Scrying is known by many names such as seeing, crystal gazing and crystal seeing. It is a prominent tool used by practitioners all over the world for many purposes including finding lost items, peeking into past lives, and even glimpsing into the future.
It is at its root, a Magickal technique that is used for the purpose of viewing images that will help the practitioner find clues leading to the answers they seek.
Many people use this method in order to find out what may take place in times to come. The tools used for scrying vary widely, and are usually have a personal connection to the one using them. Some common examples of these are crystal balls, bowls of water, fire, panes of glass, or in some cases, a mirror.
This technique is in fact used by people from all around the world, and it has been present in societies since before recorded history. Many different cultures have trusted methods for predicting the future, or to find out about events that have been occurring in the recent past or the present.
Different cultures have different beliefs regarding the origin of the visions that come from scrying. Some believe that the visions come from their chosen deity or from a divine source. Others believe that the images come from ancestors who have passed beyond the veil of life.
The variation is massive between world cultures, so it is clear that there will be a difference between the Siberian shaman and the European wise woman. Yet the concept behind the practice remains the same.
The important thing to remember is that scrying is a window into what we usually cannot sense. It can show events related to the future, but also other events in the past or present that our normal senses can’t detect, such as events that are occurring far away.
Most commonly in the West, people carry out scrying by making use of a crystal ball but there are also practitioners who make use of a reflective pond or a bowl of water for the purpose of divining the future.
According to the tools used, the clarity and the type of visions that are received can vary greatly.
If someone is using water as a tool to predict the future, then the visions obtained will come from the flow, ebb and color of the water. A skilled practitioner can read these.
If the practitioner is using a reflective pond then the visions will come from the ripples of water or the shifting reflections from the depths of the body of water.
On the other hand, if a fortune teller is making use of the atypical crystal ball, then the visions may come from the gloomy glow within the ball when it is under candlelight, from web-like faults or from dramatic images that momentarily reveal themselves.
It is also important to understand that scrying is something that not every person can carry out without many years of practice and dedication to the art. This is because this technique requires the right skill level for the job.
Ancient as well as present-day cultures respected those in society who possessed this skill, granting them the status of ‘elder’, ‘shaman’, ‘wise woman’, and other such titles.
This points to the role that scrying plays in these societies. It is a way of seeing beyond that has cultural and societal value. The modern Magickal traditions, including those of our Coven, tap into this same well of inner vision.
Often, a person can in fact test themselves for their scrying ability. It seems that the talent can appear in almost anyone, though it is rare without study of the technique.
To become a skilled scryer, capable of viewing visions regularly and interpreting them correctly, takes an immense amount of practice and training. Again, we refer to the role that was passed down from master to apprentice in numerous societies. It is a skill that must be perfected to be of real use.
Still, sudden visions in those who are unskilled are not unheard of. Perhaps you may have even experienced one of these isolated visions yourself?
When it comes to scrying, the seer or the fortune teller often needs to concentrate very intently on the crystal ball or the medium that he or she is using for the purpose of sensing “beyond”.
Until and unless the seer concentrates and can clear their minds, it will not be possible for them to read the future. It is an act that takes supreme focus but can yield truly startling results.
Have you ever felt that you sensed something from the future? That you had a vision that foretold events that were yet to occur? Have you ever had a scrying experience yourself?
Blessed Be!
Cormac O’Dwyer
Librarian and Senior Witch
www.7witchescoven.com
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