SCRYING - PYRELLA

In ancient times dark pools of liquid were used to divine the future. This represented the look within, the assessment of the past, and its gift to the future. The old term for this type of divination is "scrying." Scrying is a very ancient technique common among shamanistic traditions. Divination itself is the ability to discern patterns that are forming and moving towards manifestation. What you "see" is actually what is likely to occur if nothing changes the divinatory images perceived.

The Scrying Bowl

This is a very basic method employing the 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 color 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. Use 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, a 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 magickal arts, the right hand generates an electrical charge and the left a magnetic charge. Left-handed passes attract and draw images, forming in the 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 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.   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 that you are already familiar with. It is important to simply allow the images to form. Do not rush them or become anxious when they appear. Try to remain calm and receptive. Watch the images until they fade away. At first, interpreting the meaning of what you see is often like trying to find meaning within a dream. With time, you will begin to understand the symbols, their meaning, and the importance of their appearance.

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 a glossy black paint. Once the paint has thoroughly dried, bathe 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. Do 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, 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. To use the scrying glass simply employ the same techniques as described for the scrying bowl.