Scrying
Scrying is a divinatory practice that consists of gazing at a reflective or translucent surface (crystal, mirror, bowl of black water, flame) to induce visions, mental images or intuitive impressions used as oracular material.
Origin and etymology
The English word scrying derives from Old English descrien, meaning to discern, itself borrowed from Old French descrire. The practice itself is very ancient and crosses cultures. Babylonian Mesopotamia practiced lecanomancy with oil on water. Ancient Greece used polished mirrors in sanctuaries. Crystallomancy (with a crystal ball) is attested among the Celtic druids and was systematized during the Renaissance. John Dee (1527-1608), astrologer and mage to Queen Elizabeth I of England, practiced scrying with his associate Edward Kelley using an obsidian crystal now kept at the British Museum. Dee's sessions led to the transmission of the Enochian language.
Evolution and tradition
Several scrying supports have been used over the centuries. The quartz crystal ball, popularized by 19th-century clairvoyants, remains the emblematic medium in the popular imagination. The black mirror, sometimes made of obsidian or simply of glass painted black, is favored in modern ceremonial practices. The bowl of black water (water mixed with ink or coffee) is used in some contemporary occult traditions. The candle flame serves fire scrying. The occultism of the 19th and 20th centuries, notably the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn founded in 1888, integrated scrying among the essential practices of the magical operator.
Practical use
A typical scrying session takes place in a calm, dimly lit environment. The practitioner sits at a comfortable distance from the support, breathes deeply, asks a question, and then gazes at the surface without blinking for several minutes. The images that emerge (shapes, colors, scenes) are noted for interpretation. On Tarotoui, scrying is documented as a historical divinatory practice. The technique requires practice and patience: the first sessions rarely produce visions, but they train sustained attention. Many practitioners combine scrying and meditation.
Going further
The images perceived during a scrying session belong to active imagination in the Jungian sense, and to self-hypnotic processes. Confusing an induced vision with direct extrasensory perception is a simplification. The value of scrying lies in its capacity to give form to unconscious contents, rather than to reveal objectively hidden information. Note also that some people are more apt than others to enter this state of prolonged concentration.