Mirror Meditations:
Betwixt and Between the Worlds
Witch’s mirrors are a wonderful meditation tool. Witches walk between the worlds, so what better way to practice some great magical meditations than with a gateway between the worlds? A mirror gives us an opportunity to see everything with a new perspective, look inside ourselves, and explore the astral realm.
Before we delve into meditations using mirrors, let’s gain some insight into the significance of how the human mind and a few very elite animal minds perceive the abstract concept of the common mirror.
Mirror Self-Recognition and
Its Significance in Magic
How old were you when you knew that was your own reflection in the mirror and not just another baby? I’m sure you don’t remember—I sure don’t—but researchers have discovered that humans have the ability for self-recognition in a mirror at about fifteen to eighteen months old. This pivotal stage of psychological development is called the “mirror stage” (no big surprise there). But it’s actually a big turning point in the development of our psyches, and our mind is our most important magical tool. The realization that the person in the mirror is actually you is something we all take for granted, but it points to an ability to understand the symbolic and the abstract. The ability to recognize that a mirror is a reflection also points to the realization of the relationship between the ego and the physical body.
Why is this significant? It seems like anyone who has eyes would know what a mirror is, right? Actually, there are only a few select animals that we know of with the ability to recognize that a mirror is not another animal but is, in fact, themselves. It takes some special higher brain functions to understand the symbolic nature of a reflection.
Interestingly, mammals seem to have an advantage in mirror recognition skills, but even then, very few of them can do it. In 1970 psychologist Gordon Gallup Jr. used similar tests as the ones used to discover the mirror stage in human children in order to determine whether other members of the animal kingdom had the ability for mirror self-recognition, which is an indicator for abstract thought and symbol recognition. A mark is placed on the animal and then they’re shown their own reflection; if the animal reacts to the mark on their own body when they see it in the reflection, this is a sign that they are recognizing themselves and grasping an abstract idea—the mirror as a symbol of themselves.
Among the stars of his experiments were members of the great apes, Asian elephants, bottlenose dolphins, and a non-mammal, the Eurasian magpie. (I knew I liked those magpies; we both like to collect pretty sparklies! Interestingly, in Russian folklore magpies are heavily associated with witches; that might not be a coincidence.) That’s not a lot of animals to have high marks in mirror self-recognition.
There are more animals that tested marginally well, such as pigs, ravens, and crows. In a recent study New Caledonian crows were able to use mirrors to locate food in a mazelike cage, thus showing an understanding of the properties of mirrors. There are lots of anecdotal stories about other animal species likely displaying symbolic thought and understandings of mirrors, but among them were not cats or dogs, which we consider to be very intelligent. Dogs and cats are less visual and more likely to recognize by smell or hearing, so although they probably don’t think the mirror is another dog or cat, they don’t generally seem to think it’s themselves either, as far as we can tell. Tests using senses other than sight can prove dog and cat intelligence and self-awareness (which we all knew anyway), but that’s still different than the abstract thought it takes to understand mirrors. Your dog doesn’t give a fig about a photo of a steak, but many humans will actually get hungry looking at that photo.
The ability to self-recognize in a mirror is not a test of intelligence per se but is more a test of imagination and symbolic thinking. The animal species that passed are also species that are considered to be highly intelligent, but additionally most of them have shown an understanding of symbols. One of many examples is the interesting case of Kanzi, a bonobo that learned to communicate through the use of more than two hundred symbols on a keyboard. The ability to recognize symbols and an abstract idea like a mirror is actually a pretty big deal.
If you think about it, an important part of magic is the use of symbols. In the craft of the witch we use symbolic candle colors, god and goddess images, runes and sigils; think of all the magical correspondences that make up your magical practice. The very concept of a spell is that one thing can represent another thing and that they can be linked. The ability to recognize your reflection points to a human’s ability for understanding abstract thought and the significance of symbols, which is what’s necessary for shamanic journeying, meditation, and pretty much every form of magic. Without the ability for a species to reach the developmental stage known as the “mirror stage,” could we even practice witchcraft at all?
