Vanilla: a flower of desire, wealth, and the Morning Star

February is almost over, so we will continue with another ingredient which corresponds to matters of the heart-- this one is royalty both in the kitchen and in the witch's pantry: Vanilla.

These aren't vanilla flowers, but they share some symbolism with them. These are the first blossoms on our plum tree at Cauldron HQ. Spring is on its way!

Vanilla corresponds to Venus and is ruled by the element of Water. Vanilla is a member of the orchid family, and the part of the plant used for culinary purposes is the "bean" or seed pod. The root of the word "vanilla" is "vaina" meaning "sheath" from the Latin for "vagina". Vanilla is feminine, powerful, and the second most expensive herb in the world: use this ingredient in kitchen-witchery for love, lust, and desire. It also has calming properties and has a good reputation for supporting mental alertness and studying. Perhaps because it is very expensive, it is also used in magic having to do with money, prosperity, and wealth. Vanilla is an excellent ingredient, in general, for attraction-- drawing what you desire toward you.

Medicinally, vanilla bean is antioxidant, antibacterial, and aphrodisiac. It has also been used to treat intestinal gas, cough, colds, fever, and as a sweetener in place of sugar.

The Aztecs considered vanilla a sacred herb and used it in offerings and incense. The story about the true origins of vanilla, however, comes from the tribe the Aztecs conquered: the indigenous Totonac people of Mexico.  In the legend, the beautiful princess Tzacopontziza (her name means "Morning Star") was picking flowers to offer to the goddess of her people. The young prince Zkatan-Oxga (his name means "Young Deer") fell in love with her and waited daily just to watch her pass by, hiding in the dense underbrush of the forest. Because the princess was dedicated to the temple of the goddess, she was forbidden to marry on punishment of death. Even so, the prince eventually was overcome by desire and captured her, stealing her away into the forest. Most stories agree that the princess went with him willingly. However, before they could reach their destination, the priests of the goddess caught them, and beheaded both of them on the spot. Their hearts were carved from their bodies and taken to the temple. It is said that a tall vine sprang up from the blood where the lovers tragically died: this was the birth of Xanat, the Vanilla orchid. The entire plant: the orchids, the pods, and its perfume were designated as sacred gifts.

One of my favorite witchy recipes for vanilla is vanilla sugar, which is easy to make, and also extends the life of an expensive vanilla bean pod. You can use this sugar in anything you like: dessert recipes, hot cocoa (I will have at least one post here about chocolate, I promise), tea, or on its own in magical work.

You can use white sugar for this, but raw turbinado sugar is higher in quality and tastes better, which is why I prefer it. Please buy free trade products: both vanilla and sugar have a dark history.


Vanilla Sugar

Ingredients:

• 1/2 fresh vanilla bean pod
• 1 cup of raw turbinado sugar
• 1 bowl
• 1 sharp knife
• 1 pretty jar with a good sealing cap

Directions:

Pour the sugar into a clean bowl. With a very sharp knife, (feel free to use your magical blade for herbs if you have one) split the vanilla bean pod down the seam lengthwise and gently open it up. With the tip of the blade scrape out the vanilla seeds as shown below. Mix the seeds into the sugar.

Chop the remaining pod into inch long pieces mix these into the sugar as well. Do not eat them: they will continue to flavor the sugar over time.

You can use the pods for sigil work, too.

Put the vanilla sugar into a pretty jar. Charge or bless this with intention as you see fit. You can store this for many weeks and even months: the vanilla flavor becomes more pronounced over time.

I use this pretty jar embossed with sakura, or cherry blossom flowers. Like plum, sakura shares some qualities with vanilla.