By Katrina Rasbold
This week, a student asked me about scrying: Is it real? Does it work? How do you do it? I did not believe what my High Priestess told me decades ago when I asked the same questions. She said if you sit in the dark in front of a mirror with nothing but candlelight, you will see amazing things. Of course, not believing it meant I was going to try it out as soon as I possibly could, which I did.
Scrying is a form of divination and meditation that involves using a reflective object of some sort as a meditation tool to see visions. Those visions can be of the past, the present, the future, or a possible future if different choices are not made. The most commonly known scrying is the use of a crystal ball. Hollywood amped up the mystery behind crystal ball scrying, making it seem more like a psychic television. The stereotypical process of a mist forming in the ball, then parting to reveal actual scenes from beyond time or distance is not how a crystal ball works.
Years ago, there was a craze of 3-D images where a person relaxed their vision and looked at a specially designed graphic, other deeper images would emerge. Scrying works in a similar fashion. You look into the reflective surface and relax your vision. This gives your eyes a chance to check out of your conscious mind while your inner vision starts to work.
Scrying is not limited to crystal balls. “Obsidian Mirrors” are another way to scry. These can either be an actual piece of obsidian polished to a fine shine or a picture frame with the back of the framed glass painted black. Looking into the blackness is just as effective as looking into clear, smooth quartz. For some people, it is easier to use a black surface than a clear one. Scrying onto the surface of water contained in a reflective or black vessel is also effective.
Of all methods of scrying, mirror scrying is arguably the easiest and in my opinion, the most interesting.
After dark, arrange a mirror so that you sit directly in front of it and have a candle on each side, between you and the mirror. Make sure there is no additional light source in the room. Wear clothing that is dark and does not reflect from the mirror. Sit approximately 18-24 inches from the mirror at most. Light an incense that you enjoy. Play meditative music if you wish. As the candles burn, relax your entire body, starting with your face and working your way down to your feet. Feel your muscles and your mind relax more with every breath.
When you have relaxed completely, work to still your mind from the ongoing rampage of mundane thoughts. See them as tangible objects whirling around you that stop and drop to the floor, then disappear. Make your mind as blank as possible. Focus on the surface of the mirror and the reflections you see from the candlelight and occasional wafts of smoke. Do not strain your eyes trying to see something or work too hard. Relax and let it come to you.
With mirror scrying, you will sometimes see physical images. You may see your features shift and change until you look like someone else. You may have images appear in your mind or or come into your awareness through your third eye. Pay attention to any impressions you receive when you are in this state.
For my first mirror scrying experiment, I asked, “What did I look like before this life” and I literally saw my features shift and change several times. It was quite a relaxing and enjoyable experience. As my mentor said so many years ago, “You will see amazing things.” It may not happen immediately and may take practice, but this technique is fascinating to try.
Katrina Rasbold is a professional Witch, published author, priestess, and editor of Green Egg Magazine. She and her husband, Eric, are the creators of the CUSP spiritual path and owners of Crossroads Occult. She and Dahlia Rose host the popular livestreamed video broadcast “Crossroads of Cognizance” most Thursday afternoons. You can reach her through www.katrinarasbold.com.