This can be made two ways: as a pure honey ferment (wild, traditional, sweet, simple) or as an oxymel (honey + vinegar/acid). An oxymel is an ancient preparation that combines honey's sweetness with vinegar's acidity - the name comes from the Greek oxymeli meaning "acid and honey." The combination creates a more complete extraction: honey pulls the essential oils, vinegar extracts minerals and bitter compounds, and together they preserve and potentiate the plant's medicine.
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) has been called the mother of herbs, named for Artemis, goddess of the wild, the moon, and protection. Roman soldiers put it in their sandals to prevent fatigue on long marches. Medieval travellers wore it as an amulet against evil spirits and exhaustion. In Japan, it's yomogi - the herb of purification, eaten with mochi in spring to cleanse and strengthen.
I have an affinity with this plant - and I hope I don't lose you here but: mugwort communicates. Not in words, but in presence. It's a plant that holds space, that creates a boundary between you and chaos. I really feel that. During Melbourne's long lockdowns, I discovered this sitting between my 2 giant mugwort plants and the beehive - two ancient protectors, both humming with their own intelligence. Honestly - and this might sound a bit out there -but the mugwort made me feel quiet, held, deeply feminine, safely enclosed. Later I learned that plants do communicate through volatile compounds - chemical conversations we're only beginning to understand. Mugwort was doing exactly what I felt it doing: protecting. Also that you know - Artemis is the Greek goddess of the moon and protector of women so you know, I wasn't making it all up after all.
Science tells us mugwort contains thujone, artemisinin, and volatile oils that are both medicinal and psychoactive in the gentlest way - dream-inducing, moon-aligned, doorway-opening. But you don't need to know the chemistry to work with it. You just need to listen. Or sit near it.
Ingredients
Mugwort Honey Medicine
Pure Honey Ferment:
1 cup fresh mugwort (leaves and flowering tops, roughly chopped)
1½ cups raw honey
Oxymel Version (for maximum extraction):
1 cup fresh mugwort (leaves and flowering tops, roughly chopped)
1½ cups raw honey
½ cup apple cider vinegar or water kefir
Mugwort Moon Mead
4 litres water (preferably spring water or dechlorinated)
500g raw honey
30-40g dried mugwort (or 60-80g fresh)
1 teaspoon baker's yeast or wine yeast
Juice of 1 lemon
Additional honey for bottling (1 teaspoon per bottle)
Directions
Mugwort Honey Medicine
Pack the chopped mugwort loosely into a clean jar. Pour the honey over it, working it down with a spoon to coat all the plant material. The honey will seem too thick - that's fine.
For pure honey ferment:Cover with a lid and leave for 1-2 weeks, stirring every few days. The moisture from the fresh herbs will thin the honey enough for fermentation to occur. It can get pretty fizzy so leave room at the top and look after it.
For oxymel:Add the vinegar or water kefir and stir well to combine. The mixture will become more liquid as the honey dissolves. Cover with a cloth (or lid, opened daily to release gases) and leave at room temperature for 3-7 days, stirring daily.
The honey will thin as it ferments and extracts the mugwort's essences. You'll see tiny bubbles forming - that's the wild yeasts from the honey and herbs beginning their work.
Strain through muslin, pressing the plant material to extract all the liquid. The mugwort will have given everything it has - the honey will be greenish-gold, aromatic, slightly bitter, deeply herbal.
Bottle and refrigerate. It will keep for months.
How to use:Take a spoonful before bed for vivid dreaming. Mix with sparkling water for a protective tonic. Add to salad dressings. Drizzle over soft cheese. Use whenever you need to feel held.
Mugwort Moon Mead
Warm 1 litre of water gently - just enough to dissolve the honey - and stir the honey in completely. Don't boil; heat destroys honey's living qualities.
Add the mugwort to the warm honey water and steep for about an hour. This creates your herb-infused honey base.
Strain out the mugwort and add the remaining 3 litres of cool water to bring the temperature down to around 25°C. Add the lemon juice - this provides acid and nutrients for the yeast.
Sprinkle the yeast over the surface. Cover loosely with a cloth or use an airlock if you have one.
Ferment for 7-14 days at room temperature. You'll see vigorous bubbling in the first few days as the yeast converts honey to alcohol. The bubbling will slow as fermentation completes. Taste it - it should be dry (not sweet), slightly bitter, aromatic. If it's still very sweet, let it ferment a few more days.
Bottle - if you think it needs sugar for carbonation - add a skant teaspoon of honey per 750ml bottle for carbonation. Leave at room temperature for 5-7 days, then refrigerate or store cool.
This mead improves with age. Let it sit for a month if you can bear to wait. The bitterness mellows, the aromatics integrate, and the medicine deepens.
Expected result:A dry, herbal mead with earthy, slightly bitter notes and a haunting aromatic quality. The colour will be pale gold-green. It tastes ancient - like something drunk by priestesses before prophecy. Low enough in alcohol to drink freely, strong enough in presence to shift your consciousness gently towards the liminal.
Recipe Note
Mugwort is famous as a dream herb. Both preparations will enhance dreaming, but they work differently. The honey medicine is immediate - take it before bed and notice your dreams that night. It is said that mead is cumulative - drink a small glass regularly and your dream life might deepen over time.
Some people experience intensely vivid dreams, even lucid dreaming. Others find their dreams simply become more memorable, easier to recall. Either way, keep a journal by your bed. Mugwort has things to tell you, and dreams are her language.
Other Traditional Uses
Mugwort has been smoked for centuries, both ceremonially and for pleasure. In some traditions, smoking mugwort before bed enhances dreaming - the smoke is thought to open the doorway between waking and sleeping consciousness. It's also used in herbal smoking blends for relaxation, often mixed with other herbs like mullein or raspberry leaf.
The smoke is aromatic and pleasant, not harsh. If you're drawn to work with mugwort this way, use only the dried leaves, and smoke mindfully - this is medicine, not recreation. As with all smoking, it's not without risk, but it's milder than tobacco and has been part of healing traditions across many cultures.
Some people find the smoke itself protective - burned as incense or smudge to clear space, to mark boundaries, to say "this far and no further" to unwanted energies. Whether you believe in such things or not, there's something powerful about the ritual of it.
Growing & Harvesting
Mugwort is vigorous - some would say invasive. I keep mine in large pots. Once established, it will return year after year, spreading by rhizomes. Harvest the leafy tops before or during flowering in late summer. The plant is most potent when the moon is full.
If you're wild-harvesting, make sure you're correctly identifying Artemisia vulgaris. The leaves are deeply cut and dark green above, silvery-white beneath. Crush a leaf - it should smell pungent, slightly sweet, camphoraceous. The most common found in Australia is the Chinese Mugwort - Artemisia verlotiorum. This is a bigger taller plant and the one I grew to love so much.
(When you harvest, thank the plant. Not as a fanciful gesture, but as an acknowledgement of relationship. The mugwort gave me solace when I needed it most. It will do the same for you, if you let it.
Please note that: All information provided on this website is for informational purposes only. Please seek professional advice before commencing any treatment.
This doesn't have the chamomile tea taste you'd expect - it does have that aroma initially, and is certainly floral - but refreshing and bright. Do it. You can halve this recipe to fit into your pots and jars. Beer brewing does not always have to be in large amounts!
What makes this special? You don't need any coagulant—just pumpkin seeds and water. The result is gorgeous: bouncy, creamy, nutty, and packed with protein. You can coat and flavour it as a snack or use it like traditional tofu.
