In herb magic, mint is associated with money, luck, healing and fresh starts, and it’s one of the easiest magical herbs to grow and work with. You probably already have it in your kitchen as tea, sweets or a garnish, which makes it a friendly first herb if you’re new to spellwork.
One rule before anything else: leave pennyroyal out of your practice. It’s a member of the mint family that turns up in old recipes, and it’s poisonous. Spearmint or peppermint does the same symbolic job.
Mint Leaf Magical Properties
Mint carries a rich religious heritage from ancient Greece, where it became tied to mystical experience and to the cycle of death and rebirth. Today, practitioners mostly reach for it for luck, healing and wealth.
○ Mint for Healing Energy
Mint is known in herbal tradition for its healing energy, and practitioners use it to call wellness into their lives, for the body and for the heart.
That spiritual work sits alongside proper care, never in place of it. If you’re unwell, see a doctor, and let mint support your intention.
A simple ritual: make a cup of mint tea, hold it in both hands, fill it with your intent to heal, then drink it slowly. Use leaves or a tea bag, never drops of essential oil, in anything you drink. Practitioners say mint’s healing reaches emotional pain as much as physical, so it’s a good ritual for heartbreak or a rough week too. On nights when you want something gentler and sleepier, chamomile works well in its place.
○ Bring Good Spiritual Energy Into Your Home
Like most magical herbs, mint is used to cleanse and protect a home and chase away negative influences. Its reputation goes further than banishing, though. Mint is also said to draw the positive in.
Try keeping a bowl of fresh mint on your altar. In folk practice, helpful spirits are drawn to it and bring uplifting, healing energy into the room. You could also hang a bundle of mint over your doorways to welcome kindly spirits. You get the good vibes and a fresh scent, and the spirits get somewhere inviting to rest.
Got a cat or dog? Hang that bundle high and keep the bowl out of reach. The ASPCA lists garden mint as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with vomiting and diarrhoea after large amounts.
○ Attract Wealth With Mint
Mint is one of the herbs most often linked with wealth and prosperity, which makes it a natural choice for money spells. Here are some to try:
- Tuck a mint leaf into your desk drawer at work to call in success (maybe even a promotion).
- Keep a dried leaf in your wallet so prosperity follows you wherever you go.
- Anoint a green candle with mint oil and say an affirmation like “Money is flowing into my life” as you work, then light it and stay with it while it burns. Use oil you’ve already mixed into a carrier oil such as olive or sunflower: Poison Control says diluting essential oils in a carrier oil is the best way to avoid a bad reaction from skin contact.
Practitioners often pair mint with calendula, another prosperity herb, in a sachet or jar spell for double the effect. And if you like building money spells around more than one herb, bay leaf is a classic partner.
○ Mint May Bring You Luck
Mint is considered a lucky herb in general, so it isn’t only for money.
Maybe you’re chasing a breakthrough at work, or you’re about to ask your crush out. Or you just need a little luck finding the fix for a problem with your home or car. Whatever is going on, carry a pinch of dried mint in a small sachet in your pocket. Tradition says it helps tip fate your way.
Many people find the ritual simply makes them feel more confident, and a confident person is more likely to spot an opportunity and take it.
○ Mint Was Part of the Eleusinian Mysteries
If you’re interested in ancient Greek religion, you may know the initiation rites called the Eleusinian Mysteries.
These rites involved the story of Persephone, who became queen of the Underworld and spends part of each year there with Hades. While she’s gone, her mother Demeter, the grain goddess, mourns, and the earth falls into winter. When Persephone returns to the upper world, Demeter rejoices and brings back spring and summer.
At the high point of the Mysteries, initiates broke a sacred fast by drinking a barley drink called kykeon. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, the goddess accepts a kykeon made from water, barley and pennyroyal, a type of mint.
That’s why we don’t give the traditional recipe for brewing at home. Pennyroyal oil is highly toxic, and Poison Control reports that its use has caused severe illness, liver failure and death. The tea isn’t a safe workaround either, since Poison Control also notes that infants have been badly sickened by teas made with pennyroyal that people thought was ordinary mint.
