Cascarilla (Eggshell Powder): Protection and Cleansing

Cascarilla powder is made from crushed hens’ eggs used primarily for protection and cleansing.  It is the perfect tool to ward off negativity and keep your sacred space vibrating higher.  Cascarilla can be implemented before a ritual to purify the area, incorporated directly into a spell, or used on its own to cleanse and make room for positive vibrations.

This ritual powder can be traced back to the native traditions of West Africa.  The people of this region brought to the New World the concept of sacred white earth they called efun. They believed this substance could provide an individual with protection against evil. Cut off from their ancestral lands, they sought an alternative that could achieve the same effects. This came in the form of an herbal powder called cascarilla. The finely ground outer bark of this large, tropical shrub was already known among the Caribbean natives for its medicinal properties that included reducing fevers, operating as an expectorant, and even clearing flatulence. In fact, the word cascarilla refers to any kind of outer skin or husk. Cascarilla also happened to possess a nearly white color. Over time, Santeria practitioners transitioned from using this herbal powder to using crushed egg shells. These were easier to come by, and the symbolism of the life-giving egg also made it very attractive.

Cascarilla powder may be used in several ways, including the following:

•  Cascarilla powder may be pressed into chalk and used to draw a magical line or circle of protection or to draw protective symbols.

•  Add cascarilla powder to a ritual bath wash away negative energy.

• Place some in the four corners of a room to cleanse and protect the area.

• Add cascarilla powder to a floor wash to cleanse your house of negative energy and prevent negative energy and unfriendly spirits from entering.

•  Dust cascarilla powder onto your body to protect you from negative energy as you go about your day.

• If you are shaking hands with people all day, dust your hands to protect yourself from whatever junk they're carrying around with them.

• Cascarilla powder can also be incorporated into candles, incense and soap to help spread around the protection as they are used.