Now it’s time to let that amazing abstract-thinking brain of yours out to play. Enjoy contemplating the complexity of the symbol of the mirror while you discover some witchy ways to use it as a tool for deeper self-discovery. Here are a few mirror meditations for you to try. Will you travel to other realms, heal your soul, or awaken your ability to see the unseen? Leave your inhibitions behind and join me on the other side of the mirror.
mirror lore
Why does a broken mirror traditionally bring seven years of bad luck? That’s the period of time that the ancient Romans believed it took for the soul to renew itself.
Astral Travel Through the Looking Glass
There are many methods for traveling into the astral realm; here’s one using a mirror. Many people like to use out-of-body experiences to explore aspects of the spirit realm or even faraway places in the physical world. Astral travel requires you to visualize yourself outside and beyond your physical body; how better to do that while looking at your own reflection that seems to be you but is not you? If that makes sense to you, mirrors might be a great method for exploring the art of astral travel.
Don’t be disappointed if you can’t accomplish astral travel the first time you try it. Most people have to practice the process; the more you do it, the easier it will become. The trick is trying not to try, which is harder than it sounds. I think sci-fi/fantasy humorist Douglas Adams nailed it when he wrote, “The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
Some people prefer a completely quiet room. I personally like some very quiet relaxing instrumental music and a stick of my favorite incense, but it’s really a matter of whatever helps you relax and reach a meditative state.
First, decide what your goal will be. Even if it’s just to experiment with astral travel, that’s still a goal. Sit comfortably with your entire body’s reflection in a full-length mirror. Take in the reflection, taking note of every little detail—folds in your clothing, the shape of your arms, strands of hair; every single detail. Notice how the light highlights parts of the image and shadows create contrast elsewhere. Look at your reflection in a completely objective way, analyzing shapes and colors, light and dark. Take as long as you need. Once you feel that you have every detail memorized to the point where you could paint it or describe every detail, close your eyes.
Once your eyes are closed, re-create that image of yourself in your mind’s eye, pulling all those details into the image until you’ve re-created a living image of yourself. Once you feel the image in your mind is solid—every detail in place, just the way you remember it—using only your mind and not your physical body, imagine yourself raising your arm and watching in your mind’s eye the mirror image do the same. With your eyes still closed, repeat this process, raising the other arm, wiggling your fingers, tipping your head from side to side. Once you feel that you have this game of “mirror image” with yourself down, you’re ready to move to the next step.
Now shift your consciousness into your mirror image. Do you walk across the room and sit down within your nonphysical body? Do you fly across the room into your doppelganger? Do you just focus your attention on it and make a smooth transition from your physical body to your astral body? Many people will find that different things work better for them than others. There’s no right or wrong way to do it; just find a way that works for you. Once you feel your consciousness settle within the astral body, with your physical eyes still closed, open your astral eyes and look out through the eyes of your “spirit self.”
Now move your spirit arm and wiggle your fingers in front of your face. Look around the room—you can even get up and move around the room if you wish. Recall the goal you decided on in the beginning of the exercise. If you just wanted to focus on practice, move around a bit and see what you can do in your nonphysical body. Do you want to levitate? Interact with objects in your surroundings: will an object into existence, put your hand through the wall. If you set a goal for visiting a different physical reality or higher plane, now is the time to do that. What will you experience, what will you see? Complete your mission.
Once you are ready, allow your consciousness to return to your physical body. Feel your being begin to fill up the space that is your body, stretching your consciousness into yourself like a hand into a glove. Feel the breath fill your lungs, the sensations of the physical returning. Take your time, and when you’re ready, slowly open your eyes. You may want to take some time sitting quietly in the physical world before fully jumping back into daily tasks, just as you take your time waking up in the morning.
