Soothsayer Stone: Choosing and Using a Crystal Ball

When selecting a crystal ball, your choice should not be taken lightly. This is a very personal tool that will become instilled with your energy. Crystal balls have their own authority and they can strongly influence the development of our psychic abilities. You should think of the crystal as a container that houses your energy—so make sure it feels right for you. The crystal should feel comfortable to hold—not too heavy and not too light. You should not allow anyone else to touch your crystal ball. If someone does touch it, place the ball in a bowl of sea salt overnight to cleanse it of outside energy and influence. Because quartz crystal balls have an inherent power, you have to practice working with them first. Pure quartz crystal balls can be quite expensive, but the price is worthwhile if you are serious about harnessing your intuition and using it for good. Don’t expect your experiences to be like the movies. Most of the people I know who use crystal balls, including many healers and teachers, see cloudy and smoky images. 

Work with a partner to sharpen your psychic skills. Sit directly across from your partner with the crystal ball between you. Close your eyes halfway and look at the ball and into the ball while harnessing your entire mind. Empty out all other thoughts and focus as hard as you can. You will sense your third eye, the traditional seat of psychic awareness, begin to open and project into the crystal ball. By practicing this way, you will train your mind. The patterns you see will become clearer and your impressions more definite. You should trust that what you are seeing is real and find a place of knowing—as I do with my stomach, which seems to be an additional center of intuition for me and I just “know in my gut” when something is off. Verbalize to your partner what you see, and then listen to your partner as she reveals her visions to you.

You should also do crystal ball meditations on your own. In a darkened room, sit and hold your crystal ball in the palms of both hands. Touch it to your heart and then gently touch it to the center of your forehead, where your third eye is located. Then hold the ball in front of your physical eyes and, sitting very still, gaze into it for at least three minutes. Envision pure white light in the ball and hold on to that image. Practice the white-light visualization for up to a half hour and then rest your mind, your eyes, and your crystal ball. If you do this every day, within a month you should start to become an adept at crystal ball gazing.

When we gaze into a crystal ball, it is possible to see into the fabric of time, both the past and the future. At first you may be able to see a flickering, wispy, suggestive image. Some of you may be able to see clearly defined visions on your first try. Most of us have to practice and hone our attunement with the energy of the ball. You must establish clearly your interpretation of what you see. Many psychics use a crystal ball in their readings, and some report seeing images of clients’ auras in the ball. Projecting information about people’s lives is a huge responsibility, so you need to feel sure about what you are reading. Learn to trust your body’s center of intuition.

Highly polished and glasslike spheres of beryl and quartz crystal have been in use for many thousands of years. Healers, shamans, witch doctors, and medicine men have been using the bones of the earth for divination since time immemorial. The Celtic folks and Druids favored beryl as their scrying crystal of choice. Beryl still has a well-earned reputation as the stone of power. The Middle Ages and the Renaissance saw a far-flung use of crystal for seeing the future. The mythical wizard Merlin, of Arthurian legend, kept his crystal ball with him at all times! Pure quartz crystal balls are quite pricey, but again, are worth it if you are committed to this practice. Most people I know who use crystal balls, including many healers and teachers, see cloudy and smoky images most of the time, so do not expect your experience to immediately be like going to the movies! Each and every crystal ball is unique and has its own energy. Here are a few examples:

• Amethyst offers intuition on business matters and is especially good for lawyers and writers.
• Beryl helps you find anything you have lost—keys, jewelry, money, people!
• Obsidian is the karma stone and helps you see and resolve past-life issues.
• Quartz crystal can put you in touch with helpful spirit guides who foretell events.
• Selenite is particularly useful with any matters regarding hearth and home.
• Smoky quartz connects you with nature spirits and shows you what to avoid in your life.

Making the Tools of the Magical Trade Part III

 

Scrying Tools

Scrying, the art of divining by looking into a reflective surface and receiving visions, has been used by witches, magicians, and others since pre-biblical times. The word “scry” forms the root for the English word “descry,” which means reveal or discover.

The ancients had special prophets and priestesses who engaged in foretelling the future, and it is certain they used scrying tools from various crystals. Perhaps a chunk of black obsidian was the first scrying mirror used by a Stone Age shaman. All these centuries later, we still use crystal balls made from quartz and obsidian.

