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Lesson Nine

Kathleen Petrides

This weeks’ oil is one of my personal favorites. Black Pepper. I love the spicy sweetness of it. I also love what it can do for a person.

Okay, you know the routine. Get your Q-tips out and do your sniffing. What do you think? Is it a heavy smell? Light? Earthy? Does it smell like mangoes? How about a little bit citrusy? And of course, where does it ring the inner bell of totalness? At the top, middle or bottom? How does it make you FEEL? Happy? Depressed? Giddy or sneezy? Do you LIKE it?

Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) SD (Steam Distilled)

Black Pepper, just it’s name alone, tells you that it is a warming oil. It improves blood flow to the area that it is applied, helps to ease soreness and stiffness, and if you are feeling really cold, a bath in black pepper can really warm you up.

Safety information: There seems to be little irritation associated to this oil, although there have been a few reported cases of dermatitis caused by black Pepper. According to Martin Watt in his publication ‘Plant Aromatics’; "Due to it’s highly variable chemical composition, this oils should be used with care when it is applied to the skin in massage or bath preparations."

Magical Uses for Black Pepper (oil or peppercorns) unlocking emotion, psychic and physical protection, energy, courage, for overcoming negativity and for focusing.

Main Chemical Composition: Sesquiterpene’s and phenol ethers.

Black Pepper is used for arthritis, sore muscles, stiffness, rheumatism, tendentious, neuralgia, sprains, a mental stimulant, frigidity, impotence, catarrh, chronic bronchitis, laryngitis, warms chills, increases local circulation, tonsillitis, possible aid to a weight loss diet, stimulates appetite, colic, constipation, nausea, vomiting.

Drops for 1 tablespoon or 15 mls is three. Why three and not six? It’s not a heavy smelling oil, it fact, as far as odors go, it’s a bit of a lightweight, so why only three? Can you reason it out?

Think about it’s main properties/use. It’s a warming oil. There’s your hint, and I know you can figure it out.

This is where I want to mention again about the amount one uses on young children. For children two and over it’s one half the amount one would use on a normal healthy adult. Under two, I prefer to use a quarter of the amount one would use on a normal health adult.

What about the elderly? When using essential oils on the elderly, use the same amount you would on a child. Their skin is thinner and more delicate.

All of these suggestions are just that: suggestions. This is just a general rule of thumb, and does not apply to every child, to everyone over 65, or to every adult. Always take into consideration, size, weight, general state of health, allergies etc.

Suggestions for magical usage: Diffuse black pepper when doing complicated rituals and spell work that require a lot of concentration.

Use in place of cinnamon (period in most cases) when doing ritual cleansing or when making up a ritual oil. It’s safer and a lot less likely to be irritating to the skin when used properly.

For psychic protection try making a sachet with Lavender, Rose petals, Geranium petals, sew it up and add a drop or two of Black Pepper oil. Or if you like, switch one of the the flower petals with peppercorns and use the flowers oils instead.

And that’s lesson nine.

That’s it for this week.

Bright Blessings

Kathleen Petrides
GreenLady