Nepeta
catariaCatnip
Culpeper says this is a Venus herb, and that makes sense, because it's a mint (feel the square stem), and mint's are a favorite of that goddess. Perhaps for that reason, this magick herb is often included in love magick and in fertility charms. But it partakes also of the Mother, being utilized to help keep the evil eye off children. Logically enough, it's great for cat magick. It's associated with October's Blood Moon (which is connected with the dark blue green color of catnip leaves, a good Venus color as well). It's useful in divination, specifically in dream pillows, although you might find it disemboweled as a sacrifice to Bastet if you have a cat in the house. Top
Catswort
Kittens are not usually affected by this herb, only adult cats. Not all cats like catnip, and they all react to it differently. Some just get sleepy, some get silly, and some ricochet off the walls and will even growl at the plant, or at their friends if they try to take it away from them. Drugs do terrible things to people. :) In Alchemy Works’ early days, Harold had catnip growing all around a shed, and all kinds of cats dropped by to have a nip. We have seen feral cats bend the plants over to harvest just the tiniest top leaves. These are apparently the most succulent for fresh consumption. Big cats also enjoy catnip (not only little “house tigers”). If you have just one plant, cats can easily destroy it. We had one that a visiting cat used to enjoy lying on, and he finally loved it to death that way. Another couldn’t make it past a few leaves without being chewed to death. So grow a bunch at once! If you dry it to save, rub it between your hands before sprinkling it around your cats. The warmth of your hands will help release the oils.TopMundane Uses
Catnip makes a nice sedating tea that is good for anxiety and your digestion. Some people like it for depression as well, and it is also helpful for little aches and pains. As one would expect of a Venus herb, it is good for the skin and is used in many female complaints. Brew 6-8 fresh leaves in closed pot. Smoking the leaves is in no way hallucinogenic, btw. The young raw leaves are edible and are an interesting addition to salads. The older leaves are too strong. During the Colonial period, it was thought that catnip caused anger in people (perhaps because of the way it excited cats) and executioners drank it before going to work (and so it got another common name: hangman's root). Catnip is also good for strewing; it repels bugs, including roaches and ants, and keeps away mice. A tepid wash of the tea makes a decent repellent that can be applied to skin. Top
In the Garden
Like any
mint, catnip can be invasive, but we have observed that it mainly stays
around the edges of a particular building it favors. Some
people believe it can get rid of poison ivy, perhaps by crowding
it out. It's a good companion plant to cole crops, cukes, and
squash. Deer and rabbits
don't eat it. This native of Eurasia flowers from mid summer
until frost, and
bees love it. It is water-loving, as many mints are, and likes to grow
around streams, but it also
shows a somewhat Saturnian disposition in favoring the
borders of fields--it's a classic hedgerow plant. Top How to Grow Catnip
Barely cover the seed to germinate in 7-10 days at room temperature. Transplant the seedlings when they are hardened off to 12-18" apart in full sun. We have also had success growing this in a small container in a sunny spot indoors (providing we kept it out of reach of our cats, who tried to eat every new leaf that grew). This is a hardy perennial (zones 3-9) that gets 24-48"/.6-1.2m high. It takes 75-85 days to grow to harvest age. Harvest the leaves when the plant is flowering. It can get wimpy when during the high heat of summer, but it will come back when it cools off. General growing info Top
Nepeta
cataria
Organic Catnip
100 seeds $3.25
Uses in Witchcraft & Magic:
Divination
Dreamwork
Fertility Charms
Love Magick
Protection Spells
Honoring the Mother
Venus Herb
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