Hydromancy or Water Scrying

(c) Cheryl Lynne Bradley 2007



Scrying is a practice that dates back to the ancient Arabs and Egyptians which makes it one of the oldest forms of divination. Scrying using a Crystal Ball is one of the best known forms of fortune telling and often one of the first images stereotypically used regarding Divinatory practices. We are not restricted to the Crystal Ball as a tool for scrying: shiny stones, mirrors and any reflective object or surface can be utilized. Nostradamus used a brass bowl of water on a tripod and this method is called Hydromancy. The tool utilized to scry is called a Speculum. Scrying is used to answer questions, resolve problems, find what is lost or to solve criminal acts.

Water scrying was very popular with the Celts and other Shamanistic traditions. The Cup of Jamshid was used in Ancient Persia to divine. The liquid in the cup was said to be an elixir of immortality and looking into the cup allowed you to view the seven layers of the universe and deep truths were revealed. The Mirror of Galadriel in J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" was used to see past, present and future: the mirror was a pool of water.

If you would like to try your hand, or your eye, at Water Scrying, it is relatively simple to set up, getting results is somewhat more complicated. You need a bowl of water. A brass, silver or glass bowl would be nice but you have to use what you have on hand, so your favourite cereal bowl or tea cup is also a nice option here. I think a Tibetan Singing Bowl would work well for scrying as well. It is preferable to use water collected under a Full Moon from a stream or river. I am not a purist, tap water while the moon is full would certainly be adequate. If you are able to construct a tripod to set your chosen bowl on, please do. If you have access to laurel, bay or hazel branches use them to construct your base. If you aren't construction oriented, don't worry about it, a nice flat spot on your table or altar will do - like I said, I'm not a purist. A couple of candles appropriately coloured or charged for the issue you are scrying on should be placed about a foot from your scrying bowl.

Colour the water with dark green or dark blue food colouring - or whatever colour or combination of colours has appeal for you. It has to be dark enough that you can't see the bottom of the bowl. If you have a magic wand or a favourite crystal, you can wet the edge of the bowl and use your wand or crystal to rub the edge of the bowl - following the edge of the bowl all the way around. You can even just use the index finger of each hand and do alternating circles around the edge of the bowl. Each of these methods will create ripples in the water and energize it. You can use your hands to energize the bowl if you prefer. Using your left hand first, then your right, pass your hands, palm down, in a clockwise circular motion over the water an inch or two above to the surface - do three passes with each hand before switching (a bit of an upper body cardio workout, you always have to look for the hidden benefits). Pay attention to your breathing, breath slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on your intuition and your issue while watching for any images reflected in the water. You will have to trust your own intuition for interpretation. Keep it as simple as possible.

Don't be discouraged because it may take time to actually see anything. View it as a form of deep meditation and relaxation. Make sure you have grounded and protected yourself properly as you would before undertaking any type of divination. A nice cup of tea before and eating something of the earth after to return you to ground will round out the divination. 

Celtic Numerology

'...I have been a word among letters.'
--the Book of Taliesyn, VIII


What's in a word? Or a name? What special power resides in a word, connecting it so intimately to the very thing it symbolizes? Does each word or name have its own 'vibration', as is generally believed by those of us who follow the Western occult tradition? And if so, how do we begin to unravel its meaning? Just what, exactly, is in a word? Well, LETTERS are in a word. In fact, letters COMPRISE the word. Which is why Taliesyn's remark had always puzzled me. Why didn't he say he had been a 'letter among words'? That, at least, would seem to make more logical sense than saying he had been a 'word among letters', which seems backwards. Unless...

Unless he was trying to tell us that the word is NOT the important thing -- the critical thing is the LETTERS that make up a word! The Welsh bard Taliesyn was, after all, a pretty gifted fellow. He certainly put all the other bards at Maelgwyn's court to shame. And over the years, I've learned never to take his statements lightly -- even his most enigmatic statements. Perhaps he was really suggesting that, in order to understand the true meaning of a word or name, one must first analyze the letters that comprise it. Of course, this is certainly not a new theory. Any student of arcane lore would at once recognize this concept as belonging in the opening remarks of any standard text on numerology. But to read the same meaning behind a line of poetry penned by a 6th century Welsh bard may be a bit surprising. Is it possible that the Celts had their own system of numerology?

Let us begin the quest by asking ourselves what we know about numerology in general. Most of our modern knowledge of numerology has been gleaned from ancient Hebrew tradition, which states that the true essence of anything is enshrined in its name. But there are so many names and words in any given language that it becomes necessary to reduce each word to one of a small number of 'types' -- in this case, numerological types from 1 to 9 (plus any master numbers of 11, 22, etc.). This is easily accomplished by assigning a numerical value to each letter of the alphabet, i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3, and so on. Thus, to obtain the numerical value of any word, one simply has to add up the numerical values of all the letters which comprise the word. If the sum is a two digit number, the two digits are then added to each other (except in the case of 11, 22, etc.) to obtain the single digit numerical value of the entire word, which may then be analyzed by traditional Pythagorean standards.

The problem has always been how to be sure of the numerical value of each letter. Why SHOULD A equal 1, or B equal 2, or Q equal 8? Where did these values come from? Who assigned them? Fortunately, the answer to this is quite simple in most cases. Many ancient languages used letters of the alphabet to stand for numbers (Roman numerals being the most familiar example). Ancient Hebrew, for instance, had no purely numerical symbols -- like our 1, 2, 3, etc. -- so their letters of the alphabet had to do double duty as numbers as well. One had to discern from the context whether the symbol was meant as letter or number. This was true of classical Latin, as well. Thus, in languages such as these, it is easy to see how a number became associated with a letter: the letter WAS the number.

It is a bit more difficult to see how the associations in 'modern' numerology came into being. The modern numerological table consists of the numbers 1 through 9, under which the alphabet from A through Z is written in standard order:


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

---------------------------------

A B C D E F G H I

J K L M N O P Q R

S T U V W X Y Z



This arrangement seems somewhat arbitrary, at best. At the very least, it is difficult to sense any 'intrinsically meaningful' relationship between a letter and its numerical value. After all, our modern alphabetical symbols and our modern numerical symbols (Arabic) come from two completely different sources and cultures.

For this reason, many contemporary numerologists prefer the ancient Hebrew system because, at least here, there is a known connection between letter and number. However, when we attempt to adapt this system to the English language, a whole new set of problems crops up. For one, the entire alphabet is arranged in a different order and some of our modern letters have NO Hebrew equivalents. Thus, based on the Hebrew alphabet, the only letters for which we have numerical values are the following:


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

------------------------------------

A B G D H V Z P

Y K L M N W

Q R S T





Obviously, a modern numerologist wouldn't get very far with this table. In order to compensate for the missing letters in the Hebrew system, most modern textbooks on numerology 'fill in' the missing letters by 'borrowing' numerical values from the Greek alphabet, thus mixing cultural symbols in an eclectic approach that is not entirely convincing.

Another problem is the exclusion of the number 9 from the table -- which modern textbooks often 'explain' by saying that the Hebrews did not use the number 9, since it was a 'sacred' and 'mystical' number. The real truth, however, is far less esoteric. The fact is, the Hebrew alphabet DID have letters with the numerical value of 9 -- the letters Teth and Sade. But, since Teth and Sade do not have equivalents in our modern English alphabet, the 9 value must be left out.

And finally, it is once again difficult to see any INTRINSIC relationship between a Hebrew letter and the number it represents. Why should one symbol stand for 1, or another for 2, or yet another for 3, and so on? The whole superstructure seems somewhat shakey.

But let us now turn our attention to a Celtic alphabetic system called the 'Ogham'. This alphabet is written by making a number of short strokes (from 1 to 5) below, above, or through a 'base line' (which in practice tended to be the edge of a standing stone). Thus, A, O, U, E, and I would be written, respectively:

---/----//----///----////----/////---



Of course, in this system it is easy to see how a letter becomes associated with a number, since the numerical value of each letter is implicit. Thus, A=1, O=2, U=3, E=4, and I=5. (It is true there is much disagreement and confusion among modern scholars as to how the Ogham alphabet should be rendered. Further, a number of different Oghams seem to have been employed at various times by different Celtic cultures. But this confusion usually centers on whether the strokes should be above, below, or through the base line -- NOT on the number of strokes used. On that point, there is general agreement. And though orientation to the base line is important, it is not essential to our discussion of numerology, since we need only concern ourselves with the NUMBER of strokes used.)

Thus, based on the work of such scholars as P.C. Power, S. Ferguson, D. Diringer, I. Williams, L. Spence, and D. Conway, I have synthesized the following table of Celtic numerology:



1 2 3 4 5

---------------------------------

A D T C I

B G U E N

H L V F P

M O W J Q

X K R

S Y

Z



Using this table, the student of Celtic numerology would then proceed to analyze any word in the generally accepted manner. One should not be concerned that the numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9 do not appear in this system, as the Ogham alphabet had NO letters with these values (as opposed to the Hebrew alphabet which DID have letters with the missing 9 value, as mentioned earlier). Another consideration is that the Ogham alphabet is just that -- an alphabet. It never represented any particular language, and historically it has been employed by many different languages. Again by contrast, the Hebrew alphabet was structured for a particular language -- Hebrew -- and many problems arise when we attempt to adapt it to a language for which it is not suited.

