This week we meditated with catnip on 3/23/26. 

The leaves themselves have a strong smell and are a bit furry compared to the other members of the mint family.

Meditation

•"What is this?" the plant asks of my old (mostly healed left shoulder rugby injury). I see an image of atlas pushing up a boulder to the top of the hill. The question is, if I do that, will it roll back down on me? The plant shows dominant people in my life, who have self-serving intentions. They may work to help me, but ultimately it is for their own interests. They are presented as bullies. 

•My mouth is dry. My body feels warm and cozy. I see a black triangle from my shoulders to the top of my head (like a yin mind?). This feels like a communication from one of the bullies, not necessarily related to catnip. Unfortunately, the energy of the black looks tainted as though the bully has cancer. 

•Before meditation I felt anxious, stress was piled up. It's Monday but I called in sick, so I am having the Sunday Scaries. This herb is very calming. I see shades of blue and green. I gradually went into a deeper and more relaxed meditation, feeling calm in the end. My third eye/forehead felt effervescent. 

•I feel warm and cozy. My hands are particularly warm, in a nice way. Usually they are cooler than the rest of my body. I am gradually getting deeper into meditation. This feels stabilizing, calming, and centering. 

•I felt like I was meditating through my dog (the dog had a drop of the tea). First he is sprawled out peacefully on a cloud. It is a blue sky day. He drifts down on the cloud, gradually onto the top of a river to the base of a waterfall. He is sleeping peacefully and I see a rainbow in the sky. The rainbow goes into the waterfall, mingling and flowing down into the river. Once the rainbow connected to the dog's aura field, it illuminated it like a bubble. He slept like that for a long time. He was on his belly, with his thighs spread wide. My dog is floating in an amethyst cavern pool of rainbows. There are rainbows in the water, he floats on top of the water, looking like a dead bug. A person is speaking, "I know what you're thinking; he's not dead, he just feels peace." I see him growling in his sleep (still in the vision). I was petting him and he was feeling a little better. Then I see him as a shadow between the dream and real world. He whines because he misses the real world. His growling gets louder and he sounds like a dead car (that's having trouble turning over). Then he hits the narrator with his paws because he doesn't like it in the dead world. He finally wakes up (in the vision). 

•The entire meditation I was fantasizing I was doing cat eyeliner on myself.

Summary/Traditional Use

Catnip is a member of the mint family and is considered a cat medicine, meaning it has catlike characteristics and is used by cats. Yes, it is used for human health too. Quitting tobacco is well known to make people irritable. It is in Brown Bear Herbs' Take it Easy herbal smoking blend for its relaxing properties.  It is often used for relaxing smooth muscle, as in stomach spasms. It is safe enough for small creatures in moderation. A baby (or small dog) could have a drop of tea for stomach upset, this worked great when my child was colicky. I dreamed of it and used it during pregnancy for absolutely horrible stomach aches, which it did wonders with. After drinking it I often wanted to stretch in the sun!

This herb has long been used for bullies and bullying. I am now questioning if this herb can help with recovery from injuries related to bullying or being a bully. The example a rugby injury, though it is a game participated in with consent, is about running into people and pushing them over. Very bully. 

I love this herb for its calming properties. I used to give garden tours when had Fly Awake in my backyard. When I had grade school students come through I would give them nettles tea first, then catnip--both are considered safe for kids. When they had the nettles they were wildly chatty and full of energy. The teachers would cringe and apologize. Then the catnip tea went into their systems, and they totally calmed down, leaning on each other to rest. The teachers almost couldn't believe the shift! 

In general with cat medicine (another example of a cat herb is hops), a moderation is good but too much can bring out the bully end of things. For dogs catnip is supposed to be relaxing but not euphoric (like it is believed to be with cats). With the dog vision and the dog's behavior it seemed to have a very strong relaxing effect, and possibly some of the trippy consequences too (though it did not seem like the dog enjoyed that part). I could see using a drop before a long car ride or flight, where sedation is necessary, but I would not give it for 'recreational relaxation' like humans often do with cats.

Invitation

Have you worked with catnip? Please share your experiences below. If you are interested in joining Plant Meditation Club, sign up here. Catnip is in Sweet Dreams Tea, a favorite of mine for all sorts of childhood troubles from stomach aches, to the flu, bullies, and nightmares. It works for adults too!