The Word Scrying, comes from the Anglo Saxon 'descry' which today is taken to mean 'reveal'.  Practitioners of the art use a transparent glove or a reflective surface which acts as a focus for the viewing of visions.  Just what they see varies, for some, the images are as realistic as film, for others, they are much more abstract.  Many objects can b used as a focus, most commonly mirrors, crystals, incense, flames or liquids.  However, a magnifying glass or the back of a watch are said to yield good results too.

One of the most famous people to use this technique was the French visionary Nostradamus, whose images were seen in a mirror and were the inspiration for his prophetic verses.

When most people think of scrying, they immediately imagine crystal balls which certainly have a magical appeal.  Naturally, anyone can pay for their fortune to be told, but with a little practice it is far more interesting to do it yourself.  After selecting what you wish to use to see your vision in, take some time to relax and unwind.  Concentrate all your energies on the focus and after a while you may see a mist forming.  For most people this takes several attempts.  Any clouding of your focus is a sign that you are doing well.  With more practice you may see images or patterns in the mist.  Different people see different things so do not worry if others' visions are unlike your own.

Reading the signs which appear in a focus is very much a question of individual interpretation.  Before a vision appears, the focus usually becomes foggy and opaque, and often the resulting mist is colored in some way.  Quite a few crystal gazers never get past this misty stage, but fortunately the colors of the clouds have specific meanings.

White - predict happy times are on the way

Black - may point to some misfortune

Green & Blue - indicate positive developments connected with the relationships or money and work

Red - may herald an argument

Yellow - relationship difficulties

Orange - possible health problems

Scryers can always ask the mists a direct question, one that can be answered by 'yes' or 'no'.  If the clouds rise, the answer is 'yes', and if they descend, 'no'.  Should scryers begin to see distinct images, they often find that the clarity of the pictures varies according to their mood, the happier and more positive they feel, the clearer the shapes that appear.  The images are like Tarot cards, in that they can have two meanings depending on how they are aspected.  Intuition usually helps the crystal gazer decide whether their vision is positive or negative

READING THE SIGNS

An interesting way to scry is using liquids as your focus.  All you need is a clear glass bowl, filled three quarters full with water, a container of black ink and a dropper.  Drip the ink into the water for on to two seconds and watch the sifting shapes which appear.  At first you may see only meaningless blobs, but with practice and concentration, shapes, perhaps like those in the above chart, will form in the ink.  As they spread through the water they may evolve into new patterns.