Scrying and Divination
SCRYING:
Scrying (crystal-gazing) is best done at
the dark of the moon, and a crystal ball or magick mirror is definitely
a tool of Crone-wisdom. If you wish to make a magick mirror, you will
need: a curved (lens-shaped) piece of glass, black paint, and a box to
set the mirror in. Simply paint the convex side of the glass with two
coats of black enamel paint and set it in the box. A piece of wood hollowed
out to fit the mirror would be even better, as you will be able to glue
the mirror to it.
To consecrate a crystal ball (show-stone)
or magick mirror, you will need: salt, water, wormwood (for incense) Purify
the stine or mirror with salt water, and charge in the smoke of burning
wormwood, saying: "Blessed be thou, focus of power. may I see that within
you which will lead me in the paths of the Lady and bring me to her Wisdom.
As I do will, so mote it be."
This should be a solitary rite. Keep your
show-stone or mirror on your altar, but cover it up when not in use with
a silk cloth.
TO USE THE CRYSTAL/MIRROR:
Dim the lights. Cast the circle. Have someone
act as your recorder, to write down what you say. Don't let light fall
directly on the stone or mirror, but have enough light in the room so
that you can see something in it. Gaze intently at one point in the stone
or mirror, but let your attention cover the whole area of the stone or
mirror. You may see things happening to the side of your focus point.
If so, try not to shift your vision, but keep your eyes glued to the focus
point. DO NOT shift your attention. This takes time and patience. Try
not to intepret while you are scrying. If something doesn't make sense,
let it be. Describe the visions out loud, so the recorder can write them
down; you will not remember most of them, since you have put yourself
into a light trance. If you are alone, you can use a tape recorder. When
the visions seem to haze over and the glass returns to its normal state,
you may relax and turn the lighting up again.
READING THE CARDS:
There are many different kinds of Tarot
decks available, from the rather chilly but elegant Aquarian deck to the
feminist deck of round cards, Motherpeace. You will have to choose the
deck you will work with regularly by a process of trial and error. Does
this deck go with your personality and personal style? Do you feel comfortable
with the pictures? Do you feel that this deck is easy for you to interpret?
My personal favorite is one which Starhawk always referred to as "that
hippie deck"; it's the Morgan's Tarot, originally published in Boulder
Creek, CA, in 1970. It has no suits, no Major and Minor Arcana, no standard
interpretations. It did come with a booklet, but I lost that a long time
ago. I have used this deck for over twenty-five years, and am still discovering
new things in it.
If you'd like to see a non-standard deck for divination which I created recently, check out the Vee-Deck--it might give you some ideas for a deck of your own. The Vee-Deck is filled with pictures of people in my life, some of whom can be recognized as Composters or Toads if you look carefully. There's a lot of Feri influence in the deck, as well as a fair amount of stuph from the Inner Journey seminars. Enjoy!
You can do divinations with a plain pack
of playing cards, if you like; you will have no Major Arcana, but the
suits are equivalent to the Tarot suits: Spades are Swords, Clubs and
Wands, Hearts are Cups, and Diamonds are Pentacles. And there are plenty
of messages in the Minor Arcana to make an ordinary deck of value. (Besides,
when you get bored, you can play solitaire.) Consecrate your cards as
you would your crystal, and keep them in a silk cloth. Don't let them
touch the ground; always use the silk cloth under them. And don't let
just anyone handle them. If you are doing a reading for someone, allow
them to cut the cards, but that's it.
HOW TO READ CARDS:
Shuffle the deck, cut it into three piles
with the left hand, away from you, and replace the piles in a different
order. You can either just pull individual cards at random from the deck
in answer to individual questions, or do a layout. My favorite layout
is the Celtic Cross:
1. (in the middle) This card represents
the situation.
2. (laid crosswise over the first) This
card represents what crosses you, for good or evil.
3. (above the first two) This card represents
your conscious thoughts in the matter.
4. (below them) This card represents your
unconscious thoughts in the matter.
5.(to their left) This card represents
the past or the influences which are just now passing away.
6.(to their right) This card represents
the future or the influences which are just now coming into being.
7. (further to the right, at the bottom)
This card represents you.
8. (above the previous card) This card
represents your environment.
9. (above the previous card) This card
represents your hopes and fears in the matter.
10. (above the previous card) This card
represents the final outcome, and exerts its influence over all the other
cards.
Interpreting cards is much like interpreting
the things you see when scrying--use your intuition. What does the picture
on the card say to you? Are there any recurring visual elements from card
to card which might show an overall theme? In which positions? If you
are using a deck with standard interpretations, try not to be swayed by
them. Go with what your gut tells you about this layout, even though it
might not be according to the book. If you're reading for someone else,
don't make interpretations until all the cards are laid out. Get all the
data before coming to a conclusion. Try to elicit information from the
person being read: this is not mere fortune-telling, it is an attempt
to see what the gods have to say. It is perfectly legitimate to say "I
don't know what this means. Does it say anything to you?"
The best way to learn the cards is to do
readings for yourself, and do a lot of them. You develop personal associations
with the cards--they become your friends.
Attention Mac users: I have put together
a HyperCard stack which will give a random reading of ten cards in the
Morgan deck, plus one extra for additional insight. If anyone would like
a copy, please e-mail me at valeriewalker_99@yahoo.com
and I'll send it to you. You can use it with your own deck if you like--just
scan in your own cards.
RUNESTONES:
There are sets of runestones on sale which
come with books of interpretation; or you can get a book on runelore,
and make your own runes of wood or clay. Consecrate them as you would
any other tool of divination, and keep them wrapped in a silk cloth.
OTHER FORMS OF DIVINATION:
The I Ching is an ancient Chinese book
of divination which can be used with three coins: there are complete instructions
in the book. The best translation is the Wilhelm-Baynes, published by
Bollingen.