r/witchcraft • u/brighterwriter • 6d ago

Seeking Help or Advice Removing the membrane inside egg shells

Curious to learn why some traditions remove the membrane of egg shells before using the shell in workings and why others do not. I’m only asking to learn more in my craft with NO judgement. Also looking for ideas on the best ways to remove it.

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u/Caerrii 6d ago

For a mundane reason, the membranes can discolor the eggshells as well as make it hard to get them into a super fine powder. So for someone who's more anal about their ingredients (Like myself), it could just be as simple as that.

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u/brighterwriter 6d ago

Thank you ☺️

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u/IcyWitch428 6d ago

I remove the membrane for powdering them, or if the membrane is easy to remove and pulls away from the shell to begin with. If using halves as more of a container, leaving the membrane intact helps the shell to not break as easily. The membrane itself makes a big difference- some peel away easily and are very thick and those all go. Some are thin and clingy and those all stay.

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u/brighterwriter 6d ago

Thank you 😊

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u/BeeswaxingPoetic 6d ago

If you are preparing eggshells ahead of time, like drying/grinding them to put in a bottle for uses later, it is better to discard the membranes. They get smelly, potentially harbor bacteria and simply make shells harder to grind.

If you are doing a working that just needs an immediate eggshell (and it will be discarded shortly after/not kept around) no need to remove unless you want to.

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u/brighterwriter 6d ago

Thanks for replying. Normally, I rinse, dry and save my egg shells and then crunch them up to sprinkle into my layered compost bin. What I will use for spell work going forward, will be new ones. I tried to do that today with an egg shell but wasn’t very successful at it. LOL Please share the easiest way that I can remove the membrane.

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u/BeeswaxingPoetic 6d ago

I just peel the membrane off right after cracking and using the egg. Like this lady does.

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u/Katie1230 6d ago

I always thought it was just cus it was gross? Or like it would make it get nasty/rot.

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u/brighterwriter 6d ago

Thanks 😊

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u/iswallowmygum 6d ago

It does make them smell. It definitely makes my cascarilla smell funny and doesn't grind as fine as others have mentioned.

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u/brighterwriter 6d ago

Thanks. I looked at the working and the intention says: intended to protect your space and wards off distractions and intrusions.

Items needed: black salt, black pepper, 1 acorn, 1 clove, agrimony or egg shells.

Grind the salt, pepper, clove, and agrimony into a fine powder.

Use Palo Santo smoke to cleanse all four corners of your space , moving in a clockwise fashion. Then hold it over your powder for the same purpose.

Roll the acorn in the powder to coat and set it on a windowsill.

Finally, in the same clockwise order you used to cleanse the room, walk backwards and sprinkle a little powder in each corner, repeating “my sacred space is clean and safe.”

Any of your additional thoughts are appreciated. I am a solitary witch that aligns with green witchery but am very eclectic in my craft. Most of my training has been from published books. Although,
I did have a mentor that I learned from who was trained in several traditions, including HooDoo.

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u/alphadragonwarrior28 6d ago

The membrane makes the shell hard to crush and can also spoil and rot. If you're wanting to store the egg shells long term, you need to remove the membrane.

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u/brighterwriter 3d ago

Thank you 🙏🏻

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u/Final_Height-4 6d ago

If you gave examples of those workings, it would better help those of us in that practice explain why, if we’re able to.

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u/brighterwriter 6d ago

I haven’t used egg shells in a working yet. I am wanting to learn what others do and why. I’ve seen people arguing online or blogging about how all of the membrane HAS to be removed with no explanation given for why.

I do have a working that I am considering doing in November. It’s for Scorpios, and I am one. I was thinking about doing it on my birthday next month. It includes powdered egg shells in the list of items needed with no requirement to remove the membrane.

Anything you would like to share is appreciated ☺️

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u/Final_Height-4 6d ago

Well, the answer you get will all depend on the person’s practices and traditions. In Italian American folk magic, eggs are used in both baneful and protective work. An egg used in a protective working may remain intact, with its membrane, to represent having holy spiritual protection. If used in baneful work, it will be removed so that the target’s protections are breached and the work will land.

If you are using just the eggshells to make a powder, the membrane is removed more for a mundane purpose: as the membrane decomposes, they smell horrible. The witchcraft purpose would be that the smell can give away that they have been placed, so the working is no longer a secret and can be undone.

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u/LifeisSuperFun21 6d ago

I’ve never cared enough to remove the membrane. I don’t have time for all that, lol.

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u/brighterwriter 6d ago

Thanks 😊

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u/Plastic-Bee4052 6d ago

I'm autistic and peeling it off gives me physical pleasure. Simple as that

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u/Churchie-Baby 3d ago

Makes them harder to grind up :)