Most of us are familiar with Catnip. It something that many cats
LOVE! There is nothing cooler than watching your cat roll around on the floor
with a catnip filled toy. My cat is all blissful when I give her catnip toys, she gets frisky and acts like she did as a kitten (16 years ago!). One of the benefits of giving your cat catnip is that is creates a psychic bond
between the two of you.
Catnip is a fairly easy to grow perennial herb from the mint
family. Common catnip can grow 3 - 5 feet high and has white flowers with purple
spots. It likes partial shade but grows
well in full sun. If you plan on growing
this near your home it is recommended that you put chicken wire cages around young
plants until they become established to protect them from cats. Also noted,
cats will generally leave catnip plants alone unless the leaves or branches are
damaged. Damage to the plant releases the chemical that attracts cats.
There are other uses for catnip, both magical and medicinal,
and they aren't for kitty!
Before I get
to those, here is some magical information regarding Catnip.
Gender:
Feminine
Planet:
Venus
Element:
Water
Deities:
Bast
Other than
intoxicating your cat, catnip can be used in love spells, to attract good
spirits and good luck, as well as in spells for beauty and happiness. All in
all, catnip seems to be a good herb to have around.
Fun: according to Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical herbs, If you
hold catnip in your hand until it is warm and then hold anyone else’s hand;
they will forever be your friend as long as you keep the catnip used in the
spell, also large catnip leaves have been pressed and used as bookmarks in
magical texts and Book of Shadows.
Other Magical
uses:
When grown
near your home, catnip attracts good spirits and luck. The nice thing about
catnip is that is an attractive plant with pretty little flowers, the drawback,
it is from the mint family so it will grow wild if you let it.
Add catnip in
your love sachets, mojo bags, and poppets to attract love.
Medical uses:
(Please note
that I am NOT a physician, nor am I providing medical advice, use catnip at
your own risk)
Medicinally
catnip has been used to treat respiratory infections, to reduce fever, as a
decongestant, to help ease a cold of the flu, to reduce menstrual cramps and
applied externally to cuts. It has also been used to treat colicky babies,
headaches, indigestion and stress related conditions and even reduce red-eye. Taken as a tea, catnip can be used as a sleep
aid.
Caution:
Catnip can cause uterine contractions and stimulate menstruation so do not take
if you are pregnant!!
Basic Catnip
Tea
Add 1 Cup of
boiling water to 1-2 teaspoons of catnip
Steep for
10-15 minutes
I would add
a teaspoon of honey.
If you would
like more information on growing and harvesting catnip visit:
Additional
sources:
Encyclopediaof Magical herbs by Scott Cunningham
catnip tea sounds weird but it totally works for fevers due to its high mineral content as well as stomach pain and headache because it is relaxing. It doesnt make humans wig out like cats though. too bad lol mine has a lot of fun with it.
ReplyDeleteWith a new bunny in the house I updated my 'what can rabbits eat' info. Apparently, they love to chomp on catnip, too, although it doesn't get them high. Thanks for this. I might grow a patch for Mr Butterbean.
ReplyDelete