Dreamwork Rituals: How to Use Herbs to Open the Door Between Worlds

Written by: Vivianna Severance

Published on July 31, 2025

Time to read 9 min

Table of Content

The Sacred Practice of Dreaming Why Dreamwork Matters Herbs as Allies in the Dreamworld Creating a Dream Ritual In Depth: Egyptian Blue Lotus Frequently Asked Questions Related Readings

The Sacred Practice of Dreaming

Have you ever had a dream that felt more like a message, an omen, or a premonition?

Dreams are more than what we are told. Beyond our subconscious making sense of our busy day and categorizing memories, dreams are an avenue of messages for us.

In many traditions, dreams are seen as portals, prophecies, and healing spaces.

Our ancestors used them to receive guidance, connect with the dead, and gather insight from the unseen. But in today’s overstimulated world, we often fall asleep exhausted and wake up disconnected. The door is there, but few of us remember how to open it.

In this article, you will learn how to build a practice that supports dreaming. As a bonus, we have developed a FREE Dream Ritual Log. This simple printable download is easy to keep by your bedside as you develop your skills in the dream world.

Download your free guide here.

Why Dreamwork Matters

Have you ever felt like your dreams were trying to tell you something?

Not just symbolic, but messages threaded through with something real? Maybe you’ve woken up with a sense of déjà vu, or you’ve met someone in your sleep and later recognized them in waking life. Maybe your dreams are unsettling, or silent altogether.

Dreams are where the ego dissolves. The body rests, but the soul roams. We are more connected to what is unseen than in waking life. In dreamwork, we enter the same realm where magic happens: outside of time, beyond logic, through feeling.

But many of us aren’t sleeping deeply. We’re overstimulated, spiritually congested, and energetically frayed. We either forget our dreams or wake up feeling worse than when we went to bed.

Dreamwork depends on:

Nervous system calm (the gate must soften)
Spiritual clarity (so messages aren’t lost in noise)
Energetic safety (so we can explore without fear)
Ritual (to create relationship with what comes through)

To be a dreamer is to be porous. Your body may sleep, but your energy doesn’t always follow. Some people collapse into unconsciousness at the end of a long day. Dreamers don’t. They hover somewhere between here and there, constantly brushing against thresholds. Sleep becomes a space for messages, visitations, and sometimes overwhelm.

Many dreamers don’t realize what they are. They may grow up being told they’re sensitive, imaginative, distracted, or “too much.” But what they really are is tuned in. Dreamers pick up on emotional currents and spiritual activity in the liminal hours. They might wake up exhausted even after a full night’s rest, not realizing they’ve spent the night working, processing grief, visiting ancestors, or wandering astral highways without protection.

Energetically, dreamers often carry an open third eye and an overstimulated nervous system. Their crown stays partially ajar, even when they’re trying to ground. The solar plexus, in particular, can feel overloaded—like they’re digesting energy that doesn’t belong to them. The body becomes a map of this work: tension in the shoulders from holding unseen weight, digestive trouble after intense dreams, pressure at the brow or temples from spiritual activity that lingers past dawn.

Most dreamers don’t lack gifts, they lack structure. They receive more than they know what to do with, and without ritual, it can become disorienting. But once they learn how to anchor into their own body and spirit, dreamers become bridges. Between the conscious and unconscious. Between this world and the next.

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Herbs as Allies in the Dreamworld

Mugwort

Mugwort has been used for centuries by those who seek the unseen. It is a plant of prophecy, of second sight, and of dreamwalking. In European folk magic, Mugwort was often burned before bed or tucked into pillows to induce vivid dreams and astral journeys. But this herb is more than a tool for visions; it’s a gatekeeper, it guards the threshold.

Energetically, Mugwort carries a sharp, stirring quality. This herb helps clear psychic fog, dissolves illusion, and asks you to meet your truth head-on. For those who dissociate in sleep or struggle to remember their dreams, mugwort sharpens recall and enhances lucidity. But it also requires respect: too much mugwort can be overstimulating for highly sensitive bodies, and its effects tend to intensify during full moons or emotional upheaval.

In ritual, Mugwort can be burned as incense before sleep, placed under the pillow, or steeped into a tea (if safe). Its energy pairs well with moonstone, obsidian, and tarot work.

Egyptian Blue Lotus

Blue Lotus is less common in modern herbalism, but it is a treasure in spiritual work. In ancient Egypt, this flower was associated with rebirth, sacred union, and spiritual ecstasy. It was offered to the gods and used in ceremonial elixirs to invoke altered states in a soft, heart-opening unraveling.

Where Mugwort brings clarity, Blue Lotus brings surrender. Its energy moves slowly, like water. It dissolves anxiety, soothes racing thoughts, and opens the heart to deeper feeling and dreaming. Blue Lotus supports dreamers who have a hard time letting go. Those who fall asleep with clenched jaws and restless minds. It encourages receptivity without overwhelm.

Ritually, Blue Lotus can be steeped into tea, infused into oils, burned, or added to bathwater before bed. It invites emotional insights through dreams and often leaves a sense of gentle calm upon waking. For the dreamer who seeks connection to spirit guides, past life memory, or the deeper meaning beneath the surface, Blue Lotus is a compassionate guide.