For a kykeon-inspired drink in a Demeter or Persephone ritual, use spearmint or peppermint instead. Simmer a spoonful of pearl barley in water, strain it, and steep a few fresh spearmint leaves in the warm barley water. The symbolism is all still there: grain for Demeter, mint for the threshold between worlds. Buy your mint from a grocer, or grow a plant labelled spearmint (Mentha spicata) or peppermint (Mentha × piperita). Pass on any herb, tea or oil labelled pennyroyal or Mentha pulegium, and never brew wild mint you can’t name for sure.
○ Mint Represents Ascension, Rebirth, and Spring
Greek myth gives mint its own tie to the underworld. Minthe was a nymph and Hades’ lover, and in the story she is turned into the mint plant, by Persephone in some tellings and Demeter in others. Mint was also used in Greek funeral rites.
Like Persephone, mint is linked to the passage between life and death. It stands for the cycle of death, rebirth and renewal on Earth.
Here are some ways practitioners use mint for this:
- Offer fresh mint to Persephone or Demeter to strengthen your connection with them or to ask for their help.
- If you’re in a “down” cycle, struggling with sickness, money worries or other hardships, use mint in a renewal ritual. The hope is that the winter of your life turns to spring and you get your own kind of rebirth.
- When praying for the dead or trying to reach someone who has passed, some people use mint to open a conduit between the world of the living and the world beyond.
Healing Properties and Household Uses of Mint
Mint earns its place in rituals and spells, and it’s just as handy around the house. Some of its health reputation holds up. Some of it needs a caution attached.
○ Mint Health Benefits
The health use with real research behind it is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and that research is on peppermint oil in capsules, not on mint tea. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says a small amount of research suggests enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules may improve IBS symptoms in adults, and a 2022 review of 10 studies with 1,030 participants found the oil beat a placebo for overall symptoms and tummy pain, though with more side effects. General indigestion is another story: NCCIH finds no evidence that peppermint oil on its own helps, and says it may make indigestion worse in some people. The oil can also cause heartburn, nausea, stomach pain and a dry mouth. Plain peppermint leaf tea appears to be safe, though nobody knows what drinking large amounts over the long term does. If you have IBS, talk to your doctor before buying capsules.
Our take: if you get heartburn or acid reflux, skip mint after meals. MedlinePlus, the US National Library of Medicine’s health site, tells people with reflux (GERD) to avoid items with spearmint or peppermint. That includes the after-dinner mint tea that’s supposed to settle your stomach.
What about colds? Menthol, the cooling compound in mint, makes your nose feel clearer without actually clearing it. In a classic study, breathing menthol vapour made no consistent difference to how much air moved through the nose, but most people said air seemed to flow more freely, and the researchers found no evidence of a decongestant effect. A mug of mint tea can make a cold more bearable, and that’s about it.
Keep menthol and peppermint oil away from babies’ and small children’s faces, though. NCCIH warns it may affect their breathing. That goes for rubs, inhalers and a few drops on a pillow.
○ Freshen Your Breath
Mint is one of the best herbs for masking bad smells. If you grow it, you don’t need to buy breath mints: chew a couple of fresh leaves or sip mint tea, and your breath will smell fresher for a while.
That only hides the smell for a while. If bad breath keeps coming back however well you brush, mention it to your dentist.
○ Keep Pests Away with Mint
Lots of gardeners set out peppermint or spearmint leaves, or keep pots of mint by the door, to discourage flies, ants and spiders. It’s harmless to try and it smells lovely, just don’t count on it to keep bites away. The CDC says it doesn’t know how well non-registered insect repellents work, including some natural ones. To stop mosquito bites, use a proper insect repellent with an ingredient the CDC lists, such as DEET or picaridin.
Fleas and ticks are where you need to be most careful. Never use pennyroyal oil or leaves for them. Poison Control’s advice is plain: never use pennyroyal oil as an insect repellent or as medicine. Pets are no safer: put on an animal, pennyroyal can cause vomiting, liver damage, seizures and death.
