia, the Greek goddess of the hunt, fertility, and the forests and hills. Roman soldiers were known to put mugwort in their sandals to keep their feet from getting tired. Native Americans equate mugwort with witchcraft. They believed that the rubbing of the leaves on the body are said to keep ghosts away, and a necklace of mugwort leaves is said to help protect against dreaming about the dead. Other magical attributes include protection for road weary travelers, and general protection against the evils of the spirit realms.