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Herb of the Week: Catnip

By Katrina Rasbold

Catnip (Nepeta cataria), a member of the mint family, is well-known for its enchanting effects on cats, but its magical, metaphysical, and healing properties extend far beyond feline fascination. Revered for centuries in herbalism and folk magic, catnip is a versatile plant with energies that promote relaxation, protection, and enhanced intuition. In this blog post, we delve into the myriad ways catnip can enrich your spiritual and holistic practices.

Metaphysical Properties of Catnip

  1. Relaxation and Calm Catnip has a natural soothing energy that calms the mind and spirit. It promotes relaxation, making it an excellent companion for meditation, stress relief, and emotional balance.
  2. Enhancing Intuition Associated with the third eye chakra, catnip enhances psychic awareness and intuitive abilities. It’s often used to heighten sensitivity to spiritual energies and deepen connections to the subconscious.
  3. Heart-Centered Energy Catnip resonates with the heart chakra, encouraging love, compassion, and emotional healing. Its gentle vibrations help open the heart to forgiveness and self-love.

Magical Properties of Catnip

  1. Love and Attraction Spells Catnip is a popular herb for love magic. Its energy attracts affection, strengthens bonds, and inspires playful, lighthearted connections. Use it in sachets, charm bags, or bath rituals to draw love into your life.
  2. Protection and Cleansing Catnip is used in magical practices to ward off negativity and cleanse spaces of harmful energies. Burning dried catnip as incense or sprinkling it around your home can create a protective barrier.
  3. Dreamwork and Divination Catnip enhances dream recall and clarity. Place it under your pillow or brew it into a tea before bed to encourage lucid dreaming and insightful visions.

Healing Properties of Catnip

  1. Emotional Soothing Known for its calming effects, catnip is a natural remedy for anxiety, tension, and emotional overwhelm. Its gentle energy promotes peace and mental clarity, helping to ease the mind.
  2. Digestive Support In herbal medicine, catnip is often used to soothe digestive discomfort. It can help alleviate bloating, indigestion, and nausea when consumed as a tea.
  3. Physical Relaxation Catnip’s antispasmodic properties make it beneficial for relieving muscle tension and minor aches. It is also used to promote restful sleep, making it ideal for those with insomnia or restlessness.

How to Use Catnip in Your Daily Life

  1. Tea and Infusions Brew catnip into a calming tea to relax after a stressful day. Add honey or lemon for a soothing and flavorful herbal drink.
  2. Spellwork and Rituals Incorporate dried catnip into spell jars, sachets, or candles to amplify intentions of love, protection, or intuition. Its energy enhances the effectiveness of magical workings.
  3. Create Sacred Spaces Use catnip to cleanse and purify your home or altar. Scatter it around your sacred space or burn it as incense to promote harmony and peace.
  4. Dream Enhancements Place a small sachet of catnip under your pillow or mattress to encourage vivid dreams and restful sleep. Pair it with crystals like amethyst or moonstone for added dreamwork benefits.
  5. Cat Drugs Place on your cat’s cat tree, inside their toys, or on their favorite blanket to make your cat wake in the morning and  step outside and take a deep breath and get real high and scream from the top of their cat lungs, “What’s going on?” And your cat will say, “Rowl, meow, mow, mow, Rowl meow, mow, rowwwwllll, a-what’s going on?” They will start to lay around on your Bob Dylan vinyl albums, power eat Temptations treats, and obsessively watch Tom and Jerry cartoons.

Caring for Your Catnip

Catnip is easy to grow and maintain, making it a wonderful addition to any herb garden. To preserve its magical and healing properties:

  • Harvest leaves and flowers at their peak potency, usually in late spring or early summer.
  • Dry catnip in a cool, dark place to retain its vibrant energy.
  • Store it in airtight containers away from sunlight to keep it fresh for magical and medicinal use.

Catnip’s magical, metaphysical, and healing properties make it an essential herb for anyone seeking relaxation, spiritual growth, or enhanced intuition. Whether you use it for its calming effects, protective qualities, or dream-enhancing abilities, catnip offers gentle yet powerful energy to support your journey.