Ecological Benefits and Mythology of Catnip

Hey dear community, first of all I would like to welcome you all to my new post and hope you had a day that was full of positive experiences! In this post, I would like to talk about the ecological benefits and mythology of a plant and hope you can learn something new.

The plant that can be seen here also bears the name catnip or scientifically Nepeta cataria and is particularly popular with cats and puts them in a kind of intoxication and this effect can be traced back to the active ingredient nepetalactone. Catnip is also interesting with insects and if it shows the flowers, they are particularly relevant for numerous different types of insects and especially often you can see bees, bumblebees or butterflies here and in addition it can also help against vermin because of the scent and be a great protection against mosquitoes which is also very easy to care for. The intoxicating effect on cats can also be found in Celtic mythology where there is talk of a cat with the name Cait Sith which take the souls of the dead and brings them into the underworld and according to some legends Cait Sith was often distracted with the effect of this plant. Catnip was also already used in ancient Egypt and was associated there with the well-known fertility goddess Bastet and the flowers which also have a beguiling scent were used to embalming mummies and cats had a particularly high priority in Egypt and the plant was also dried and placed in the grave of cats. Also in other cultures it was often associated as a divine or magical plant and there were also views that it could help to improve intuition or to get into contact with the supernatural and in addition it can also be of interest for protective spells and in numerous different cultures it was used for ritual purposes. The plant was also often dried and worn as jewelry and there was the view that it can bring happiness and if you plant it near the house, this can bring happiness and protect it from negative influences. It also appears in Roman mythology and has an important meaning and was associated there with the goddess of love Venus and the Greeks dedicated this plant to the god of the wine Dionysus. Early on, the medical potential of catnip was discovered and it has a calming effect and can help well against stress and the importance of the plant can already be found in medieval writings where the effect has been praised by numerous scholars. As always, I would like to mention that in case of illness, you should always ask your doctor or pharmacist of trust about the correct use and possible side effects to avoid complications!

Thanks a lot for stopping by and I hope you could learn something new about mythology! I captured these pictures with my Camera Sony Alpha 6000 plus 55-210 mm lens!