It is known that Queen Elizabeth I employed Dr. John Dee, a mathematician and metaphysician, in all matters of the heavens and unseen. Dee’s assistants used a mirror of polished black obsidian, which led the next generation of magicians and psychics to prefer black mirrors. Dee and his assistants used scrying to call upon certain angels and reported hearing knocking, and even voices that sounded like an owl screeching, during sessions. The legacy of alchemist and metaphysician John Dee lives on, and modern seers such as Edgar Cayce have built on his foundation.

In addition to divining the past, present, and future, you can use scrying to contact spirit guides or to improve your skills of creative visualization. Some practitioners of scrying even use it as a gateway to the astral plane.

Although scrying tools usually have shiny surfaces, you can scry with nearly anything. Water, a mirror on the wall, a crystal sphere, a slab of rock, flames of fire, ink in a bowl, or the bottom of a teacup all serve as scrying tools. You may find that smooth, neutral surfaces are less distracting and images will come through to you with less distortion. The ritual you follow when cleansing your scrying tools can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. My ritual involves cleansing my scrying tools before and after each use with rainwater that has sat through at least one day of sun and one night of moonlight. Just like with crystal balls and other sacred tools, you should polish any scrying mirrors or surfaces with a clean cotton cloth and store them in a special protective bag.

Crystal Balls

For thousands of years, highly polished, glasslike spheres of beryl and quartz crystals have been in use by healers, shamans, witch doctors, and medicine men for divination. Beryl, long reputed as a stone of power, was favored by the Druids. Crystals were used to see the future throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The mythical wizard Merlin kept his crystal ball with him at all times. At the height of the Renaissance, Paracelsus, a great philosopher and physician, claimed that conjuring crystals should be used in “observing everything rightly, earning and understanding what was.” They still appear in fairy tales and Disney movies, too. This proves how ingrained the notion of a crystal ball is to our culture. From these examples, we can see that crystal balls have been an integral part of our folklore, myth, magic, and metaphysics for a long time. When even mainstream people are familiar with the power of crystal balls, you can be sure their popularity has not declined in the slightest! The reputation and the power of crystal balls have not dampened, either. We still use them today for the same purposes they were used ages ago.

When selecting a crystal ball, your choice should not be taken lightly. This is a very personal tool that will become instilled with your energy. Crystal balls have their own authority and they can strongly influence the development of our psychic abilities. You should think of the crystal as a container that houses your energy and make sure it feels right for you. The crystal should feel comfortable to hold—not too heavy and not too light. You should not allow anyone else to touch your crystal ball. If someone does touch it, place the ball in a bowl of sea salt overnight to cleanse it of outside energy and influence. Because quartz crystal balls have an inherent power, you have to practice working with them first. Pure quartz crystal balls can be quite expensive, but the price is worthwhile if you are serious about harnessing your intuition and using it for good. Don’t expect your experiences to be like the movies. Most of the people I know who use crystal balls, including many healers and teachers, see cloudy and smoky images.

Work with a partner to sharpen your psychic skills. Sit directly across from your partner with the crystal ball between you. Close your eyes halfway and look at the ball and into the ball while harnessing your entire mind. Empty out all other thoughts and focus as hard as you can. You will sense your third eye, the traditional seat of psychic awareness, begin to open and project into the crystal ball. By practicing this way, you will train your mind. The patterns you see will become clearer and your impressions more definite. You should trust that what you are seeing is real and find a place of knowing, as I do with my stomach. Verbalize to your partner what you see, and then listen to your partner as she reveals her visions to you. After at least three rounds of individual reading and revealing, share visions at the same time to learn whether you are seeing the same things!

You should also do crystal ball meditations on your own. In a darkened room, sit and hold your crystal ball in the palms of both hands. Touch it to your heart and then gently touch it to the center of your forehead, where your third eye is located. Then hold the ball in front of your physical eyes and, sitting very still, gaze into it for at least three minutes. Envision pure white light in the ball and hold on to that image. Practice the white-light visualization for up to a half hour and then rest your mind, your eyes, and your crystal ball. If you do this every day, within a month you should start to become an adept at crystal ball gazing.

