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. 

Mirror scrying 2

The Scrying Glass

The scrying glass is a dark concave surface of reflective material. One can easily be constructed by using the curved glass face of a clock and painting the convex side with glossy black paint.

Once the paint has thoroughly dried, bath the mirror in an herbal brew of rosemary, fennel, rue, vervain, ivy and walnut leaves (or bark). If you want to be truly traditional, pour some sea foam into the mixture.To charge the glass, take a deep breath and then slowly exhale outward upon the potion. Repeat this three times. Remove the mirror from the potion and dry it off thoroughly.

Prop the mirror up vertically, supported by two sturdy books or book ends to hold it in place. Hold your right hand out in front of you so that your palm is facing the convex side of the mirror. Then place the left palm facing the concave side, about three inches away from the glass surface. You are now ready to magnetize the mirror.

With the left hand begin making a circular clockwise motion across the surface of the mirror. Do this for a few minutes and then repeat this on the convex side of the mirror with the right hand. The opposite hand is always held still while the moving hand circulates.

Divination

Scrying is a very ancient technique common among shamanistic traditions. Divination itself is the ability to discern patterns that are forming, moving toward manifestation. What you "see" is actually what is likely to occur if nothing changes the divinatory images one perceives.

The use of a scrying bowl is one of the traditional methods of fortune-telling. This very basic method employs a dark liquid formula.

Pour some bottled water into a medium-sized bowl such as a soup bowl.
Add a few drops of blue or green food coloring to the water, enough to ensure that the liquid is dark and obscures the bottom of the bowl. At this point you should have a dark reflective surface to gaze into.
Place two candles as your source of light, making sure that the light does not reflect upon the liquid.
Setting them a foot or two in front of you, one candle off to each side should work.
Next perform a series of hand passes over the liquid in the bowl, slowly and deliberately.
In the magical arts, the right hand generates an electrical charge and the left hand a magnetic charge. Left-handed passes attract and draw images, forming them in the dark liquid. Right handed passes will strengthen the images appearing there, and focus them more clearly.
Begin scrying by making left-handed passes over the bowl, in a clockwise circle, just a few inches above the water (palms open and facing down).
Stop and gaze into the dark liquid, not at its surface but deep into the bowl.
Usually several repeated passes of the hands are required during the scrying process. Alternate between the left hand and the right hand.
This requires patience and time.
Use your intuition as you sit before the bowl.
Make sure the area is quiet and there are no distractions. With practice, images will begin to form within the liquid. Sometimes they will be symbolic or suggestive images. At other times they may form as faces, objects, or places you are already familiar with. It is important to simply allow the images to form. Do not rush them, or become anxious when they begin to appear.
Try to remain calm and receptive. Watch the images until they fade away.
At first, interpreting the meaning of what you see is like trying to find meaning within a dream but with time you will begin to understand the symbols, their meaning and the importance of their appearance.

Water Gazing

The Wiccan Garden: Water Scrying
http://www.angelfire.com/on/wicca/H20Gaze.html

The simplest technique is known as gazing or scrying, in which water is used to create symbols of the future. To perform this ancient rite, pour water into a blue ceramic bowl. Ask your question. Sit with your back to the light in a darkened room and gaze into but not at the water. (Some people add a few drops of blue food color or ink to the water to darken it; this is particularly useful when using a light colored bowl.)

As with a crystal ball, the water may cloud. Eventually you may begin to see symbols within its cool depths. Make note of any such symbols. When no further symbols are seen, begin the process of interpretation.

Some water gazers prefer to have the light of a candle reflected on the water surface. Others take the bowl outside on a cloudless night and, capturing the moon's reflection, divine by its appearance on the water.

Floating

In addition to scrying, water has been used in a number of ways to determine the future. One of these has been in use since ancient Greek times. Take a specific object- a slice of bread, a leaf or some other light object- to a lake or spring. While asking a yes or no question, throw the object into the water. If it sinks, the answer is yes; if it continues to float, or sinks but rises and is washed up on the bank, the answer is no.

Steam

Steam can also provide divinatory responses. This form requires a mirror hung on a wall and a low table placed before it. Fill a large pot with water and heat to boiling on the stove. Remove the pot and place it on a hot pad before the mirror. As the steam rises, it will cloud the mirror. You may gaze in the misty mirror, or wait for the steam to condense and drip down its silvered face. The drips may form themselves into a letter or letters, which can then be interpreted.