How to craft Cascarilla Powder

Cascarilla powder is an easy-to-make essential ingredient for protection magick! However, you can also use it for simple protection. Cascarilla (kas-ka-ree-ah) is made of powdered eggshell and used primarily for protection and spiritual cleansing. It originates from hoodoo and Santeria but has become popular through out America due to its accessibility. Cascarilla powder can also help create spiritual barriers (similar to salt), add blessings, aids in protection, and is a great nutritional addition for plants in the garden!

I use a variety of different colored eggshells, besides brown or white to make Cascarilla powder. So, just use whatever you have. If possible, it is easiest to have a bag under your sink or elsewhere in your kitchen to collect the eggshells over time (I keep mine in a sack). 

Florida Water (Recipe too!) is also known to have protective qualities and complements the cascarilla very well also.

Pro Tip: When you crack an egg, run the shell under the kitchen faucet to separate the membrane from the shell. Removing the membrane makes a higher quality powder.

Supplies:

• 2 dozen eggshells, dried
• Food Processor or mortar & pestle
• 1/2 tsp. Florida Water
• Small glass jar / sealable container

Bake the eggshells at 200°F for approximately 30 minutes to further dry them out. This step allows excess moisture to cook off, making a finer powder. This step is especially important if you plane to grind them by hand using a mortar and pestle! If you are using white eggshells, you might notice the color change slightly. Don't worry --your powder will still come out white.

When the eggshells are done baking, grind them into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or food processor. You will achieve a finer powder and save your muscles with a food processor. Add about 1/2 tsp. Florida Water and process until you have a fine, sand-like consistency. Store the cascarilla powder in a jar or pack it into a chalk.

To make cascarilla chalk, mix 1 Tablespoon of flour with 1 Tablespoon of loose cascarilla powder and mix thoroughly. Add a Tablespoon of Florida Water and mix until the ingredients have combined just enough to form a ball in your hands. Roll the mixture into sticks about 1/2 to 1 inch diameter and let them dry for 3-5 days. Alternatively, you can roll the mixture into balls and place them in small paper condiment cups (this is the easiest method). Store the chalk in a glass, plastic, or metal container to protect it from breaking, and keep it in a cool dark place.

Note: You can also enhance the magickal properties of your cascarilla powder by adding a small amount of powdered herbs to the mixture. You can add a dash of salt or ground rosemary for purification, a dash of cinnamon for protection, a dash of ground cloves for money drawing. Just use caution when adding any of these--too much and the mixture will not stick together and form the chalk.