The next Oneironauticum is Thursday, August 20th
The next Oneironauticum is Thursday, August 20th. This special session will take place in Santa Barbara, on the campus of Pacifica Graduate Institute, during the two-day session that marks the beginning of a class I’ll be teaching on dreams. Students and faculty will participate in person and, as always, we welcome remote participants.
For this session, we’ll be working with mugwort as our oneirogen. Mugwort contains thujone, the active ingredient in absinthe, and is known to promote powerful, visionary dreams and often also lucid dreaming. Oneironauticum participants have worked with mugwort blends several times. For this session, we’ll concentrate specifically on mugwort as an oneirogen (anything that promotes vivid dreams).
Mugwort can be used in many forms. We’ll be working with three different methods of enjoying this herb, either in dried form, as essential oil, or both combined. For this session, participants will choose one of the methods, or may try a couple or even all together. Both dried mugwort and mugwort essential oil can be purchased at most well stocked health food stores.
Dried mugwort tea: A bitter tea can be made from dried stems and leaves. For each serving, pour a cup of boiling water onto l-2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and leave to infuse for l0-l5 minutes in a covered container. The covered part is important; you don’t want to lose the oils. Some herbalists claim mugwort is a healthy daily tonic, while others feel that mugwort contains some toxicity and should not be consumed frequently.
Mugwort anointing oil: In ancient medical practices, oils infused with herbal remedies were smeared on the skin, allowing the recipient to absorb healing properties. This is an excellent method for taking in the oneironic properties of mugwort. To make your own oil, create a blend that’s 10 to 15 percent essential oil and 85 to 90 percent high quality olive oil. As a guideline, 20 drops of essential oil in a third of an ounce of olive oil will achieve a proportion of 10% essential oil. Just before bed, rub a small amount of the oil into your temples and on your chest or throat.
Dream pillows: Recent studies have discovered what avid dreamers and herbalists have known for a very long time: scent affects dreams. To make a dream pillow, start with a sachet, or sew together two pieces of cloth to create a small pillowcase, or even use the end of a sock. Take a small plastic water bottle and cut off the top quarter. Put the dried herbs into the bottom part of the bottle (make sure it’s dry!), then add in several drops of the essential oil. The scent is strong, so try adding a few drops at a time then stopping to see how it smells. Once you have a blend you like, use the top of the bottle as a funnel to move the mixture into the pillow. Place near your head at night.
As always, dreamers are invited to participate remotely, joining our world-wide network of dreamers who go to sleep with the common intention of percolating vivid dreams all using the same oneirogen. Simply use one of these methods to work with the mugwort. You may also, as always, participate by simply going to sleep with the intention to join us in our group dreaming experience. Anyone who participates, either in person or remotely, is welcome to post their dream experiences to this site. Contact us if you’re interested.