Wormwood
Parts
used: leaves or flowering tops
Gathering: May to
September preferably when flowering is almost done
Actions:
Bitter tonic
Anthelmintic
Anti- inflammatory
Carminative
Indications: This common
wayside herb stimulates and strengthens the whole digestive process. It is very
effective in the treatment of heartburn or other manifestations of indigestion.
As its common name suggests this
herb is effective in the treatment of worms particularly thread and roundworms.
Wormwood is a good general tonic and is useful for many diverse maladies. It will help the
body deal with fever and
infections.
Preparation and dosage:
Warning - this brew is bitter!
Infusion: 1-2 teaspoons of the
dried or 2-4 teaspoons of the fresh herb to each cup of boiling water. Infuse
for 10-15 minutes. Take a cupful 3 times a day.
Tincture: Take 1-4 ml of the
tincture 3 times a day.
Folklore, History and Kitchen
Witch: Wormwood is governed by Mars. Its generic name is derived
from the Greek goddess Artemis. As testament to the value given by classical
herbalists to of this group of herbs an early translation of the Herbarium of Apuleius (Circa 550 – 625) states that: 'Of these worts that we name Artemisia, it is said that
Diana did find them and delivered their powers and leechdom to
Chiron the Centaur, who first from these Worts set
forth a leechdom, and he named these worts from the name of Diana, Artemis,
that is Artemisias.'
Presumably, Artemis gave Chiron the herbs dedicated to her so he could try them
on himself…Chiron the centaur was a Greek God renowned for his healing skills and art as a physician.
Nevertheless, when poor Chiron was accidentally shot in the knee by his friend
Hercules with an arrow poisoned with the venom of the hydra he was unable to successfully treat the wound. After this
incident Chiron became known as the 'wounded healer'.
The Bible often references
wormwood usually
in relation to its intense bitterness. In Proverbs V King Solomon says: Mind
not the deceit of a woman. For the lips of a harlot are like a honeycomb
dropping, and her throat is smoother than oil. But her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword...What an old cynic… maybe he
was just unlucky in love?
And whilst of the subject of the relationship
between love and wormwood, Mrs Grieve sourced a lovely old love charm in her Modern Herbal it runs thus: 'On St. Luke's Day,
take marigold flowers, a sprig of marjoram, thyme, and a little Wormwood; dry them before a fire, rub them to powder; then sift it
through a fine piece of lawn, and simmer it over a slow fire, adding a small quantity of virgin
honey, and vinegar. Anoint yourself with
this when you go to bed, saying the following lines three times, and you will
dream of your partner "that is to be":
‘St. Luke, St. Luke, be kind to me,
In dreams let me my true-love see’.
Wormwood has always been associated with visions in one-way or another
and Wormwood and debilitating alcoholic beverages seem to go hand in hand.
Jeremiah in
his lamentations complains: ‘He hath filled me with bitterness: he hath
inebriated me with wormwood’. Of course, this may not
mean that he had actually drunk any thing with wormwood in it but rather that it just that it felt like he had. Pliny the elder makes numerous references to wormwood as flavouring for alcoholic beverages and it is well known
that it was once used to flavour beer in the absence of hops. Wormwood is also an
ingredient in Pernod and Vermouth but it is as a vital component of the, very
naughty, absinthe that wormwood is best known.
To make your own absinthe
First make a tincture by soaking
a couple of large sprigs (more or less to taste) of fresh wormwood, a teaspoon of fresh lemon balm, I star anise, a small pinch
of fennel seeds (crushed) in a pint of vodka for 6 weeks (shake daily).
Strain the tincture and combine
it with a bottle of Pernod, Anisette, Ouzo or Ricard (my personal favourite)
And now it’s time to party like its 1899…
How to drink it… it’s bitter so you need sugar… Absinthe
drinkers, romantics one and all, seem to have formulated their own set of
rituals around the drinking of their own particular poison. The idea is that
the sugar is placed on the spoon (the one in the picture is the classic bistro
spoon) and cold water is poured over the sugar to dissolve it. Of course you
can simply use sugar syrup or dissolve granulated sugar in the glass it’s just
not so … well… theatrical…. (If you really like drama you can drench the sugar
cube in absinthe and set fire to it) the ratio of water
to absinthe is a matter of taste and
don’t over do it or you will regret it … but don’t let that put you off the
green fairy is actually very good
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