The Encyclopedia of Crystals, Herbs, and New Age Elements: An A to Z Guide to New Age Elements and How to Use Them - Adams Media 2016

Scrying Mirror
The Power of Insight: Divination Systems, Tools, and Practices

ORIGINS

Scrying is the practice of gleaning information from images “seen” in a reflective, translucent, or luminescent surface. But this is not like looking at your own reflection in the bathroom mirror; instead, the images seen reflect inner spiritual visions. A scrying mirror may be made of a variety of materials, such as crystals, glass, or water. The word scry is actually short for descry, which means to catch sight of or detect. Descry comes from the Old French descrier, meaning “to call, cry out.” (See also the crystal ball entry in this chapter.)

HISTORY/LORE

Today, the visions received through scrying are thought to come from one’s own subconscious, imagination, or inner spirit, while in the past it was believed they came from gods, spirits, or other divine or ethereal influences. The legendary Cup of Jamshid is a famous scrying mirror that appears in Persian mythology. The cup was said to be filled with an elixir of immortality in which the whole world was reflected. The French apothecary and seer Nostradamus (1503—1566) used a bowl of clear water for scrying and then wrote about his visions. Joseph Smith Jr. (1805—1844) founded the Mormon religion based in part on information obtained through the reflections in seer stones.

USES

Although some firmly believe that only a select few possess scrying abilities, the general consensus is that anyone can learn this ancient art with practice. To begin, get yourself a scrying mirror. You can purchase one in a store or online, or you can make one yourself. There is a wide variety of options out there in terms of materials and forms. As you learned in Chapter 1, malachite, obsidian, and tourmaline are stones that can be used for scrying. You could also try Nostradamus’s bowl-of-water technique. Next, you must achieve a meditative or trance-like state that allows for deep inner focus and exploration. Finally, with practice, visions will appear. There are countless resources, including books, websites, and organizations, where you can learn specific scrying methods and how to interpret the visions you see.