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shining, reflective surface works like a form of meditation or self-hypnosisthe prime state for opening your awareness to psychic insight. |
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Although Nostradamus used a bowl of still water as his reflective surface of choice, modern scryers most commonly use crystal balls, which are usually three to six inches in diameter. The ideal crystal ball is made of quartz, not glass, as quartz crystal is said to increase psychic energy. It should be placed (or held) against a dark background, such as a black velvet cloth. To prepare for scrying, darken the room, leaving only a candle burning. |
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When staring into the reflective surface of your choice, avoid using a hard, focused stare. Keep your eyes relaxed, don't strain, and gaze beyond the surface to the inside center of the ball. After much practice, a deep darkness may appear within the ball. After more practice, cloud forms appear, which eventually may be accompanied by colors or light. And after even more practice, images may begin to appear. As you become experienced, you can see an answerincluding information from the present or futurein picture form when you gaze into the surface and ask a specific question. |
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Traditionally, images moving to the right are considered symbolic, and those to the left are considered actual occurrences. Another theory suggests that images that appear farther away occur farther away in time, but those that appear closer take place closer to the present time. |
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You will need to learn what is best for you personally. One thing to keep in mind: Scrying takes many hours of practice before a person can achieve any results. It is not for the fainthearted or impatient, and therefore has few practitioners. In general, scrying works best for people with a visual bent. It provides an image, then allows you to translate it in a way that makes sense to you. This explains why Nostradamus' descriptions seem rather flowery, Such as the one we included in Chapter 2. He saw visions of machines that didn't even exist yet, so he created his own verbal imagery to describe them. For those people who are visual, but prefer an additional verbal and metaphorical approach to divination, there is the tarot. |
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Archetypes and Metaphors: Using the Tarot |
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The tarot is surrounded by mystery; even its true origins are unknown. The earliest decks appeared in Italy in the late 1400s when they became part of a popular Renaissance parlor game. However, some historians believe that the images on the cards came from ancient Egypt and India, and that sages secretly preserved their sacred symbolism by placing them on playing cards. |
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