Skrying (sometimes spelled scrying) is the general name for things such as crystal-gazing, mirror-gazing, working with a speculum or polished copper surface, and so on. In other words, it is working with any reflective surface. Depicted in the frescoes painted around the walls of the Initiation Room at the Villa of Mysteries, in Pompeii, Italy, is a scene of an Initiate gazing into a polished copper bowl. Behind the Initiate a priest is holding up a mask representing Dionysus. When the Initiate sees that mask reflected in the bowl, it triggers an association with the god, which in turn leads to what is known as palingenesis: a rebirth by reliving the death and resurrection of the deity.
Queen Elizabeth I’s astrologer was Dr. John Dee, who used what was termed a shew-stone (show stone). It was a flattened piece of dark glass that worked like a crystal ball, allowing Dr. Dee—or his assistant Edward Kelley—to see visions in the reflective surface. In fact, Kelley referred to the images he saw as “angels.” These “angels” were in fact spirits, and skrying is a common method of communicating with them.
A good crystal ball can be very expensive. By a “good” crystal ball, I mean one that has no scratches, blemishes, or marks of any kind in it or on it. Glass balls are often used, being less expensive, but they may well have tiny bubbles inside them. Plastic balls are readily available, but they scratch very easily. The trouble with any sort of blemish is that when trying to gaze into the ball, the eye is automatically drawn to the bubble, scratch, or whatever. This defeats the purpose, which is to “lose yourself” in the ball’s interior.
I’ll first detail how to use a crystal and then I’ll explain how you can use other less expensive items to get the same results.
You need to be in a totally quiet environment. As with all of the other experiments in this book, sit quietly and go through your meditation and white-light building, ending with an invitation to spirit to make contact. If there is one particular spirit you would like to contact, then concentrate on him or her for a short period but then put them out of your mind. Have the crystal ball on a table in front of you, resting on a piece of black cloth (velvet is best). This way, as you gaze at the ball your mind will not be distracted by anything around it. Sit comfortably, with your back straight. If you are sitting in a chair, then have your feet flat on the ground and do not cross your legs. You can, however, sit cross-legged on the floor and rest the cloth and crystal on your lap or hold it in the palm of your hand.
You should have low light, and I would recommend a single candle, placed behind you so that you won’t see it reflected in the crystal.
Gaze into the crystal, focusing on the very center of it. Be relaxed but not rigidly so—in other words, there’s no need to keep your eyes locked open, unblinking! You can blink quite normally if you need to. Don’t try to imagine anything in the ball. It’s not easy to keep your mind clear but try to, so that you are not simply imagining pictures in the crystal. Breathe normally.
Many people see what looks like a mist or smoke slowly filling the crystal as they gaze into it. It gets denser and denser and then reverses and slowly thins out. When it thins, it reveals a picture. It can be a still picture or a moving one, in black and white or in color. It’s almost like looking at a miniature television picture. For some people the picture comes without the smoke. It can take from two to ten minutes for this to happen. In fact, it might not happen at all the first time you try it, but don’t be discouraged; keep trying. I wouldn’t recommend trying for more than about ten minutes at a time. If it doesn’t work, then try again another day and keep on at different times until it does work.
Look carefully at what appears. Many times what does appear is a symbol. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the symbology found in dream interpretation (see the chapter in this book on dreams), for that can also apply to what appears in skrying. Look especially for numbers and initials.
A mirror can work just as well as a crystal ball, but make sure that it is angled so that you can’t see anything specific reflected in it. Perhaps angle it so that it shows you the white ceiling or a plain wall. Better than a regular mirror is a black mirror. Get a photo frame and take out the glass. Paint one side of the glass black. Replace the glass with the painted surface to the rear, so that it’s the black shiny side you see. Then set up that and proceed as previously suggested.
You can also use a tumbler of water. Fill the glass to the brim and stand it on a piece of black cloth on the table in front of you. Gaze down into it as with the crystal. You should not, of course, use a glass that has any painted design or similar on its sides; a plain clear glass is what you want.
Keep records of what you see. Many times you will see something that doesn’t seem especially important, but when you review your notes days or weeks later, it suddenly becomes significant. Always keep notes of all your experiments. Once you’ve got the hang of skrying, you’ll find that virtually any reflective surface can trigger a connection.