The Witches I Know are like Mugwort

The witches I know are like mugwort.
Green in the sunlight
silver in moon.
Thriving on edges,
fierce and divine.

The witches I know are like mugwort
Clever and prudent
Mindful and wise
They know to remember;
they know to forget.

The witches I know are like mugwort
Tough and resilient
steady and calm.
Their bodies are sturdy,
their muscles are strong.

The witches I know are like mugwort
Honest and forthright —
constant and true.
They pull back the arrow
and let loose the truth.

The witches I know are like mugwort
Their dreams are their teachers,
their insight is true.
Their love is a wild heart
singing for you.

May these words bring truth
and healing through open hands and hearts. 
And then, let it flow back into our Mother Earth
for the love of all her beings.

Artemisia vulgaris, also known as mugwort or crone wort is sacred, prolific and the wisest of herbs.  To the ancient Anglo-Saxons she was “the eldest of worts” and one of the nine sacred herbs.

In her book “The Gift of Healing Herbs: Plant Medicines and Home Remedies for a Vibrantly Healthy Life” Robin Rose Bennett teaches us that mugwort is good for the body, mind, heart and soul: it steadies nerves and improves memory; nourishes bones and joints; strengthens digestion; regulates hormones; sharpens intuition and perception; improves memory (and can also help you forget); opens you to guidance from your dreams; and awakens your wild and free nature.

Note: This poem was not what I set out to write. I was hoping to focus on mugwort’s connection to dreamwork and the divine, but as it turned out, this was the message that mugwort wanted me to share. . . a tribute to the many women I know who identify as witches.  And so I dedicate this poem to my long-time witchy friend Bonnie Jean Stacy who has devoted her life to sharing her love of mugwort and many other herbs with others.  You can find her delicious and healing herbal teas here: Take Charge Tea

And here is a lovely story about mugwort told by herbalist Guido Masé:

Image source: Garden Culture Magazine