Although the Ogham alphabet only has letter values from 1 through 5, all of the numbers from 1 through 9 (plus any master numbers of 11, 22, etc.) will be used in the final analysis (just as in the Hebrew system). To understand how this works, let us try an example. We will use the name of the Welsh goddess Rhiannon:


R + H + I + A + N + N + O + N

5 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 5 + 5 + 2 + 5 = 29

2 + 9 = 11



Most numerologists will agree that 11 is a 'master number' or 'power number' and therefore it is not further reduced by adding the two digits (although, if one does this, 1 + 1 = 2, and 2 is considered the first even and feminine number in the numerical sequence, certainly appropriate for a Welsh Mother Goddess). Viewed as an 11, the analysis is usually that of someone who is on a 'higher plane of existence' (certainly appropriate for a goddess), someone who brings 'mystical revelation'. Often this is someone who feels slightly distant from the people surrounding him or her, and who has trouble feeling any real empathy for them (which seems to fit a faery queen who has come to live in the land of mortals). Also, this is sometimes the number of the martyr, or of someone unjustly accused (which is certainly true of Rhiannon's story as told in the 'Mabinogi', in which she is falsely accused of destroying her own son).

By way of contrast, the 'modern' system would have Rhiannon be a 3, a somewhat inappropriate masculine number (not that all feminine names should always yield a feminine number -- but one would at least expect it to do so in the case of an archetypal mother goddess). The Hebrew system would yield an even more inappropriate 4, that being the number of the material world and all things physical (and since Rhiannon hails from faery, she is definitely not of this material plane.)

By now, some of my more thoughtful readers may think they see some inconsistency in my approach. Why have I gone to so much trouble to point up the flaws in traditional systems of numerology (even going so far as to suggest an entirely new system), only to fall back on interpretations of the numbers that are strictly traditional? The reason is this: all of my objections thus far have been limited to METHODOLOGY. When it comes to interpreting the meaning of the numbers, I have no quarrel with the traditional approach, since here we enter the field of universal symbolism. All systems of numerology, be they Hebrew, modern, Oriental, or whatever, tend to attach the same interpretive meaning to the numbers. When Three Dog Night sings, 'One is the loneliest number that you'll ever know...', it is a statement which is immediately understood and agreed upon by people from widely diverse cultures. And the same holds true for all other numbers, for we are here dealing with archetypal symbols.
It is worth repeating that, although I believe this system to have a firm theoretical basis, it is still in an embryonic state -- highly tentative, highly speculative. To the best of my knowledge, it is also an original contribution to the field of numerology. While some writers (notably Robert Graves in 'The White Goddess') have dealt with the numerical values of Ogham letters, I believe this article is the first instance of employing it specifically as a system of numerology. I have spent many long hours working with Celtic numerology -- putting abstract theory to use in practical application -- but much work remains to be done. For this reason, I would be happy to hear from readers who are interested in the subject and who would like to share their own experiences and thoughts.


Document Copyright © 1978, 1998 by Mike Nichols HTML coding by: Mike Nichols © 1998

This document can be re-published only as long as no information is lost or changed, credit is given to the author, and it is provided or used without cost to others.

And for clarification

The standard order:

1 - A J S
2 - B K T
3 - C L U
4 - D M V
5 - E N W
6 - F O X
7 - G P Y
8 - H Q Z
9 - I R

The Hebrew order:

1 - A Y Q
2 - B K R
3 - G L S
4 - D M T
5 - H N
6 - V W
7 - Z
8 - P

The Celtic order:

1 - A B H M
2 - D G L O X
3 - T U V W
4 - C E F J K S
5 - I N P Q R Y Z 

 

 

 

Tea Leaf Reading

Although telling fortunes by consulting the patterns formed by tea-leaves on the base and sides of a cup is often regarded as drawing-room entertainment, it is not purely an amusement. The tea leaves can act as a medium through which the clairvoyance of the reader is stimulated so that he or she is able to reveal truths that would otherwise remain hidden; or the figures formed by the leaves may be believed to reflect patterns that exist in the astral. The method used in tea-leaf reading is time honoured and simple. The client inverts her cup, turning it round three times; she places it on the saucer and then taps the bottom three times with her left index finger. The clairvoyant, who is in a light trance, picks the cup up and turns it round so that the leaves can be inspected.

All tea leaf readers have their preferred methods of interpreting the patterns made by the leaves, and only some general indication of their meaning is given here:

Chain of small leave: A journey, travel; if two larger leaves are in close proximity, the excursion is mental and not physical.

Serpentine chain of small leaves: a visit to the mountains; if two larger leaves are in close proximity, there will be ups and downs in daily life; inability to settle down.

Three small leaves close to one leaf: A man.

Two leaves close to a small leaf: A woman.

Group of small leaves in a triangular pattern: A child or children.

Heart: Love; a heart broken or crossed by a chain of leaves represents a broken love affair or divorce.

Triangle: Emotional involvement; jealousy; rivalry. If pointing downwards this shape indicates a menage a trois, if upwards, ambition and success are suggested.

Square: Several different possibilities are suggested by this formation; it may mean that the person concerned is well-established, conservative and solid character. Bit it can also imply a need for protection, or the client's failure to excel in his career.

Star: Great success; a sign of genius; spiritual enlightenment. However, if it falls on or near a heart formation, the passions may be crushed and replaced by a life of asceticism.

The appearance of more complicated symbols or geometric signs needs profound study; because of their rarity they are extremely significant.

Many leaves spread all over the cup: A rich or confused character; extravagance; negligence; generosity.

Very few leaves in the cup: Clarity; direct action in the future. However, this also indicates poverty in emotional life, and if the
leaves seem to arrange themselves in a provocative way they must be read with great care so that they offset the poverty of the all-over pattern.

Cross: This means that the client is at a crossroads in life, and that a personal sacrifice may be necessary. If this pattern is in conjunction with one large leaf, it can signify death. However, care and tact should be exercised in making such an interpretation, and it should be remembered that the possible death is not necessarily that of the client. Other leaves close by will ward off danger, and show a remedy for whatever ill is likely to befall him.

Circle: Marriage; a close partnership; fame. A good omen.

Circle with a cross on it: Enforced confinement, possibly in a hospital, prison, or other institution.

Two parallel lines of leaves: A propitious journey; dreams that will come true; a long and happy life. Reinforcement of all else seen in the cup.

Dots: Letters; messages; thoughts.

Stars: Good luck.

Dashes: Surprises.

Flowers: Joy; an engagement and marriage.

Fruit: Good fortune; children.

Daisy: Simple happiness.

Gun or dagger: Danger; strife.

Scythe: A good harvest; a death warning.

Musical instruments: Good company.

Scales: Justice; success at law.

Ladder: Increasing success.

Key: Secrets revealed; knowledge.

House: Stability.

Bottle: Excess; flirtation at a party.

Envelope: News.

Fan: An indiscreet love affair.

Teapot or kettle: Good cheer; contentment.

Pair of scissors: Angry words.

Hammer: Hard work.

image from "Tea-Cup Reading, and the Art of Fortune-Telling by Tea Leaves"

There are other general indications:

Time is represented by the different levels of the cup. The rim is the present, and below this lies the near future, while patterns formed on the base refer to events that are many years ahead.

Place is indicated by the parts of the cup in which the leaves settle. Those nearest the handle tell of events that affect the home; the leaves on the sides suggest distance according to their proximity to the handle, and those on the base show the place of birth, nationality and hidden nature of the client.

Letters of the alphabet represent the initials of people concerned in the reading; the hearer they are to the handle, the closer their relationship to the client.

Clear symbols are lucky, with the exception of those that represent illness or death.
Faint symbols tend to be unlucky, suggesting a weak character or lack of purpose.

Man, Myth, and Magic Volume 20, Article by Basil Ivan Rakoczi

How To Develop Your Own Psychic Abilities

Everyone has innate psychic abilities. There are some who are born with a more developed gift than others, but everyone has potential.

There are three basic modes of psychic receptivity

Clairsentience:
Being aware of facts or situations that you have no concrete way of knowing by experiencing them emotionally. In other words, a clairsentient can feel the emotions of others, can feel the presence of spiritual entities and feel that a situation will turn out a certain way. This happens to be the mode I work most from.

Clairaudience
This is the ability to hear sounds (music, voices, names) from other realms. Joan of Arc is a famous example of a clairaudient.

Clairvoyance
A clairvoyant experiences psychic awareness in the form of visual images. Sometimes these images are of actual scenes, sometimes they are symbols. Clairvoyants can sometimes see spiritual entities. The child in the movie "The Sixth Sense," for instance, was an extremely powerful clairvoyant.

The majority of people will find that their psychic abilities lie primarily in one of these areas. Working within the area in which your natural abilities lie makes the process of strengthening those abilities easier.

