Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

I will be brave and make the assumption that if you’re reading this you are a fan of all things strange (and possibly somewhat strange yourself) – therefore you have heard tell of the art of scrying.

If, like me scrying has struck you as a somewhat mystical art that has piqued your curiosity, I invite you to read on. Together we can educate ourselves on a magickal divination technique that is both intriguing and accessible. Let us fix our gaze on the words that follow…

The world of the occult is overflowing with techniques for divination: tarot, tasseomancy, psychic readings, palmistry – all of which are in my mind of equal value, but also require a level of artistry and skill; some even demand an innate sixth sense. This is where scrying differs. It is a technique that can be dabbled in by all those who possess patience, concentration and a little free time.

The beauty of scrying is in its simplicity. The only tool you will need is a scrying medium, which can be anything with a reflective surface. Traditionally this would mean a darkened mirror, a crystal ball, a scrying bowl or ideally a black obsidian mirror. Some contemporary scryers use the black reflective screen of a mobile phone.

Here in merrie olde England, scrying has a long history woven imperceptibly into witchcraft, folklore and spiritualism. Invented in ancient Babylonia, the technique seems to have initially gained mainstream popularity in England in the sixteenth century, thanks to Queen Elizabeth I’s chief astrologer, John Dee. Dee himself was unable to scry and so employed Edward Kelly, a convicted criminal with supposedly unsurpassed skills in mediumship. Kelly became a popular figure, with the power to conjure up visions of angels using Dee’s infamous black obsidian mirror, thought to have been plundered from Aztec priests. The mirror exists today, and can be viewed in the British Museum, London.

A century later, scrying was frequently used a divination tool by those who practiced witchcraft, with marked popularity amongst the witches of the west country. Traditionally an area of England rich in magick and mythology, the county of Cornwall to this day proudly displays its folkloric heritage, most notably at the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic in Boscastle.

The museum possesses a diverse range of both ancient and modern scrying tools, including a large copper scrying bowl with a mirror in its base. When filled with water, the mirror’s reflection is distorted enabling a witch to ‘read’ a variety of moving shapes and images.

The museum’s website quotes the acquirer of the scrying bowl, Cecil Williamson:

“When a witch has acquired her familiar spirit she will find that she can develop with its aid a number of useful arts, such as seeing pictures of the shape of things to come in water-mirrored copper basins. Water scrying is one of the methods for making divinations much favoured by working witches of the south west.”

Cecil Williamson

The donor of the scrying bowl is only known mysteriously as:

 ‘A wise woman living in Milton-Under-Wytchwood, 1955.’

As we travel forward in time, so too we travel northward geographically to the infamous town of Whitby in Yorkshire. Yet another area of England that is rife with folklore and legend, Whitby itself is steeped in the Victorian gothic atmosphere that was made so popular by ‘Dracula’ author, Bram Stoker. The Count himself is said to have landed at Whitby bay in the dead of night; cloaked by the looming shadows of the ruins of the Abbey on the clifftops above. Is it any wonder that the sparkling, black jet that makes up the very landscape of the bay itself is revered as a potent scrying medium?

Jet is formed as a result of the fossilization of driftwood, unlike its volcanic glass cousin, black obsidian. Despite the difference in base material, jet can also be polished to a high shine finish to be used for scrying purposes. As both a divination tool and emblem of mourning, Whitby jet reached the height of fashion during the Victorian era. The public began to follow Queen Victoria’s example, when after the death of her husband, she embraced her grief and the multiple traditions and customs associated with it. Death became a much revered part of life; the mourning process began to resemble a performance art. When a close family member died, all mirrors in the deceased’s household were reversed to face the wall for fear that:

 ‘…the dead, upon seeing their reflection would be fascinated and fail to depart this world, their soul being trapped for eternity.’

The power of the mirror was also embraced in more joyous and youthful aspects of Victorian life, such as the prospect of romantic relationships:

“A formerly widespread tradition held that young women gazing into a mirror in a darkened room (often on Hallowe’en for maximum effect) could catch a glimpse of their future husband’s face in the mirror – or a skull if their fate was to die before they married.”

The Ebor Jetworks, Whitby

Now if that doesn’t tempt you to dabble in a little bit of scrying, I don’t know what will. If you do make an attempt, a note of caution; the irksome, colloquial t-shirt slogan ‘good vibes only’ is, for once unusually apt. As with all spiritual practices, this technique should only be conducted when you are in good spirits. The ideal outcome is to draw positive, high frequency energies towards you – if you are feeling low, leave your scrying for a day of ‘good vibes only’.

And so the day (or night) arrives. Your positive emotions and highest intentions have arisen in both body and soul; use this golden hour to develop your spiritual practice. First, prepare a space that is sacred to you by cleansing it of any negative energies. You can do this by smudging, burning incense, meditating or by practicing your cleansing ritual of choice.

Now carefully lay out your scrying tool. Place it on your altar, or in a quiet, comfortable nook in your home where you feel safe and relaxed. Amethysts are especially helpful here; lay them down carefully next to your medium as they are ideal for divination and calming purposes. Also place a bowl of water next to your scrying tool to filter any negative energies that may arise.

Light a white candle and darken the room. Bring your intention and specific question to the forefront of your mind and gaze deeply into the scrying tool. Let your eyes relax, focus on your breathing and release your body and mind into a meditative state.

This is where patience and practice come in. Wait quietly and calmly, allow the images to unfold. Trust and believe in your intuition and write down any images, shapes, movements or impressions that you divine. You may receive messages from your spirit guides or other entities. Scrying is the perfect way to open up to and develop your ‘clairs’ senses; namely the eight psychic energies of clairsentience, clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairgustance, clairscent, claircognisance and clairtancgency.

Take your time and when you feel ready, close down the session by grounding all of your senses. Bless both the scrying tool and your sacred space once more with your preferred protective spells, prayers or rituals. You may also wish to smudge the area again, and recharge any energetic items such as crystals.

If you wish, leave an offering of gratitude and perhaps pull a tarot or oracle card to round off the session. Finally, remember to rest, eat and drink. If you feel so inclined, bathe  – namely, recharge and cleanse yourself.

The beauty of scrying: simple but powerful. It truly is a fascinating technique to add to your spiritual practice and develop your intuitive skills. May you enjoy many revelations, receive plentiful messages and bounteous blessings. In the famous words of the planchette, I wish you a fond goodbye. Or perhaps this is just ‘au revoir’? I must ask my mirror…

Image: ‘The Crystal Ball’ ~ John William Waterhouse (1902)

Article published in Strange Days Zine, 2023