When I visited my Grandparents as a child, I remember being drawn to a wooden cabinet with glass windows in the corner of their living room. Kept safely inside were all of my Babushka Hedwig’s valuables; hand carved wooden plates, large painted spoons, and braids of dried palm fronds from church visitations. 

And eggs. 

Brilliantly painted eggs with intricate designs perched on brass stands. 

I was mesmerized by them. Who could put such tiny drawings on eggs in repeating patterns with such precision?

I fell in love with them. 

I cherished them. 

In my innocence I asked my Grandmother if I could have them when she died. Her hazel eyes transformed into the shape of crescent moons that expressed her happiness and she  smiled as she murmured something under her breath in Polish. 

The art of pysanky, or egg “writing” is a tradition from the lands now known as the Ukraine (as well as other Slavic areas). This ancient practice involves using a tool (kistka) made from copper and a wooden stick to heat beeswax with a candle flame. When the wax is melted, fine lines are then drawn on the surface of the egg in patterns and motifs that date back thousands of years. The egg is then bathed in dyes to create striking colors that tell the stories of families, history, and hope. 

Why did our ancestors choose the egg as the canvas for such elaborate designs? Is it any coincidence that spring, holy week, and eggs all converged in one giant metaphor for fertility and rebirth? 

Of course not. 

The egg has been revered for thousands of years as a symbol for the potential of  life. Egyptian creation stories positioned the egg as the origin of the cosmos. With no beginning and no end, the shape of the egg represents the unyielding continuation of consciousness beyond form. 

Our ancestors were keenly aware of life’s fragility and the delicate veil between  the living and the dead.

The shell of the egg embodies this veil while within its confines, it holds the mystery of the universe. The yolk represents the sun, while the albumin represents the moon.  As we embrace the myriad of metaphors, meanings, and symbolism associated with the egg, how can we incorporate this powerful item into our ritual arts? 

Pysanky

You do not have to be an artist to learn the art of pysanky. Here is a great Beginner Pysanky Video to get you started. You can buy quality supplies at Pysanky USA. Try your hand at designs that speak to you or create your own. This ritual writing is deeply relaxing and nourishing (like a mandala coloring book). During the forty days of lent, many Christain Slavs will write one egg a day until Easter and then place the eggs around their home and land as an invocation for fertility and abundance while also feeding local nature spirits. 

Egg Clearing

Eggs have been used cross culturally for cleansing and clearing negative energy, spells, curses, and energetic trauma. For a general clearing take a fresh chicken egg and drag it from the top of your (or someone else’s) head all the way down to your feet. Work counterclockwise from the front of the body to the side, to the back, and finish with the other side. The egg absorbs the energy that needs to be cleared and may then be buried in the earth, placed in a river, or in cases of very heavy energy may be thrown at a rock outside. 

Gifts for the Dead

In ancient times, both Greeks and Romans would leave eggs at the gravesites of loved ones as an offering to honor them in the afterlife. At a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, why would we honor the dead? By consistently paying homage to our ancestors, no matter the time of year, we more fully embrace our own mortality and tend to those who gave us life. Take eggs to your loved ones' graves, or place them on your ancestor altar as a way of including them during this precious time of year. 

Egg Shell Magic

Egg shell powder is a powerful tool to use in your ritual practice. Use the powder to cast circles, place protective lines at doorways or on driveways, add to a bath for purification, or sprinkle it around your  garden as a blessing. You may also use it like chalk to draw sacred symbols or sigils wherever you feel drawn. Consider grinding specific herbs into the powder to add additional medicinal/spiritual properties.  

To make the powder, place empty egg shells into a pot of boiling water for ten minutes. Drain the shells and leave them out overnight. Heat an oven to 200 degrees (F) and place the shells on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or tin foil. Bake for 10 minutes and when cool, use a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder (for a finer texture) to crush the shells into a powder. Store in a special jar or container. 

That day in my Granparent’s home was the beginning of my love affair with egg ritual.

I write pysanky as a way to connect to my heritage, honor my ancestors, and to remind myself of the sacred cycles of life, death, and rebirth. I give my pysanky as gifts, offer them to my ancestor shrines and altars, and make powder out of  broken shells for ritual use. I have used egg clearings in my private practice and to clear my children. The sacred nature of the egg is infinite, timeless, and full of hope. 

Personal note: Please consider making a donation to Pysanky for Peace. This project aims to help the ongoing humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, and to share this important cultural tradition of the Ukrainian People.

Jen Hudziec is an Ancestral Lineage Healing Practitioner, Death Doula, Ritualist and Teacher. A first generation American, her ancestral roots are Eastern European (Polish, Russian, Czech, Ukrainian), Germanic, and Scandinavian. She stewards traditional Abanaki lands in NH where she practices Celtic and Slavic Earth honoring traditions. She is also a student of the West African Dagara tradition. She may be found at jenhudziec.com

Photos via Unsplash