Cat’s Claw Spagyric

Cat’s claw — Una de Gato — has been used for centuries by tribes throughout the Amazon, and it is one of the most well-studied plants to come out the Amazon that we currently use in the US. A woody vine with sharp, claw-like thorns, Cat’s Claw can climb as high as 100 feet. 

Cat’s claw has a long list of benefits: it’s anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-mutagenic, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and has immune-stimulating properties; it can help combat conditions ranging from Lyme’s disease and candida to Epstein Barr, herpes, and chronic fatigue syndrome. It is said to help prevent and treat certain types of cancer, and supporting overall good health and the immune system. It can help relieve arthritis symptoms and digestive disorders like Crohn’s. It promotes liver health and helps the body naturally repair damaged DNA. 

In the Amazon, it is not just used for its physical properties but its spiritual ones as well, these things rarely being seen as separate. Cat’s claw is described as a gate opener for its ability to open obstructions throughout the body and restore equilibrium to a system that has become unhinged; it clears obstructions from various channels both physical and spiritual in order to free the flow of energy throughout the body, and as such restore spiritual balance and release old ties. And in uses of magical it is said to attract prosperity and provide protection, enhance psychic powers and aid vision questions. It can help clear negative energy from the body and clear spiritual blockages, enhance creativity and clarity of thought, and help alleviate depression and anxiety. 

Due to it’s strong immune-stimulating properties, it should not be mixed with medications that suppress the immune system, nor with blood-thinners, diuretics, or blood pressure medication. It also has a historic use as a contraceptive, so should not be used if one is trying to get pregnant.