If you are intuitive and empathic, your primary mode will likely be clairsentience. If you are a very visual person, chances are your primary mode will be clairvoyance. Experiment and see which works best for you. Practice! These are not skill you can master with a minimum of effort. It is like exercising a muscle; You have to work it to make it strong.

Prepare Yourself

The state of mind you should be in for divination is close to a meditative state. Your mind and body should be relaxed. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply. Slowly let your mind open.

Physical Tools

Having a divinatory tool to work with is an excellent idea because it gives you something tangible to interpret. It stimulates your intuition and unconscious mind by serving as a screen for them to project upon. Some useful divinatory tools are The I Ching, a form of stichomancy (the practice of seeking insight into the world by reading a random passage in a book), Runes (a tool that dates from at least 300 AD when they were used by the Goths) and The Tarot. Then there is:

Scrying

This is the use of a crystal or crystal globe or, more economically, a bowl of water with a few drops of ink (not India ink so in case you spill it, it won't be a disaster).

In order to scry, you should sit comfortably, preferably inside a cast circle, in a darkened but candlelit room. Then, without straining, gaze at the surface of your scrying tool. You may be able to discern a blue light emanating from it. Out loud, say the question you want information about. Continue to gaze at the scrying tool. At a certain point, you will notice its surface has become hazy. Then it will come sharply back into focus. This is the point at which the vision may open. If it doesn't, don't be impatient. It may take lots of practice before you have a breakthrough.

The vision may be symbols or scenes. When you are a beginner, they may not be easily discernible. Resist the temptation to shift your line of vision in an attempt to try to make them out. Keep your eyes on the scrying tool. Perhaps the images you see won't make much sense to you, but make sure you write them down in your notebook along with the question you asked so you can assess their meaning from the vantage point of a later date.

Meditation and Automatic Writing

Have a friend give you a question on which to meditate. Or ask a question yourself. For learning purposes it should be a question you do not know the answer to but will be able to verify later. Get a pen and a piece of blank paper. Relax. Breathe deeply and slowly. Find your centre. Ask your spirit guardian for assistance in guiding your hand. Let your mind drift. Hold the pen lightly in your hand. Focus on the question and on the charge of energy that is building up in your hand. At a certain point, the pen may begin to move, seemingly of its own accord. Don't let the excitement you feel at what is happening disrupt the delicate connection between your everyday consciousness and your deep mind. This last point is probably the most difficult instruction to follow, particularly when you are just starting out.

Your first few efforts will likely result in a collection of squiggles and chicken scratches. Again, don't be disheartened. With practice you will be able to write legible words. Save even your most illegible efforts in a binder or notebook so that you can keep track of your progress.

Brief note of warning: Keep your perspective. Don't allow your psychic abilities to dominate your life. In order to be a balanced person, you have to listen to all of your senses (including your common sense), not just your sixth sense. So develop your psychic abilities but find a balance between them and your other abilities. Don't overindulge.

Thoughts on tarot

by Anne-Marie Krone

 
"I have put tarot first because it's my favorite form of divination. So let's dive into the mechanics of using tarot. The first step is acquiring a deck. When I first started using tarot finding a deck was a lot more difficult than it is now. Back then they were only available in occult book stores and the selection was fairly small (Rider-Waite only usually). Now tarot decks can be picked up in nearly any bookstore that has a New Age section and the variety of decks is amazing! This is a fantastic development, but it can be confusing to a beginner. Which deck to use? I use Aleister Crowley's Thoth deck, but I own an Aquarian Deck, a Sacred Rose Deck, and a Rider-Waite Deck. (I used to own more but I have this tendency to give them away to people who need a deck LOL). My daughter uses the Unicorn Tarot deck. So we are still at the question of which deck? The answer is any deck will work, but the one that you find visually and symbologically appealing to you will work better, so take some time and check out the pictures.

A standard tarot deck consists of 22 trump cards and 56 suit cards. The four suits are generally wands, cups, swords, and pentacles, but there are design variants like rods, staves, clubs, coins, disks, etc. There are now Dragon tarot, Fairy tarot, Womyn's tarot, Wolf tarot, Animal tarot, Witches tarot, Egyptian tarot, Celtic tarot, Magic the Gathering tarot, and many others too numerous to name. It is now possible to find a tarot deck that suits your taste and personality more exactly and this is a very good thing, as divination works best when the symbols are appealing. So the best tarot deck for you is the one that you like the pictures on best...it's that simple.

So now you have a deck, how to use it?
The first and most important step is to learn the meanings of the cards. All decks come with a little booklet that gives a brief description of the meanings of each card and this is perfectly good to get started on. You can purchase a book on tarot (my fav is the The Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley, but this is specifically designed for the Thoth deck) to learn more complete meanings, but this is not necessary to start off with. Some good exercises to learn the meanings is to use the cards like flash cards, going through the deck and trying to name the meaning from memory. After some practice you should have at least the generic meanings down, the more specific and subtler meanings will come with practice, also the pictures themselves should give you mnemonic hints. Another way to fix the meanings in your head is to take each card and study it, then copy the meaning down by hand in your book of shadows. Whatever method you use, once you have become familiar with each cards meaning you are ready to begin using the cards for divination.

This is done by means of a "spread". Just as there are lots of tarot decks there are lots of spreads. One of the most common (and probably the one that is shown in your little booklet) is the Celtic Cross Spread. This is a 10 card spread laid out in the form of a cross.

http://www.angelpaths.com/spreads3.html

The first card is laid in the center and this card represents either the question or the questioner. It can either be deliberately chosen before the reading or picked at random.
The second card is laid across the first. This card represents that which is "crossing" the question or questioner. In other words...whatever it is that caused you to do the spread in the first place, the problem to be resolved or the unknown information you are seeking.
The third card is placed below the first card and represents the "foundation" or the basis of the question or the starting state of the questioner.
The fourth card is placed to the left of the center. It indicates the past...the circumstances that led up to the present question.
The fifth card is placed above the center and represents the "crown". This is how the question or the questioner appears to the outside world.
The sixth card is placed to the right of center. This represents the immediate future in respect to the question..trends that will soon manifest.
The seventh card is placed beside the cross to the lower right and is the first card in a line that will be made beside the cross. It represents the subconscious...something that pertains to the question but that you might not have been consciously aware of.
The eight card is placed immediately above the seventh. This card represents external relationships with friends and family that might pertain to the question.
The ninth card is placed above the eighth. This is the card that describes the hopes and fears that are related to the question.
The tenth and final card is placed above the ninth and represents the final outcome of the question.

As you can see the Celtic Cross is designed to foretell the general future of a person and really doesn't lend itself well to more specific questions or questions about the properties of a magickal substance. It also only places one card for each area, thereby limiting the nuances that could be expressed.

http://corrinekenner.com/the-fairy-tarot-pentacle-spread/

Another spread which I find more specific and effective is the Pentagram spread.

Starting at the top you lay three cards next to each other. These represent the Spirit of the matter. And all three should be read together as a combined progression. (This is where knowing the magickal elements comes in handy) with the left-most representing the past the middle representing the present and the right-most representing the immediate future)
Next you lay three cards together at the bottom left (you are outlining a pentagram with each point marked by three cards). These three cards represent the Earth of the question...the foundation or basis of the question.
Next you lay three cards in the upper right. These cards will represent the Water of the question...the emotions that lie in the question.
The next set of three is placed in the upper left and represent the Air of the question...the thought or intellectual properties of the question.
Finally the last set of three are placed in the lower right (completing the pentagram) and represent the Fire of the question...or what actions should be taken.

http://tarotconnection.net/episode-105/

A third spread I call the Yes/No spread, is fairly simple. The question should be phrased as a yes/no question. You lay five cards in a row from left to right. Reversed cards mean no, forward cards mean yes. You count the yes's and no's to get the overall yes or no (majority wins). The cards then can be read as farthest left~past, left-immediate past, middle~present, right~imediate future, furthest right~future.

There are many more spreads and you should feel free to investigate others or make up your own. As long as you know what each place is supposed to mean the spread will "work".

Mechanics or the Care and Feeding of a tarot deck:)

Shuffling:
You can shuffle as little or as much as you like in any fashion you like, as long as you do it the same way every time. This allows your dream consciousness a chance to "stack" the deck.

Reading a spread:
Beyond the specific meanings of each card you should look for predominations. For example a spread that is mostly trumps indicates great powers at work, a spread that is mostly swords indicates intellectual matters, cups emotional, disks earthly or material matters, wands physical or life matters. Also look for oppositions like swords and disks or rods and cups..this may indicate conflict or opposing forces at work.

Storage:
You can keep your tarot deck in the box they came in, but I find it aesthetically pleasing and conducive to my belief in their power (which is what makes them work) to wrap them in a swatch of silk and put them in their own box (I have one in a stain glass box, one in a stone box carved with celtic knotwork, one in a wicker box and one in an orange silk pouch). I keep my favorite deck on my altar, but any place where they aren't going to be upset or casually man-handled is okay.

