The Incredible Unforgettable Egg

Yes it is that season when this unassuming orb takes center stage.  It is such a common item in our refrigerators and at the store, that we forget what a miracle it truly is.  It is the way for new life to come into the world for millions of species.  Not just birds, but also reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects.  It literally is the container for new life to grow.  It has to contain enough nutrients for that life to develop, and be fragile enough for that life to break through the containment.  In the case of a bird egg, like a chicken, it has to be strong enough to be sat on.  And to think that we throw them in the back of the refrigerator and forget about them until we want to bake a cake.

So, here is where we start the symbolism of the egg.  That beautiful, fragile egg symbolizes spring, fertility, birth, and potential. The round or oval shape symbolizes new beginnings, infinity, and the never ending cycle of life.  Most eggs have a white and a yolk.  This is seen as the balance of duality, or the balance of opposing forces.  The yolk can symbolize any of the following: gold or riches, life, vitality, light, truth.  The white can symbolize:  silver, abundance, moon, support, purification, clarity.  As a symbol of fertility and creation, many ancient creation stories give the egg a central role.  According to some, the world was formed from the cosmic egg.  Some deities were born from sacred eggs.  Some traditions see the cosmos as the egg that contains all potential.

This is all quite a lot to fit within the humble shell of the egg.  So, as you celebrate the potential of the season by painting your eggs, remember that the shell safely holds that potential until it's time to crack it open and see what abundance springs forth.