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Magickal and Medicinal Herbs: Valerian 101 from witchygypsymomma.com

Valerian Plant

Valerian Dried

Valerian is a legendary herbal ally that most of us can grow right in our own backyards. Let’s dig deeper into its surprising medicinal and magickal properties!

Valerian Root Valerina officinalis

Growing to four feet, valerian is a clump-forming perennial herb with a yellow-brown rhizome, hollow stems, deeply divided leaves, and small white or pinkish flowers that form flat topped clusters. It is native to Europe and Asia, but is naturalized in North America. In the wild it grows in grasslands, damp meadows, and along streams.

If you choose to include this botanical bad boy in your witchy garden, I suggest locating it near the catnip and extending the anti-cat stakes into its bed. Depending on your regional watering needs for this group of plants, I imagine a perennial bed of echinacea, catnip, and valerian would be breathtaking. Or at least beautiful.

Valerian’s unique aroma seems to have a similar affect on our feline friends as catnip does. They will actively seek out valerian, bite at the root, and even roll around on it. Cats aren’t the only ones attracted to this pungent perennial. Legend has it that the Pied Piper of Hamelin used valerian to attract the rats when luring them out of town.

Valerian root has a 2,000 year history as a sedative. Over 200 studies have been conducted, and it appears that even the aroma of the herb contains sedating properties. Currently, it is listed as a sleep aid in over 16 different pharmacopoeias worldwide. It is preferred over mainstream medications because it does not interact with alcohol or other drugs, as mainstream sleep aids often do.

And while it is best known for its sedative properties, it is not a niche herb. Valerian is a bit more like a one man band. It helps with sleep, nervous conditions, and stress. It also helps with circulatory issues. It slows down heart rate while increasing the force of the beats. It stimulates the stomach and intestinal motility. It has been used since ancient times as a treatment for epilepsy and even stole the spotlight for a short while as an antidote to the plague. It remains one of the best herbal sources of calcium and magnesium.

Medicinal Properties

Holistic Uses

Precautions:

Valerian is generally considered safe, but it doesn’t agree with everyone. For some people it can be stimulating and irritating, the exact opposite of what one would expect.

Avoid taking large doses of valerian for extended periods of time. Instead, take modest doses for 2 to 3 weeks and then break for a week before taking again. Happily it is nonaddictive and won’t leave you feeling too sleepy. If your muscles start feeling rubbery, that’s a sign that you’re taking too high of a dose. Just back it off a little bit and you’ll be fine.

Caution is advised during the use of barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and other sedative drugs, as valerian has the potential to increase the effects of some sedatives.

When I first got started with herbs, the first herbalist that I was drawn to was Rosemary Gladstar. She has a tincture recipe that is actually about to go on my brewing shelf for coughs. I will probably switch out the licorice root for something else and share a separate blog post at that point but for now I would like to share the original recipe in honor of one of the women who inspired me upon this path.