Dreaming with Mugwort and The Big Cicada

 I chose mugwort since the herb gives prophetic dreams. Moreover, mugwort is also a sacred herb of the Anglo-Saxons. According to the “Nine Herbs Charm,” mugwort, the oldest of herbs, has power against the “loathsome foe roving through the land.” (Note 1.)  As a Roman Pagan, I use it to repel bad spirits (Lemurs and Larvae).

 

I decided to make a dream pillow out of mugwort and blue felt. To invest my own energy into it, I hand-sewed the pillow. Then I put it under my pillow and recorded my dreams. At first the dreams came fast and furious – several blips at a time. They rumbled and tumbled all over themselves. Finally, the dreams slowed down allowing me to identify three categories.

 

During the time that I was dreaming with mugwort, I experienced terrible allergies from tree pollen. Then the Periodical Cicadas (Brood X) emerged, complete with their weirdness. I believed that these two events impacted my dreaming, as well. They combined with the mugwort to have me experience extremely odd dreams.

 

To begin with, a Periodical Cicada invited me to ride on his back. Big Cicada was a black-green handsome male with big red eyes. I believed that the mugwort enhanced my connection with the Spirit of the Periodical Cicadas. Like me with my brain injury, they live outside of time. Their Spirit sent Big Cicada to aid me in navigating the dreamscape.

 

First, Big Cicada took me to experience some of my past lives. In each dream, I inhabited the body of the person of my past life. One was as a teenaged girl in Ancient Rome. I did not want to marry but Father chose that I would wed a stone mason. Another past life was as an English soldier in the Great War. I was trying to survive in the trenches at the Western Front.

 

Then, Big Cicada took Brainie along with us. (In real life, I have a stuffed brain toy, the size of a pillow. “Brainie” has large goofy eyes and smile.) On our brain adventures, we revisited old traumas such as the wall falling on me. Whenever something threatened me, Brainie would squish them. There was “a whole lot of squishing going on” as Brainie took care of each trauma. After the series of these dreams, I was spent but healed.

 

Finally, after the New Moon, I had a series of apocalyptical dreams. Each one was more disturbing than the last one. The only relief for me was visiting the Abode of the Squirrel Gods. (These Beings were both the Gods of squirrels and Gods who were squirrels.) The Squirrel Gods gave me a chant of protection to recite when I went to sleep. The chant saved my sanity as I kept seeing the world being destroyed in various ways.

 

In one dream about the end of the world, Africa went completely underwater. I did save a Two-Tusker, a whale being with two tusks. I was told by Big Cicada, the Two-Tuskers would create the coming New World. However, it was still disturbing to watch each continent be flooded.

 

My conclusion is that the mugwort pillow had strange effects on me. First, my body and the herb had to mesh before I could dream properly. As I reported, the initial dreams were fast blips. As the herb strengthened my psychic abilities. I would go into Deep Time. However, the New Moon triggered frightening dreams of the far future. In contrast, the chant from the Squirrel Gods was life affirming. However, I am not sure if I will dream with mugwort again.

 

Works Cited.

Note 1: From the Nine Herbs Charm:

“Remember, Mugwort, what you made known,

What you arranged at the Great proclamation.

You were called Una, the oldest of herbs,

you have power against three and against thirty,

you have power against poison and against contagion,

you have power against the loathsome foe roving through the land.”

Quoted in Dawn Black’s Witchipedia, 

https://witchipedia.com/book-of-shadows/herblore/nine-herbs-charm/ 

 

Works Used:

Burdett, Anne and Chelsea Granger, “Dirt Gems Guide Book.” Superior Pod: Vestal (NY), 2020.

Cantin, Candis and Michael Tierra, “The Spirit of Herbs: A Guide to the Herbal Tarot.” U.S. Games System: Stamford (CT). 1993.

Kaldera, Raven, “The Nine Sacred Herbs,” Web. 2019. https://www.northernshamanism.org/the-nine-sacred-herbs.html <accessed 5 June 2021>.

Sowton, Christopher, “Dreamworking.” Llewellyn: Woodbury (MN). 2017.

Zell-Ravenheart, Oberon, “Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard.” New Page Books: Franklin Lakes (NJ). 2004.