You may want to practice this technique and keep track of your progress in a journal. Don’t be frustrated if it takes time to master the technique—nothing worthwhile ever came easy—and keep in mind how long it took when you were just a baby to learn how to walk around in your physical body. With time and practice you can use this technique to assist in self-healing, spiritual development, exploration of the realms of spirit, and much more; the only limit is your own imagination, so let it soar.
reflections of
real witches:
Raven Digitalis
Mirrors as Magickal Amplifiers
and Otherworldly Portals
Mirrors are such a fascinating topic when it comes to folklore, magick, and metaphysics. Through the expanse of human history we have been seeking our reflections in various ways and for various reasons. Rich folklore exists surrounding mirrors and similarly reflective objects. Mirrors have been both loved and feared for centuries.
Bodies of water are the most mirrorlike surfaces available in the natural world. For obvious reasons, mirrors of all types find an elemental alignment with Water in numerous magickal and metaphysical philosophies. At my own multicultural nonprofit temple and farm in Montana, Opus Aima Obscuræ, the ladies of the community use scrying mirrors to divine for outcomes and insights during the monthly ladies’ dark moon divination rituals. One can also find mirrors on all of our shrines dedicated to Parvati, Lakshmi, Kali, Saraswati, and any other incarnation of Devi Maa (Shakti), the Hindu Mother Goddess. We also adorn the western altar in our temple room with an abundance of mirrors for the elemental association.
In terms of occult practices, mirrors are amplifiers. Because mirrors are reflective, they shine back whatever energy is put into them. If properly enchanted, mirrors will amplify our magick by gathering and reflecting the specific energies we direct toward them. Even the simplest form of spellcraft can benefit from the use of a mirror. By placing a mirror at the center of a Witches’ circle, the practitioner can cast specific energies to its surface so that they may bounce outward and radiate into the surrounding area. One may also surround a mirror with magickal tools such as herbs, candles, photos, or whatever other components are needed for a spell; this will amplify the magick that these tools help bring to life. As Mickie has explored, both protection and self-image magick are especially amplified by use of the mirror. Additionally, if a practitioner is working heavily with the element of Water, a circular mirror can be placed within a goblet or bowl of water to amplify the energy and deepen one’s connection to the elemental force.
Aside from these uses, one unique way that modern magicians and Witches can utilize mirrors is to dedicate them as otherworldly portals. When I say “otherworldly,” I refer to the summoning of forces from alternate planes of reality. Innumerable metaphysical philosophies assert that all planes of existence are accessible and are at least somewhat present here on the earth plane. Because of this, we can imbue mirrors with whatever cosmic or terrestrial energies we choose.
One of the most powerful methods of imbuing a mirror as a portal is to link it with a planetary or zodiacal frequency. One of the easiest ways of accomplishing this is to simply use a marker to draw specific astrological symbols on a small round mirror (I personally love the little $1 bejeweled mirrors from Pier 1). Or, instead of using markers, one may choose to purchase a set of paintbrushes and some glass-etching cream from a craft store; when the cream is painted on a glass surface, it creates a beautiful, powerful “etched” design when it’s wiped off. Very magickal indeed!
When mirror-based planetary or zodiacal magick or meditations are performed, the mirror will amplify the energies as a matter of course, especially if that cosmic energy is pronounced on that particular day, such as through the current sun sign, moon sign, planetary retrograde, or astronomical occurrence. It’s especially magickal to shine the mirror into the sky toward the direction of the cosmic force you are harnessing (mobile apps such as Sky Map, The Night Sky, and Sky Guide can help with this). If you would like to deepen your work with planetary magick in particular, you may even etch or draw a planetary seal or kamea on the mirror’s surface. You may even take it a step further by adhering a planetary metal to the rim of the mirror (iron for Mars, for example). When mirrors are used as amplifiers and as portals, the possibilities are as endless as the practitioner’s creative intuition.
