*WW / MM. Cascarilla Powder - All about it..

CASCARILLA

(Pronounced: kas-kah-ree-ya)  It is so useful in protection, purification and cleansing rites. Cascarilla also repels negative energy and the vibration of negative energies. - look at it as an essential multi-purpose weapon for your magickal arsenal. 

Food for thought: Vegans might have issues with using this due to animal by-product issues. Note also raw egg safety handling and hazards especially for pregnant women and regarding possible fatal food poisoning.

What is Cascarilla?

Eggshell powder; clean dry eggshells crushed and finely ground with the back of a spoon or with a mortar and pestle until it feels as soft as fine baby powder.  Not to be confused with the West Indian shrub, Croton eluteria aka Cascarilla or Cascarilla bark, of the spurge family, the bitter, aromatic bark often used as a tonic!

Cascarilla Powder’s origin is often mistaken as people think it comes from Hoodoo tradition!!  It actually comes from ATRs (African Traditional Religion) like Santería.  – Hoodoo practitioners work with actual talcum powder and chalk.  That’s not to say you can’t use Cascarilla in Hoodoo practice it’s just not the powders origin.

That said the main and usually the only ingredient is powdered eggshell.  It is an amazing powder with outstanding performance when it comes to protection, purification and cleansing - Cascarilla also repels negative energy and the vibration of negative energies..   Cascarilla can be found in two main forms; powder or chalk. It can, as mentioned, be made easily by crushing egg shells into the desired form (see ‘recipe how to’ further on in this document). 

Alternatively it can be purchased at most Botanica or store that caters to New Age and Magick ritual.  Most commonly found packed into what most people associate as a “ketchup cup”.  When removed from the cup, it maintains its form and can be used as one would use a soft piece of chalk.  Or, if mixed with water, you will find that the soft-chalk dissolves easily.

You can use either or both powder and chalk forms interchangeably in a variety of ways for a variation of workings throughout your practices.

Different uses:

1. Guards against and repels evil, malicious magick, harm, unwelcome beings.

2. In both chalk form and powder add to a bath or bath bomb to create a purification, cleansing, protection bath or to aid in removal of negativity and negative vibrations.

3. In chalk form it can be used to draw sigils, symbols or other markings.

4. In chalk form it can be used to draw a protection circle for magickal ritual or even sprinkled in a circle as powder form.

5. Dusting or drawing a cross on your forehead can protect you from psychic attacks such as from energy vampires if you are a form of medium such as empath, clairvoyant, clairsentient etc..

6. Reports of it being a great aid for meditation, astral projection, performing visualizations and/or other divinations. The powder can be used to dust yourself or the chalk to draw upon your relative body zones.

7. Cascarilla also keeps away non-corporeal beings (spirits, ghosts, demons, etc).  If you feel like your home may be haunted, this would be a good repellent (after a thorough house cleansing!!).  Be warned, if you have spirits around that you like talking to, you may find it more difficult to communicate with them!  Cascarilla does not discriminate between good and evil–it just provides a barrier between the physical and spiritual world.

8. House protection: use as a piece of chalk.  Going around the house clockwise, etch the sign of the cross on either side of the door, above the door and on the threshold.  When doing the windows–do above, below, and both sides of the window.  Do this with all doors and all windows of the home.

9.House protection (perimeter of home). 

Note. There are several other uses for Cascarilla, but these are a few of the main uses.

How to make Cascarilla?

{Anyway you do your magickal makings such as casting circle, invoking spiritual / divine aids, blessings, infusing your energy and intent etc.. before, during and after is down to how you work/practice. YouTuber ‘HighPriestess Kathie’ goes into a lil detail here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBKfx93wcyE }

You will need at least 6 eggs and if possible remove the membrane (thin skin like layer often pink on the inside of the shell) here’s an awesome demonstration video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3AGeYFYtcQ by YouTuber ‘Idaline Carthaysius’ on how she does it.

- White Cascarilla - Gather egg shells, wash and lay flat to dry. Grind said eggs in to a fine powder.

- Black Cascarilla – Simply add charcoal to the above method.

- Brown Cascarilla - Gather egg shells, wash and lay flat to dry.  Then toast them in the oven on low temperature until they turn brown (be careful when you handle them they are going to be hot) wait till cold and grind said eggs in to a fine powder.

Note. Once the powder is made you may want to leave it out to fully dry out if possible before sealing it in a jar.

- Cascarilla chalk – Take the previously mentioned eggshells powder and mix together 1tsp of flour and 1tsp of very hot water (some people use holy, blessed or other magickal property water or oils) add 1tbsp of the ground egg shell powder and mix it together until it is a thick paste – some people add additional protection herbs but this is not original Cascarilla.  Form in ‘ketchup cups’, balls, ice cube trays, cake cases, trays, moulds.. Then leave to set.

- Cascarilla powder from chalk – use the previous chalk method then crush to have those extra property boosts.

