Please welcome Annabel Aiden to NN! We're so excited to have you!
The go-to image of someone scrying is a Madame Wanda-type,
swathed in bright shawls and wearing lots of jewelry, staring at a foggy
crystal ball.
Scrying’s actually more complex and far more interesting than
that.
First of all, what is it?
Scrying is staring into some sort of surface and interpreting
shapes and figures. You can use a
black mirror, a bowl of water, a crystal ball, fire, smoke, all kinds of
things. It’s one of the many
options of divination.
So what’s divination?
Divination is seeking to know the future or the so-called
“unknown” by supernatural means.
Yet, many divinatory tools are, by nature, natural. Water is natural; fire is (with a
little help), natural.
When do you scry?
Whenever you need to.
However, certain times of the year -- Beltane (April 30/May 1), Yule
(Winter Solstice) and Samhain (Halloween) are considered the best, times when
the veil is particularly thin between the worlds, and when it’s easier to
retrieve information.
It’s important not to approach scrying or divination as a joke or
as something done “for fun”. It’s
serious business, and you should ask about something that matters to you. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the
process, or that you won’t laugh a lot and have a great time. But divination is not a toy.
Before you start your divination process, know what you want to
ask and how you want to ask it.
Keep it simple -- no complex or compound sentences, full of run-ons,
ands, buts, ors. Ask simple,
succinct, direct questions. Break
down what you want to know into more than one question, and pose one at a
time. Most importantly, make sure
you actually want to know the answers to the questions you ask.
Let’s say you’re going to use a simple bowl of water to
scry. How do you do it? First, you will need a bowl, water,
possibly blue food coloring or black ink, a candle, a stable surface, a
notebook, and a pen.
Set aside about a half an hour to an hour where you won’t be
disturbed. No one can knock on the
door to ask you anything. Your
phone is off. Not on vibrate. OFF. Choose a bowl with a dark interior, or, if it won’t stain
the bowl, add a few drops of dark blue food coloring or black ink to your
bowl. Use a natural material --
ceramic or glass. Fill your bowl. Light a candle -- dark blue or purple
is good for scrying, and, as always, when in doubt, light white. Set the candle near the bowl, and make
sure both are on a stable surface.
Take a few minutes to follow your breath and settle down, letting the
water settle.
Close your eyes and ask your question.
Open your eyes and stare at the water. Let your eyes soft focus, instead of furrowing your brow and
concentrating too hard. Breathe
and stare at the water. The light
from the candle may help create shapes.
Perhaps the water stills and then begins to ripple again. Don’t try to force it or make it
happen. Let it happen. See what images form in the water.
Sketch them if you wish, or write them in words. Don’t assume anything. Listen to your intuition. That’s really what divination is -- the
outer manifestation of what your subconscious already knows.
Scrying takes longer to get comfortable with than other forms of
divination, because you have to rely on yourself and your instincts more than,
say, tarot or runes, which use images, archetypes, and symbols with set
meanings. The first few times you
do it, you might just see
water. Keep at it. Eventually, your subconscious will take
flight and connect to the type of divination on which you’re working. For instance, if you want to scry with
water, work once or twice a week for at least ninety days before switching to
some other form of scrying, such as using a black mirror or fire-scrying in
your fireplace. Stick with one
type for a minimum of three months before trying something else.
Scrying doesn’t just have to be used for your own life. It’s a wonderful creative tool if
you’re blocked. Spending this time
with your scrying device can unlock the blocks you’ve got in your stories, and
help you reach new layers in your creativity. Treat the process with respect, and it will respect you.
Bio:
Annabel Aidan writes romantic suspense with a hint of magic. She publishes under a half a dozen names in both fiction and nonfiction. She spent over twenty years working behind the scenes on Broadway, in film and television, mostly working wardrobe. Her plays are produced in New York, London, Edinburgh, and Australia. If you run towards her undoing buttons, she will tear off your clothes and flip you into something else — and then read your tarot cards.
Visit her on the web at
Witchcraft, politics, and theatre collide and combine as
Morag D’Anneville and Secret Service agent Simon Keane fight to protect the
Vice President of the United States -- or is it Morag who needs Simon’s
protection more than the VP?
Witch and theatre professional Morag D’Anneville is annoyed
when she’s assigned to dress the conservative Vice President as he makes a
surprise appearance in his favorite Broadway show. Even more irritating, she
has to teach Agent Simon Keane, part of the security detail, the backstage
ropes in preparation. A strong
attraction flares between them which they both recognize is doomed, and Simon
must also fight his superior’s prejudice that Morag’s beliefs make her a threat
to the Vice President. When Morag is attacked, Simon’s loyalties are torn
between protecting the man he’s sworn to protect, and protecting the woman he
loves.
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