When we gaze into a crystal ball, it is possible to see into the fabric of time, both the past and the future. At first you may be able to see a flickering, wispy, suggestive image. Some of you may be able to see clearly defined visions on your first try. Most of us have to practice and hone our attunement with the energy of the ball. You must establish clearly your interpretation of what you see. Many psychics use a crystal ball in their readings, and some report seeing images of clients’ auras in the ball. Projecting information about people’s lives is a huge responsibility, so you need to feel sure about what you are reading. Learn to trust your body’s center of intuition. For me and for many other people, it’s a gut feeling—literally in my stomach. If I don’t get a feeling of confidence, of knowing in my gut, I simply explain that I don’t know what I’m reading or I’m not really “getting anything.” Be wary: It is far better to say you don’t know than to fake it.

Cleaning Your Crystal Ball

After the first thirty-three days of tuning in with your new crystal ball, you should give it a good cleaning, both physically and energetically; Thirty-three is a power number and is exactly the right amount of time to wait so that your crystal ball is permeated with your personal psychic energy. I recommend keeping it with you, in a pocket or, if it is smaller, even in a little pouch around your neck. The constant interaction with your body will get you and your crystal ball in sync.

To thoroughly cleanse the crystal, put in a bowl of sea salt for seven days. Treat your crystal ball as the precious thing it is. Keep it in a soft cloth; I prefer a dark blue silk bag. Never store your crystal ball in a synthetic material—it came from the earth and needs to stay connected to the earth’s grounding energy. 

If you are like me and have slightly sticky, well-lotioned hands, you simply need to wash the crystal in warm water after each use and then wipe it with a soft, natural-fiber cloth; all will be well. Regard your crystal ball with the highest respect, the highest regard, and the highest mind, and it will give you a lifetime of great service. Also, remain mindful that you are using it for the purposes of universal love and healing and these effects shall be so. 

Scrying Mirrors and Crystal Balls

Scrying is the art of divining by looking into an appropriate surface. It could be water, a mirror on the wall, a crystal ball, or a slap of rock. For that matter, some people are quite talented at seeing visions in the flames of fire or in the bottom of a teacup. Smooth, natural surfaces are much better and less distracting, however.

I like to think that a chunk of shiny black obsidian was the first scrying mirror. We know the ancients had special prophets and priestesses who engaged in foretelling the future, and they were making and using tools of their trade from various crystals at hand. No doubt they would be delighted to know we are

still using crystal balls made from translucent quartz and mysterious volcanic obsidian! I cleanse mine before and after each use with rainwater that has set through at least one day of sun and one night of moonlight, but rituals can get as elaborate as you want!

Scrying has been used since biblical times and is even mentioned in Genesis chapter 44, verses 4-5 (NKJV). Queen Elizabeth I entrusted all matter of the heavens and the unseen to John Dee, a brilliant mathematician and metaphysician. He used a mirror of polished black obsidian, and his legacy led succeeding magicians and psychics to prefer black mirrors. Dee employed scrying to great effect in calling upon certain angels. He reported hearing knocking and even voices that sounded like an owl screeching during sessions.

Scrying is the mantic art of gazing onto a surface and receiving information in the form of visions. It is said that this gives us a more direct connection to the Akashic record, the theory of cosmic memory storage espoused by the theosophist Rudolf Steiner.

Scrying can be used for myriad purposes in addition to divining the past, present, and future. You can contact spirit guides, improve your skills of creative visualization, and even use it as a gateway to the astral plane. As with crystal balls and other sacred tools, you should polish mirrors with a clean cotton cloth and store them in a special protective bag.

Quartz crystal balls have an inherent power that you have to practice working with. They have been part of our folklore, myth, magic, and metaphysics for a long time. The great philosopher and physician Paracelsus made the claim during the height of the Renaissance that what he called conjuring crystals needed to be used in “observing everything rightly, earning and understanding what was.” I love that they are in fairy tales and Disney stories, too. That shows how ingrained crystal balls are in our culture and collective mind-set. Even people who avoid anything too witchy know of the power of crystal balls!

Crystal balls have their own authority and wield a large influence on the development of our psychic abilities. When you gaze into a crystal ball, it is possible to see into the fabric of time, both the past and the future. What you see could be a delineated vision of a flickering, wispy suggestion of images. You have to practice and hone your attunement with the energy of the crystal ball. Many psychics use crystal balls in their readings, and some report seeing images of clients’ auras in the ball. What you have to get really clear on is how you interpret what you see. Gleaning information about people’s lives is a huge responsibility, and you need to feel sure about what you are reading. One way is to learn to trust your center of intuition in your body. For me (and for many other people) it is a gut feeling—literally in my stomach. I have a feeling of surety, or knowing, and I speak from that. If I don’t get any such bodily sensation, I simply explain that I don’t know what I’m reading or I’m not really “getting anything.” It is far better to say you don’t know that to fake it.

