Scrying is a type of divination performed by gazing into a smooth surface to receive messages, guidance, or visions from the spirit world. The ancient practice of scrying is an old tradition going all the way back to ancient Egypt when people would use a drop of oil on their thumbnail and look into the smooth, shiny surface to their nail to receive spiritual wisdom.
You’ve probably seen a stereotypical fortune teller leaning over a spooky crystal ball, calling out the cryptic images he or she is seeing in the stone. But you don’t have to be a professional psychic to experiment with scrying in your spiritual practice. This form of divination is absolutely accessible to anyone.
You don’t need any fancy tools and you don’t need to wait until you’re a more experienced witch to practice scrying. There are many forms of scrying and as long as you follow a few simple guidelines, you’ll be able to safely use the practice of scrying to deepen your connection to your intuition and to the spirit realm.
How To Protect Yourself While Scrying
Because you’ll be tapping into unknown energies and receiving messages from the spirit world, it’s important to take a few safety measures before you begin scrying.
First, perform some kind of grounding meditation to prepare your energy for this practice. There are many ways to do this, but my personal favorite is a “Red Roots” meditation. To do this, sit in a comfortable position and bring your awareness to the places you are touching the ground. Then, in your mind’s eye, visualize red glowing roots sprouting from those places. See the roots grow longer as they weave through the dirt and rock until they reach the center of the earth. When you feel a sense of relaxation and stability (whatever that means for you), you can open your eyes.
Next, perform some kind of protection spell to keep you safe for the duration of your scrying ritual. Again, you have a lot of different options. I use a white light meditation but you can also set up wards or cast a circle.
Setting The Mood For Scrying
It’s easy to want to skip this step but preparing your space for scrying is part of preparing yourself for scrying! We will be tapping into the unconscious mind, creating an altered state of consciousness in which we can receive messages through the second sight. Your environment makes a big difference in how easy it is for you to sink into these altered states! This is all about what helps you tap into your own power. You can set the mood however you want for your scrying ritual. The basic principle here is to add elements then enhance your experience and make it seem set apart and special—whatever that feels like for you. Experiment with these different elements and see which ones give you the best results. This is highly personal and will vary from witch to witch.
Lighting
Some witches prefer to scry during the day. Some witches only scry at night. You can try scrying in a dimly lit room or outside on a sunny day. Some witches will only scry in a completely darkened room to allow the focus to turn entirely to the inner eyes. Any of these will work but you’ll probably discover over time that the amount of light in your space affects the mood and possibly the kind of messages you receive and you can adjust to suit your needs and preferences.
I love to light 7-10 candles and turn off all the lights when I scry. It gives me enough light to see, but it’s dark enough to make my space feel secretive and sacred.
Music
Music can instantly change the energy of a space. I love putting on a mystical-sounding instrumental playlist while I scry. It sets the mood without distracting me. You don’t have to go with instrumental tunes. Maybe drum music or white noise playlists work better for you. This should be just enough sound to drown out any potentially distracting background noise without becoming a distraction itself.
Incense or Essential Oils
Cedar incense or Frankincense resin are known for enhancing psychic abilities or connecting to the spirit world. The scent and smoke drifting through the air can raise the vibration of your space. Lavender and Jasmine essential oils can also be helpful for this kind of work. Add about five drops to the water in your essential oil diffuser, or use a cauldron with a tea light underneath. Again, the smells and the steam rising into the air can energetically prepare you for divination as well as creating a pleasant and relaxing ritual atmosphere.
Moon Phase
The full moon is known for aiding witches with divination work making it an excellent time to scry. You perform your scrying outside directly under the moon, using the moonlight to illuminate the visions you see or scry by a window if the weather isn’t ideal. You can also try scrying by the new moon if you prefer a darker scrying environment or if you’re trying to reveal things hidden.
How To Record The Messages You Receive
You’ll likely be in a light trance-like state while you’re scrying, so you might not consciously remember everything you see when you’re done. It’s similar to how you sometimes forget your dreams after you wake up. The subconscious mind doesn’t always store these messages in a way that is easy for us to retrieve or understand.
One way to make sure you don’t lose any of the messages is to record your scrying session with your phone or another recording device. Describe aloud the images and messages you receive as they come up, and listen to the recording after you’re done.
You can also keep a journal nearby to jot down notes during or immediately after scrying, but you may have to look away from your scrying surface to write. Your preference will largely depend on how deeply in a trance-state you need to go to receive visions. At the very least, make sure that you write everything down at the earliest possible moment. What feels clear as day right after coming out of a trance can slip away like sand and be fuzzy in as little as 2-3 minutes. Capture these impressions and messages as quickly as possible!
Tools For Scrying
A Crystal Ball
This is the most stereotypical form of scrying, but it’s definitely not the most cost-effective way to go. Specialty crystal stores may carry different sphere-shaped stones. Clear quartz, rose quartz, smoky quartz, obsidian, or selenite are popular options for crystal gazing. You can also find crystal balls online from retailers like Etsy or Ebay. Some witches choose to keep their crystal ball covered with a dark cloth when not in use. Whenever you can, set the crystal ball near a window or outside during a full moon to energetically cleanse it.
Note: If you use a clear or glass scrying ball, you MUST keep it covered when you aren’t using it! These can act like magnifying glasses in the sun and will start fires if left out.
A Polished Crystal
This is similar to a crystal ball, but it doesn’t have to be round or very large. You can use any crystal that has a smooth surface for scrying.
