Scrying is the name given to the ancient technique of gazing into an object such as a crystal ball (or skull) for the purposes of divination. Although some people can achieve visions from gazing into flames or even a shallow bowl of water or black ink, the clear quartz crystal ball is the most common method.

Anyone can learn to scry. It is all a matter of practice. If you meditate it will be much easier. If you ask a question - and place lots of energy in the answer - it will manifest faster for you.

The amount of time you use for scrying can vary from a few minutes to half hour.

You usually scry alone but more than one person can scry into the same surface at the same time for information.

Though some people go through rituals before they scry - it isn't necessary. If you wish to ask your spirit guides for guidance go ahead. Some people say a little prayer and ask for the correct information to appear.

If you are using an object - crystal - mirror - just be sure it is clean.

Scrying can be done with a number of different surfaces which include:

- Water in a dark bowl - or small pool
- Mirrors
- Crystals - Crystal Ball Gazing
- Tea Leaves - Coffee grinds
- Embers in a fire at night
- A dimly lit room or candle lit room - looking into the eyes of another person who sits across from you

During scrying - one gazes steadily into the scrying surface (feel free to blink or allow your point of focus to wander a bit; this is not a method of self-inflicted torture). Eventually, you should be able to pick out shapes or images in the scrying surface; these may appear as crude sketches, or occasionally with the clarity of a photograph. You will actually see these images with your eyes.

Once this happens, images may begin to form in your mind, no longer projected onto the scrying surface. When this happens, allow your attention to focus on these mental images. From this point forward, the scrying surface is irrelevant; do not be distracted by it.

As the images become clearer, you will find that you know things about what you are seeing ? background information will come to the surface of your mind. Pay attention to what you know about the images you are seeing.

Surfaces which provide a random, high contrast visual texture, such as black tea leaves in a white cup or orange sparks in a black ember, are particularly good for the first stage of the scrying process. However, the vividness of the visual images formed in this way may tend to pull your attention back from the purely mental images that should follow, thus disrupting the natural flow of ideas. Smooth, neutral surfaces, like the surface of a dish of black water, a crystal ball, or a black mirror, provide relatively few visual cues to get you started, but if you can make the transition to mental imagery quickly, the visual surface will obligingly fade into the background.