Mugwort Foraging and Natural Magic TSW
Jun. 30th, 2022 10:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
causticusI think I just had my first super-obvious TSW magical experience last night. And lo and behold, it was from Natural Magic; the most basic of it, to be honest.
But first. I have to point out that I'm quite blessed to have an amazing park right around the corner from where I live. There's a whole system of hiking trails there and many of them pass through secluded forested areas. I've developed a fondness for a cluster of majestic Northern Red Oaks that grow in one particular corner of the park.
Anyway, I discovered a plentiful supply of Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris) growing alongside a couple of of the trails. I have actually been looking for Mugwort for quite some time, but my plant-identification skills are still in the amateur phase. I've found plant identification apps on my phone to be quite the useful tool for speeding along my learning process in this area. By that, I was curious what this very tall and conspicuous "weed" growing in large clusters actually was. The app pegged Mugwort being the highest likely match for this plant. I then said to myself, "duh!" Knowing this plant has magical properties, particularly associated with protection and vivid dreams, I harvested some and brought it home.
Before I went to bed I placed a couple of leaf-bunches on my night table, right next to where I sleep. And within minutes I started feeling that intense "vivid dream" haze taking over my consciousness, even before I actually fell asleep. Instant results.
Now, I've had experiences doing other types of magic, but my experiences with that tends to be on the mild side of things and never beyond the threshold of plausible deniability (in terms of those experiences being anything other than just weird sensations).
The obvious takeaway here seems that Natural Magic is probably the most accessible "gateway drug" to the realm of demonstrable magical experience out there. It's just unfortunate that unflattering labels like "witchcraft" have become attached to this age-old body of practices.
Having said all of that, I'm open to other possible uses for this magical herb!
But first. I have to point out that I'm quite blessed to have an amazing park right around the corner from where I live. There's a whole system of hiking trails there and many of them pass through secluded forested areas. I've developed a fondness for a cluster of majestic Northern Red Oaks that grow in one particular corner of the park.
Anyway, I discovered a plentiful supply of Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris) growing alongside a couple of of the trails. I have actually been looking for Mugwort for quite some time, but my plant-identification skills are still in the amateur phase. I've found plant identification apps on my phone to be quite the useful tool for speeding along my learning process in this area. By that, I was curious what this very tall and conspicuous "weed" growing in large clusters actually was. The app pegged Mugwort being the highest likely match for this plant. I then said to myself, "duh!" Knowing this plant has magical properties, particularly associated with protection and vivid dreams, I harvested some and brought it home.
Before I went to bed I placed a couple of leaf-bunches on my night table, right next to where I sleep. And within minutes I started feeling that intense "vivid dream" haze taking over my consciousness, even before I actually fell asleep. Instant results.
Now, I've had experiences doing other types of magic, but my experiences with that tends to be on the mild side of things and never beyond the threshold of plausible deniability (in terms of those experiences being anything other than just weird sensations).
The obvious takeaway here seems that Natural Magic is probably the most accessible "gateway drug" to the realm of demonstrable magical experience out there. It's just unfortunate that unflattering labels like "witchcraft" have become attached to this age-old body of practices.
Having said all of that, I'm open to other possible uses for this magical herb!
