Cayenne it Up!

Do you use cayenne pepper in your cooking? Did you know it’s one of nature’s most powerful medicines? It’s also one of my favorites. My husband and I consume cayenne, if not daily, then weekly. It depends on the time of year; of course, we consume it more in winter. But if either of us has a fever, it’s the first herb we turn to.

To deepen my relationship with this wonderful herb, I spent a week using it in different forms. I made a drink each morning with 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder (this should be from a herbal shop or home-grown, as the spice at a grocery store won’t be as fresh or potent), and a large spoon of honey and filled with hot water. It was hard to drink the first time, but I quickly got accustomed to the tingle; it didn’t burn much, and soon, I began to enjoy it.

The next way I used it was to stop bleeding from a cut. I was cutting some potatoes in the kitchen and cut myself. The cut wasn’t deep but bled quite a lot until I put cayenne pepper on the wound. It immediately stopped bleeding and didn’t sting a bit. I learned that cayenne is a great styptic. One of its herbal actions is hemostatic, and I proved it works really well.

I also used cayenne in one of my monthly spells. Cayenne is a power enhancer. It will increase the herbal action of other herbs, both in herbal medicine and in spell work. I do a cinnamon spell on the first day of each month (details at the end of the post) to bring abundance to our home. Before I even knew the qualities of cayenne, I began using a pinch along with my cinnamon as I felt it would add power to the spell. I have long done my spellwork intuitively like this, and I later found out that there was a scientific basis for that specific herb. Exciting!

One of the reactions to the cayenne-lemon drink was both my husband, and I brought up mucus. While this only happened once for me and twice for him, it was a huge benefit. It’s never pleasant to purge, but there is a reason why your body does this. Having a lot of mucus in the stomach isn’t good for your digestion, so our bodies purge it. We had both been sick and inflamed from the food we were eating (long story), but we are now cooking for ourselves again and no longer have this issue. The cayenne helped our bodies to purge what wasn’t good for us. I’ve had cayenne many times since, and this hasn’t happened again.

Another delicious way to add cayenne to your diet is to put a pinch in your morning coffee. I find it delicious and gives an energy zing. You can also add some to hot chocolate. The Mayans added hot chili peppers to their chocolate along with other ingredients (Whitakers, 2024).

Observations

I noted some things during the week of getting to know cayenne. I was somewhat hesitant because of the spiciness and thought it would burn my mouth. It didn’t. If you have a sore throat or open sores in your mouth, it’s not a good idea to consume it, but for me, it was more of a tingle that didn’t bother me. I found myself feeling energized, more powerful, and alert.

It’s like a spicy friend with a soft heart who only wants the best for you.

Cayenne peppers are tiny but powerful. You only need a small amount for a dramatic effect.

Other ways to use cayenne:

Make an oil infusion and use that in a salve for topical pain
Have it on hand and add at least a pinch to your food for all the benefits
Keep some in your first-aid kit for bleeding
Take a small amount in hot water with other herbs for gas and bloating
Use for fevers

Herbal Actions: Stomachic, carminative, antispasmodic, rubifacient, alterative, stimulant, hemostatic, emetic, tonic, analgesic, alterative, astringint

Cayenne is also good for coughs, asthma, your heart and circulation, neuralgia pain, headaches, arthritis, ulcers, colds and flu, and so much more.

Cayenne has become one of my best herbal allies, and I always have some on hand. I would love to hear your thoughts if you try the lemon drink. Try it for a week and see how your body responds. You should at least notice a decrease in inflammation. Just keep in mind the contraindications and don’t take it if you have any of the below:

a large, strong pulse (cayenne is a stimulant)
a very high fever
overly heated constitution
heart medications

Cinnamon Spell

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (you can use a mortar and pestle to grind up the bark if you prefer)
pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix the cinnamon and pepper in a bowl, then place it in the palm of your hand (whichever hand feels right to you) and stand in your front doorway, facing inside. Say this spell, and when finished, blow the cinnamon into your house while you envision abundance (however you imagine it) flowing into your home along with the cinnamon.