Handling:
I keep one set that I use on/for other people (the Aquarian deck) and I allow whoever I am reading for to touch this deck, but all others are off limits. I do this because I have found that keeping your decks attuned only to you makes them more effective. If someone touches your personal deck though, all is not lost. Simply put them back in order (0-21 trumps, 1-King suit cards) this "clears" the deck and you can reset it to your own personal attunement thereafter. (course I still get upset if someone touches my personal deck cause I have been tuning that baby for years LOL)

Mindset:
Most important when doing a reading is how and what you are thinking as you do the spread. Before beginning any tarot reading, I place the deck in my left hand and say a prayer to the Goddess, then I spend a few moments in meditation to bring myself to a light trance state. While I shuffle and lay out the spread (and still in a light trance) I keep the question as the only thought in my head (sometimes chanting the question out loud helps maintain the purity of the thought). If you do not do this your spread WILL reflect whatever happened to be floating around in your head...for example: you asked a question about the best time to do a spell, but your mind kept popping over to the car needing new tires. Chances are really good that the spread will be more about the new tires your car needs than about the spell timing, so it is very important to remain focused.

As with everything else, practice is absolutely necessary to getting "good" with tarot. The more familiar you are with your deck and the more readings you have done, the better your readings will get and the more accurate they will become. It is a good idea to keep notes on readings in your book of shadows, as I have found, sometimes readings I thought I had blown proved to be very accurate (scary accurate) when I reviewed them months or years later."

Copyright Anne-Marie Krone 1999.

How to use a Ouija Board

 

So, you have your new Ouija or talking board. Now what?

Here are some suggestions:

Wipe your board clean with a soft cloth
Smudge your board with a sage bundle or any purifying incense (like rosemary). Smudging is the Native American equivalent of a "smoke bath".
Light a white candle.
Affirm, in a clear strong voice, that no negative or harmful energies be attracted to your Ouija Board. State that any negative forces present are now banished and dismissed. You may want to ask for a helpful and beneficial entity to make itself known to you

The traditional and time honored original William Fuld Ouija instructions:

1st - Place the board upon the knees of two persons, lady and gentleman preferred. Place heart shaped table in center of board, resting fingers lightly upon the table so as to allow it to move freely and easily. A question may be asked, and in from one to five minutes the table will commence to move, at first slowly, and then faster. As the table passes over the board, a transparent window and pointer in the top indicates each letter of a message as it is received.

2nd - Care should be taken that only one person ask questions at a time so as to avoid confusion.

3rd - To obtain the best results it is important that the person present should concentrate upon the matter in question and avoid other topics. Have no one at the table who will not sit seriously and respectfully. If you use it in a frivolous spirit, asking ridiculous questions, laughing over it, you naturally get undeveloped influences around you.

4th - The Ouija is a great mystery, and none claim to give exact directions for it's management and use, and the Ouija will not work equally well under all circumstances. With reasonable patience and judgement the Ouija will satisfy your greatest expectations.

5th - The board should be kept smooth and free from dust and moisture, as all depends on the ease with which the feet of the table can glide over the surface of the board. Rubbing with a soft dry cloth just before using is advised.

Here are a few time honored BlackRaven suggestions:

Have a 3rd person act as the scribe. Many times the letters and numbers spelled out will make no sense at the time. By using a 3rd participant, or a tape recorder, you will be able to go back over your session at any time.

Use your Ouija at night. Is it the darkness that helps set the mood? Who knows! It just seems to work a lot better.

Feel uncomfortable with any information that you are receiving? Tell the "messenger" to leave! Use a strong clear voice and banish the troublemaker. Most "spirits" are bored silly, and will do ANYTHING to attract your attention.

Always Ask for information from the board. Never Tell the talking board what you want. How would you respond to a demand instead of a polite request?

Planchette won't move? Begin again by making slow circles on the Ouija and the "spirits" will usually take it from there!

There is no such thing as a 'broken' Ouija board. Are you serious about your intent? Are you using the board with someone who is giggling and/or not concentrating? All of these things will inhibit your enjoyment and results.

If you're really scared then here's the best advice: Put the Ouija Board Away! Duh. 

You can use a Ouija or talking board by yourself. Some people are simply unable to get results when working with the board alone.

Ouija boards DO work.
They will NOT bring evil spirits or bad luck into your life.
Unless of course, you really believe that they will...heh heh heh
Ouija boards are not the tool of the devil. Satan certainly has better things to do then hang around your Ouija board.
Besides, everyone knows that the tool of Satan is a Phillips Screwdriver...

DIVINATION - Overview

Copyright Anne-Marie Krone 1999

Divination is defined as the art or practice that seeks to discover hidden knowledge. The word divination springs from the word to divine or to discover or perceive intuitively. Part and parcel of performing magick and doing so ethically is knowing when, where, with what and for whom. We have studied some symbols and how they interrelate, but to properly investigate the symbols and to answer the above questions we need to understand divination.

There are many systems of divination. A short list is tarot, astrology, crystallomancy (crystal balls), geomancy (poking holes in a box of earth and combining the results into a set of symbols..I'll be explaining geomancy fully in another lecture), pyromancy (using flame or smoke to divine), dream interpretation, hydromancy (scrying with a liquid reflective surface like water or ink), runes, tea leaves, palmistry, I Ching and astral projective investigation. There are many, many more forms, but what they all have in common is a set of symbols that the diviner combines in a specific (often ritual) fashion and by "reading" the relationships and order of the symbols to acquire hidden or esoteric knowledge. Some sets of symbols are more detailed than others (tarot, astrology, geomancy, I Ching) and some rely heavily on the reader's own intuition and imagination (tea leaves, crystallomancy, hydro and pyromancy).

But how does it work? If you will recall, we discussed how the God and Goddess are present in all things and all things are part of the God and Goddess. This includes our minds. Your mind is part of the Divine Mind of the God and the Goddess and under the proper circumstances you can gain access to all of the Divine Mind. But this access must of necessity be limited or as a human being you would be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information and not be able to find the specific info you need. The conscious mind keeps us sane by filtering out most of the imput of the Divine Mind (this is also why many tribal peoples regarded insane people as holy people), divination works by selectively dipping into the subconscious or dream consciousness (I dislike the word subconscious..it implies that this state of consciousness is less than normal consciousness when it is in fact incredibly more, so from now on I will call it dream consciousness). And via the use of symbols presenting our normal consciousness with the information we are seeking.

Let me give you an example. There is a online tarot reading service that I like to goof around with. The layout is generated randomly by a computer, and as such is not particularly applicable to me (but still fun to do *grin*). A completely random spread is like casting a net into the sea..you will get a fish and it just might be the fish you were looking for...but more than likely it will not be. No, divination works by cheating. Don't be aghast. Not conscious cheating (which will only tell you what you want to hear), but by your dream consciousness stacking the deck when you shuffle a tarot deck, or by causing your hands to twitch when you use a divining rod or pendulum, or by influencing the selection of runestones that fall, because your dream consciousness already knows the answer. It just has to have a medium by which to communicate with your consciousness ( a set of symbols), and that's how divination works.
As a side note: all the scientific research into divination will never find anything that they can prove works LOL..because they go to great lengths to eliminate any conscious or unconscious cheating, thereby reducing any results to purely random and ensuring that it doesn't work. It would be like before you went to attempt to prove that your car starts, you removed the battery.

So which system of divination to use? This is yet another thing that you need to try several and see which works best for you, what feels most comfortable. Obviously some systems are fairly easy to pick up, and others require study and practice before you are familiar enough with the symbols for it to work truly well (tarot and I ching are good examples of these). I personally use tarot almost exclusively for divination (it isn't always possible or practical to carry a deck around all the time and do spreads, so I do practice more portable forms of divination when I am "on the road"). And some forms of divination require a lot of "equipment" (which you either have to purchase or make) so that might influence your choice as well. Whatever system or systems you finally decide on, it is important to practice often and become thoroughly familiar with the symbols in it. Until you do, the results while not entirely inaccurate won't be as specific as they will when you are. A good way to determine/ practice your accuracy is to do divination on things that you already know the answer to. Keep records of these practice sessions in your Book of Shadows, and try to take note of all factors like time of day, state of mind, background noise/activity, physical position, moon phase, any helpful factors like candles, incense or music. After a time you will be able to review your records and see that for example you were most accurate when you were playing an Enya CD, burning jasmine incense and doing the reading on a full moon in the late evening wearing your purple feather hat (I kid you not, that is when I am most accurate LOL). With this information, when you seek truly unknown answers you can set the conditions to those most favorable to you and be assured of obtaining a reliable answer.

So what kinds of things do you divine for? Beyond the run of the mill, "what will my future hold?" (which will give you the most probable extrapolation of how things will go based on the prevailing factors at the very instance of the reading provided that no changes are made ). Divination can be used to determine if using a spell would be correct and for the best, or determining currents in your life, or helping you to make decisions about jobs, people, places, money, health care, etc. It can also be used to explore new symbols (or old for that matter) to enhance your understanding of them. Like doing a tarot reading on the properties of quartz, or using your crystal ball to enhance your understanding of the Empress card. I will be giving a blow by blow on several major divination systems in the next few lectures, but don't be afraid to go out and buy a book on any that seem appealing to you. I have been reading tarot for 15 years, but I still find new insights and meanings every day. Tarot, astrology and I Ching books are widely available in the New Age sections of bookstores (more available than books on Wicca for that matter).

