Wormwood Oil: A Hildegardian Remedy for Cough

Wormwood may be one of those poor herbs that has received far more bad publicity than applause.

Mention wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) today and many people immediately think of absinthe and thujone. Yet long before wormwood acquired this controversial reputation, it was a valued European herb—and St. Hildegard of Bingen held it in particularly high regard.

Her instructions also remind us of something we easily forget today:

When an herb is harvested matters.

Wormwood and the Importance of Spring

In St. Hildegard's understanding of the natural world, spring was a particularly important time. This is when plants awaken and are filled with fresh viriditas—the “greening power” or life-giving vitality that appears again and again in Hildegard's writings.

Wormwood is a wonderful example.

Rather than waiting until late summer, when the plant is tall and provides considerably more material, the Hildegardian tradition calls for gathering the fresh plant in spring.

Modern research gives us another interesting reason to pay attention to timing. The chemical composition of Artemisia absinthium changes as the plant grows and moves through its different developmental stages. The amount and composition of its essential oils—including thujone—can vary according to the stage of growth, geographical location, chemotype, and other factors.

This raises an intriguing question: Did people eventually begin harvesting wormwood later because the larger plant simply provided more material?

Perhaps. A mature wormwood plant certainly gives us more to harvest than its smaller spring counterpart.

What we do know is that Hildegard paid close attention to the proper season for gathering plants.

And for this preparation, we follow her lead.

Grow Your Own Wormwood

Interestingly, making your wormwood oil can begin many months before you actually need the herb.

Early fall is a wonderful time to scatter wormwood seeds in your backyard or herb garden.

This follows the plant's natural rhythm of dispersing seeds. The seeds remain outdoors through the cold months and benefit from natural winter stratification. When spring arrives, they can begin to germinate.

By May, you may have young wormwood plants established and ready for their spring harvest.

How to Make St. Hildegard's Wormwood Oil

The preparation itself is wonderfully simple.

You will need:

2 parts good-quality olive oil
1 part freshly extracted wormwood juice

You will also need fresh spring wormwood, a slow juicer or cheesecloth, stainless-steel utensils, and a clean glass vessel.

1. Harvest the wormwood

In spring, harvest the fresh wormwood leaves. For this preparation, we harvest our wormwood no later than early June, while the plant is still in its spring growth.

2. Extract the fresh juice

Wash the plant if necessary and allow excess water to drain.

Extract the juice from the fresh leaves. A slow juicer makes this relatively easy, but you can also grind or thoroughly crush the leaves and squeeze the resulting plant material through cheesecloth.

I recommend using stainless-steel equipment when processing the fresh herb and juice.

3. Combine with olive oil

Measure your freshly extracted wormwood juice.

Combine:

2 parts olive oil + 1 part fresh wormwood juice

For example, if you have ½ cup of fresh wormwood juice, use 1 cup of olive oil.

Transfer the mixture to a suitable glass vessel.

4. Give it sunshine

Place the vessel in a sunny location and allow the mixture to receive the warmth and light of the sun for 10 days, following the traditional Hildegardian preparation.

5. Separate the oil

After 10 days, carefully separate the finished oil from the remaining watery juice and sediment.

And there you have it—St. Hildegard's wormwood oil, made with freshly harvested spring wormwood, olive oil, and sunshine.

Traditional Hildegardian Use

Wormwood oil is traditionally used externally in the Hildegardian tradition. A small amount of oil is gently massaged onto the chest.

It has traditionally been used as a Hildegardian preparation for cough and congestion, particularly during the colder months.

For our family, it is one of those preparations worth having ready before fall and winter are in full swing.

As with any herbal preparation used on the skin, I recommend testing a small amount on the inside of the wrist first and watching for redness, itching, or other signs of sensitivity. Particular care should be taken when considering herbal preparations for children.

The Humble Herb That Deserves Another Look

Perhaps wormwood deserves a little rehabilitation.

Its modern reputation tends to revolve around one constituent—thujone—but a plant is more complicated than a single compound. Even its chemical composition changes depending upon where it grows, the part of the plant used, and when it is harvested.

Hildegard lived centuries before modern analytical chemistry, yet her approach continually draws our attention back to the rhythms of nature: the season, the stage of growth, the way an herb is gathered, and the way it is prepared.

Wormwood provides a beautiful opportunity to rediscover that perspective.

Instead of looking at the tall plant in late summer and thinking, Look how much I can harvest, perhaps we should sometimes look at its smaller spring growth and ask:

Is this the moment when the plant has the qualities I am actually looking for?

That is a question worth carrying with us beyond wormwood.

Don't Have Wormwood Growing at Home?

If growing, harvesting, and juicing your own wormwood isn't practical, we have already done the work for you.

Ready-to-use Wormwood Oil is available from Hildegard's Way, prepared so you can have this traditional Hildegardian preparation on hand when fall and winter arrive.

Disclosure

This article is provided for educational and historical purposes and describes a traditional preparation attributed to St. Hildegard of Bingen. Traditional uses discussed here are not statements that the preparation has been proven to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease, and this information is not a substitute for medical advice.

Individual sensitivities and health circumstances vary. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before using herbal preparations, particularly for children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or if you have a medical condition or take medications. Wormwood oil described here is intended for external use. Discontinue use if irritation or another adverse reaction occurs.