Mint

Origin: Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America

Family: Lamiaceae
Subfamily: Nepetoideae
Tribe: Mentheae
Scientific Name: Mentha spp.

Selected Varieties:

• Pennyroyal: Mentha pulegium
• Peppermint: Mentha piperita
• Spearmint: Mentha spicata

Magical

Element: Air
Day: Wednesday
Planet: Mercury
Zodiac: Gemini
Deities: Demeter, Hades, Menthe, Zeus

Parts used: Leaves

Magical Properties: Protection, healing, purification, prosperity, love,

Substitutions: Sage

Magical Uses

• Keep mint in the home for protection.
• Carry mint to protect against the evil eye.
• Stuff a poppet with mint to aid with digestive/stomach problems.
• Cleanse evil from a space by asperging salt water using a bundle of fresh mint, marjoram, and rosemary.
• Use mint in prosperity and money workings: Keep a few leaves on your person to aid with business deals, or in your wallet to attract money.

Pennyroyal

Scientific Name: Mentha pulegium
Folk Names: Lurk-in-the-ditch, mosquito plant, piliolerian, pudding grass, run-by-the-ground, squaw mint, tickweed

Magical

Element: Earth
Direction: East
Day: Friday
Planet: Venus
Zodiac: Libra

Magical Properties: Strength, peace, exorcism, relationships

Magical Uses

• Causes peace in relationships by calming quarrels.
• Pennyroyal leaves in your shoe strengthens the body and wards off weariness in your travels.

Peppermint

Scientific Name: Mentha piperita
Folk Names: Balm mint, brandy mint, lammint

Magical

Element: Fire
Direction: North
Day: Thursday
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Gemini

Magical Properties: Exorcism, psychic skills, sexuality, sleep, luck,

Substitutions: Spearmint

Magical Uses

• Add fresh peppermint to your altar to attract positive spirits.
• Peppermint tea has been used as far back as ancient Greece to stimulate lust.
• Place peppermint leaves beneath your pillow to encourage prophetic dreams.

Aromatherapy

Part Used: Leaves
Extraction Method: Steam distillation
Flash Point: 66°C

Scent Type: Herbaceous
Perfume Note: Top
Scent Description: Fresh, cool, minty aroma, slightly spicy

Active Constituents: Menthol (up to 50%) and menthone (up to 45%)

Aromatherapeutic Use

Blends well with: Eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, and rosemary

Warnings:

• Avoid during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
• Should not be used on or around children under 7: can result in suffocation due to paralysing of autonomic nervous system functions.
• Not safe for use for folks with high blood pressure.
• Can cause skin irritation and chemical burns: use diluted to under 1%.
• Inhaling large amounts can lead to dizziness, confusion, nausea, double vision, muscle weakness, and other symptoms.
• Do not add to baths.

Spearmint

Scientific Name: Mentha spicata
Folk Names: Garden mint, green mint, lamb mint, our lady’s mint,

Magical

Element: Water
Direction: West
Day: Wednesday
Planet: Uranus
Zodiac: Aquarius

Magical Properties: Mental powers, clarity

Substitutions: Peppermint

Magical Uses

• Use spearmint in a poppet for healing respiratory/lung issues.
• Add spearmint leaves under your pillow for protection while sleeping.

Aromatherapy

Part Used: Flowers
Extraction Method: Steam distillation
Flash Point: 58°C

Scent Type: Herbaceous
Perfume Note: Top
Scent Description: Fresh, cool, minty aroma

Active Constituents: Carvones (~50%), limonene (20-30%), and eucalyptol

Aromatherapeutic Use

Blends well with: Basil, eucalyptus, lavender, and rosemary

Warnings:

• Avoid during pregnancy.
• May cause skin irritation and sensitisation, dilute double for topical application.

Botanical

Mentha contains 13-24 distinct species, whose native range includes most continents (excluding South America and Antarctica). As these species hybridise extremely readily, with hundreds/thousands of described taxa, and over 3,000 names recorded (mostly synonyms and illegitimate names).

Type: Herb
Plant Height: 10-120cm
Spread: Indeterminate
Stems: Square, erect stem, with above-ground runners Leaves: Opposite, oval-to-lance-shaped, often downy, with serrated edges
Flowers: White-to-purple in false whorls/vertical spikes
Fruit: Nutlet with 1-4 seeds

Etymology: Both ‘mint’ and the genus name ‘mentha’ derive from the Greek Minthe, the name of a nymph associated with the river Cocytus, who was transformed into the plant in the myth of Hades and Persephone.

In the Garden

Type: Perennial
Sow: Spring
Light: Partial shade
Water: Keep moist
Soil: Rich

Companion Planting: Plant near roses to deter aphids.

Tips:

• Mint is more effective grown from cuttings or division than seed.
• Mint is famous for overtaking gardens if grown in the ground - to prevent this, grow in pots, or be sure to plant into a bottomless container extending at least 30cm underground and slightly above, so that only above-ground spread needs to be actively managed.
• If planting multiple types of mint, be sure not to plant them near each other, as this tends to result in them losing their individual flavours/scents.