The Pagan Heart
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March 2005 Issue
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Herbs Under Scrutiny: Common Wormwood
By Mary Q. Contrari
Greetings once again, gentle people! I bring you today one of the most interesting plants - Wormwood! Just thinking about the name alone conjures up all kinds of interesting mental images. The plant itself is even more fascinating. So, join me as we learn something new today! There are many varieties of plants belonging to the Artemisia family, Common Wormwood (or Artemisia absinthium) is but one (Tarragon and Mugwort are two of the more well-known others). Native to Europe and Siberia, Wormwood was introduced into North America and there it mainly grows in the eastern regions. Native American species of Artemisia exist - including the sagebrush plants. But this article is devoted to our old friend, the Common Wormwood. This and Roman Wormwood are the ones most written about in the ancient texts. Our ancestors held Wormwood in the highest of esteem, considering it a powerful medicine. Old Egyptian writings document the use of it for a variety of problems, including stomach ailments and parasitic worms. There are early Chinese medical recipes that advised Wormwood to treat malaria! In the Middle Ages it was used to treat tapeworm without injuring the host - even going so far as to leave the patient feeling renewed and vigorous. People also used it to keep away moths and insects, laying sprigs of the dried herb among furs and clothing. And it used to be held in great esteem by brewers who used Wormwood instead of hops as the leaves resist putrefication. A study reported in the journal Life Sciences indicated that artemisinin, a compound in Wormwood, killed 75% of human breast cancer cells in just eight hours. There is previous research that states that it is even more effective on Leukemia. Cancer Salves has further details. What a wonderful gift our soil dwelling friend offers us! The gift of life, in so many ways. Definitely the most bitter root known to man, at the same time Wormwood is very wholesome. My, oh my, how many times have we heard our mothers say to us that even though it tastes bad, it is "good for you"? They must have been talking about Wormwood. Another aspect of the herb, one most dear to my heart, is its aid in love charms. A simple one, most effective on St. Luke's Day, involves mixing fresh picked marigold flowers with sprigs of marjoram, thyme, and Wormwood. Dry them - in a low to moderate oven, until crisp and crumbly. Grind them up in a pestle and mortar and place in a small pan with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add equal amounts of raw honey and vinegar and warm. Store in a clear jar. At bedtime, anoint yourself with the oil, and recite three times: "St. Luke, St. Luke, be kind to me. In dreams let me my true-love see." You will dream of your future love. Adapted from Botanical.com's section on Wormwood. I also learnt that the delightfully yummy Richard Burton recommended pillows stuffed with Wormwood for insomnia. Other common uses for Wormwood are as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, and to ease colic and intestinal gas. It can also increase the flow of bile into the intestines, reduce fever, be used as a mental restorative, and is a narcotic. When made into an oil, it is a cardiac stimulant, and a local anesthetic. When combined with St. Johns Wort and Centaury, it can expel intestinal worms. When combined with Walnut and Cloves, it handles liver flukes. Externally, Wormwood acts as a fomentation for fallen arches, bruises, sprains, swolen joints, and irritations. Some conditions that can be treated with this plant are cerebral palsy, epilepsy, neurasthenia, cerebral exhaustion, dropsy, gout, jaundice, liver ailments, and menstrual cramps. I wonder what the makers of Advil have to say about that? Now, please keep in mind that I am only sharing my research with you, and am not a medical or holistic professional. There are things that you must remember about using this herb. Don't ever give this to small children. Excessive use can cause poisoning. With mild use, headaches can happen. And if you do use this herb medicinally, only use it for a very short amount of time, and in very small quantities. At this time, the FDA does consider Wormwood to be a poisonous plant. If you do use it, the symptoms of poisoning are: giddiness, delerium, convulsions, hallucinations, and (permanent) mental deterioration. Pure Oil of Wormwood is a very strong poison. Enough of the medicinal. Wormwood also has another history - that as Absinthe. What a charming name. Not so charming a drink, however! "Absinthe has a wonderful colour, green. A glass of absinthe is as poetical as anything in the world. What difference is there between a glass of absinthe and a sunset?" - Oscar Wilde In 1789 the French doctor Pierre Ordinaire, developed Elixir of Wormwood. Mind you, this Elixir involves a number of other herbs and alcohol. The end result of Dr Ordinaire's work was anything but ordinary - a 136 proof drink. Goodness me! If it didn't kill you, I guess it would cure you! But back to my story. The good doctor was quite enamoured of his concoction, claiming it would "cure the retched and the sick". He named it The Green Fairy, or "la Fee Verte". The recipe passed hands, ending up with Henri-Louis Pernod. Pernod, his father-in-law, and brother-in-law built the first commercial absinthe distillery, named "Dubied Pere et Fils" and began production. For more information on Absinthe, please take a look at Absinthe Buyers Guide. It has a selection of interesting pages and some recipes. Absinthe soon became the drink of choice among the artist/writers groups. Artists such as Picasso and Van Gogh incorporated it into some of their works. Oscar Wilde, the scandalous, wonderful playwright, drank absinthe, as well as did the poets Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Baudelaire, and the author Ernest P. Hemingway. Did I mention the brilliant colour of Absinthe? A wonderful shade of green. In honour of this cocktail hour in Paris was once known as The Green Hour, or "L 'Heure Verte", due to the immense popularity of the drink. However, people did become hysterical over the effects of it - early methods of distilling the alcohol and some shady makers led to a certain reputation. The drink was not completely safe, and at any time one might succumb to its poison...literally. Even when consuming pure Absinthe, it was potent. At one time, during early studies on alcoholism, the disease was referred to as Absinthism. "The absinthe made everything seem better. I drank it without sugar in the dripping glass, and it was pleasantly bitter. I poured the water directly into it and stirred it instead of letting it drip. I stirred the ice around with a spoon in the brownish, cloudy mixture. I was very drunk. I was drunker than I ever remembered having been." - Ernest Hemingway. My Stanley has enjoyed a tumbler of Absinthe on occasion. Although it is illegal to buy or import Absinthe here in the States, on our all too infrequent trips to Europe he's tried it. And I have to admit that I took a nip, once or twice too. It is ideally suited to the chill of a cold winter's night, the heat and stickiness of a hot summer's day, or whenever one might be in dire need of divine inspiration! Our last holiday in France Stanley learnt how to make it just right! His favorite recipe is actually a "drip" recipe.
If you find yourself unwilling to wait for the ice to melt, you could try this recipe instead. It was common to the artists and writers of Paris:
Please, my friends, remember that Absinthe is a very potent drink - not for the faint of heart, nor for a nightly beverage. Take your time with it, savouring every mouthful. And drink sparingly. For, as Arthur Rimbaud wrote "The most delicate, the most precarious adornment, to be drunk on the magic of that herb from the glaciers, absinthe! But only to lie down afterward in...." Well...perhaps manure would be a better term. Anyway, my friends, you get the gist.
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