With Spring in the air, the days getting longer and the snow beginning to melt in some areas of the world most of us will feel a pull to refresh, rebirth, and renewal. We may even celebrate some spring holidays like, the Spring Equinox, Ostara or Easter. Whichever holiday it is you celebrate; a common symbol you will see is the Egg. The egg has been a powerful, and prominent symbol in human culture for 1000s of years far back into antiquity. The egg has been a staple not only as a food source and a center piece at breakfast time but, in magic, religion, and cultural practices as well. It can be seen in texts, art, and stories across many different cultures and even still today we see it every time spring rolls around in modern culture. Eggs symbolize fertility, birth/resurrection, Spring, nourishment and protection. Let’s roll into spring and crack open the magical uses and meanings of eggs in this blogpost.
Eggs In Cultures Throughout History
From Roman and Greek funerary rites to the birth of the Hindu god, Brahma, the egg is featured prominently in religious/spiritual traditions, folklore and celebration practices around the world. For many modern pagans, the egg symbolizes the Spring Equinox and/or Ostara and the renewal of life in the natural world. Let’s look at some more ( not all) of the ways eggs have been used in different cultures throughout history.
In Persia, eggs have been painted for thousands of years as part of the spring celebration of No Ruz, which is the Zoroastrian new year. In Iran, the colored eggs are placed on the dinner table at No Ruz, and a mother eats one cooked egg for each child she has. The festival of No Ruz predates the reign of Cyrus the Great, whose rule (580-529 b.c.e.) marks the beginning of Persian history.
In some Native American creation tales, the egg features prominently. Typically, this involves the cracking of a giant egg to form the universe, the earth, or even gods. In some tribes of America’s Pacific northwest region, there is a story about thunder eggs–geodes–which are thrown by the angry spirits of the high mountain ranges.
A Chinese folk tale tells of the story of the formation of the universe. Like so many things, it began as an egg. A deity named Pan Gu formed inside the egg, and then in his efforts to get out, cracked it into two halves. The upper portion became the sky and cosmos, and the lower half became the earth and sea. As Pan Gu grew bigger and more powerful, the gap between earth and sky increased, and soon they were separated forever.
In early Christian cultures, consumption of the Easter egg may have marked the end of Lent. In Greek Orthodox Christianity, there is a legend that after Christ’s death on the cross, Mary Magdalene went to the emperor of Rome, and told him of Jesus’ resurrection. The emperor’s response was skeptical, hinting that such an event was just about as likely as a nearby bowl of eggs suddenly turning red. Much to the emperor’s surprise, the bowl of eggs turned red, and Mary Magdalene joyfully began preaching Christianity throughout the land.
It was commonly thought in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period that witches could use empty eggshells to “fly” to their sabbaths. Eggshells were also thought to be used as vehicles for the fairies, so it was highly encouraged to destroy your eggshells before such magical beings could put them to use.
There’s an old English superstition that if you’re a girl who wants to see who your true love is, place an egg in front of your fire on a stormy night. As the rain picks up and the wind begins to howl, the man you will marry will come through the door and pick up the egg.
In American folk magic, eggs appear regularly in agricultural stories. A farmer who wants to “set” his eggs under broody hens should only do so during the full moon; otherwise, most of them won’t hatch. Likewise, eggs carried around in a woman’s bonnet will provide the best pullets. Eggs placed in a man’s hat for safekeeping will all produce roosters. Even the eggs of certain birds are special. Owls’ eggs are said to be a sure cure for alcoholism, when scrambled up and fed to someone with a drinking problem. Dirt found under a mockingbird’s egg can be used to alleviate sore throats.
Symbolism and Meaning Of The Egg
In many cultures and society, the egg is considered the perfect magical symbol. It is, after all, representative of new life. In fact, it is the life cycle/ circle of life personified in it’s shape alone. As we talked about above Eggs are the center of many creation myths and the source of where our universe began. Even when you look up the definition of what an Egg really is; it is the place life begins, and is protected and nurtured until it is ready to be born into this realm. Life is LITERALLY hatched from and BEGINS in eggs. The egg is a source of powerful energy that is able to take stagnant and unproductive energy and metamorphize it into fertile and productive energy. Eggs in magic and witchcraft represent fertility, rebirth, creation, nourishment, protection and abundance.
Magical Ways To Work With Eggs
As you can imagine because, eggs are such a potent, prominent, and powerful energy with many different energies you can connect to there are just as many ways to work with them! On top of that they are generally pretty easy to get ahold of, if you don’t already have some in your kitchen. You can roll into Spring feeling refreshed, and ready to crack open in rebirth and transformation with any or all of these magical workings.