Ask your vet for a flea and tick product that suits your pet instead. The CDC is firmest about cats, which are extremely sensitive to a variety of chemicals, and says not to put any tick product on a cat without asking your vet first. Don’t swap in peppermint oil either. It’s one of the essential oils known to be poisonous to cats, which have fewer of the liver enzymes needed to break these oils down.
○ Try Mint for Skincare
Mint’s appeal on skin is the cool, tingly feeling menthol gives, which is why it turns up in face washes, foot creams and shower gels. Enjoy it for that. We wouldn’t rely on mint to treat acne, sun damage or psoriasis; those are worth taking to a doctor or dermatologist.
Mint oil also needs more care than it looks like it does. Menthol irritates skin in high amounts, and products containing menthol or peppermint oil can trigger a rash in some people. Never put the oil on neat, because undiluted oils on skin can make you sensitised (allergic to them) over time.
If you want to make a minty soap or body oil yourself:
- Mix the oil into a carrier oil or an unscented base before it touches skin, never straight from the bottle.
- Patch test first: dab a little of your diluted mix on your inner forearm and wait a day. Redness, itching or a rash means don’t use it.
- Keep it off your face and away from your eyes.
- Leave it out of baths and washes for babies and young children.
For most people, a ready-made mint soap or shower gel is the better choice. It’s made at a strength meant for skin, and you skip the guesswork.
○ How to Use Mint in the Kitchen
There are so many ways to cook with mint. Stir it through orzo, salads, pasta, sauces, chicken or desserts, or blend it into a yogurt dip or chutney.
It’s great in drinks too. The most famous is probably the mint julep, which Churchill Downs has promoted alongside the Kentucky Derby since 1938. For something simpler, drop a few sprigs into a jug of cold water or lemonade on a hot day.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mint
Short answers on what mint means in magic, whether it’s safe around pets, and how to grow, dry and keep it.
What is the spiritual meaning of mint?
In herb magic, mint is associated with money, luck, healing and renewal. Practitioners use it in prosperity spells, carry it for luck, drink it as tea in healing rituals, and offer it to Persephone and Demeter, whose story ties mint to the cycle of death, rebirth and spring.
Is pennyroyal safe?
No. Pennyroyal is a member of the mint family, but its oil is highly toxic and has caused severe illness, liver failure and death. Infants have been badly sickened by teas made with pennyroyal mistaken for ordinary mint, and it was once used to try to end pregnancies, which is never safe. Don’t drink it, don’t put it on your skin, and never use it on pets for fleas or ticks. For rituals that call for pennyroyal, such as a kykeon for Demeter, use spearmint or peppermint instead. If anyone swallows pennyroyal, call your local poison centre or emergency number straight away.
Is mint safe for cats and dogs?
Not to eat. The ASPCA lists garden mint as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, usually causing vomiting and diarrhoea when a pet eats a lot of it. Mint oils are a bigger worry than the leaves, and cats are especially sensitive to peppermint oil. Keep fresh and dried mint, and any mint oil, out of your pet’s reach, and call your vet or a pet poison line if you think your pet has eaten some.
How do you grow mint?
Plant mint in rich, well-draining soil in full sun or partial shade, and water it about once a week, more often in hot weather. Mint spreads fast through underground runners, so most gardeners grow it in a pot, or a pot sunk into the ground, to stop it taking over the bed.
How do you harvest mint?
Pick leaves whenever you need them. For a bigger harvest, cut the stems just above a pair of leaves before the plant flowers, when the flavour is strongest. Mint grows back quickly, so you can usually cut it several times in one season.
Should you use fresh or dried mint?
Many cooks prefer fresh mint for its flavour and texture, especially in salads, drinks and other cold dishes. Dried mint works well in cooked dishes, teas and sachets, and it’s the usual choice for a wallet or pocket charm because it lasts.
How do you dry mint?
Tie a few stems in a small bunch and hang them upside down somewhere warm, dry and out of direct sun until the leaves crumble easily. For faster drying, use a dehydrator or a low oven, checking often so the leaves don’t scorch.
How do you preserve mint?
Keep fresh mint in the fridge wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a sealed bag, or stand the stems in a glass of water like a bouquet. You can also freeze chopped mint in ice cube trays with a little water, or dry it and store it in a sealed container away from light.