Dowsing

´The ability to find people, artefacts or substances by use of maps, pictures or physically being in a place are currently the most popular applications of Dowsing. Most dowsers use two 'dowsing rods' and/or a pendulum. The rods, traditionally known as 'Wishing Rods', are formed into an L shape and are usually made of copper although the oldest known material was wood, usually forked Hazel branches along with Apple, Beech and Alder. (It is said that metal coat hangers work just as well!). One rod is held in each hand and you have located what it is you are looking for when the rods cross.

When using a pendulum most people weight the line with a crystal, or heavy weight. The important thing seems to be the length of the line which the pendulum swings on. In his book, "The Power of The Pendulum," Tom Lethbridge explains his own experiments into pendulum lengths and also his own theories as to how dowsing works. However, what does seem a mystery is how diviners can dowse over a map to find people or substances when the focus of the search can be many kilometres away. Indeed this does suggest some sort of psychic activity.

Dowsing is reported to date back approximately 7000 years but origins are still unknown. It is accepted, however, that the Egyptians used images of forked rods in some of their artwork as did the Ancient Chinese kings. In Europe, it was known for dowsing to be used in the Middle Ages to find coal deposits. Since this time people have dowsed for everything from lost objects to missing people, some of them are reported to be very accurate although the scientific community as a whole have yet to decide if they support or refute this ability. Some people earn money by advising mining companies before they carry out test drilling/core sample.

In 1930's there was a lot of activity in Europe with the formation of 'The British Society of Dowsers'. The term Rasiesthesia was also coined by French priest Alex Bouly based on the Latin words for 'radiation' and 'perception', although the term dowsing has stood the test of time.

In 1986 American dowsers argued that there was a connection between dowsing and astrological links with the element Fire.

I Ching

The I Ching, also known in the West as The Book of Change, may be the oldest book in the world. Originating thousands of years ago among the courtly shaman-diviners of ancient China, it springs out of the unadulterated consciousness of primeval humanity. Here are truly fundamental perceptions of reality, distilled into inter-related images of physical and spiritual reality. The images are associated with numbers, and the numbers may be derived from certain technical manipulations that enable a skilled reader to use the book as an oracle. In fact, the book has been used and abused for fortune telling from its earliest days. It had itself evolved out of a still more ancient divining tool known as the Tortoise Oracle, whose wisdom it incorporated.

In Chinese, "ching" means book. "I" means change, or changes. Thus the name may be translated as The Book of Changes. But "I" means not only change. Strangely enough, it also means permanence, or the unchangeable. The Book of Changes views all of the changes that we and the world go through as an unfolding of the immutable laws and principles of existence. By explaining our present situation in terms of the natural laws that have given rise to it, we can know where we are headed and what the future is likely to be.

The I Ching views the universe as a natural and well-coordinated system in which the process of change never ceases. It presents human nature and destiny as based on principle and order. Study of the I Ching thus makes it possible for us to orient individual human activities and situations within the larger context of harmonious interactions between people, nature, and the cosmos.

The I Ching is a practical guide through the perplexities and insecurities of daily life. It roots our actions, experiences and expressions in the fundamental ground of existence. It's beautiful commentaries help to give us the moral strength we need to fulfill our ideals. The loveliness of its images provides endless joys of meditation, study and contemplation.

The heart of the book is in its images. There are sixty-four in all, and the reader must be familiar with the particular meaning of each one, as well as the ways in which one image may change into another image in the course of time. Age-old traditions describing the images through the medium of imaginative verse help the intuitive and psychic personality to disclose the underlying themes. And, in addition, a great number of philosophers have written commentaries about the images in the I Ching. The legendary contributions of Confucius, or Kung-fu-tse, from about 500bc are the most celebrated, but there have been many others of comparable scope and quality. The images have been interpreted from the point of view of many of the world's religions, including Christianity, and they have been related to secular concerns in translations like the one that has guided the affairs of present-day Japan's pre-eminent corporate leader, Matsushita.

Indeed, the I Ching may be consulted on virtually any subject or concern. All things in Heaven and Earth are dreamt of in this philosophy, Horatio

New Year's Divinations

Whenever New Year is celebrated, it is traditionally powerful for divination, especially at midnight on New Year's Eve as the dimensions part.

Candle Wax or Egg Divination

This can be used for seeing whether New Year Resolutions bear fruit or for predicting whether hopes for the coming year will be realised. 

 

Either light a pure white candle at midnight on New Year's Eve and let the wax drip into cold water 

 

or prick a hole in the first egg laid on New Year's Eve and let the egg white trickle into very hot water. 

 

Another traditional method is to melt tin over a flame and cast it into a bucket of cold water.

As you let the wax fall, think of any New Year Resolution you have made and ask what the New Year will bring. The wax, tin or egg white will form a shape or perhaps two or three and answer your question.

For example, a boat or plane might suggest that you would have to travel far to achieve your ambition, a baby that there may be an unexpected arrival in the family that may change your plans. Trust the first image or words that may come into your mind. 

The meanings given in different books and sites are just one way the images have been interpreted. Follow your own intuitions

- by Cassandra Eason
http://www.cassandraeason.com/

New Year's Divination - "Clock" or "Circle of Years"

You place the cards one for each mark on the clock in a circle, and the last in the middle. You read them, one o'clock for January and so on, and the one in the middle for the whole year.

Palmistry: Heart Line

I have been re-reading my book on palmistry, and I think I have a wrong aproach to it.
I find it very educating to take tarot cards one card at a time, think about it for a week or so, and look for correspondences and associations in my everyday life for that one specific card.
So with astrology - I didn't try to take it all in in one big lump, but in small parts - one sign at a time, one planet...
so why would I try to devour and digest palmistry in whole?

So, let's break it into pieces and learn it that way :-)

Heart line

There's basically four main lines in people's hands, and they form a M.
One line goes straight over the palm, close to fingers. That is the Heart line. (Starting from the outside of the palm, the opposite side of the thumb)
Then there's the the Line of Life, which circles the thumb, Line of Head, that crosses the palm horizontally, and vertically the palm is crossed by the Line of Fortune.

Heart line is closely related to Venus - it talks about your feelings, emotions, how emotional you are, how passionate and impulsive you are and such things.

There are two main styles in heart line; curved and straight. The curved will start from the side of palm and curve close to or between fingers and the straight is, of course, straight.

The owner of the straight line is more careful, the curved line belongs to an impulsive person.

The longer the line is, the more emotional the person is. If one has a short heart line, the person doesn't have much "connection" with his/her feelings - it's not that the person is insensitive bastard, he/she just doesn't much care about feelings (yeah, which often shows in the person being an insensitive bastard ;-))

Here's reading about heart line
http://palmistryinternational.com/heartline.htm
http://www.psychicguild.com/palmistry/heart.htm
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/lifestyle/newage/palm/heartline.html
http://www.palmistry.com.au/palmistry-lines.html

"Note: Palmistry research has shown that a successful marriage is often made up of partners who spot similar heart lines."
Well... my husband has a straight heart line of normal length, mine is long, deep and curved... I don't think any palmister had given us much change, they'd tell us that I'm too passionate, aggressive and sensual for my husband, who would bore me to death... we are still madly in love with each other, and we've been together for 10 years, and married for 7 years. Not a sign of 7 year itch :-)
So - it's all about your head, not your hands. The secret of a happy marriage is that you BOTH are determined to have a happy marriage.

http://www.websitesolution.org/astroabby/palmistry.htm

I was going through the article about handanalysis
http://www.handanalysis.com/thumb1sm.html

There's some things I came to think about when reading that

* we are not born with the lines we have in our hands. The lines form through using of hands, so does the form of hand (workers have more muscles in their hands and thus have wider hands than thinkers), and the angles.

Palmistry

Reading hands is one of these divination techniques that are better used for psychological reasons - to find out "who am I?" and things like that, more than "what will happen tomorrow?"

Most of the people are interested about themselves, and even when they don't believe in that you can actually see anything from the hand, they are ready to let you see.

