How to Scry in a Black Mirror ~ A Personal Method.
Whitby Jet Scrying Mirror from Ebor Jetworks.
Scrying in black mirrors and mirrored surfaces has a long history within the realms of spiritual and magical practice. It can be highly effective in providing answers to a burning question or facilitating spirit contact. The method of scrying in a black obsidian mirror was employed by the famous astrologer to Queen Elizabeth the First, John Dee, who used it to talk to angels, but the practice itself has older roots from the Aztec empire. Cunning folk of the British Isles have also long employed the practice of scrying, sometimes using a child’s thumbnail (still attached to the child of course) with some oil on it to provide a reflective sheen. And the oldest form of mirror scrying may simply have been staring out into the surface of a lake at night, perhaps with a bright full moon reflected in its surface.
What follows is one method for achieving effective and consistent visions by scrying in a black mirror or other reflective surface. It can be performed at any time and is quite versatile, as the mirror can be small and portable if necessary. For demonstration I will be using my Whitby jet scrying mirror from Ebor Jetworks. You could use an obsidian scrying stone or black mirror of any size, a dark matte bowl or mug filled with water, or even some red wine poured onto a plate (which can double as an offering if you intend to use the method to contact spirits). If you are using a new black mirror for the first time, you may wish to consecrate it for the purpose of scrying by wiping it with a bag of dry mugwort or washing it with a mugwort infusion. Just ensure the crystal you’re using isn’t water-soluble first!
A Collection of Scrying Tools. From Left to Right: Obsidian Mirror, Cup of Water, Jet Mirror, Polished Hematite Palmstone.
First, find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for a good 30 minutes. The best times to scry in my experience are either at around 10am (John Dee apparently attested that this was the time when celestial energies were at their strongest) or the typical witching hour of midnight. Position yourself sat with the mirror on a table in front of you, and a light source reflected in the mirror. During the day, simply sitting by the window with any portion of the sky reflected in the mirror will be sufficient. At night, turn off other light sources and use a candle positioned so that the flame is reflected in the mirror, or the moon if convenient.
The Scrying Position: Day (Left) and Night (Right).
If you are operating from an animistic perspective (i.e. you believe that visions are being provided to you by spirits) or you are reaching out to a specific spirit or deity, it is good practice to provide a relevant offering such as some nice bread or a glass of alcohol. For protection and reassurance, you can also pour a ring of salt around your mirror, and cast a protective circle such as the “Laying a Ring” ritual described in Roger Horne’s book, Folk Witchcraft. If you’re approaching scrying from a more psychological perspective you can forgo these steps.
To begin, look into the mirror and focus on the reflection of the light source within it. You want to be staring “through” the mirror to the reflection beyond. Try to reduce how often you blink as this can interrupt your focus. In your mind, count slowly to four as you breathe in, then again as you exhale. Do this for at least 5 to 10 minutes to begin falling into a trance state. You may start to see swirling shapes or colours in the mirror at this point.
Next, focus on your intention for the session while continuing to stare at the mirror. It can be helpful to burn a relevant incense and verbalise your question, the name of a spirit you wish to receive the vision from, or a chant or spell to aid in seeing visions. A perfect spell for this is the spell for Divination by the Aid of Spirits in the book Traditional Witchcraft, a Cornish Book of Ways by Gemma Gary. You could also just use a simple chant like the following:
I wish to see
I wish to see
Open the gate for me
By now you may have already seen some interesting shapes and colours in the mirror. However, this next portion of the method can induce more intense and complete visions ideal for answering specific questions.
At some point when it feels natural to do so, close your eyes. You should see an impression / “sun-spot” left by the light shining in the mirror. Keeping your eyes, shut, focus on this spot and try to keep it in the centre of your field of vision - I find that it often naturally drifts to one side but I can keep it to the centre with enough focus. As you focus on the sun-spot, expand and stretch it so it fills more and more of your field of vision.
When the sun-spot fills a good portion of your field of vision, visualise yourself stretching out your arms, grabbing it and tearing it open. If you struggle to visualise images (like me), imagine the sensations you would feel in your arms and hands from grabbing and tearing apart a thin piece of material. When I do this, I often hear a tearing sound by my ears, and see light spilling through a “crack” in the sun-spot followed by a short and powerful vision, but you may experience multiple different effects.
The visions that this method produces can be quite startling. After you’ve seen what you need to see, take a few minutes to just sit and breathe calmly, before writing down any symbolism or key details from what you heard, saw, or felt. You may then choose to analyse them straight away or leave it to marinate for a while; I often find this the best way so I can reach a conclusion calmly away from the excitement of the ritual.
And that’s it! For more casual questions you may wish to just employ the first half of the method and note what shapes and colours you see in the mirror, as this can often be sufficient. Feel free to adjust the method as necessary to tailor it to your personal practice.