COMMON NAME: Pepper, Black

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Piper nigrum

FAMILY NAME: Piperaceae (Pepper)

INDIGENOUS COUNTRY: South-west India

COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION: Madagascar, India, Indonesia, China

HISTORY INFORMATION: Black pepper is one of the oldest known spices as it has been used in India, Greece, and Rome for thousands of years. In Chinese medicine, it is used to treat malaria, cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, stomach ache. Monks in India use it to give them endurance. In Rome the spice was used as gold. During the Middle Ages, pepper was considered the most important spice for trade.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Black pepper is the dried, fully grown, ripe fruit. White pepper has the outer skin of the dried, ripe black pepper removed making it not so spicy. Ground-up pepper rapidly loses its spiciness. Green Pepper oil is distilled from the green immature fruits. Red pepper comes from a different species, Schinus.

DESCRIPTION OF PLANT: A perennial vine growing to 15ft high with heart shaped leaves and small white flowers producing red berries that turn to black.

PARTS PROCESSED: Dried and crushed peppercorns

PROCESSING METHODS: Steam distilled

COLOR RANGE: Clear to light olive

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Class: Monoterpene?/Sesquiterpene. Thujene, limonene (0-40%), pinene (5-35%), camphene, sabinene

PHYSICAL ACTIONS AND USES: Analgesic, antibacterial, anticonvulsive, antidote, antiemetic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitoxic, antitussive, aperitive, aphrodisiac, cardiac, carminative, detoxifier, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, drying, expectorant, febrifuge, heating, insect repellent, insecticide, laxative, rubefacient, sedative, stimulant (circulation, kidneys), stomachic, tonic, tonifying, vasodilator. Used to warm, to increase circulation, improve digestion, improve mental clarity, stimulate, revive, loosen tight muscles.

MENTAL USES: I am doing the best I can. I can identify and move through my issues quickly and effortlessly.

EMOTIONAL USES: Resistant, frustrated, in therapy or processing forever and frustrated TO relieved, moving through issues and onto the new.

SPIRITUAL USES: Can indicate that you have worked and worked to improve yourself and yet you are still dealing with the same old issues. Black Pepper will move out trapped or blocked emotions within the energy field that may be preventing you from getting closure. Black Pepper often indicates that you are at a turning point in learning the lessons that you have come to learn and it moves you onto higher levels of experience.

APPLICATIONS: Bath (with proper fixed oil), massage, mist spray.

WARNINGS\CONTRAINDICATIONS: Nontoxic, rubefacient properties can irritate the skin, use moderately. There are references that say it can cause kidney problems but I could see no validity to it.