MIRRORS

Magic Mirrors and the Ancient Art of Crystallomancy

One of the oldest known forms of divination is crystallomancy, also called catoptromancy when it is performed with a mirror. In this practice, the diviner gazes into a reflective surface in the hope of receiving visions, symbols, or answers concerning hidden matters.

The magi of ancient Persia are said to have used mirrors for divination, as did the ancient Greeks and Romans. In Greece, the witches of Thessaly were believed to write their oracles in human blood upon mirrors. These same Thessalian witches were also said to have taught Pythagoras how to divine by holding a magical mirror towards the Moon.

Among the Romans, those who were skilled in the art of mirror reading were known as specularii.

Mirrors as Reflections of the Soul

In folklore, mirrors are frequently believed to reflect more than physical appearance. They are thought to reveal or contain something of the soul itself and must therefore be treated with caution.

This belief survives in numerous customs and superstitions. After a death, mirrors may be covered to prevent the soul of a living person from being carried away by the ghost of the newly departed. Mirrors have also traditionally been removed from sickrooms because the soul was considered especially vulnerable during illness.

According to another superstition, anyone who looks into a mirror at night risks seeing the Devil.

In Russian folklore, mirrors are described as inventions of the Devil, possessing the power to draw souls out of human bodies.

Mirrors as Protection Against Witchcraft

Reflective surfaces have not only been used for divination. They have also served as protection against witches and harmful magic.

The Aztecs reportedly used mirror-like surfaces to repel witches. A bowl of water containing a knife was placed at the entrance of a home. When a witch looked into the water, she would supposedly see her own soul pierced by the knife and flee in terror.

Another traditional belief claims that witches possess no souls and therefore cast no reflections. In this respect, they were sometimes compared to vampires, who were likewise believed to be invisible in mirrors.

Mirrors in Medieval and Renaissance Magic

Medieval and Renaissance magicians commonly used mirrors, bowls of water, polished stones, and crystals for divination. These objects were employed to see the past, examine the present, or glimpse possible events in the future.

Village wizards also used mirrors to identify thieves.

Whatever the purpose of the ritual, the magician would stare into the polished surface until entering a light trance. Within this altered state, images and visions might appear and provide answers to the questions being asked.

This process is closely related to scrying, in which a reflective or translucent object becomes the focus for psychic perception.

John Dee and His Obsidian Mirror

John Dee, the sixteenth-century English scholar, astrologer, and royal court magician, used both a crystal egg and a mirror made from polished black obsidian.

The obsidian mirror was reportedly brought from Mexico by Hernán Cortés. Dee employed such objects during his attempts to communicate with spiritual beings and receive information from unseen realms.

The famous occultist Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa also used mirrors, as did Alessandro Cagliostro, who became celebrated throughout Europe for his magical and mystical practices.

Agrippa and the Wandering Jew

One legend tells of an encounter between Agrippa and Cartaphilus, the Wandering Jew.

In 1525, Cartaphilus supposedly asked Agrippa to produce an image of his childhood sweetheart, who had long been dead. Agrippa instructed him to count the decades that had passed since the young woman’s death. Each time Cartaphilus counted another decade, Agrippa waved his magical wand.

Cartaphilus continued counting far beyond the expected number. When he reached 149, Agrippa began to feel dizzy, but told him to continue.

Finally, at the count of 1,150, the mirror revealed an image of the girl in ancient Palestine.

Agrippa had warned Cartaphilus not to speak to the vision. Nevertheless, Cartaphilus cried out to her, causing the image to disappear. He then fainted.

Afterwards, Cartaphilus claimed that he was the Jew who had struck Christ as he carried the cross and had consequently been condemned to wander the Earth.

Magical Mirrors and European Royalty

Belief in magical mirrors was not restricted to village practitioners or ceremonial magicians. European royalty also consulted mirrors for guidance.

Catherine de’ Medici, who was deeply interested in the occult arts, reportedly possessed a mirror capable of revealing the future of France.

Henri IV was also said to have relied upon a magical mirror to uncover political conspiracies and plots against him.

Such stories demonstrate how closely divination, politics, and royal power were sometimes connected in the European imagination.

Albertus Magnus and the Making of a Magic Mirror

The medieval magician and scholar Albertus Magnus recorded a formula for creating a magical mirror.

The practitioner was instructed to purchase a looking glass and inscribe the following words upon it:

“S. Solam S. Tattler S. Echogordner Gematur.”

The mirror was then to be buried at a crossroads during an uneven hour.

On the third day, the magician was required to return to the same place at the same hour and dig up the mirror. However, the person performing the ritual must not be the first to look into it.

According to Magnus, it was preferable to allow a dog or cat to gaze into the mirror before any human being did so.

The Symbolism of the Magic Mirror

The magical mirror occupies a powerful place within occult tradition because it stands between ordinary sight and hidden vision.

It may reflect the body, reveal the soul, summon images of the dead, expose thieves, uncover political plots, or display scenes from distant times and places.

In witchcraft and ceremonial magic, the mirror is therefore more than a household object. It becomes a threshold: a surface upon which the visible and invisible worlds may briefly meet.

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Magic mirrors belong to a much wider tradition of witchcraft, divination, spirit communication, magical protection, and ritual practice.

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Traditional witchcraft and magical folklore
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Scrying with mirrors, crystals, water, and flame
Protection, cleansing, and magical boundaries
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The historical relationship between witches, spirits, and the unseen world

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The magical mirror invites you to look beyond the surface.

Are you ready to discover what may be waiting in the reflection?