Imogen 

Credits:

I would like to thank my friend Derrie CINNAWITCH for educating and introducing me to Cascarilla Powder and also for bring it into my life..!  This I can see being of easy but powerful aid for use in my practice!!  Thank you my sister x

References:

·  Image “ketchup cup” http://voodooneworleans.com/product/protection-and-strength-2/cascarilla-eggshell-powder/

·  Information Uses https://themagickinyoursoul.wordpress.com/tag/powdered-egg-shell/

·  Information (She has recipes & spells!) https://www.magicalrecipesonline.com/2015/01/cascarilla-powder-how-to-make-and-use-it.html

·  Cascarilla origin http://thedemoniacal.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/hoodoo-truth-cascarilla.html

·  YouTuber ‘Idaline Carthaysius’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3AGeYFYtcQ

·  YouTuber ‘HighPriestess Kathie’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBKfx93wcyE 

*WW / MM. Vesta Powder - All about it.. + my recipe!

Vesta Powder

Named so and used in honour and in the name of the Roman goddess Vesta.

What is Vesta Powder? 

Also Known as Flash Powder / Chasing Powder.  Vesta Powder is an extremely flammable white powder.  Vesta Powder is very powerful so use it carefully and sparingly as a little goes a long way.  Saltpetre (aka salitre or potassium nitrate) is the active spark in Vesta Powder. Be sure you have plenty of ventilation and use with fire safety caution.  Vesta Powder is to be stored in a cool, dry and safe place away from heat.  Also keep away from children and animals. Note its toxic try not to touch / have skin contact..

How is Vesta Powder made?  

Recipe:
Version 1. Equal parts saltpetre & cornmeal Powder.
Version 2. Equal parts saltpetre & cornstarch Powder.
Version 3. Equal parts saltpetre & Powdered sugar (icing sugar).

{Anyway you start your magickal makings such as casting circle, invoking spiritual / divine aids, blessings, infusing your energy and intent etc.. before, during and after is down to how you work/practice.} 

In a clean glass container add equal parts of one of the above recipes (*eg. 1 teaspoon of both ingredients).  Mix well together using a clean tool such as herb spoon.  Use only a tiny pinch in flame-retardant pot such as cast iron cauldron.  Add more saltpetre if required but never more than half a part (*eg. Half of a teaspoon).

In my experience:

I purchase 100g Saltpetre from ebay uk seller tongmaster-seasonings http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saltpetre-Top-Quality-Highest-Purity-Food-Grade-100g-For-Curing/222191240635 for £2.99 and also 100g Cornmeal from seller htl1112 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Grade-A-Premium-Quality-Cornmeal-Fine-Polenta-Ground-Powder-Select-Weight/272621930412 for £1.99 -  I have found 1.5 parts saltpetre to 1 part cornmeal works perfectly.  Mixed in a crystal, glass or metal bowl with smooth insides until the two parts form one non lumpy fine powder.  A small practice dedicated spoon or spatula to mix. And a clearly labelled jar to store.

How to use Vesta Powder?  

Burn it!  Always use fire safety and a long stick.  The Vesta Powder will explode with a quick flame and a fog of smoke fumes will quickly dispel any bad vibrations, spirits or evil influences. You can use charcoal tablets and a charcoal burner (cauldron).  Smaller amounts can be used to seal spells at the end of fire magick / cauldron spells.  Vesta Powder can be used to gain spiritual strength; place less than 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of Vesta Powder in an incense burner or metal ash tray and light with a long match. 

What is Vesta Powder used for? 

·       Fire magick.
·       Used by burning to dispel evil, negativity, bad energies and bad vibrations...  
·       It can be burnt to clear the house of bad spirits / entities.  
·       Can be used to stop sexual frustrations or sexual tension.
·       Used as a sachet it is said to help present the illusion of the wearer`s youthfulness purity and innocence.  (flammable so I wouldn’t)
·       Sprinkle around the room prior to ritual to entice the flame of brightness. (flammable so I wouldn’t)
·       Used like dragons blood resin to empower things and give that additional energy kick.
·       As an incense to gain spiritual strength
·       Invoking / Working with Goddess Vesta
·       Invoking / Working with Goddess Hestia

Vesta Powder is used to honour and/invoke the goddess Vesta.  In magick you can ask her to aid you in your fire workings, though much more powerful if your working is to do with the hearth, home of family.  Vesta powered can be used without call for the goddess as an energy spark to increase the energy put out by your working or to seal your workings.

History!

Vesta: The Roman religion believed Vesta is the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family.  She was rarely depicted in human form, and was often personified by the fire of her temple in the Forum Romanum.  It was said that only her priestesses (the Vestals) were permitted into her temple and it was they who tended to the ‘sacred flame’ at the hearth of her temple.  In Roman times the people worshiped the goddess Vesta; in fact they considered her a guardian.  Each year one of the most important Roman festivals, Vestalia, was held between 7th – 5th June in her honour and the sacred flame of which she manifested herself.  It was rare she was seen in human form but most often in flame – this is also how she would also come to those in need of her aid especially with pregnancy. She was the daughter of Saturn and Ops, and sister of Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Juno, and Ceres. Her closest Greek equivalent is Hestia. 

Hestia: – In Ancient Greek religion Hestia was also known as the virgin goddess of the hearth, home and family as well as architecture.  In Greek mythology she is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea.  It was said that Hestia would receive the first offering at every sacrifice in the household.



BB Imogen