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Mugwort: It's travel time

Thirty five years ago today, I had an out-of-body experience while giving birth to our son.  At the time, I didn't know how to label it or why it happened. It was pretty weird.

 But when I took a poetry writing class in 1996, I knew immediately that my birthing experience would be the topic of my first poem. Our professor said I was the only student he’d ever had who submitted a poem with a number as its title. I like being different, so this pleased me. My classmates thought the poem was filled with symbolism; it’s not. It’s more of a report. 

011478
Elevator silently slips
through the dark tunnel;
we burst forth

Machines and metals and masks
but I am lying in the grass

Drab green walls, brash fluorescents
sapphire sky, air, earth

The illuminated and mechanized beep, beep, beep
rhythmic tribal drums

Phones ring, the damn TV
introspection, focus, a suspended pause

Isolation
connected to the Clan

Who’s running this body?
It’s
the
person
who
wants
out.

Already he has started to push me away.
Astral projection
I’m bringing this up now because a few weeks ago in my herbalism class, one of the other students mentioned "astral projection” in association with the herb mugwort. I had never heard the term before, but since then I've been reading up on it.

Astral projection is an interpretation of an out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it. (Source: Wikipedia)

 There are many flavors of astral projection, some of them are down-right common:
• seeing yourself from above during an operation
• going down a tunnel toward a bright light during a near death experience
• "traveling" during meditation  

 But I was shocked to learn that other women have reported birthing experiences similar to mine -- being in two places at once, traveling to a primal world, seeing vivid colors, and hearing the beating of drums.

Artemis
At the same time I learned about mugwort's proclivity to induce out-of-body experiences, I read that mugwort (artemisia vulgaris) is associated with Artemis who is the goddess of childbirth, among other deity duties including, hunting, the wilderness, and virginity. She assists with and helps ease the pain of childbirth.

 Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto. According to legend, Artemis helped to deliver her twin brother Apollo minutes after being born herself. Cool story!

 Was Artemis with me on my trip?
Photo source: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/ephesus-artemis.htm
Have mugwort -- Will travel
At my age I don’t expect to bear any more children, but I might burn some mugwort or make a cup of tea out of it and see if I can return to the magical place I visited 35 years ago today. 

 I happen to have some.
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