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Botanical Name
Anacardium occidentale
Needs Review

Details

Cashew is a tropical evergreen tree grown for the kidney-shaped nut that hangs beneath its fruit. Cunningham calls it masculine, with the Sun and fire, and gives it a single power, money. He says cashews are used in prosperity and money spells, and lists the folk names Mbiba, Kasui and Mkanju. Wikipedia describes the tree and the nut and notes that the shell and the raw seed are toxic, while the shelled nut is edible once roasted or steamed. The oil in the shell can cause contact dermatitis, in the way of poison ivy. The two sources agree on what the plant is, and only Cunningham speaks to its use in magic.

Caution

Wikipedia says the nut shell and the raw seed are toxic, and that the oil in the shell causes contact dermatitis, as poison ivy does. The nut is edible once it is shelled and roasted or steamed.

References

#1#2

Correspondences

Elements
Fire
Celestial Bodies
Sun
Zodiac Signs
No zodiac signs recorded.
Colours
No colours recorded.
Deities
No deities recorded.

Folk Names

  • Kasui
  • Mbiba
  • Mkanju

Categories

  • Prosperity
  • Wealth

Substitutes

No substitutes recorded.

Forms

Nut

Cunningham uses cashews in prosperity and money spells.

References

#3

References

Notes

  1. Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical, under "Cashew".
  2. Wikipedia, under "Cashew."
  3. Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical, under "Cashew".

Bibliography

  • Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. 2nd ed. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2012. (EPUB.)13
  • Wikipedia, under "Cashew." Accessed October 23, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cashew&oldid=1380657871. Open the Source (opens in a new tab)2