 Caravaggio: Good Luck ~1595

"Judging by the number of hands painted in prehistoric caves it would seem that palmistry held a interest for humans since the stone age.
Archaeological discoveries have discovered hands made of stone, wood and ivory by ancient civilizations.
The emperor of China used his thumbprint when sealing documents in 3000 bc.
Information on the laws and practise of hand reading have been found in vedic scripts, the bible and early semitic writings.
Aristotle (384-322 bc) discovered a treatise on palmistry on an alter to the god hermes.
The greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen (ad 130-200) were both knowledgeable about the use of palmistry as a clinical aid.
Julius Caesar (102-44bc) judged his men by palmistry.
Notable people such as Paracelsus (1493-1541) and Fludd (1574-1637) brought respectibility to palmistry through their writings.
Later Dr Carl Carus, physician to the king of saxony in the 19th century matched palms to personality. Advances in genetics, psychology and forensics have propeled palmistry into the modern age. In 1901 scotland yard adopted the technique of fingerprinting in criminal investigation and identification. Medical researchers studying skin patterns (dermatoglyphics), have discovered a correspondence between genetic abnormalities and unusual markings in the hand. Research has confirmed a link between specific fingerprint patterns and heart disease.
These days palmistry is well accepted throughout the world. Proffesional palmists can be found reading palms in every country in the world.
Pick up almost any copy of a womens magazine and there is some information on palmistry.
There are thousands of books written on the subject and there are palmistry clubs the world across."

http://www.handanalysis.com/
http://www.ofesite.com/spirit/palm/palm.htm
http://www.kosmickonnection.com/index.html
http://www.palmistryultimate.com/index.htm
http://www.dse.nl/~frvc/palmistry/
http://www.crystalinks.com/palmistry.html
http://palmistry.findyourfate.com/
http://www.palmistryinternational.com/
http://www.palmistry.org/

http://skepdic.com/palmist.html

Black Mirror Scrying

The black scrying mirror, or magick mirror, is a powerful psychic tool. It can bring the user hidden knowledge and clairvoyant ability and can act as a portal to other planes of existence. History shows
its use in many of the traditional mystery schools and oracular temples. Today the serious student of magickal arts can rediscover the ancient rites of the magick mirror, for these techniques are again
coming to light.

Scrying can be defined as the mantic art of gazing into or upon a crystal or dark mirror, allowing the physical eyes to relax, thus letting the inner psychic eyes begin to open and receive desired visions or information. The use of the black mirror is one of the best methods of achieving the state of mind required for entering trance and for scrying work. It not only acts as a focal point for visualization but can become a doorway into the astral plane. It allows communication with higher realms and the subconscious and access to Akashic records. The traditional crystal ball is also a wonderful tool, but it is more difficult to scry with and is extremely expensive. The mirror is a more efficient way to begin to learn to scry and journey in other realms. However, all techniques in this article may be used with a crystal ball as well as the black scrying mirror.

Consider the reality of the Akashic records, in which all ideas, actions, influences and vibrations are stored. The practiced scryer has the ability to "read" these records and focus on this vast source of timeless knowledge with the aid of the mirror and a strongly directed imagination. Guides from the world of spirit often lead the scryer in astral travel and mental journeying through the black mirror or crystal sphere. Scrying develops one's clairvoyant abilities and is especially helpful in strengthening the third eye.

The preparation and construction of the mirror is extremely important. The black scrying mirror must be created with the highest magickal standards and traditions. At the full moon, specially cut glass disks are cleansed and magnetized. They are then anointed with a powerful herbal fluid condenser to attract and hold energy, vital force and any charge given them. A tincture of gold and moonstone is then applied to the surface, and they are ritually blessed under the light of the full moon. They remain for a night and a day within a circle of protection. The black coating is then applied to seal in the energy, and a felt backing is put on to protect the mirror and absorb later applications of fluid condenser. The mirror stand is carved rosewood, ebony or teak.

Ways in which the black mirror can be used

To contact spirit guides
To access knowledge
For healing and self improvement
As a magickal transmitter and receiver
For divining the past, present and future
As a portal to the astral plane
For shamanic journeying
For ritual invocation and evocation
To improve visualization skills

Black Mirror Scrying: Preparing to work with the black scrying mirror

Always keep the surface very clean using alcohol and a soft cloth.

Never use it for anything but its intended magickal purpose.

Do not let others look into its surface, except in ritual context.

Keep it stored in a silk bag when not in use.

Frequently recharge the mirror with vital force and fluid condenser, as explained following.

Practice the visual exercises described following until mastered.

Keep the working area clean and free from any disturbance.

Generally, scry using the mirror at night, preferably during the full or new moon, depending on the operation. The mirror can be used at any time, but tends to work better at these points.

When indoors, light two votive candles, one on each side of the mirror.
Use white or colored candles appropriate to the work: blue for healing, purple for psychic work, orange for communication, and so on.

Burn a lunar or psychic blend incense before working with the mirror.

Place the mirror on a wooden table or altar with a clean cloth beneath it and be seated on a wooden chair in front of it, or if you prefer, assume a comfortable asana on the floor with the mirror before you.
Extinguish all light sources except the candles and/or moonlight.

Allow nothing to reflect in the mirror's surface. It should appear as a dark tunnel or window.
Before starting, always create a sacred space to work in. Cast a circle of protection or visualize the area surrounded by white light and protection from false or misleading influences - call your guides
and guardians to protect the working.

Keep a journal to record your experiences.

The rite of scrying 

First, clearly decide what you seek or are trying to accomplish in the working and prepare appropriately. Then prepare the work area carefully as suggested previously.

Once you are ready, close your eyes and begin to relax; feel every part of your body releasing, relieved of all tension. Visualize your circle of protection and know you are safe and in control of all that happens within it. Begin to breath rhythmically and fully; try a count of four in, hold four, release four, four in, hold four, release four and so on. Feel yourself entering a light trance surrounded by sacred space, removed from time and the material world.

Silently call your guides or guardians of the work, invoking the Goddess or calling angelic presences, spirit guides, watchtowers, astral guardians or whatever you prefer. Reaffirm your desire and the
purpose of the work.

Now open your physical eyes and gaze into the mirror; remain relaxed and do not hesitate to blink when necessary. Relax the focus of your eyes but remain alert. After a while, the surface of the mirror will begin to change and fade; a dark mist will appear.

Your inner eyes will now open, and the journey into the mirror begins. Remember that the inner eye sees inside the mind, through the magickal imagination. Most people when scrying do not see the images appear with the physical eyes on the mirror's surface but see within the mirror and in the mind's eye. The mirror acts as a focal point, a gateway within.

When you have completed your journey or work you set out to do, begin the return to your body and ordinary senses. Breath fully and deeply, and remain still until you feel you have completely returned. Now close your eyes and remember all you saw and felt during the scrying or journey. Review your entire experience mentally.

Write it all down immediately in a journal kept for this purpose.

To begin to see

This is a very important exercise to master if you are new to scrying or are having trouble receiving images. It will aid your "visual imagination," which allows your psychic and physical eyes to see
clearly together. It gives clairvoyant strength.

Sit before your mirror and begin to imagine objects on its surface, one after another. You should try to see these images clearly in the mirror with your eyes open, just as if they were there in reality. Try simple shapes or colors first. Hold onto the image of each shape, object or color one minute before dissolving it and going on to the next. For example, use a red triangle, a yellow square, a blue circle
and silver crescent; see them appear in the mirror using your firm imagination. For best results, do this exercise every day for 15 minutes until it is mastered.

This exercise is well worth the effort; it gives magickal discipline and strengthens the inner eye so visions can come with clarity and ease.

Charging the mirror with light

To charge and empower the mirror with light force is a simple but powerful process. It should be done frequently, especially just before using the mirror, so as to ensure you see correct visions, connect
with positive energy and do not experience interference.

First, you must imagine that white light is collecting inside your body, being channeled down from the crown chakra. The body becomes a vessel filled with light. Remember to breathe fully, deeply and rhythmically. Now stand in front of the mirror and direct the palms of your hands toward one another. Imagine that the internal light is now moving into your hands, forming a ball of condensed white light between them. See and feel this clearly in your imagination. When ready, begin to project this ball of light into the surface of the mirror, purifying and enlivening the mirror, filling it with magickal force. See the light "soak" into the mirror. This process needs to be repeated until the mirror feels "full."

This process can also be used to give a special or programmed charge to the mirror. Follow the steps preceding and create the ball of light between your hands, then mentally project your desire into the light before projecting the light into the mirror. This technique can be used for healing works and self-improvement. You can also charge the light with a specific color or vibration - whatever can be felt or imagined can be put into the mirror to aid the magickal energy. The empowering exercise can be used for other magickal operations as well, such as charging other magickal tools and the giving of healing light to another person. All it takes is a strong desire and powerful imagination.

Locking the charge into the mirror is accomplished by willpower. When the light has been absorbed into the mirror, state in your mind and with all the faith you can muster that the charge will remain as long as you require it. To release or remove a special charge, simply reverse the procedure, pulling the light out of the mirror into the space between your hands. Then disperse the energy into the atmosphere
through the imagination. Do not draw it back into the body - see it return to the universe.

Black Mirror Scrying: Creation and use of the fluid condenser

A fluid condenser is an infusion of herbs with tinctures, essences and gold added. It serves to hold the mirror's magickal charge and attract elemental force. The condenser can be used not only on mirrors but also on all other ritual tools you want to charge for ceremonial use. The use of certain herbs, stones and metals in small quantities attracts etheric energy of a like kind. These fluids can be made individually to represent each of the elements or to enhance a particular work. I recommend making a universal fluid condenser that will work for all purposes, having all elements represented along with
tincture of gold, representing solar and God energy, and essence of moonstone, representing lunar and Goddess energy.

The fluid is applied to recharge the mirror and to draw magickal symbols upon it for use in ritual. When the mirror is not in use, it is wise to anoint its surface with the fluid before putting it away.
The fluid can be cleaned off with alcohol or distilled water later.