Oomancy-Divination With Eggs
Oomancy is the name for egg cleansing and divination, also known as ovomancy, ovamancy, ooscopia, oomancia, oomantia. The name comes from the ancient Greek word for egg “oon” and “manteia” meaning divination. There are several methods to how this can be done in different cultures. Oomancy was a very common form of divination practiced in ancient Greece and Rome specifically, where it was believed that one could tell the future by interpreting the shapes formed when the separated whites from an egg was dropped into hot water.
Included here is a standard version if you would like to try your hand at.
Directions
First, you will want to fill a clear glass bowl with water. Hot, boiled water may make it easier to see shapes since it will partially cook the egg and prevent it from moving more than necessary.
Next, cleanse the egg before rolling it down your body starting at the crown of your head, allowing it to absorb impurities, then crack it into the water. Below is a list of signs to look for when divining with eggs. When reading an egg cleanse, the yolk is representative of you and the whites symbolize others.
- Clear or mostly clear means you’ve been keeping up with your cleansing methods and wards…it means you don’t have a lot of negative energy affecting you!
- Strings of white that go from top to bottom in the water indicate energetic cords that are negative and need to be cleared (if it’s thin, the attachment can be cleared easily but if it’s thick, it might take a longer stint of purification rituals to sever the tie)
- Blood in the yolk could mean one of two things (or both simultaneously): the person is ill and/or is being spiritually attacked by a witch/evil eye
- Cloudiness in the whites and around the yolk is the actual negative energy you’ve lifted off yourself/the individual
- Foul odor also means the person is being spiritually attacked and affected by witchcraft or the evil eye
- Actual symbols should be read accordingly. For instance, if you see an eye, we interpret this egg cleanse meaning as someone is watching you or sending you the evil eye. If a scary face is in the white, you may have a ghost or spirit nearby of a malevolent nature
- Thick white blob still connected to the yolk typically means the person has another person strongly attached to them and could be feeding off their energy (sometimes the blob appears to look like a little head growing off the yolk itself)
- Cobwebs or thready substance around the yolk means you have folks who are envious of you and your endeavors
- Thick coating around the yolk could indicate a strong protective shield around the person OR the person is so defensive that they struggle in relationships
- Letters or numbers should also be read accordingly in an egg cleansing reading. Letters could indicate someone’s initials who is throwing magical shade your way OR someone who is attached to you energetically. Numbers could indicate the amount of people who are throwing shade your way, or it could be predicting a future event on a certain date.
- Double yolk means one of a few things: a. if you’re pregnant, you’re having twins. Or b. you have a twin soul somewhere out there. Or even c. your soul may have been split in two during a traumatic experience during your life.
- If eggshell gets into the cleanse: this means your spiritual protective barriers have been penetrated. Consider learning how to shield yourself and wear a protective amulet.
Repeat as many times as necessary, cleansing and protecting between, until signs are good and there are no indications of a curse.
Bury A Raw Egg In Your Garden Or Yard
A classic symbol of fertility and abundance, a buried egg in your spring garden blesses the harvest for fruitful yield. It helps that it also makes excellent fertilizer! This also appeases the nature spirits present in your garden. You can also spread or sprinkle eggshells in the garden for the same purposes. You can amplify this energy and blessing by drawing a fertility sigil, a symbol for a Spring deity, or a growth intention before you bury it in the earth. You can recite a mantra, prayer, or invocation as well as you buy the egg. During this on a New moon or during the Spring equinox can also add more energy to this practice for you.
Banish A Dark Mood
Feeling a little under the weather emotionally? Try this liberating ritual. Write one word or symbol on a raw egg that represents your frustration, sadness or grief. Go to the edge of a moving water and throw the egg against a river rock. Watch the contents drain into the water. Walk away and don’t look back.
Leave Eggs At A Newer Gravesite
The Greeks and Romans left eggs in tombs or near grave sites to symbolize the afterlife. Leave eggs at the graveside of a loved one to bless their eternal life and heal grieving souls.
Use Eggs In Kitchen Magic
Include eggs in kitchen witch recipes for abundance, fertility or to celebrate the Spring Equinox. Get creative! Next time you crack an egg into a bowl, tell it what you want it to do. “An egg to increase fertility and increase my chances to conceive,” as an example. “An egg to protect all who eat this cake.”
Cascarilla; Egg powder
Cascarilla powder is simply eggshells ground down into a fine powder. This magical powder is used for different magical purposes but mainly for protection. Wash out your eggshells, let them dry, then grind them down in your mortar. Save the powder and use in protection rituals and spells. Some of my favorite ways to use egg powder are adding it to black salt, using to line a magic circle when casting, add to a spell bag or spell jar, or a prosperity bowl.