Lavender

Lavender is often underestimated in spiritual work because of its popularity, but this herb is anything but basic. Lavender is the guardian of peace. It quiets the body, and the spirit. In dreamwork, it creates the conditions for safety, helping the nervous system downshift so the deeper layers can open.

This herb is especially helpful for those whose dreams are interrupted by anxiety, nightmares, or energetic interference. Lavender cools overstimulation and seals your aura before bed, creating a protective cocoon for the spirit to rest in. If Mugwort opens the gate and Blue Lotus calls the divine, lavender stands at your bedside to make sure nothing crosses your threshold without permission.

Used in dream rituals, lavender can be burned gently, added to dream sachets, used in tea blends, or infused in sleep oils. It balances both the physical and energetic bodies, making it an ideal stabilizer in any dream blend. Lavender teaches that rest itself is sacred—and that healing can happen in the gentlest of ways.

Mexican Dream Herb

Mexican Dream Herb, or Calea zacatechichi, is one of the most well-documented herbs for lucid dreaming. Used traditionally by the Chontal people of Oaxaca, it was known as “the leaf of God”—a portal to prophetic dreams and visionary insight. Its bitter profile is part of its medicine; it’s not meant to lull you to sleep, but to prepare the spirit for work.

Unlike more relaxing herbs, Mexican Dream Herb enhances dream vividness and recall, even for those who rarely remember their dreams. It’s particularly helpful for developing lucid dreaming skills or setting specific dream intentions. Many users report dreams that feel sharper, more linear, and easier to interpret when using this herb.

Its energy is focused and assertive, best used when you’re ready to take your dream practice seriously. It’s typically steeped into tea (despite the bitterness) or smoked in small amounts before bed. Use with clear intention and journal by your bedside.

Best for experienced dreamers, lucid explorers, and those ready to “train” in the dream world.

Creating a Dream Ritual

1. Prepare your Space

All rituals begin with creating sacred space, and the practice of dreaming calls for nothing less. You’re signaling to your body and spirit: I am opening the door. Things like having a quiet, dimly lit space with meditative music and a lit candle or three, create a connection to your subconscious and the energies you aim to connect with.

Double down on your practice by cutting off all electronics at least an hour before you begin your work.

2. Work with the Herbs

Choose which herbs you like best and how you want to use them:

Tea: Steep for a nighttime infusion (skip Mugwort if pregnant or very sensitive).
Burn: Many herbs, especially Blue Lotus, release their useful properties by burning. Some prefer smoking many kinds of herbs, but please do your research for safety. Burning a loose incense blend like our Dreamweaver Loose Incense is a house favorite here at The Nest and is used for many of our classes and rituals.
Sachet: Place preferred herbs in a pouch under your pillow or in a dream altar near your bed. As you prepare them, say aloud or silently: “Tonight, I open to what serves my highest path. I travel protected and return with wisdom.”

3. Set the Intention

What are you seeking? Guidance? Comfort? Ancestral contact? Choose one and write it down using your dream ritual log. This anchors the work into your system and what you want to connect with. As a beginner to dream work, don't expect immediate results. Expectation is the killer of dreams and intuition. Your goal is to continue your practice, setting your space and intentions, and allowing what wants to come through. Even if it takes time, your dreams will begin to show you what you need to know.

4. Enter Sleep Consciously

Lie down with awareness. Breathe. Let go of needing to control the outcome. You may come up against your brain trying to go over your day, categorizing mistakes, and your to-do list. Instead of feeling frustrated at the lack of concentration, here's a shortcut to end that cerebral process: write it down. Keep your Dream Ritual Log nearby to jot down what your mind is trying to work out. When our day-to-day lives are full, there is no quiet time for our brains to process until we lie down.

5. Morning Recall

Upon waking, reach for your Dream Ritual Log (not your phone). Write whatever you remember, no matter how small. Images, feelings, words. With time, you’ll notice patterns. That’s how you begin to interpret and integrate.

In Depth: Egyptian Blue Lotus

Free Printable: Ritual Dream Log

You’ll receive a printable download with:

Space for dream symbols, emotions, and themes
Ritual prompts to use before bed
A brain dump to get in the zone quicker

Available as a free download [here].

The Author: Vivianna Severance

Owner and Founder of Wild Raven's Nest.

Dedicated Spiritual Teacher and Reiki Master, Vivianna specializes in Intuition Development with a passion for Waking the Women. The Nest has become a space that provides seekers with community, ethically sourced tools, and in-house crafted products.

How often should I do a ritual?

Consistency is more powerful than intensity. A simple ritual done weekly, or even daily, will have more impact than an elaborate one you never repeat. Trust your body’s rhythm and adapt accordingly.

What if I don’t have a lot of time?

You don’t need a full moon or a day off. Most of the practices shared here take under five minutes. Micro rituals like breathwork, touch, or intention setting are nervous system gold.

Can I modify the steps to fit my needs or beliefs?

Absolutely. These practices are a framework, not a rulebook. Adapt the language, tools, or timing to fit your spiritual path or energetic preferences. Your intuition is your best guide.

Is this safe if I’m new to energy work or sensitive practices?

Yes. These rituals are gentle and designed with energetic sensitivity in mind. If anything feels too intense, pause. Come back when you're grounded. Your nervous system knows your limits, and honoring that is part of the work.

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