Post by Graveyardbride on Apr 13, 2014 11:28:40 GMT -5
The Fine Art of Scrying
Scrying is a method of divination (fortune-telling or seeing the unseen or unknown) by gazing into the shiny or reflective surface of an object. The scryer stares into the object until a vision appears seen in his or her mind's eye. It's an ancient art dating back to early Egyptian and Arab civilizations, and throughout history has been used by wizards, witches, clairvoyants and psychics to look into the future, answer questions and even find lost objects or people. Nostradamus is perhaps the most famous scryer.
Tools. A crystal ball is the most well-known scrying tool – or speculum – but other devices have been employed in the art, including black or dark mirrors, the waters of a still lake, or bowls of ink, water, or blood. Nostradamus used a bowl of water set upon a brass tripod. Jeanne Dixon, the late American psychic, used a crystal ball, while other clairvoyants have used black obsidian mirrors, crystal skulls – even light bulbs. If you need a crystal ball or some other kind of scrying tool, you can find them online at Shadows and Light.
Some scryers say it's best to use a crystal of some kind because they have certain "vibrations," whatever that means. Others say it doesn't matter much what you use because what you're tapping into are your own powers of divination, and that the speculum is just a tool. So experiment and find whatever works best for you. Since I happen to have a crystal ball, that's what I'll use. You may also need a candle or two.
Preparation. Now for the setup. At night, choose a room or area of your house or apartment where it is quiet and where you are not likely to be disturbed. Dim the lights or completely turn them off. Low light is recommended to reduce distractions and allow you to concentrate on the speculum. I chose to set up on my kitchen table just after midnight when the house had finally quieted down for the night.
Light. To quickly attain scrying results, it's best to darken the room and set up some kind of dim flashing light. But who has a flashing light around the house? Not me. So I opted for a flickering candle, which provides better atmosphere anyway. To make sure the candle flickered properly, I turned on a ceiling fan. After blowing out a few times, I finally got the candle in the right position where it would flicker without extinguishing. If you don't have a fan handy, perhaps the air coming through an open window would provide the air flow you need. The candle should not be in your direct line of sight, but near enough to provide illumination and reflection on the scrying surface.
Bonding. For best results, some scryers recommend that you take time to "bond" with your speculum. Other scryers advise that you consecrate the speculum with salt water or charge it in the smoke of burning wormwood. Nostradamus is said to have anointed himself with the water from his speculum before going to work.
Get comfortable. Because you'll be gazing into your speculum for at least 20 minutes, get comfortable. Find a position in which you can gaze into your speculum for an extended period without moving.
Breathe and gaze. Take a few deep breaths and gaze into the speculum. Allow your eyes to relax unfocused and allow the images to emerge.
Record the images. You'll want to remember what you see in your speculum, so it's best to record the many images as they appear. A friend or family member can jot down what you report seeing, or you can simply speak into a tape recorder.
Results. Scryers say that after a few minutes you'll see the speculum cloud over, after which the images will begin to emerge.
Sources: ParanormalPhenomena and Methodis of Divination.