Ostara 2023: The Power Of The Egg
The day has finally come and we can officially say that Spring is here, my witchy lovelies! If you’ve been following along at home, the main intention we’ve been setting has been centered on renewal and rebirth. For our final post for Ostara, we wanted bring our focus to perhaps the most iconic symbol of this sabbat; Eggs.
We are going to be taking a look at the powerful magical significance of this unassuming ingredient, both during Ostara and year-round. In addition, we are going to give some tips on how you can weave eggs into your daily and ritual practices more often, culminating in one of my favorite recipes featuring them as the star of the show; Shakshuka.
The Humble Yet Mighty Egg
When you truly set out to contemplate the importance of the egg, you will find all sorts of articles detailing ancient lore from numerous global cultures about how all life, all originated from a cosmic egg. Even modern scientists of the last century have used the concept to try and describe how our universe could have been formed during the Big Bang; likening the event to the hatching of a primordial egg that began the expansion of the universe as we know it outwards from that point.
No matter what you subscribe to, when it comes down to it, we all did, in fact, originate from an egg. This is why it is the ultimate symbol of fertility, new beginnings, and life itself and why we have corresponded it with Ostara.
Beyond just being an emblem of this sabbat, spellwork featuring eggs has been performed by witches for centuries. Egg shells have a connection to protection magic and once cleaned, are crushed into a fine powder called cascarilla powder which is used in African and Latin American witchcraft traditions to cleanse negative energies and protect the user from harm. Shells can also be used as a natural vessel for starting seedlings for your garden or finely ground and utilized as fertilizer to add more calcium carbonate to your soil.
Another prominent spell that is performed during this time of year is to bury a whole egg, imbued with your wishes and intentions, into your yard or garden as an offering to the elements of nature in exchange for their blessings.
Perhaps the easiest (and tastiest) way to use eggs potent magical energy is to weave them into your kitchen spellwork. While they have unfortunately gone up in price quite a bit over the past year, eggs in relativity, are still a moderately affordable source of protein and are insanely versatile. While here in the US, we often think of them as an ingredient mostly seen at a breakfast or brunch table, they can be worked into any meal time, prepared dozens of ways and play well with lots of different flavors.
One of my favorite recipes that features eggs front and center is the Northern African dish, Shakshuka. This dish has many different variations depending on the country in which you are in, but the basic components are a spiced, thick tomato “sauce” that you nestle eggs into and bake until the eggs are just firmed. Alternatively, in other parts of the world, they slightly adjust the flavors and method and call this dish “Eggs in Purgatory”. No matter how you make it or what you call it, it is a satisfying, dead simple dish that is just plain delicious and is perfect served for brunch or dinner, especially with our Fresh Herb and Cheese Brioche Rolls.
Intentionally, this dish brings the heat in more ways than one, if you know what I mean. As we already know, the eggs bring that fertility to the party, however you also have onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers bringing with them a spark to lust, passion, and love. The red pepper flake and touch of honey ignite those passions further and boost attraction, making this dish an excellent choice if you are looking to get that loving feeling flowing.
The Recipe
Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped (lust, protection)
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped (banishment of negative energy, health)
- 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped (passion, vitality)
- 28 oz can chopped or crushed tomatoes in puree (love, passion)
- 4 eggs (fertility, divine feminine energy, new beginnings)
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil (health, beautification, love)
- 1 Tbsp honey (attraction)
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika (passion)
- 2 tsp cumin (protection, vitality)
- 2 tsp dried oregano (strength, health)
- 2 tsp sumac, optional (vitality, movement)
- 1 tsp salt (cleansing, protection)
- 1 tsp black pepper (banishment of negative energies)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional (incite passions, heighten spellwork)
- Parsley and/or chives as garnish (protection, cleansing, prosperity)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In a large, oven safe skillet, heat your oil over medium and place in your onions, garlic, and peppers. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, sumac, and red pepper flakes (if using them). Saute until just softened.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes, honey and oregano and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Create 4 shallow wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each well.
- Place the pan into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. For a runnier egg, I recommend 10 minutes; I prefer a "jammy" egg and 12 minutes was perfect.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh herbs. You can also garnish this with feta, goat cheese, or other cheese of your choosing.
- To serve, you can pair this with bread or over rice, pasta, or sauteed greens. Enjoy!