You can sharpen your psychic skills by working with a partner. Sit directly across from your partner with a crystal ball between you. Close your eyes halfway and look at the ball and into the ball while harnessing your entire

mind. Empty out all other thoughts and focus as hard as you can. Your third eye should begin to open, and the vision and intuition will come from there and project into the crystal ball. As you train your mind, the patterns will become clearer and your impressions will become surer. You should trust that what you are seeing is real and find a place of knowing, as I do with my stomach. Express to your partner what you are seeing. Then listen to your partner as she reveals her visions to you. After at least three rounds of individual reading and revealing, share visions at the same time and learn whether you are seeing the same things!

A mental practice to try on your own is this crystal-ball meditation: In a darkened room, sit holding your crystal ball in the palms of both of your hands. Touch it to your heart and then gently touch it to your forehead where the third eye resides. Then hold the ball in front of your eyes and, sitting very still, gaze into it for at least three minutes. Envision pure white light in the ball and hold that image. Practice the white-light visualization for up to half an hour and then rest your mind, your eyes, and your crystal ball. If you do this every day, within a month you will start to become adept at crystal-ball gazing.

Choosing a crystal ball should not be undertaken lightly: this is a deeply personal tool that has its own energy and will also become imbued with your energy. Think of it as a container for a great deal of your energy and make sure it feels right for you and you alone. Do not allow anyone else to touch your crystal ball. If by chance it happens, simply place it in a bowl of sea salt overnight and it will be cleansed of outside energy and influence.

Highly polished and glasslike spheres of beryl and quartz crystal have been in use for many thousands of years. Healers, shamans, witch doctors, and medicine men have been using the bones of the earth for divination since time immemorial. The Celtic folks and Druids favored beryl as their scrying crystal of choice. Beryl still has a well-earned reputation as the stone of power. The Middle Ages and the Renaissance saw a far-flung use of crystal for seeing the future.

The mythical wizard Merlin, of Arthurian legend, kept his crystal ball with him at all times! Pure quartz crystal balls are quite pricey but are worth the expense if you are serious about harnessing your intuition and using it for the good. Most people I know who use crystal balls, including many healers and teachers, see cloudy and smoky images, so do not expect your experience to be like going to the movies! Each and every crystal ball is unique and has its own energy.

Here are a few examples:

Amethyst offers advice on business matters and is especially good for lawyers and writers

Beryl helps you find anything you have lost—keys, jewelry, money, people!

Obsidian is the karma stone and helps you see and resolve past-life issues

Quartz crystal can put you in touch with helpful spirit guides who foretell events

Selenite is particularly useful with any matters regarding hearth and home.

Smoky quartz connects you with nature spirits and shows you what to avoid in your life.

Soothsayer Stone: Choosing and Using a Crystal Ball

When selecting a crystal ball, your choice should not be taken lightly. This is a very personal tool that will become instilled with your energy. Crystal balls have their own authority and they can strongly influence the development of our psychic abilities. You should think of the crystal as a container that houses your energy—so make sure it feels right for you. The crystal should feel comfortable to hold—not too heavy and not too light. You should not allow anyone else to touch your crystal ball. If someone does touch it, place the ball in a bowl of sea salt overnight to cleanse it of outside energy and influence. Because quartz crystal balls have an inherent power, you have to practice working with them first. Pure quartz crystal balls can be quite expensive, but the price is worthwhile if you are serious about harnessing your intuition and using it for good. Don’t expect your experiences to be like the movies. Most of the people I know who use crystal balls, including many healers and teachers, see cloudy and smoky images.

Work with a partner to sharpen your psychic skills. Sit directly across from your partner with the crystal ball between you. Close your eyes halfway and look at the ball and into the ball while harnessing your entire mind. Empty out all other thoughts and focus as hard as you can. You will sense your third eye, the traditional seat of psychic awareness, begin to open and project into the crystal ball. By practicing this way, you will train your mind. The patterns you see will become clearer and your impressions more definite. You should trust that what you are seeing is real and find a place of knowing—as I do with my stomach, which seems to be an additional center of intuition for me and I just “know in my gut” when something is off. Verbalize to your partner what you see, and then listen to your partner as she reveals her visions to you.