To make the fluid, you must first gather the herbs you need. They can be fresh or dried, but the more life force they contain, the better. The list of herbs following includes some suggestions, but you need not use all the herbs to make a good condenser. Use the ones you can find of good quality.

Once gathered, the herbs are placed in a pot with distilled water or rainwater. There should be about an ounce of each herb and enough water in the pot to cover the contents completely. Bring this mixture
to a boil, and then turn down the flame and let it simmer for an hour with the pot lid on. When this is done, let the mixture cool and strain it through a muslin cloth. Put the liquid back into the pot and simmer without the lid until only a quarter of the original amount is left. When this is cool, add the gold tincture, about 13 drops to each pint of liquid. Then add the essence of moonstone. If gold tincture
and essence of moonstone are not available, gold chloride or gold salts can be used and whole moonstones and crystals added to the mixture as a vibrational additive. Gold tincture can also be made at home with fairly good results.

To make gold tincture, take a pure piece of gold and holding it with a pair of pliers heat it over a flame until red hot. The red-hot gold is then dunked into a container of about half a quart of distilled water or rainwater. The heat and rapid cooling causes gold molecules to remain in the liquid. This process should be repeated nine times in the same water. Be careful of the rising steam, and try not to get the hot pliers into the water!

When you have combined all the fluid condenser ingredients together in a sterilized glass container, then add an equal amount of wood or isopropyl alcohol to act as a preservative. Store the condenser in an air-tight glass container in a dark place, and it will last for years.

For a very powerful and personalized condenser, add a few drops of your own blood to the mixture. Quartz crystals can be left in the fluid while it is stored to keep it clear.

Herbs for the fluid condenser

For the water element: elder flowers, water lily, orris root, white rose, willow, cucumber seeds, jasmine
For the fire element: red poppy, cinnamon bark, bay leaves, orange peel, rosemary, marigold, galangal, damiana, tobacco, nutmeg
For the earth element: oak, ivy, cypress, mugwort, vervain, patchouli herb, wheat, primrose
For the air element: mistletoe, acacia, clover, pine, sage, lavender, verbena
For spirit: gold, blood, crystal
For healing: juniper, thyme, mandrake, tansy, elder, coriander, lavender, life-everlasting, sage, cypress
For universal fluid condenser: chamomile, dittany of Crete, ivy, oak leaves, bay leaves, almonds, cypress, clover, grape leaves, rose petals, mugwort, jasmine, vervain, mandrake root

Incense for psychic work

The best incense to use when working with the mirror or any scrying device is lunar or psychic in nature, representing the sphere of Yesod. These types of blends may be purchased or created by
yourself and must be burned on self-igniting charcoal disks. Here are some excellent recipes for fine-quality magickal incense to be used for the rites of scrying.

Lunar blend incense:

A base of white sandalwood powder
Orris root and myrrh in equal parts
Oil of jasmine and jasmine flowers
Oil of lotus and synthetic ambergris
A small pinch of refined camphor
Poppy and cucumber seeds

Blend together sandalwood, myrrh, and orris root, and crush them together into a powder.
True refined camphor is hard to come by, but if you should have some available, add a pinch to the  powdered base.
Also add at this time the poppy and/or dried cucumber seeds. Put this mixture aside in an air-tight jar.
Next, blend the jasmine, ambergris and lotus oils together in equal parts.
Coat the dried jasmine flowers with the blended oil and set them aside in an air-tight jar.
Let these sit until the next full moon.
On the evening of the full moon, mix together (in a silver or crystal bowl if possible) the oil-soaked flowers and the powder base with your hands, meditating as you mix on the beauty and wisdom of Mother Moon. Ask her to bless this incense with Her magick.

Black Mirror Scrying Incense (psychic blend):

A base of mastic gum, myrrh, galangal powder and frankincense
Mugwort and wormwood herbs
Rose petals and lavender buds
Green cardamom pods and star anise
Bay leaves
Oils of mimosa and lotus, and dark musk

Blend together mastic, myrrh, galangal and frankincense in equal parts and grind to a powder base.
Add a few cardamom and star anise seeds to the base and put aside in an air-tight jar.
Now mix equal parts of ground mugwort, wormwood and bay, about half the amount used in the powder base.
Coat this mixture with dark musk oil, and put it aside in a sealed jar.
Mix the lavender and rose petals together, coat them with mimosa and lotus oil and put them aside in a sealed jar.
Let the ingredients stand for nine days during the waxing of the moon.
Then blend all ingredients together by hand.
As you mix, meditate upon your spirit guide and developing your psychic abilities. Know that when the incense is burned, your inner eyes will open and a link will be formed between you and world of spirit. (It is best to remove anise and cardamom seeds from the incense before burning; their scent will have been absorbed by the incense base.)

Authors Details: Black Mirror Scrying - Katlyn Breene
Unknown Web Site

Different types of scrying

CLOUD SCRYING
Throughout history symbols of political or religious importance have
been seen in the clouds. In A.D. 312 when Emperor Constantine was
marching against the army of Maxentius at Rome, both he and his entire
army saw a shining cross of light amid the clouds. It was said the
cross contained the Greek words "By This Conquer". Later that night
Christ appeared to Constantine in his dreams bearing a cross in his
hand ordering Constantine to have a military standard made in the same
image. Under this standard his outnumbered army was victorious. Down
through history entire military battles have been witnessed in the
clouds. Some of the U.F.O. sightings have in fact turned out to be
disk shaped cloud formations. Generally cloud scrying is done on days
when cloud conditions are good. Having too few or too many clouds is
no good for scrying. The best is when the clouds are thick. Find a
nice location to lie down and just relax. Try not to focus on any one
cloud but rather allow the clouds to drift across your view. Visions
cannot be forced; they will come naturally when the time is right.

CRYSTAL SCRYING
Both Merlin and John Dee used a crystal globe for scrying. Because of
the cost of rock crystal balls many people use a glass ball but this
is not advisable. Brazil has the best crystal rocks in the world.
Although crystals may grow to a considerable length, they seldom
exceed one inch in thickness. There are however some exceptions. Flaws
in a crystal such as cracks, bubbles and discolorations do not make
crystal unfit for scrying although they may distract your attention.
Size is however not important and bigger does not mean it will be
better. Crystal scrying should be done in near or total darkness. The
main thing is to avoid reflections on the surface of the crystal. The
best method is to use the light of a candle when scrying but make sure
the candle does not reflect in the ball. Focus your gaze on the center
of the crystal not on its surface. Try looking through the crystal as
if it were a mirror upon the astral world. The first thing you may see
is clouds that change color. Eventually a mist will spread outwards
from the center of the crystal to reveal images. When you scry for
visions sooner or later you will achieve communication from the
spirits. These spirits will help you to understand what you have seen
in the visions. It may be helpful to charge your crystal ball once a
month with moonlight. Place the ball in a glass bowl of natural water
in the glow of a full moon.

DREAM TEMPLES
The ancient Greeks sought dream oracles within sacred dream temples.
One of the renowned dream temples was the Temple of Amphiaraus at Oropos.
People would go to the temple and "purify oneself" first by making an
offering to the Gods. A ram was the sacrificed, its fleece removed and
then used as a sleeping mat inside the temple. Another famous temple
was the Temple of Pasiphae. The magistates of the city used the temple
to recieve answers to difficult questions. Sleeping within religious
temples continued down through history. Another famous dream shrine
was located in Lough Derg in Donegal, Ireland. It was a cave known as
St. Patricks Purgatory. People would entomb themselves in tiny cells
for up to nine days waiting for a vision of what was waiting for them
in hell.

EGYPTIAN DREAM SCRYING
Egyptian dream scrying may be traced back thousands of years. The
method used by the Egyptians was recorded in the Greek magical papyri
which were written between 200 B.C. to 500 A.D. In preparing to use
the Egyptian dream scrying method you must not speak to anyone on the
evening you plan to scy. You should remain in silence after the
setting of the sun. Do not consume alcohol on that day or engage in
sex. You must refrain from consuming food for up to four hours before
the scrying. After having a warm bath you anoint your temples with
olive oil. You will need an oil lamp, which must not be colored red or
bear any inscription. Write on a short narrow strip of white linen
with ink mixed with myrrh the name of the dream God and the purpose
for the dream scrying. Twist the linen strip into a wick and insert
into the oil of the lamp. Place the lamp on a table beside your bed.
Using the ink draw the image of the dream God upon your left palm. You
must decide which God or Goddess you wish to use. Thoth was well used
with the Egyptians. Light your lamp. Kneel before the lamp.
Concentrating on the image on your left hand recite the following
invocation: Thoth I invoke, blessed power of dreams divine, Angel of
future fates, swift wings are thine, Great source of oracles to human
kind, When stealing soft, and whispering to the mind, Through sleep's
sweet silence and the gloom of night, Thy power awake the sight, To
silent souls the will of heaven relates, And silently reveals their
future fates. You need to concentrate on your question you wish to
know the answer to. Around your left hand wrap a piece of black linen
about four inches wide and about thirty inches long. The black cloth
is called "black" of Isis. Blow out the flame of the lamp. Now go to
bed, clear your mind and go to sleep. Have a tape recorder beside your
bed so that when you awaken you may record your dreams while still
fresh in your mind.
You will find that the dream will come to you in a voice that is clear
and powerful rather than in dream images. Sometimes the message is
sent in cryptic form so take your time in working out the answer.

