Tag Archives: wormwood

Merry meet all,

I want to make  a flying ointment. I gathered a few herbs – mugwort, mandrake, wormwood, three bay leaves and three star anise, and garden sage. I mistakenly bought safflower oil, I wanted sunflower oil but it was organic and on sale. Safflower oil has a few health benefits such as it is anti inflammatory, help prevent blood clots, widen blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and stimulate the heart. That is good to know. I blended the herbs in a bowl. I measured how much sage, wormwood, mandrake and mugwort I wanted to use for the recipe before I added the herbs to the jar. I used 3 bay leaves, 3 anise, one tablespoon of mandrake as it does contain alkaloids, 2 tablespoons of wormwood, 1 cup of mugwort and 1 cup of garden sage. I blessed and empowered the herbs in the bowl. I had to measure how much of each herb I used to make sure I would not overdo it with the mandrake. The artemisias are safe to use for a flying ointment but even mugwort can poison you if you use it too much. I am growing mugwort from seed and I have a few potted mugworts growing beautifully at my kitchen windowsill and one in my bedroom. 

I put the herbs into the jar, making sure they blended well and filled the clean dry jar with the safflower oil. I topped the jar up with more oil, added a bit of natural waxed paper, then put the lid on. Now I store the jar with the tinctures I am also steeping. I will wait about 6-8 weeks before I strain it all and make the ointment. It is a long wait but I believe it is better to do it this way. I didn’t choose to use olive oil because while olive oil is good, it also has a strong scent. 

Mugwort in a pot

I have to use this carefully. Even though I used one tablespoon of mandrake, the herb has a notorious reputation for good reason. It is kith and kin to the Solanaceae family of plants, including tomatoes. I would recommend that if you try this, to do so with the most utmost caution. I have had the potion and salve for a long time yet I have hardly used it at all. I have to around to using it but I will. I also made lotion bars with the herbal oil but I will still use it cautiously. The poisonous plants can have a harrowing effect on a person’s health and well-being. Caution is advised. 

It is recommended that a person only use the salve or oil for a ritual purpose and then clears their schedule to rest after. Do not operate a forklift, or drive a car or handle a sharp kitchen knife. The overuse of mandrake can result in tingling or numbness in your extremities, delirium, hallucinations, dehydration, even death. That is why I caution anyone considering using it. 

When the frost is gone, the plants and many other plants will of course go out to my garden. I can’t wait. I love using herbs in potions. This year, I want to grow and make my own spices. I don’t trust GMO food. Growing my own organic spices such as cayenne, mustard, dill, chives, means I am in control and I know where they came from and what conditions they grew in. 

I support sustainable and organic gardening practices. I hope that you all do the same. I wish you the best of luck. I would love to read your comments here on your own gardening practices. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch