Oomancy and Other Egg Magic

Oomancy and Other Egg Magic
Eggs have a long history of being used in magical workings. These days, when we usually associate eggs with spring and fertility. However, in the past, throughout many cultures, including the ancient Greeks, the Druids, as well as many in Latin America, and South East Asia, eggs were used in both divination and healing rituals. In ancient times, people didn’t have a lot of “things”, and certainly items like cards or other divination tools would not be readily available to everyone. However, food, like eggs, apples, cabbage, etc.. were, and were often incorporated into magical workings because they were readily available to anyone.
Regardless of if they were used in healing or divinations, there are a couple of basic generally accepted practices regarding their use. These include always using fresh raw eggs, they should be room temperature, and warm water is generally (but not always) used. The egg is rolled over the body to absorb energy, and the person rolling the egg focuses on the intent at hand. This could be regarding what healing needs to be done, what blockages or energies are causing the disease/imbalance, or, from a divination perspective, the career of a future mate, or the outcome of a situation. When the work is done, the egg should always be properly disposed of away from home/sacred space. If it is buried, it should be buried deep so that animals can not dig it up and eat it. Otherwise it can be burned or flushed away.
When it comes to divination, called Oomancy (a term coined by the Greeks), there are a few ways eggs were used. Again, always fresh raw eggs in water.
The first way was (possibly) Scottish in origin. It was called the Venus Glass. It was used by young ladies wishing to learn the occupation of their future husband. This method uses only the egg white, which is separated from the yolk and then slowly poured/dripped into a glass of water. The patterns and forms made by the egg white are read much like tea leaves would be. The reader looks for familiar shapes made, like a castle (possibly a soldier), tools or animals (could represent a farmer, blacksmith, or other trade/labourer), or other shapes that may indicate a job/career. This kind of divination has also been done with wax.
Other types of divination were focused on the energy surrounding the person or situation. After rubbing the egg on the body, the first method uses only the egg whites. The reader would poke a hole in one end of the egg and pour it into the warm water to read the shapes and patterns formed. The reader would look for patterns like cobwebs that would indicate the querent being trapped in a situation or by the energies of someone else. Spokes or towers would represent obstacles or spiritual blocks, while clear/smooth shapes would show good fortune, a clear path, or other good energies.
Another method used the whole egg, cracked into a bowl. Again, the egg white patterns and shapes formed around the yolk. Bubbles and strands represent heavy energies, anxiety, or stress that were absorbed when the egg was rolled on the body. A cloudy halo around the yolk could mean the querent is being watched by someone with Ill intent or is surrounded by negative energy. Blood spots or a dark yolk could indicate a serious health blockage or a curse.   
Like many other cultures, shamans also used eggs for healing purposes. I have read books where Shamans and healers used eggs for diagnosing patients before performing psychic surgery. While the process is similar to that for divination, Shamans often use 2 eggs. The first was rolled on the body to collect the negative energies stored in the body and cracked into water to determine the state of the patients health. What needed healing or clearing, and the cause of disease or imbalance. Once the egg is in the water, the shaman would read how the egg white moves in the water in relation to the yolk, again, looking for shapes and forms that would indicate the issues. Once this was done, this first egg was disposed of properly. Then, the second egg was rolled over the problematic areas of the body that indicated imbalance or disease until it was fully collected by the egg. Sometimes the Shaman would also use smoke or “blow” the disease/imbalance into the egg, before disposing of this egg as well*.  In some healing practices, only one egg was used, and it was placed under the bed for 24 hours so that it could absorb all the negative energies, before being read and then disposed of.
Personally, I have never used eggs in healing or divination (certainly not with the cost of eggs these days), but I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts or experiences with them if you have. I may just give this one a try for myself. Have you used them for healing or divination? Or both? Did you ever, as teen/young adult try using eggs (or maybe wax) to divine your future mate’s occupation? Was it accurate? I would love to know.
*You can read more about one person’s personal experience with this method here: HTTPS://www.collectiveinbooks.com/blogs/moon-books/eggs-in-shamanic-healing/
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