Artemisia Absinthiumis the botanical and Latin name for the plant Common Wormwood. The name “Artemisia” comes from the Greek Goddess Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Apollo’s twin sister. Artemis is known as the goddess of forests and hills, of the hunt and also as a protector of children. Later Artemis and the moon was corelated. People believed that the Latin “Absinthium” occurred from the Ancient Greek for “unenjoyable” due to wormwood’s bitter taste.
The Common Wormwood plant generally grows in rocky areas and on arid ground in Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean. After streching from people’s gardens it has also been found growing in parts of North America. Armoise, green ginger and grande wormwood are the other names for common wormwood.
Wormwood plants are pretty, with their silver gray leaves and tiny yellow flowers. One can get Wormwood oil from the tiny glands on the leaves. Tarragon, sagebrush, sweet wormwood, Levant wormwood, silver king artemisia, Roman wormwood and southernwood are also members of the Artemisia group. There is a relation between Artemisia plants and the Aster family of plants.
Wormwood has been used as a herbal medicine in different ways from a long time
– The labor pains can be lowered down by it.
– For fixing the poisoning from toadstools and hemlock.
– As an antiseptic.
– The problems related to digestion is solved by it. Wormwood is helpful in dealing with the problem of insufficient stomach acid.
– It acts as a cardiac stimulant in pharmaceuticals.
– One can use it in reducing fevers.
– To discharge intestinal worms it can act as an anthelmintic.
– It was mainly taken as a tonic.
Wormwood can be effective in curing Alzheimer’s disease and Crohn’s disease.
Effects of Artemisia Absinthium
Wormwood is a key ingredient in the liquor Absinthe, the Green Fairy, which was banned in many countries in the early 1900s. Absinthe is named after this herb which also gives the drink its characteristic bitter taste,
Absinthe was banned because of its alleged psychedelic effects. According to the people’s belief it caused hallucinations and mental disorder. Absinthe was also associated to the Bohemian culture of Parisian Montmartre with its loose morals, courtesans, artists and writers.
The THC in the drug cannabis and the thujone in wormwood are said to be the same. As Absinthe is a strong spirit so a person will be comatose before experiencing the effects of thujone in it!
One can drink Absinthe as any other strong spirit but in balanced amount.
Real Absinthe is prepared from Artemisia Absinthium. Besides the real Green Fairy “fake” Absinthes are also available which are produced from other herbs and flavorings. If you want the real thing you must check that they contain thujone or Common Wormwood or use essences,such as those from AbsintheKit.com, to make your own Absinthe containing Artemisia Absinthium.