LAMP SCRYING
Both the Egyptians and Babylonians scryed by means of an oil lamp. The
lamp itself was in fact a stone shaped as a low open dish with a strip
of white linen coiled in the oil that had an end hanging over the end
of the dish.
The Egyptians used clear Oasis oil, which was a kind of palm oil. The
clearer the oil the better. The Egyptians used a lamp that was red in
color, which is the color of the God Set. Set is in fact the God of
evil. It may be advisable for you to use a white lamp. Place your lamp
on a table and sit on the west side facing east across the lamp. You
should address your invocation to the Greco Roman God who rules the
day you scy on.

Sunday: Sol.
Monday: Luna.
Tuesday: Mars.
Wednesday: Mercury.
Thursday: Jupiter.
Friday: Venus.
Saturday: Saturn.

Using the name of the God of the day you should chant a suitable
invocation doing so directly into the flame. This invocation should be
chanted in a soft voice and done so several times. Gently focus on the
flames of the lamp. You will begin to see moving shadows off to the
side. Do not look directly at the shadows or they will vanish. Ask the
shadows what it is you seek. You may hear voices or you may see images.

MIRROR SCRYING
Mirror scrying is an evolved form of water scrying. When it became
possible to build mirrors they were regarded as being like water that
was fixed into one place. The early mirrors were made of polished
copper, brass, marcasite, tin foil or mercury behind glass, polished
silver and obsidian. All types of mirrors may be used for scrying and
the size is not important. Because mirrors are linked to the moon
mirrors should be backed with silver. Try and use a round or oval
mirror instead of a square mirror. For the frame try and use a mirror
that has a silver frame. Old mirrors also seem to work better than new
mirrors. Most seers prefer to use a black mirror. Because this is
difficult to buy you may have to make one. Just simply take out the
glass and paint it black. You may have to give it a few coats of paint
though. When you put it back in the frame make sure the glass part is
to the front. The use of black mirrors may be traced back over the
centuries. John Dee used a black mirror of obsidian. When using the
black mirror for scrying you do not want to see your reflexion. The
best is to leave the mirror on a table and look at it from an angle.
Look into the depths of the mirror as though you were looking into a
bowl of water. At first it may appear grey than colours will come and go.
With time and practise you will be able to see scried images like
still photographs or moving film images. Spirits may sometimes look at
the scryer, talk to the scryer or even touch the scryer. The visions
may even exist outside the mirror and surround the scryer on all sides.

OIL SCRYING
The history of oil scrying can be traced back to the ancient
Babylonians. Some of their magic books have survived down through the
centuries with details of the methods they used. One of their
techniques was called the "Princess of the Thumb". A scryer annointed
the forehead and thumbnail of a subject. The shiny nail acted as a
magic mirror in which the scryer saw spirits. Another version was
called the "Princess of the Hand". Oil was mixed with black soot to
make a black paste that was then smeared upon the hand. The scryer
then used the hand as a mirror to scry future events. A third type of
oil scrying was called the "Princess of the Cup". Sesame seed oil was
used to coate the inside of a cup that was rested on its side. The cup
was used as a concave magic mirror to capture and magnify the light of
a candle that was fixed on its inner rim. From the Babylonians oil
scrying found its way to the Egyptians and Hebrews. The most detailed
examples of oil scrying are written in the Greek Magical Papyri
written in Egypt between 200 B.C. and A.D. 500. Four kinds of water
which is to be mixed with the oil is used for four types of
divination. If you call upon the services of the heavenly Gods then
use rainwater. If you invoke the terrestrial Gods then use sea water.
If you invoke the Gods Osiris or Serapis use riverwater And if you
call upon the souls of the dead then use spring water.

PENDULUM SCRYING
The ancient Romans were renowned for pendulum scrying and their
methods were detailed in the writings of Roman historian Ammianus
Marcellinus. It is also possible that French seer Nostradamus used
this same Roman method of basin scrying by means of a pendulum to
produce individual letters that formed intelligible prophetic verses.
The bowl used was a composite material of many metals, meaning it was
made of electrum, an alloy of gold and silver. A ring was attached by
thread to a wand. The ring was probably a band of electrum with occult
characters engraved upon it. The twenty four letters of the Greek
alphabet were engraved into the flange of the basin. The table used
was probably a tripod in which to support the basin. It was made out
of branches of laural and had three legs. Laural was the substance
specified by the Enochian angels for the scrying table of John Dee.
Another method which has been used in Europe for centuries involves
the suspension of a ring from a thin silk thread inside an ordinary
water goblet. The responses come in the form of tapping sounds as the
ring gently raps the side of the glass. The seer asks a specific
question that can be answered with a yes or a no. A single tap
indicates a yes while two taps indicate a no. More than two taps
indicates the spirit is not certain of the response. Another method is
to use a sheet of paper with a cross marked upon it. The ring is held
suspended over the cross in the left hand upon a silk thread. A simple
question is asked which only requires a yes or no. If the answer is
yes it will swing back and forth along the vertical arm of the cross.
If the answer is no it will swing side to side along the horizontal
arm of the cross. Some scryers prefer to use a crystal instead of a
ring. Once you have made your pendulum you should purify it. Fill a
clear bowl with fresh pure water. Say a cleansing prayer : "Purge me
with hyssop, and I shall be clean, Wash me, and I shall br whiter than
snow, Create in me a clean heart, And renew a right spirit within me".
Dip the crystal and thread into the water and leave for a few minutes.
On the night of a full moon place the pendulum and thread in the
moonlight and leave for several hours. Never allow your pendulum to be
placed in direct sunlight.

SHELL SCRYING
This is a modern method of scrying and is becoming more popular. Most
people are familiar with the sound of when a shell is placed over the ear.
It sort of sounds like the ocean. But in fact it is the sounds of
blood flowing through the vessels in your ear. If however you listen
to this sound you will eventually by able to pick up fragments of
conversation. At first you may be able to only make out a few words,
but in time you will come to understand whole segments of
conversations. The subject of this talk will be usually meaningless,
but if you can mentally break into this communication you may find the
voices may choose to respond. Just exactly what is happening here Im
not sure, but for those of you who have seen the movie "The Phantom
Menace" it may give you a clue.

SMOKE SCRYING
Smoke scrying is best done while relaxing in front of a campfire. You
should be in comfortable visual range of watching the smoke rise. Do
not follow the smoke up but rather allow the smoke to forms patterns
within your spiritual gaze. In time you will see visions of many far
off events. I have generally found people who have natural artistic
skill good at this form of scrying.
The American Indians practise a special type of smoke scrying. It's
called a sweat lodge. Water is poured over hot rocks in a tent to
create steam. The steam is inhaled by those who sit naked around the
rocks. The combination of temperature, humidity and elevated levels of
carbon dioxide produce a state in which visions can arise. This form
of scrying may be dangerous and should only be undertaken by
experienced people.

WATER SCRYING
You will need a large, deep bowl made from glass, brass or silver. It
must have a smooth and even rim. You must set your base on some sort
of tripod for best results. A tripod made of laural boughs is the
best. You will need to do your own testing to find out which bowl
works best for you and how much water you should use. Do not use water
from a tap. Get clean, fresh water from a stream. The ancient Greeks
believed that nature spirits dwelled in fresh water. The water may be
stored in a vessel and used again. However it is a good idea to
replace your water once a month. Never collect the water of a day
time. Water should only be collected at night preferably on a full
moon. To make your wand use a branch from a bay tree, hazel tree or
the laural. The end of the wand should be covered in dry tree sap or
resin. Dip the end of the wand into the water until it becomes wet.
Wet the rims of the bowl. The best time to scy is at night when it is
quite. By gently drawing the rim of the wand around the bowl it will
cause it to resonate. The action of the resonating basin will cause
circular ripples to form in the basin. The water seems to breathe with
the sounds. It is the harmonics that seem to whisper forth predictions
of the future. These are interpreted with the help of a gaurdian
angel. You may also recieve visual impressions, which Nostradamus
likened to that of a "burning mirror".

WIND SCRYING
Ancient Greeks practised wind scrying in the sacred grove of Dodona,
which was dedicated to Zeus. Psellus refered to this technique writing
"there is a mode of predicting by means of the air and the leaves of
the trees. The method seemed to involve the hanging of striking wands
from branches of sacred oak tress in a way that they struck resounding
brass basins when the wind blew. Interpretations were made of these
sounds and that of the wind.
The wind gives itself naturally to scrying because it talks the same
as you or me. Find a quite place in the bush where there is no noise
of cars, music, etc. A place among the trees is the best. Find a tree
and sit under it. Casually focus your attention on the wind, blocking
out all other thoughts. In time the wind will talk to you. In order
for you to scry the wind, you must, for a time, become the wind.