Raven Digitalis
Neopagan priest, DJ, photographer, and author of Shadow Magick Compendium, Planetary Spells & Rituals, and Goth Craft • www.ravendigitalis.com
A Silvered Mirror Meditation
for Soul Fragment Retrieval
Sometimes when we deal with trauma, fear, or panic in our lives, whether big or small, we can lose little bits of our personal energy field. These bits are known as soul fragments. Another way we can lose soul fragments is when we deny part of ourselves we don’t like or that others have shamed us about; we throw that energy away to achieve temporary survival in a sometimes cruel world. Sometimes we even give away part of our self while caring for someone else. There are also people who absorb energy or soul pieces from others, often unintentionally but sometimes on purpose and for many different reasons.
Life has lots of ups and downs, and eventually many people end up feeling like they’re missing something at some point. Retrieving missing soul fragments can help you return to your life mission, regain your personal power, and heal your energy system.
Soul fragments are energy, and energy doesn’t disappear even if it has been transferred from one place to another. Since that energy started off as part of your own subtle energy, you can locate it, cleanse it, and reunite it with yourself.
The soul fragments lost through trauma, parts you gave away, or that someone else latched onto unintentionally can be retrieved through several methods. Here is one that you can perform through the use of a witch’s mirror. In this meditation you use the mirror to help you visualize and reach into the spirit realm. You also use the mirror as a filter to make sure you’re only taking on fragments that are best for your greater good so you are not accidentally absorbing anything unwanted.
It should be said that there are shamans and others who specialize in soul retrieval that can help with more serious cases, but this is a great meditation to help you get some of those soul fragments back and start regaining personal power.
This meditation uses a good-sized mirror, at least one that’s eleven by fourteen inches in size. Clean the mirror with blessing mirror wash (see chapter 7). Place the mirror where you can sit before it and see your head and shoulders or at least your entire head. Be sure not to cut off the top of your head, as that’s where your crown chakra is located; it is your connection to your higher power, and you’ll need your higher power to help you access lost soul fragments. You’ll also need to sit close enough to the mirror to look deeply into your own eyes.
Sit comfortably and take several deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Ground and center yourself and completely relax. Once you’ve reached a relaxed state, gaze deeply into your own eyes; as you do, fill yourself with bright light. Don’t break your gaze during this meditation. You will see things in your peripheral vision or in your mind’s eye, but your physical eyes should remain focused upon the reflection of your eyes.
Imagine talking to yourself through telepathy to your own reflection, reaching the part of yourself that exists in nonreality. Your statements don’t have to be word for word, as I’ve described here; after all, you are reaching out to yourself. If you do like the wording, you may also record it in your own voice and play it back during the meditation. The conversation should go something like this:
You are part of me as I am part of you. You and I have been through a lot together, and look at how far we’ve come, grown, and how much we’ve learned. Through that time we have lost bits of our energy: soul fragments. It’s time to call those fragments home. You are on the looking-glass side and have access to deep spirit. I ask you to please call back as many missing soul fragments as you can find. Draw in any soul fragments whose return will be for our greater good at this time; invite them from near and far to come into this light; shake off any pain, anxiety, or sorrow; and return in peace and love as aligned with our higher power. Allow this blessed mirror to be a panacea that helps cleanse our soul fragments of their difficulties as they return to our open arms.
Continue to gaze into your own eyes after you’ve made the request. Your eyes’ reflection is your connection to the spirit realm, and you’ll find the truth in your own eyes. Through your peripheral vision you might notice a slight glow above the top of your reflection’s head. If you glance at it directly it will likely become invisible, but as you stare into your eyes, you’ll see it. As the glow becomes stronger, you will see specks of light begin to be drawn in toward your reflection, and you may feel warm energy surrounding you. Greet these specks of light that surround you on both sides of the looking glass: they are your soul fragments, lost little stars now called home. Invite them to rejoin you. Honor each fragment as they reunite with your personal energy field and feel joy at their return.
