“Mirror mirror on the wall…” are words one should never say. The following will address and expose the divination practice of scrying, especially mirror gazing (aka catoptromancy), and hydromancy, which are forms of divination using a mirror and water respectively. Sadly, this is still used today, especially in paranormal/psychic circles, mainly by witches, mediums, and occultists.

So what exactly is scrying?

…known by various names such as “seeing” or “peeping”, is the practice of looking into a suitable medium in the hope of detecting significant messages or visions. The objective might be personal guidance, prophecy, revelation, or inspiration, but down the ages, scrying in various forms also has been a prominent means of divination or fortune-telling. It remains popular in occult circles, discussed in many media, both modern and centuries old.

Scrying has been practised in many cultures in the belief that it can reveal the past, present, or future. Some practitioners assert that visions that come when one stares into the media are from the subconscious or imagination, while others say that they come from gods, spirits, devils, or the psychic mind, depending on the culture and practice. There is neither any systematic body of empirical support for any such views in general, however, nor for their respective rival merits; individual preferences in such matters are arbitrary at best.

Source

Different objects can be used for scrying from stones, crystal balls, mirrors, reflective black surfaces such as obsidian, water surfaces, fire, to smoke. However, it seems to me the most common ones are dark mirrors and water. Witches reveal that it is a type of divination performed by gazing into a smooth surface (or something else) to receive messages, visions, or guidance from the spirit world.

How does one get scrying to “work”?

According to a site promoting it, it can be done by meditating (eastern type meditation) ,and getting into an altered state of consciousness, among other means:

Trance is an altered state of consciousness. Almost every culture known to man has had its own trance rituals. These may include chanting, drum beating, dancing, singing, fasting, the use of psychoactive plants and visualization. In your case, simply meditating may help you quickly enter into a trance-like state. I like to focus on my breath while listening to tribal music.

Source

Some will work with their so-called spirit guides before scrying.

What’s the truth about it?

Trance states and altered states of consciousness have been traditionally associated with the demonism, shamanism, witchcraft, neo-paganism, mediumism, and yogic disciplines. When one induces a trance state or altered state of consciousness via meditation, visualization, etc., it can open the doors wide open for a foreign spirit to come in. Those occult practices are notorious for spirit contact in many societies and have been for thousands of years.

Nobel scientist Sir John Eccles once said that the human brain was “a machine that a ghost can operate.” That means under a certain condition, namely a trance or altered state of consciousness, the human mind can become an open door allowing the influence of a spirit or spirits.

Indeed, foreign spirits are what is the power behind scrying. But what kind of foreign spirits are people allowing themselves to be inhabited and influenced by, knowingly or unknowingly? Those spirits are the age-old demons! Without a shadow of doubt that demons are behind the power or ability of divination (Read Acts 16:6-18). Those supposed spirit guides are nothing more than demons whose ultimate end is to kill, steal, and destroy. Yes, those demons the Lord Jesus Christ cast out of people 2,000 years ago when He walked on the Earth are real and still around. This is a practice I have no doubt will open a person to demonization.

The Biblical prohibition against scrying

There is no indication in the Bible that people should enter altered states or trances in order to gather information, a common thing in the New Age/occult world. According to 1 Peter 4:7, Christians ought to be “clear minded and self-controlled.“

Christian author Merrill Unger wrote: 

Because all forms of fortunetelling promote superstition and idolatry, divination of any sort is condemned and rigidly banned for God’s people by the Word of God. Spiritistic fortune-tellers and clairvoyants were subject to the death penalty in Israel (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27). Anyone who used ‘divination’ or was a ‘soothsayer, or an augur [fortuneteller], or a sorcerer, or a [magic] charmer, or a medium, or a wizard [clairvoyant], or a necromancer [one who communicated with the spirit-world]’ was outlawed from the community of the Lord’s people (Deuteronomy 18:10-11). The same stringent prohibition runs throughout Scripture (1 Chronicles 10:13; Isaiah 8:19; 44:25; Jeremiah 29:8; Ezekiel 21:21; Micah 3:6-7; Zechariah 10:2). The New Testament takes the same firm stand (Acts 16:16-18; Galatians 5:20). 

(Demons in the World Today, 96)

People should go to the living, personal God for counsel rather than use occult or New Age methods. One scripture reads (Isaiah 8:19): “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?”

I urge all occultists and New Agers to repent and believe in the everlasting Gospel for salvation. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to the Father. He is also love and desires no one to perish.

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If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can receive Him into your heart, and He can deliver you from darkness and sin and have your name written in His Book of Life.

If you are sincere, you can say this simple prayer to the Father (it doesn’t have to be word for word):

“God, I recognize that I have not lived my life for You up until now. I have been living for myself and that is wrong. Please forgive me of all of my sins just as I forgive others. I need You in my life; I want You in my life. I acknowledge the completed work of Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ in giving His life for me on the cross, I believe in my heart Jesus is Lord and was raised from the dead and I long to receive the forgiveness you have made freely available to me through this sacrifice. Come into my life now, Lord. Take up residence in my heart and be my king, my Lord, and my Savior. From this day forward, I will no longer be controlled by sin, or the desire to please myself, but I will follow You all the days of my life. Those days are in Your hands. I ask this in the Lord and GOD Jesus’ precious and holy name. Amen.”