A Cauldron or Bowl of Liquid
A dark cast iron cauldron is a perfect tool for scrying. If you don’t have a cauldron, any bowl will work just fine. Fill it with water and gaze at the smooth surface of the water. If available, use water that has been charged by the energy of the full moon or that has had herbs for scrying and psychic enhancement steeped in it. Another variation is to add a few drops of food coloring and watch as the color spreads through the water.
Some witches prefer to use oil to scry instead of water. Others will add oil into their bowl of water and scry by watching the oil interact with the water.
Another method is to pour melted wax into a bowl of water and notice the shapes that form though this is closer to a form of divination than true scrying.
A Sheet of Glass
This can be any kind of flat glass, but picture frames work very well for this. Cut out a black sheet of paper and place it in the frame. Scry using only the picture frame, or place a candle in front of the black glass and gaze at the glass as it reflects the dancing light of the candle flame.
A Candle Flame Or Any Other Form Of Fire
The flame of a candle can be used for fire scrying. Gaze at the base of the flame, or just to the right or left of the candle flames (so the flame is in your peripheral vision). This can help protect your eyes. Fires in your cauldron or bonfires are also excellent mediums for scrying and the roar of larger flames can be particularly entrancing. Just make sure that if you’re working with a larger fire that you have someone nearby to tend the fire and keep you safe!
A Mirror
Some witches specifically prefer a black mirror, but a regular mirror works, too! Set the scrying mirror on the ground and look into it, or set it up on your altar or wall, and light a candle in front of it. These kind of scrying mirrors come both in flat versions and in convex which can add an interesting visual distortion in the mirror’s surface that many witches find useful.
A Calm Body of Water
This is thought to be the most ancient form of scrying. If you have access to a calm pool of water, consider using it for scrying. Ocean water is ideal for messages regarding abundance and love. Any pool or bowl of water with a reflective surface will work beautifully for water scrying. I particularly like this form of scrying under moonlight.
Your Fingernails
Buff your fingernails until they shine, or paint your nails with a high gloss polish. Look into the shiny surface of your nail just as you would any other scrying surface. This could be a good method if you’re waiting in the carpool line at your child’s school or sitting at the DMV. It’s a fun way to fit magic into a busy schedule.
Phone or Computer Screens
These everyday devices have smooth black screens and can be used for scrying. Keep in mind is that you use these devices frequently so they probably hold all kinds of energy. Make sure you cleanse your device first and use your discernment. We already know that not everything that comes through those screens is trustworthy!
How To Start Scrying
Once you’ve energetically prepared yourself and your space for scrying, you can choose your scrying tool. Pick any of the tools listed above, or try a more unconventional tool if you want.
Set Your Intention
If you’re new to scrying, I recommend setting a very broad intention. You’re not sure what you’ll see if you’ve never done this before, so setting a more specific intention could block important messages from coming through.
A good intention could be:
“I open my heart to any messages or visions that will guide me towards my highest potential.”
An intention like that is broad but communicates that you specifically want positive or constructive messages regarding your life.
If you’ve been scrying for a while, you may want to ask for guidance on specific issues such as your love life or your career path.
A more specific intention could be:
“I open my heart and mind to receive any constructive messages regarding my current relationship.”
Receiving Messages While Scrying
Prepare your sacred space for scrying and then settle yourself comfortably in from of your scrying tool. Gaze into your scrying surface, and allow your body to relax. Don’t forget to breathe. Deep steady breaths will help you slow down your mind and help you keep your thoughts on your magic.
Soften your gaze by letting your eyes become unfocused. Once this happens you may begin to see shapes, people, or symbols on your scrying surface. Give the images time to appear, often it can take 5-10 minutes of gazing before you see anything. Scrying is not necessarily about what you see with your physical eyes. Some people do get messages visibly but it’s much more common for them to appear in the inner eye. You are not staring hard at the mirror waiting for something to appear in it like a TV screen, you are using the mirror as a vehicle to allow your mind to turn inward to your second sight, or even your other psychic senses.
When you’re first learning how to scry, you might second guess yourself. You might think that you imagined something or that you’re trying to force yourself to see something that isn’t there. That’s totally normal! Just take note of whatever you’re receiving no matter how random it is. Some of the things you see won’t be relevant, especially when you’re new to this practice. But just because you don’t understand what you see, doesn’t mean it’s not a message. Perhaps it’s a message you’ll benefit from later on.
The messages may come in the form of thoughts, mental images, memories, or actual things you see on your scrying surface. Be open to all of these different ways the spirit world may communicate with you.
If you go through all the steps, and you don’t see anything while you’re scrying, don’t get down on yourself. Scrying is a skill. Like any skill, you’ll improve with practice. Sometimes all you need to do to get better results is to change your medium or your environment. If you’ve been using a mirror, try a crystal. You can even practice by looking at the shapes and movement of the clouds in the sky.
Your Scrying Practice
Approach this practice with a sense of curiosity and experimentation. This is is one of the most personal forms of divination because all of the information is coming from your perception. Make sure you take care of yourself and rest when you need to. Though scrying may seem difficult at first, you’ll discover your own personal method that will bring you the guidance you desire through this powerful tool.
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Updated on January 11, 2025 by Avery Hart
Love this easy to understand article. Finally, an easy starting point for me to understand a bit about scrying and how to move forward with you. Thanks so much, Avery. Love your insights.
🙂 Excellent Article, Excellent Blog , Excellent Site ✅✅✅
Great article!, i will try to make my own scrying mirror. I will share my experience here!. Best regards.