If I were to give an award to the herb that changed my life the most, it would be to motherwort. In part, it is because this is the first herb spirit that came to me in a dream. I saw her wrapping me up and holding me like a five year old girl on my mother's lap. A comfort that was so profound, it was truly a spiritual experience. I immediately started working with this herb and after straining my first tincture of her, I was blown away. I had read that her bitter taste was off-putting to some, that if you just get past that, you're able to really embrace the experience of working with her. But that wasn't my experience at all. I loved everything about her. I only ingested a few drops at first, given that this herb is fairly potent and you don't want to overdo it when introducing yourself to a new herb (ask me how I know) LOL. There's a whole story with mugwort tea... anyway, I immediately, and I mean within seconds felt the tension drip off of my body and melt me into my bed in a state of absolute comfort- just like what I had seen in my dream. I was going through some hormonal shifts at the time with perimenopause and sleep had become extremely elusive. This was a game changer. Not only did it offer me consistent rested sleep, but for my friends that worked with her too, it offered a nearly instant recovery (or prevention) from panic attacks. She is called motherwort as homage to the Divine Feminine with all the hats she wears through transitions of life from maiden, mother, to crone or wise woman. These transitions can be extremely dysregulating and motherwort is somehow magically able to polish those sharp edges. Motherwort is known as an antispasmotic, nervine and cardiotonic. She's a member of the mint family, and though her benefits are innumerable, she has been my comfort through hardship, sleeplessness, travel and grief. I am forever thankful to this herb.
