Catnip: Magical Properties & Uses

Catnip's primary magical uses are in love workings, the attraction of good luck, and in any working dedicated to Bast or involving cats and their energy. In love sachets it draws affection and friendship; combined with rose petals it draws romantic love. In luck workings it is used before major undertakings or any situation where favour is needed. For practitioners working with Bast, catnip is an appropriate offering and altar herb: the leaf burned as incense during Egyptian pantheon workings creates a genuine historical connection. It is also used in spells for happiness and the lifting of heavy or sorrowful conditions.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) has been used in European herbal medicine as a mild nervine and sedative. Culpeper recommended it for colds, hysteria, and painful menstruation. It has been used as a gentle remedy for infant colic and restlessness: its safety profile is good and it is still used in this context in some traditional herbal practices. It has also demonstrated insect-repellent properties; nepetalactone is comparable to DEET in some studies, though it dissipates more quickly. It can be drunk as a tea for its mild calming effect and is safe and well-tolerated.

Bast, Freyja

Sacred to the Egyptian cat goddess Bast and beloved of every cat that creeps softly through a witch's house: catnip's primary reputation in Western folk magic runs through the feline. In older European folk traditions it was used in love workings and in the growing of courage; in North American folk magic it is used for luck and attracting love. The reaction of cats to nepetalactone (the active compound) is well-documented: approximately two thirds of cats respond with a rolling, face-rubbing, euphoric display. This response was noted in folk tradition as a sign of the herb's power and its sacred connection to the feline divine.