For several days after this meditation, you should drink plenty of water to bless your spirit and wash away any toxins released as your soul fragments become integrated within your energy system. Once your soul fragments have returned and become fully integrated, you may discover that you’ve adopted a new attitude and even more healthy behavior patterns. This is a time in your life when you will probably experience a new awakening of your being.
I worked through this meditation years ago, around the time of my divorce from my first husband. That was like a lifetime ago. It was a very empowering experience. I was amazed with the results, which allowed me to grow in the strength that I needed in order to stand up on my own, take care of my daughters, and create a new life for us. Drawing back my soul fragments that I had let go of really brought healing into my life. I’ll never forget the pivotal moment standing before that mirror when I saw my own energy radiating out, powerful and healed. I hope this technique will serve you well.
mirror lore
Some traditions include breaking the mirrors of the deceased to keep their spirits from haunting their home.
Dark Mirror Meditation
to Enhance Scrying
Scrying is an art that uses a visual image, such as a scrying mirror, as a blank screen powered by your own intuition. One of the time-honored ways to enhance your intuition and improve your psychic abilities is through meditation. This meditation uses your scrying mirror, opening yourself up to deeper intuition while helping your subconscious mind to establish a link between the use of the mirror and your psychic impressions.
The chakra that’s responsible for helping us see beyond the physical is the sixth chakra, or third eye chakra. When you just “know” something, have a vision, or get a feeling about a person, a place, or a situation that you can’t explain, that’s because the psychic input is being processed through the energy vortex in your subtle body known as the third eye chakra. It’s located in the center of your forehead, between your physical eyes. This chakra is also associated with your pineal gland, which is a gland deep inside of your brain that is believed to be the center of intuition and psychic abilities. When you open your third eye chakra, you awaken the pineal gland, helping you to access psychic information.
Opening the third eye can really help you tap into all kinds of information that you can’t learn through your other physical senses; therefore, it is essential for scrying. What you’re seeing in the scrying mirror is actually being seen with your third eye.
Sit before the scrying mirror with the light on so that you can actually see the reflection of your face on the surface of the black mirror. You may anoint your third eye with frankincense, sandalwood, or clary sage essential oil, if you wish, and hold an amethyst, lepidolite, or kyanite stone over your third eye for a few minutes.
Now relax your body and gaze at your reflection within the black scrying mirror, focusing on your third eye and breathing deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. As you do so, relax your gaze. Now imagine a bluish-violet colored light emanating from the center of your forehead. The light begins to unfold slowly, much like the blooming of a flower. You may feel like pressure is building up behind your third eye; it will release as it opens. As you feel the third eye open, speak the mantra om and draw it out into a long breath. The next several outbreaths should include a long, drawn-out ohm. Now visualize two winglike petals extending on either side across your brow, over your physical eyes. Allow the sparkling flower of light to glow and pulse with light.
If you try this technique and struggle to visualize it in the black scrying mirror, you may simply close your eyes, if that helps. Visualization can take practice; remember, there is no right or wrong way—do what works!
Now you have taken your first step on the road to empowering your third eye, which will bring deeper intuition. Feel free to repeat this exercise anytime you feel you need to, especially before scrying.
Mirror Gazing to
See Your Aura
Everyone has an energy field around their bodies; we call it an aura. What’s the point of seeing your aura, you may ask? The size, shape, and colors in your aura can be a good indicator of things like mood or watching for energy depletion. It’s great to know your own energy. When you learn to see your own aura, you may be able to see other people’s auras too. This is a nice way to get some extra insight into many situations with people and their interactions, motivations, and more. Some people are visual clairvoyants and can see auras without any practice, while other people who want to see auras can learn to see them by practicing.
