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A relatively simple psychic skill for any Witch to master, Scrying is the art of gazing at an object in a manner that calms the mind and body, allowing the subconscious to come forth and reveal messages. These messages may present themselves as full on visions, complete with sights, sounds, smells, and sensations, or they may be just pictures, like watching a movie.
Virtually anything can be used to Scry with; it is truly a skill available to anyone as fancy tools really aren’t necessary. Common things to Scry with are Fire (i.e. a candle flame, bonfire, or glowing coals,) Water (e.g. a bowl filled about an inch with water, the water may or may not be darkened,) Smoke (as from incense,) a Mirror (any will do,) a Speculum (aka Dark Mirror,) or a Crystal Sphere. Despite what you use, the process is the same: calm and center, then gaze at the object. Do not stare. Staring is a purposeful concentrated “looking” and that is not the point of Scrying. You want to gaze, to relax yourself, quiet your mind, and allow any messages from your intuition or Gods to come forth. Scrying doesn’t always work the first time and many people find that their first visions are nothing more than colored clouds; the color of these clouds can be interpreted and read if a specific question was asked prior to Scrying. Eventually, these clouds will pass and a picture is revealed. With increasing practice, you will find yourself able to achieve full visions simply by gazing at a blank wall in a dark room. Or, as many a kitchen witch knows, by gazing at your streak-free oven door.
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Our lives are comprised of a series of rituals. From birth to death, there is not one moment that is not sacred, one moment in which we cannot revere the driving force behind the cosmos. All acts, not just of love and pleasure, are rituals to the Gods. The key to making them truly sacred is the attitude in which we go about them.
It’s easy enough to relegate ritual to 21 holidays (8 Sabbats, 13 Full Moons) and the odd spell, but integrating the perspective of sacred to all aspects of life is what truly makes it a magickal life. If we view every act as a devotional act honoring our Gods, we render that act sacred ritual. For example: cleaning your house can be just another obligation, or it can be rendered sacred by viewing it as an act to make your home a beautiful place for your family and the Divine to interact. You clean because you love your family and they deserve it, and through this act you honor your Gods. There are so many aspects of living that can thus be rendered sacred Rites of Passage. Birth, puberty, marriage, death, these are all obvious. But what of the other things that though aren’t religious in nature, truly are sacred and make up the very fabric of our lives? Why not a sacred rite when our kids learn to walk? Doesn’t this, as much as puberty, mark their entrance into a new stage of life? Why not a ritual to commemorate our first love? Doesn’t this, as much as childbirth, leave us forever changed and new? The possibilities are endless. All it takes is the right perspective. These are very simple to use and as such, are quite popular. You simply hold aloft the small end so the larger end can swing freely.
For divination, you must first ask the pendulum to show you which way it will swing for "yes" and which way for "no." Then, concentrate on your question. The pendulum should begin to swing, slowly at first, but then faster. Which way it swings indicates your answer. But, pendulums are easily influenced by the conscious mind, so for more accuracy, it is advised to suspend the pendulum, a "banana tree" (that snazzy little plastic or wooden device in your kitchen that you hang your bunch of bananas from) works well for this, that way you won't be touching it at all. Now, your subconscious , your Higher Self, is free to move the pendulum, without the conscious mind interfering, via the aura. Pendulums can also be useful for communication with spirits, finding haunted locals, healing, and realigning chakras. |
