Herbs in Witchcraft - Black Pepper

Black pepper is one of the common kitchen ingredients ever, but it also has potent magical properties and healing benefits.

A shaker of black pepper is found on almost every dining table in the Western world. Once it was a precious and expensive spice, but today it's used in almost every savory (and even some sweet) recipe along with salt as a basic seasoning. It's so ubiquitous, we often take it for granted.

But even this simple ingredient adds a certain vibration to your food and your life. It can bring healing and help you make powerful magick. Let's get into it.

Healing Properties of Black Pepper

The plant from which black pepper is derived is native to India, so it's no surprise to find it used in Ayurvedic healing. The heating properties are said to help metabolize food as it's digested. The taste of black pepper on the tongue signals your body to release stomach acids so your food is properly digested. It's the proverbial fire in the belly.

Pepper's stimulating energy is also used to clear respiratory congestion. Mixed with honey, it can help you cough up all that gross mucus. You'll also find it in traditional herbal remedies like fire cider because of it's antiseptic properties.

This spicy berry also contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The essential oils is sometimes combined with Epsom salts to soothe sore muscles.

As always, consult a professional before beginning any herbal remedies.

Magical Properties of Black Pepper
Planet - Mars
Element - fire
Gender - masculine/projective
Magickal properties - protection, release of negative energy, inner strength, confidence, exorcism, release jealousy

Magical & Spiritual Properties of Black Pepper

Black pepper sits right next to salt in most kitchens, but it's often overlooked as a spell ingredient. Like salt, it also carries strong protective properties, but with its fire energy, it can be used in more active banishing spells as well. It's metaphysical armour is a bit more aggressive.

Ruled by Mars and Saturn, it can also help to release jealousy and other negative energy. And as a masculine or projective herb, pepper can be added to spells for confidence and inner strength.

Witchcraft Uses

There are limitless ways to use black pepper in your witchcraft, so let your intuition be your guide. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

The most obvious time to use black pepper is in kitchen magick. Every time you grind or sprinkle black pepper onto your food, you can call in whatever aspect of its energy you require, whether that's a burst of confidence or a bit of protection.
Add a peppercorn to a healing tea blend when you have a cold.
Add whole peppercorns to charm bags or spell jars for protection.
Use black pepper essential oil to banish aches and pains.
Dress candles to supercharge your spells.
Include black pepper in a homemade protection powder to scatter around your home or in front of your doors and windows.

Recipes for the Kitchen Witch

I absolutely love adding freshly ground pepper to my food and can sometimes be a bit heavy handed with it, I admit. I love the stimulating flavor though, especially in creamy and calm foods like mac and cheese. So with that, you can bet that it's found as a background seasoning in most of my savory recipes.

There are a couple dishes, though, that particularly celebrate the flavor of black pepper. Use these recipes when you especially want to highlight the energy of this spice in your kitchen magick.

So, how do you like to use black pepper in your witchcraft practice? Let me know in hte comments. If you're not using it already, I hope this will inspire you to make the most of this easy to find ingredient. It's ideal for practical magick since it's almost certainly already in your kitchen.