You should also do crystal ball meditations on your own. In a darkened room, sit and hold your crystal ball in the palms of both hands. Touch it to your heart and then gently touch it to the center of your forehead, where your third eye is located. Then hold the ball in front of your physical eyes and, sitting very still, gaze into it for at least three minutes. Envision pure white light in the ball and hold on to that image. Practice the white-light visualization for up to a half hour and then rest your mind, your eyes, and your crystal ball. If you do this every day, within a month you should start to become an adept at crystal ball gazing.

When we gaze into a crystal ball, it is possible to see into the fabric of time, both the past and the future. At first you may be able to see a flickering, wispy, suggestive image. Some of you may be able to see clearly defined visions on your first try. Most of us have to practice and hone our attunement with the energy of the ball. You must establish clearly your interpretation of what you see. Many psychics use a crystal ball in their readings, and some report seeing images of clients’ auras in the ball. Projecting information about people’s lives is a huge responsibility, so you need to feel sure about what you are reading. Learn to trust your body’s center of intuition.

Highly polished and glasslike spheres of beryl and quartz crystal have been in use for many thousands of years. Healers, shamans, witch doctors, and medicine men have been using the bones of the earth for divination since time immemorial. The Celtic folks and Druids favored beryl as their scrying crystal of choice. Beryl still has a well-earned reputation as the stone of power. The Middle Ages and the Renaissance saw a far-flung use of crystal for seeing the future. The mythical wizard Merlin, of Arthurian legend, kept his crystal ball with him at all times! Pure quartz crystal balls are quite pricey, but again, are worth it if you are committed to this practice. Most people I know who use crystal balls, including many healers and teachers, see cloudy and smoky images most of the time, so do not expect your experience to immediately be like going to the movies! Each and every crystal ball is unique and has its own energy. Here are a few examples:

• Amethyst offers intuition on business matters and is especially good for lawyers and writers.

• Beryl helps you find anything you have lost—keys, jewelry, money, people!

• Obsidian is the karma stone and helps you see and resolve past-life issues.

• Quartz crystal can put you in touch with helpful spirit guides who foretell events.

• Selenite is particularly useful with any matters regarding hearth and home.

• Smoky quartz connects you with nature spirits and shows you what to avoid in your life.

Middle Earth Magic: How to Use a Crystal Ball

Crystal balls have their own authority and they can strongly influence the development of our psychic abilities. You should think of the crystal as a container that houses your energy. Make sure it feels right for you. The crystal should feel comfortable to hold—not too heavy and not too light. You should not allow anyone else to touch your crystal ball. If someone does touch it, place the ball in a bowl of sea salt overnight to cleanse it of outside energy and influence. Because quartz crystal balls have an inherent power, you have to practice working with them first. Pure quartz crystal balls can be quite expensive, but the price is worthwhile if you are serious about harnessing your intuition and using it for good. Don’t expect your experiences to be like the movies. Most of the people I know who use crystal balls, including many healers and teachers, see cloudy and smoky images.

Work with a partner to sharpen your psychic skills. Sit directly across from your partner with the crystal ball between you. Close your eyes halfway and look at the ball and into the ball while harnessing your entire mind. Empty out all other thoughts and focus as hard as you can. You will sense your third eye, the traditional seat of psychic awareness, begin to open and project into the crystal ball. By practicing this way, you will train your mind. The patterns you see will become clearer and your impressions more definite. You should trust that what you are seeing is real. Find a place of knowing, as I do with my stomach. Verbalize to your partner what you see, and then listen to your partner as she reveals her visions to you. After at least three rounds of individual reading and revealing, share visions at the same time to learn whether you are seeing the same things!

You should also do crystal ball meditations on your own. In a darkened room, sit and hold your crystal ball in the palms of both hands. Touch it to your heart and then gently touch it to the center of your forehead, where your third eye is located. Then hold the ball in front of your physical eyes and, sitting very still, gaze into it for at least three minutes. Envision pure white light in the ball and hold on to that image. Practice the white-light visualization for up to a half hour and then rest your mind, your eyes and your crystal ball. If you do this every day, within a month you should start to become an adept at crystal ball gazing.