Witchcraft: Eggshells in Spells
When it comes to witchcraft, I have found that eggshells,
which are often discarded, are entirely underrated.
If I had the time, I would eat eggs for breakfast everyday. They’re a staple food for many people so it’s very likely that you have some on your counter or in your fridge right now.
The easiest way to collect eggshells is to boil the eggs and then peel the shells off. If I make a batch for deviled eggs or the like, I know I’ll get a lot of shells in one go that come off of the eggs pretty darn cleanly, so this is when I’ll usually batch out the shells for spellwork as well.
Tip: How I boil eggs for easy peeling is to get the pot of water boiling and carefully add the eggs straight from the fridge, setting them on the bottom of the pot with a spoon. Cook for desired time, 8 minutes gets me soft boiled eggs on my stovetop. Then pull the eggs out and rinse immediately under cold water until cool enough to handle.
Shells can definitely be collected from raw eggs as well, it just takes a bit more work. You will need to clean the shells before letting them dry. Otherwise the film of eggwhite (called albumen) clinging to the surface will spoil and get really nasty. A quick rub in a bowl with soapy water followed by a rinse with clean water will do the trick.
There is a membrane on the inside of the shells that keeps everything together. Do you need to remove this membrane? No, not really. If you’re going to grind up your eggshells into a powder, the rubberiness of the membrane can make it a little tricky to get a consistent grind, but it doesn’t matter that much. Once in a while, I will peel away this membrane to give myself a moment to relax and let my mind drift. It really depends on the eggs though. Sometimes it peels away super easily and is very satisfying. Sometimes… it’s a pain in the ass and the opposite of relaxing. In that case, I say screw it and don’t bother.
Drying your shells before using or storing them is important to prevent mold from growing on them. If you have the counter space, you can lay them out on paper towels and just leave them for a few days until the insides are dry to the touch. The oven is a solid way to make sure they are thoroughly dry, but make sure you set it to the lowest temperature it will go and put your tray in the middle of the oven. If the temp is set too high or the shells too close to the heating elements, they can burn and it is a nasty smell. I recently got an air fryer with a dehydrate setting. Dehydrators rely more heavily on air flow to remove moisture than heat so they are very effective for this.
Once your shells are nice and dry, grind them up! You could go old school with a mortar and pestle (which is also a great way to set your intentions if you already have a specific spell for these in mind) or take a modern route and use an electric spice grinder or food processor. Store your ground eggshells in a lidded container. Even though you dried them, they are porous being made almost entirely of calcium carbonate and will soak up moisture from the air if left exposed.
Okay! So you’ve prepared some ground eggshells!
Now what?
One of the most common ways that I use ground eggshells is as a substitute for salt when I’m doing a ritual outdoors. Casting a circle with salt is great indoors, but salt can be deadly for plants and any little critters in the area. Eggshells are not only not harmful to the micro ecosystem of your spell circle, but can be beneficial! The calcium carbonate that makes up over 90% of eggshell composition is the same chemical used in agricultural lime to counteract acidic soil, helping rebalance the PH to improve soil health.
Rather than putting a salt line across your entryway which can be similarly detrimental to critters who pass by, use ground eggshells. They’ll act as the same barrier of protection against aggression but even more focused than salt. It’s a bit like pulling a weed by hand from between your plants as opposed to using a broad spectrum herbicide that doesn’t care about collateral damage.
Tip: You can also use ground eggshells in water based rituals!
Sprinkle in some eggshell with your biodegradable spell ingredients
and watch the water carry your spell to its destination.
If you are able to crack an egg cleanly in half, you can use the egg shell half as a vessel for a spell. Fill it with your herbs and other natural materials, and the shell will collect the energy of the spell and pool it, concentrating it. Then you can bury the whole thing, setting your intentions into the Earth, or you can take it to water and set it afloat.
Within your spell, eggs represent birth and beginnings of course, but they represent other things too. Safety, home, creation, introspection, defense, shielding, and comfort, to name a few.
Do you think you might use eggshells in your practice? Please tell us how in the comments! Let’s build a resource together!
Stay kind and fierce.