- Latin name
- Mentha x piperita
- Element
- fire
- Planet
- Venus
- Safe to eat?
- Yes, in normal kitchen amounts
How to use it
- Brew a fresh-leaf tea to clear the head
- Rub a leaf on your wallet or altar for prosperity
- Add fresh sprigs to a cleansing bath
- Hang a dried bundle in the home to freshen the air
Lore
In Greek myth the nymph Minthe was loved by Hades and turned into the mint plant by a jealous Persephone. Peppermint itself is a natural hybrid of water mint and spearmint, first described in England in the late 1600s.
Safety
Safe as a tea in normal amounts, though it can worsen heartburn or reflux. The essential oil is very strong: never use it neat on skin, never swallow it, and keep it away from the faces of babies and young children. Mint oils are harmful to cats and dogs.
Gods linked with it
- Hades Lord of the underworld and giver of wealth
- Persephone Queen of the underworld and the returning spring
More fire herbs
- Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus
- Calendula Calendula officinalis
- Bay Laurel Laurus nobilis
- Basil Ocimum basilicum
- Cinnamon Cinnamomum verum
- Juniper Juniperus communis
- Rowan Sorbus aucuparia
- St John's Wort Hypericum perforatum