Remember that line from the "Evil Queen" in the Disney classic Snow White?
Since the earliest of times Sorcerers, Witches, Soothsayers and so on have used Black Mirrors for Scrying.
Even in the Disney classic "Snow White"... the Evil Queen would Scry looking into the mirror and asking questions concerning her vanity and her rivals.
What is Scrying? It is the divination of future or past events or talking With Spirits from another plane of existence by gazing into an object such as the Black Mirror. Now the Black Mirror is not the only thing that can be used for scrying. It can be a puddle of water or a crystal ball or a piece of shiny metal.... even a regular mirror will work. One old favorite is to use a bowl of water and part black ink, which creates a very good black reflection. It can actual be almost any type of object that will allow you to stare into it for long periods of time and gain visions from doing so. The two most popular are the Crystal Ball and the Black Mirror. For me the crystal ball is too bright, although I do also have a solid black crystal ball.
The Black Mirror is my choice for the art of scrying. All in all the items are all used as a focal point. They have no real Super Magical power.... they do have magical energy after they have been consecrated for use and after they have been used a few times they will gather your own magical energies, but all in all it is the Sorcerer/Scryer who has the Power.... the Power to see within the mirror.
The Black Mirror then becomes the window to the Universe and to the Spirit world. It can bring you visions of past lives or things that are to come. It can show you answers to questions you may have or show you your spirit guides for it is a doorway to the other side.
You must understand that Scrying takes quite a bit of practice to develop ones Astral Vision. What is Astral Vision?.... it is the ability to see onto the Astral Planes. For some people who are more psychic inclined it may come naturally easy... for other it may take weeks or months to master. Clearing the mind and concentration without stray thoughts is hard to master just as in meditation.
So as I have stated it can be used for may different things in Magical Divination. For those of you who are interested in studying High Magic... then you know that the Black Mirror is used in the "Triangle of Solomon" for conjuring the Demon or Celestial being into the mirror. The Spirit does not manifest into the physical form.... it manifests as a vision in the mirror by the magician being able to see onto the Astral Plane via the Black Mirror. The Mirror is also surround by 3 sacred names of God and Archangel Michael to help control the spirit.
Now, back to regular Black Mirrors...
Now there are a few places online where you can buy some really nice fancy Black Mirrors. You can get them as fancy as your heart desires. But for those of you who don't want to spend allot of money and would like to get started quickly in the Art of Scrying.... you can simply make your own for about five-seven dollars. Simply go to Wal-mart or Wallgreens and buy a small 5x7 picture frame (you can buy an oval shaped one if you so choose) and a can of flat black spray paint. When you get it home take the glass out and make sure it is clean.... no finger prints. Then paint the back side of it with the flat black paint and let it dry for about a half hour. Then put it all back together making sure that the painted side is facing the back and you now have your Black Mirror ready for you to consecrate and put on your alter for Scrying.
Ok now that I have given you some history and facts about Black Mirrors. It is time to teach you how to Scry. This is going to be a short lesson because there is not much to teach and there is no secret method to make it work instantly for you. It will be a matter of practice makes perfect.
He who is patient and continually works at this will have success in the art.
Hopefully by now you have a small alter set up to do all your Magic Rituals. This is where you want to set up your Black Mirror.
Mine sits dead center towards the back of one of my alters. Below is a picture of one of my smaller alters that is set up in my office.
You will want to arrange your candles on your alter so they are not seen in the reflection of the mirror and that they do not distract you in any way.
The first thing you need to do before starting is decide what you will be Scrying for.
You will want to do the LBRP... but do the invoking version to start with... at the end of your Scrying you should do the normal Banishing LBRP to get rid of any spirits that may be still hanging around. If you have your own protection type of Rituals then you may use them instead.
Ok now that you have done the invoking LBRP you should sit on a comfortable stool that is the proper height of your Alter. You don't want to be standing for a long period of time.... that is why I myself use a stool or chair. Sit and gaze (stare) into the Black Mirror. Ask the universe to bring you a vision or call upon a Spirit Guide to show you what you want or need to know. You will need to sit there and gaze into the mirror for a good period of time.... you will know when it is starting to work when you own reflection vanishes and all you see is black. That is the key to knowing that you are getting close to success. From that point on is when your visions will begin to appear. the first few times you may not even see all black... you will probably get bored and quit. This is not the way of the Magician. Patience is a virtue with magic. So it may take a few times to get the total black out effect. From then on you must strive to keep gazing into the mirror. You may only get a glimpse of a unfamiliar face or an unknown landscape. But as the weeks progress you will have success. One of the other most important things besides practice is for you to communicate to the universe or to your spirit guides as to your desires when Scrying. Some of you will find this very easy and many others will simply say this does not work and you may never do it again. Like all magic nothing comes instantly or without true dedication and practicing the art. And all and all it takes an altered state of consciousness.... however you so choose to get into that state of mind.
I will say no more about that.
Books in PDF format to read:
Aleister Crowley - Magick Without TearsMeshafi Resh - The Black Book
Stephen Flowers - Black Runa