12 Steps for Successful Scrying

“Divination is the quest to understand more about the past, present, and future. In other words, Tarot readings are an attempt to understand ourselves better and discover how we might live better in the future.”
-Theresa Cheung

What does early Egypt have in common with Aztec temples and ancient China? All three of these locations and many, many others used reflective items as an entryway into other realities, especially for looking into the future. To do so ourselves the first step is learning the basics about scrying methods.

What is the Magical Art of Scrying?

A lot of people have never tried scrying, and many more have not been successful with the methods they’ve found. Don’t feel bad. Instant success is rare. Do not have any preconceived expectations and try to release yourself from that human fear of failure. Both hinder how long it takes before you begin receiving images. Just other magical arts, this can’t be coerced.

Scrying is a type of auto-hypnosis where you alter the normal functioning of your mind in defined ways. Akin to watching a movie screen, which provides a level of detachment, using the scrying surface provides mental space between the user and the past, present, and future. This space gives us distance for examining even painful insights.

What Do You See When Scrying?

The human mind tries to make order out of anything (even a blank surface). So, with scrying, there’s a tendency for a little hopeful success early on. Also, since the predominant imagery in scrying comes from our own mind and spirit (versus our physical eyes), we have a gut-level understanding of potential meanings.

Sometimes the images in your mirror may not be self-originating. A totem animal, a spirit guide, a Master teacher or an Ancestor can use your scrying device as a bridge. It’s perfectly all right for these to be part of your effort. However, just randomly chatting with disembodied souls that you don’t know isn’t the best idea.

Twelve Steps for Successful Scrying

Before anything else, make sure you’re rested, healthy, and in a good state of mind before you begin. Being tired, sick, or angry puts you out of balance, and that negativity may not only result in really ugly imagery but also possibly taint your magickal tool. Drink a glass of water, avoid overly heavy foods, and take time for auric cleansing in whatever manner suits your Path. Also, consider the time of day during which you scry. Some adepts recommend waiting until night (not too late) because darkness speaks strongly of the intuitive self. Once you’re clear on that front, follow these steps:

1. Clear your tool.

Even if you’ve created an on/off command with proper housing, your chosen scrying surface may pick up random energy between uses. So, give it a quick spiritual clean up using witch hazel tincture or just good old-fashioned soap and water.

2. Choose your working space and prepare it.

Avoid areas with bad memories or those that make you tense. Tension, sadness, and fear become huge stumbling blocks to receiving psychic impressions.

3. Set up your tool.

Choose a spot easily sees, preferably at eye level compared to where you will be sitting.

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4.Ensure privacy and comfort.

Turn off the phone, put up a DO NOT ENTER sign, or do whatever it takes to assure time to yourself. Comfort is also important. Wherever you’re going to sit, you’ll want to be able to remain in that place without thinking about physical discomfort. Our minds are used to handling dozens of tasks at one. Now you’re asking it to focus. Like a stubborn child being told “no,” your mind finds other things to grab your attention (like an itchy nose). With time and practice, however, your body will stop distracting you, and slowly those wiggles and twinges cease.

5. Breathe and relax.

Release any tensions and bring yourself into a state of alert ease, akin to when you’re caught up in an excellent book. People who meditate typically do so at this juncture for achieving a heightened level of active spiritual awareness.

6. Greet your tool.

Your scrying device is a sacred implement. Honor that sacredness somehow in the time that precedes its actual use. You might anoint it with specially prepared oil, for example. The more in tune you are with your tools, the less they’ll produce static. Think of it this way: You’re a clear channel (you’ve cleansed your aura). Your magical component has been likewise cleansed and prepared. Now you’re making sure the lines of communication between you and that device are clear and sure. Think of it as a metaphysical handshake.

7. Visualize light inside your tool or just beyond it.

This step is especially helpful if you find you’re having trouble getting any results after thirty days of consistent effort. Sometimes all you need is a bit of imagination for releasing your mind from mundane constructs.

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8. Express your purpose (verbally or mentally).

Keep your goals clearly in mind. Most people come into a scrying session with a specific question. Whatever your purpose, communicate it in a distinct manner.

9. Pace yourself.

At first, start with small efforts-no more than ten minutes daily, and slowly increase. As with meditation, you’re retraining your mind for a specific receptive state. This can cause a bit of strain if you overdo it. Your eyes may feel dry and weary, or you might get a headache. Every day or two, increase your goal by no more than two-three minutes (when you’re practicing a new psychic art those two minutes can seem like an eternity). After four to six weeks, amp up to twenty-minute attempts. And otter about three months, longer sessions come more easily.

10. Close the veil.

When the experience ends, turn off your scrying surface in whatever manner you’ve decided. What’s nice about this step is that it provides ritualistic closure for you too. With repetition, you’ll find that this naturally puts your mind and body back into a normalized space and provide grounding.

11. Take notes.

Do this as soon as possible while the images are fresh in your mind. If you’re having trouble remembering a particular sequence, look back toward the scrying surface for some spontaneous recall.

12.Cleanse and put away the implement.

You might want to wash your hands before taking this step as you’re still carrying some energy from your session. If you can’t wash the tool, just flick your fingers, dispelling any residuals into the Earth, and then take whatever measures you wish for purifying the item before safely returning it to a safe resting place.

Other Senses other than Your Eyes

By the way, some people do not see things during scrying. Instead, other sensual experiences happen. Rather they smell, taste, hear or feel something. If this happens to you, you’re not doing anything wrong. It’s just your mind’s way of communicating through a sense to which you respond more readily. The hard part here will be learning to interpret the signals you get from your senses if there is no visual attached. How do you rectify this? Consider experience. If you smell something yucky, then the answer to your inquiry is not favorable.

At the end of all this fuss, it’s perfectly okay (and in fact healthy) to celebrate even the smallest amount of perceptual success. So, you saw a few flying sparks across the surface? Whoo hoo! Do a happy dance! Did you receive a somewhat cloudy image that faded too fast? That’s good news too! It’s important to pat yourself on the back for those successes no matter how small or fleeting because this, in turn, builds confidence. The more you trust in your ability to scry, the more you’re likely to see improvements in your future attempts.

Based on the “Little Book of Mirror Magic,” by Patricia Telesco. All rights reserved.