Patron Saint of Mugwort
acrylic on 10 x 10 wood panel

an attempt to worship the magnitude of what this plant is capable of and lately she’s been showing up more in my mind and in conversations. I tattooed her on my right leg years ago, too. So she’s just been present for a while and feels ready to be worked with in bigger ways. For me, this is invitation to be seen in this very vulnerable and honest lens and that is one of the main reasons why I wanted to paint and debut her and share more of the story in an academic setting. The goal is to bridge a continuous reparation and acknowledgement of plant medicines during tumultuous times and to bring an observation of consideration to the power of plants and how they come to arrive in other lands. That working genuinely with plant medicine should become part of a scientific process. That their historical survival and migrations with people and their offerings are valid foundations of study in signals of resilience and bio diverse importance. I think we often consider psychedelics to be the only ‘worthy’ medicines of significance and there is no denying what they have done to move culture and expand our revolutions. I can speak from experience, there. But I have also met so many people who chase the high and still don’t get it because there is no historical context or rooted understanding of them beyond a superficial approach. Chasing a big event demeans the art of sensitive subtlety. Often it is the simplest and unexpected of influences that can provide the most change if we are willing to just be still and witness the bigger connection and Mugwort is one of those that really amplifies the message in subtlety. She’s easy to work with and serves as a soft stewardess for beginners. As a mother of herbs, with a medicine that touches the digestive, menstrual, and mental / psyche organs ~ just to name a few, and the health of one improves the vitality of others ~ she does a profound job of illuminating interconnectedness in the body and beyond, from within and without. And while we churn through this catastrophic catalyst of change ~ we could use the help.