Cayenne: stimulant and tonic, helping digestive and circulatory disorders, Use in small amounts - approximately one-quarter of recommended general dosage ...

Common Names: Cayenne

Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum

Family: Solanaceae

Plant Type: Evergreen perennial

Parts Used: Fruit

Cayenne is native to Central and South America and Zanzibar. It grows as a perennial in its native tropical habitat, but in North America and Europe it is grown as an annual.

Description: Cayenne is a shrublike plant that grows to a height of 24 inches. The leaves are elliptical, slightly leathery, dark green and smooth. The flowers produce pods of flat, white, pungent seeds. These pods (peppers) range in color from green when immature to purple, red, orange or yellow when ripe.

Cultivation: Cayenne grows best in moist, fertile loam, with a pH of 6.8, in full sun. It is a perennial but is only hardy to zone 10, so it is treated as an annual in the North.

Harvesting: Pick leaves any time, then dry. Harvest fruit when bright red. Or hang whole plant upside-down to dry crop.

Culinary Uses: Add a half-a-pinch of ground cayenne to taste to most dishes.

Cayenne Magick

Love. Hex-breaking.

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire

Use cayenne in love sachets.

Scatter around the house to break hexes.

Add cayenne to other herbs to strengthen their impact.

Sprinkle cayenne on your altar to deepen your spiritual connection.

Use a few sprinkles of dried cayenne in your cleaning water to help purify a new home and repel negativity.

Herbal Healing with Cayenne

Medicinal Actions: Anti-catarrhal, anti-microbial, carminative, diaphoretic, stimulant, tonic

Medicinal Uses: Contains capsaicin which acts as a restorative digestive tonic. Apply externally as a poultice for painful joints. This herb has the ability to "blow open" the circulation and quickly deliver blood, oxygen and nutrients to the whole body. Herbalists have saved heart-attack victim's lives with it.

Contraindications:

•  People with intestinal disorders like chronic ulcers or chronic bowel diseases should avoid the use of cayenne in large quantities.

Travel Tip: Add a large pinch of cayenne powder to 60 ml (2 fluid ounces) grape, apple or tomato juice and drink during long drives to keep alert.

Body Care with Cayenne

• To treat chilblains, paint cayenne tincture onto your toes.
• To ease recurring headaches, heat cayenne leaves with a steam iron and apply the warmed leaves to your temples.

Tincture: 60g (2 oz) finely chopped fresh or dried cayenne pepper in 1 litre (4 cups) vodka-water mix.

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