Meet Mint. The Ancient herb of renewal, protection and health.
I arrived at granny’s garden and had no idea she had such an abundance of herbs and vegetables at this time of year. Some she didn’t know were herbal allies like goldenrod and red amaranth. But in this photo she had transferred a single mint plant (Mentha spicata) and it expanded to this(those dang pollinators). Unbeknownst to her it would soon take over one section of the garden. I harvested some but could not make a dent... 😳 But this is the magic of mint.
The Mythical Mint
Mint's characteristic smell has made it one of the more popular perfuming herbs throughout history.
Mint is an ancient herb used since antiquity for its culinary, medicinal and aromatic properties. The origins of mint are honored in a Greek myth that tells the tale that the plant was originally a nymph (Minthe), who was transformed into a plant by Persephone, who was jealous of the affections that her husband Pluto was showing to Minthe. While Pluto could not reverse the spell that his wife cast, he did impart Minthe with a sweet smell, so when she was walked upon in the garden, her aroma would be delightful to the senses.
Mint has played an important role in the American tradition. While the Native Americans were using mint even before the arrival of the European settlers, the early colonists brought this prized herb with them from the Old World since they had long honored it for its therapeutic properties, as well as for the delicious hot tea beverage made from its leaves.
Mint is such a beautiful herb with so many varieties like peppermint, horsemint, Apple mint, pineapple mint, ginger mint, corn mint and their many uses.
But there are sooo many herbs that are of the mint family like lavender, thyme and oregano that we would think of as mint becuse of their scent but they are and so are many more you who belong to the same plant family.
But here we are going to look at the common mints a.k.a Mentha that we all know and love.
Here’s a few ways to use mint:
•digestive aid
•nausea and motion sickness
•headaches
•mood enhancing
•calming
•stimulant
•breath freshener
•antimicrobial
•anti-inflammatory
•joint pains
•injuries
•fevers
•perfume
•spasms
•depression
•mental fog
•insomnia
•respiratory support
•vomiting
•diuretic
•colic
•itchy skin
And much more
𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑡 is easily a culinary herb and can be added to just about anything.
Several common foods that use mint are
•Mint tea
•salad dressing
•lamb
•Vietnamese cuisine
•salmon
•chicken
•coffee drinks
•holiday drinks
•mint julep and other cocktails
•smoothies
•pesto
•Greek Cuisine
•cookies, pies and desserts
and the list goes on.
Spiritually, mint is calming, relaxing and uplifting. It also clears the mind of mental fog helping you focus. It is a protective plant family in general but common mint is also used to bring in money and prosperity in some spiritual practices. Witnesssing how quickly it multiplied at granny’s garden shows us its magic in creating abundance in our lives.
Interested in experiencing the many healing benefits of mint?
Try these sweet scented products from our apothecary and get your fill today!
𝐻𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑇𝑒𝑎
𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑏 - sᴇᴀsᴏɴᴀʟ
𝑊𝑎𝑟𝑚 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑚𝑢𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑢𝑏
𝙑𝙚𝙙𝙖 𝐵𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐵𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 - ʟɪᴍɪᴛᴇᴅ sᴜᴘᴘʟʏ
𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙗 𝐺𝑜𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚
𝐿𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟-𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑙 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑦
𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝐿𝑖𝑝 𝐵𝑎𝑙𝑚 - ʟɪᴍɪᴛᴇᴅ sᴜᴘᴘʟʏ
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑥𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐵𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑇𝑒𝑎
𝑀𝑠.𝑀𝑒𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑇𝑒𝑎-ʟɪᴍɪᴛᴇᴅ
𝐶𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑖𝑟 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 - ʟɪᴍɪᴛᴇᴅ sᴜᴘᴘʟʏ 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑇𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 - ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ sᴏᴏɴ
To learn more about herbs & ways to prepare them visit one of my favorite sites theherbalacademy.com. Visit the Apothecary and Spa Store for purchase mint products at littleloveaffairs.com. If you have questions or would like a consultation email me at toussainttinctures@gmail.com
HAPPY HEALING!
~Lea Afia
Information offered on Toussaint Tinctures websites is for educational purposes only. Toussaint Tinctures makes neither medical claim, nor intends to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Links to external sites are for informational purposes only. Toussaint Tinctures neither endorses them nor is in any way responsible for their content. Readers must do their own research concerning the safety, contraindications and usage of any herbs or supplements.
References : Herbal Alchemist Handbook, K.Harrison; The Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, S.Cunningham; Karen Rose of Sacred Vibes Healing; Medical Herbalism, J.Ritchason N.D.; The Little Herb Book, P.Johnson and J.Ritchason;
http://www.whfoods.com