Cast A Glamor Or Beauty Spell
Eggs symbolize renewal, rebirth and eternity. Whisk together an egg white, a splash of fresh lemon juice and a little honey, then apply it to the face ask you would a skin mask. Close your eyes and meditate on the manifestation of eternal beauty. You can also use eggs to create a hair mask to use instead of a face mask as well.
Ostara/ Spring Equinox Wish
One of my favorite Ostara traditions to do is making an Ostara wish using a hard boiled egg. It is so simple to do as well! All you need is a hard boiled egg. Take a hard boiled egg, write a wish or intention you would like to plant to bloom by harvest time this year. Take your egg with your wish written on it out under the moon on Ostara. Hold it up to the sky, recite your wish out loud, and than take your egg and bury it in the earth for your wish to sprout, grow, and bloom this year.
Decorate Eggs
Eggs are a symbol of the Spring and henceforth Easter and Ostara. The tradition of painting and decorating eggs pre-dates Christianity and spans multiple cultures. To appease the gods and the spirits of Spring, decorate and paint eggs, then leave them at the foot of trees as offerings. Decorated eggs in the home in Spring ensures abundance and health in the coming months. The colors you choose to use when decorating can even represent specific energies and intentions as well. Below is a list of some ideas for you as you decorate your eggs.
- Red- Passion, Power, Transformation
- Orange- Attraction, Good Fortune/Luck
- Yellow- Happiness, Inspiration
- Green-Abundance, Prosperity, Wealth, Good Health
- Blue- Peace, Tranquility, Spirituality
- Purple- Mystical, Magical, The Power of Spring
- Pink-Love, Friendship
Egg Magic For The Home
While I don’t necessary condone throwing a bunch of eggs on your roof, one egg or eggshell thrown on the roof of the house can protect you from another witch’s hexes. You can also line any threshold with an egg like a window sill or door for home protection. You can take a hard boiled egg and bury it in the earth near your front door as a protection ward and to call in abundance too. Or sprinkle broken eggshells across the threshold as a protection barrier.
Decorate An Easter Egg Tree
In Germany, it’s traditional to have an Easter tree to celebrate the Spring season. This is the same thing as a Christmas tree, except it’s for Easter. And if you’re pagan, call it your Ostara Tree. instead. Purchase hanging or make your own. You can even add magical symbols and words to each egg.
Egg Prosperity Spell
This spell is designed to bring you prosperity, whether it be financial or otherwise, by working with the magical properties of the egg.
What You’ll Need:
- An egg or eggs if making more than one
- biodegradable sachet
- pyrite
- mint
- marker, dye, and other tools to decorate the egg
What To Do:
Begin by cleansing, charging, and/or blessing your items. After the items are ready to go, write, draw, or otherwise decorate your egg with your intent: prosperity. You can draw a rune in gold on your egg to represent prosperity. Other color choices are green, orange, or violet. You can dye the egg a solid color, draw sigils, or money symbols. After the egg is decorated, place it along with the pyrite and mint into the biodegradable sachet.
When all the items are placed in the sachet, hold it in both hands and imagine it filling with gold and green light. Say,
“With egg for new beginnings adorned all in gold [you can insert your own color here, but it may not rhyme ]
With pyrite for wealth and mint for fortunes untold,
I open myself to wealth beyond measure,
And accept the Universe’s treasure.”
Once the spell is done, find a safe place in your garden, preferably by a plant also associated with prosperity and abundance, and bury the sachet
Egg Fertility Spell
This Spell is meant to bring you fertility in your life especially if you are trying to conceive in your life right now. It harnesses both the potent power of the egg and the snake. This is a very simple spell to do that needs very few items.
What you will need:
- A hard boiled egg
- A jar or Satchel- Depending on what you want to make a spell jar or spell bag
- Mint
- Thyme
- Rose
- Gold wax/candle
What to do:
Once you have hard boiled your egg, take a pen or marker and draw a symbol of a snake on the egg. Take the egg, remove the shell, and save the shell for later. Eat the egg while envisioning golden light full of fertility filling you up from the inside. Than take the eggshells, mint, thyme, and rose place them in a jar or spell bag and seal with some gold wax from a candle. Place the jar or bag under the bed you would like to conceive in.
One Last Tip; Using Your Eggshells
We have talked about a lot when it comes to Eggs, the history of eggs through many cultures, their meanings and energetic connections and many ways you can work with eggs in your magical practice and life. The last tip I want to leave you with is to remember to keep your eggshells for all kinds of magical workings as well. You can grind them up to add them to all kinds of protection workings like spell jars, spell bags, black salt, and even use them to line your magic circles when you are casting. They can even be used in fertility, prosperity, and growth spells as well. However you choose to work with eggs this spring enjoy the very potent, powerful, and fertile energy they will bring to you move through this season of rebirth.
