The Magical Uses of Wormwood

By Ellen Dugan
February 4, 2011
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Excerpted from Garden Witch's Herbal: Green Magick, Herbalism Spirituality (c) 2009 by Ellen Dugan. Used by permission. Llewellyn Worldwid, Ltd. www.llewellyn.com. The following excerpt can be found on Pages 171 to 172. 

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Wormwood (Artemisa absinthium). Folk names include absinthe, green ginger, and old woman. A perennial plant that is native to Eurasia and North Africa, it has silvery green foliage, grows to about three feet in height, and can be grown into a hedge. The leaves and the flower heads are a pale green color; as the flowers mature, they change to a golden brown. Wormwood blooms in midsummer.

Wormwood is the bitter herb used to flavor vermouth and the liqueur absinthe. The scent of wormwood is thought to increase psychic abilities. This herb is also dried and worked into sachets to repel moths and fleas. Legend states that if you burn the plant at a graveyard, it will summon the spirit of the departed. If wormwood is carried in a sachet or charm bag, it protects against bewitchment. This baneful herb was also worked into enchantments for love. It is sacred to Artemis, Pan, and Diana.

In the language of flowers, wormwood symbolizes a sad parting of friends. This is classified as a masculine plant. Its astrological influences are the planet Mars and the element of fire.

Warning: This plant is considered to be toxic and should not be ingested.

Buy Garden Witch's Herbal: Green Magick, Herbalism & Spirituality. 

Click here for the main article, From Our Bookshelf: An Introduction to Magical Herbalism.

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