by Raven Grimassi
The magic mirror is one of the oldest tools employed in both divination and spell casting. The classic magic mirror is a dark concave surface or reflective material. You can construct one for yourself by using the curved glass face of a clock and painting the convex side with glossy black paint. Antique stores are a good source for old clocks with rounded glass faces.
Traditionally, the preparation of a magic mirror begins on the night of the Full Moon. It is particularly effective to do this when the Moon is in the sign of Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio.
Once you have painted the glass and it has thoroughly dried, then bathe the mirror in a herbal brew of equal parts rosemary, fennel, rue, vervain, ivy and walnut leaves or walnut bark. If you want to hold to the oldest of traditions, then pour some sea foam into the mixture. If you are unable to obtain these items, consult a book or the sidebar under Herbal Pages on magickal herbs and substitute other herbs associated with psychic vision, oracles, or divination. While the glass is still bathing in the potion, hold both your hands out over it, palms down, and say:
I awaken the sleeping spirits of old,
Whose eyes reveal all that in darkness is told,
Give to me visions within this dark well,
And make this a portal of magical spell.
Visualize a silvermist forming around the mirror. Take a deep breath, then slowly exhale outward upon the potion. Mentally envision that your breath moves the silver mist into the mirror. Repeat this three times. Next, remove the mirror from the potion and dry it off thoroughly. Prop the mirror up vertically with a sturdy object and make sure the support does not obscure the mirror.
Hold your right hand out in front of you so that your palm is facing the convex side of the mirror. Then place the left palm facing the concave side, about three inches away from the glass surface. You are now ready to magnetize the mirror to your aura. With the left hand begin making a circular clockwise motion staying within the dimensions of the mirror. Do this for a few minutes and then perform the same motion on the convex side of the mirror with the right hand. The opposite hand is always held still while the moving hand circulates.
Once completed, take the mirror out beneath the Full Moon so that its light falls upon the concave side. Slowly fill the glass to the brim with the herbal potion. Hold it up toward the Moon, almost level with your eyes. Don’t worry about any spillage that may take place. While looking at the Moon, allow your eyes to unfocus slightly. If you are doing this correctly, you will see three lines of light seemingly emanating from the Moon. Continue to squint until the vertical line coming from the bottom of the Moon seems to touch upon the mirror. Once the moonbeam is touching them irror, speak these words:
Three are the lights
Here now that are seen,
But not to all ,
The one in-between,
For now the Enchantress,
Has long come at last,
To charge and empower,
This dark magic glass.
Quickly close your eyes so that you break eye contact. Open them again looking down towards the glass. Kneel and pour out the potion upon the ground in the manner of libation. Then rinse the mirror off with fresh clear water, and dry it thoroughly. The final step in preparing the mirror is to glue a strip of snakeskin to the back side. The snake is a symbol of the underworld, which has long been associated with divination, the oracle, and fate. Once the glue has dried under the snake skin, wrap the mirror in a silk cloth to protect its lunar magnetism.Neverallow sunlight to fall directly upon the mirror. The mirror is now ready to be used for divination or spell casting.
Mirror Divination
The technique for this is a very ancient one common among shamanistic traditions. Divination is the ability to see what patterns are forming and becoming manifest. What you see is actually what is likely to occur if nothing changes the pattern being woven in the astral material. The following technique will provide you with the basic foundation for performing the art of divination known as scrying. Place two candles as your source of light, so that the light does not reflect directly upon the mirror. They should be off to the side about a foot or two, flanking the sides of the mirror.
Next you will perform a series of hand passes over them irror, slowly and deliberately. Magically speaking, the right hand is of an electrical nature and active charge, and the left hand is of a magnetic nature and receptive charge. A left-handed pass will attract an image and cause its formation, and the right-handed passes will strengthen or focus the image. Begin by making left-handed passes over the mirror, in a clockwise circle, just a few inches above it with palms open and facing down. Stop and gaze into the dark reflection – not at it but into it.
You will need to repeat these passes as you await the vision. Alternate between the left hand and the right hand. This requires patience and time. Use your intuition as you sit before the mirror. Make sure the setting is quiet and free of distractions. The magic mirror can also be used for spell casting. This is a simple technique involving reflections or sigils. Light two candles and set them off to the side of the mirror about three inches away. Place your photograph, image or sigil representing the focus of your spell so that it reflects in the mirror. Gaze into the mirror and imagine the desired effect. Make up a short rhyme if you like so you can state your desire without breaking your concetration. If you desire to be rid of an influence or situation, you can sigilize it and then burn the sigil, gazing into the reflected flames in the mirror. Another effective method is to gently blow incense smoke into the mirror as you gaze into the reflection. Allow yourself to stir your emotions, then deeply inhale, and slowly exhale across a stick of incense. Imagine the smoke to be a magical vapor carrying your will. As it touches the mirror, imagine the target responding as you wish it to. Do this a total of three times. Creating a short rhyme for your spell can be helpful in this technique as well. Once you are finished, combine the melted wax, ashes fromt he incense, and the photo or image you used. Dispose of this in a manner in keeping with the elemental nature of your spell. Matters of love and feelings generally belong to water. Creative or artistic ventures belong in the air. Situations of loss, separation, or destruction are associated with fire. Endurance, strength, fertility, and stability are typically linked to the earth. When disposing of your ritual remnants, bear in mind that tossing something into moving water will merge it with the water element, and so connect it on a macrocosmic level with the higher nature of the spell. This act will help empower your ritual of magic. For any earth-reated spells that you try, you should bury your object afterward in an area somehow connected to your target.
Spells related to the element of fire, on the other hand, should involve burning the links. Finally, for an air related spell, make sure to use steam or smoke.