I actually practiced this technique when I was in middle school during the 1970s. I was really interested in anything paranormal—I never missed an episode of In Search of…, and I even found a book about dreams and dream interpretation in the Scholastic catalog, intrepid little witchling that I was! I discovered a technique for how to see auras somewhere in between watching specials about the Bermuda Triangle and reading Chariots of the Gods. (Yep, I was a weird kid—no big surprise there!)
Anyway, people have been practicing this technique for learning to view auras in the mirror for ages, and now I’ll share it with you. While I have been able to see auras on occasion, more often I sense auras, feeling that someone has a pleasant or energetic or greasy or soothing aura but not always seeing them in a physical way. I began doing this meditation again while I was working on this book, and I must say it’s a great exercise to revisit. With practice, I’m having some success again; I hope you do too.
Stand in front of a mirror. Your bathroom mirror works fine for this exercise, but if you want to have a special mirror for this purpose, that’s actually a great idea. For the best results a white wall behind you is best, especially if you’re new at this. A plain white wall is less distracting and can help you discover your aura much easier than on a wall with patterns or a wide-open room with many textures and patterns. If you don’t have a mirror with a white wall in the reflection behind you, grab a white sheet and pin it up behind you.
Begin by gazing deeply into your own eyes. As you do, ask your spirit guides, higher power, or a god or goddess that you work with frequently to assist you in seeing your aura. Now soften your gaze slightly and shift your vision to the center of your forehead, between your eyes (remember, where your third eye chakra is). Some people have an easier time using the edge of your body, such as where your neck meets your shoulder, as a focal point, so feel free to try both and discover what works best for you. Try to stare as long as you can; you’ll only be able to do it for a few minutes at a time—it’s kind of like trying to see one of those magic eye images, which I personally have a terrible time seeing, though when I can see them, it’s awesome!
Eventually you should see a thin, white, hazy glow or a transparent-looking energy extending just past your body—that’s your inner aura, the energy field that surrounds you and fills your being. If you try to look at it directly it’s likely that it will disappear, so be sure to keep your gaze soft and relaxed. If you get really excited and lose it, don’t feel bad; this is just the first step in the right direction. It does take a lot of practice, but eventually it’s likely that as you start to move your vision outward, you’ll start to see colors extending past the white inner aura. Many people have even been able to see faces from their past lives or experience the energies of guides surrounding them.
You can practice this for a few minutes a couple times a week. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at seeing energy.
Scrying Symbols
A dream dictionary is a good way to familiarize yourself with the symbols of the subconscious mind, but always remember that some symbols have different meanings for different people. Those of us who are witches can also look to our own set of symbolism that we use regularly, such as rune shapes or ogham symbols, tarot symbolism, Lenormand, or tea-reading symbols that are already part of our subconscious mind. One person might see a letter B and consider it an initial, but a witch who uses runes frequently might recognize it as the rune Beorc, a symbol of health, love, and life force. A bird might suggest a message from your higher power, but if you’ve been working with Lenormand oracle decks a lot, you might interpret several birds as more mundane communication, phone calls, negotiations, or gossip.
More often than not, you’ll see clouds or sometimes symbols when scrying; it’s really different for different people. The important thing to remember is that allowing the visions to come is really not a matter of trying really, really hard. The more relaxed and less uptight about it you are, the easier it will get, and that is something that comes with time.
The appendices in this book are guides for interpreting the most common images and basic visions you may encounter while scrying in your witch’s mirror. Keep in mind that while many symbols follow standard archetypes, some can mean different things to different people, so if any of the interpretations I’ve included don’t ring true for you, feel free to alter them to fit within your own mental and spiritual framework. Consider this just a jumping-off point.
Take your time and relax. Soften your focus not on the surface of the mirror but through it to the other side, and let it flow. Be sure to jot down any impressions you might have—just quick notes that you can make without breaking your gaze or right after you finish. Transfer these quickly written notes into a scrying journal. This helps you keep track of your progress and also can help you verify things seen in the mirror as they come up in the everyday world.