Divination is one of the major aspects of my spiritual path that I am most passionate about, and I know a lot of you wonderful witches incorporate it into your practices as well. One divination method I’ve been exploring lately is scrying.
Scrying is an ancient sacred and mystical art of second sight used by many cultures throughout history. It is sometimes mistaken for a tool that can be used to predict the future, but boiled down scrying is actually a way of gazing into an object so you may see with your mind, tap into your unconscious and look into other mystical plains of existence for messages, visions and information. In fact, the word “scrying” comes from the Old English word ‘descry’ which means “to reveal!”
There are many subsections of scrying, the most common being scrying with a crystal ball, scrying mirror, regular mirror, a candle flame or for the purpose of this blog, scrying with water using a scrying bowl. This is also known as ‘Hydromancy’. Water is a channel for the collective unconscious and because of this it can be a gateway into collected wisdom and provide powerful pieces of information. As water courses through our own bodies, it truly connects us with the deepest parts of ourselves.
Hydromancy takes lots of practice until you become comfortable and reap the full benefits of its magick. It works your meditative muscles and develops your powers of patience, stillness and ability to surrender. As I typically have no patience and am constantly moving, it took some time to really become proficient in this and I am still working on mastering these essential skills. Cannabis is an excellent companion for the act of scrying. It not only helps with keeping focus, but it also ensures that my consciousness and subconsciousness are consistently evolving throughout the scrying process, allowing me to move outside my comfort zone and extract new meaning from the symbols and visions.
How to use your Scrying Bowl with Cannabis:
- Charge your water overnight during a full moon. Whether you gather it from the tap or a nearby body of water, charging your water is extremely helpful as a diviner. Place your bowl of water on your porch or windowsill overnight to charge. I like to charge my water with some crystals in the bowl as well.
- Find a safe, quiet ritual space where you feel comfortable and can sit for as long as you need uninterrupted. Your space should be dark as you will need to light candles during this process and have a window that gives you access to the moon. You can also identify safe space outside where you have a view of the moon.
- Set your ritual circle. This is important so that you are protected during your scrying ritual. Place your scrying bowl close to where you will be sitting. I also like to set a crystal grid around my bowl. My two crystal favourites that I use a lot are Obsidian and Amethyst. For extra protection you can begin by doing a protection spell or holding a protection spell jar while scrying.
- Set the tone. This is where your cannabis element can come into play. Choose a strain that enhances creativity but also assists with putting you into a meditative state such as Blue Dream, Northern Lights or our Ostara strain recommendation Girl Scout Cookies. I like to use my Ruby in Zoisite pipe to clear out negative energies and invite positivity into my divination practice. I also use the smoke to cleanse my space. Light a few candles. The amount of candles is up to you. Begin to enter into a trance state through meditation, energy work, chanting, breathwork, playing music, burning incense or whatever helps you access your subconscious mind.
- When you feel that you have altered your state of mindfulness, relax your body then gaze into your bowl. Breathe deeply and evenly. Ask your question out loud or silently. For example: What do I need to know about X? What is holding me back from achieving Y?
- Gaze into the centre of the water. Gaze as long as you need and can. It may time before images begin to form. Stay focused and present. Messages can come in many forms; shapes, visions, images, feelings, sensations, words…. Allow them to flow. Don’t hold on to them.
- Let your feelings guide to you when you are finished. Once complete immediately journal anything that came to you. Don’t try to justify or discount what you saw. The subconscious speaks in symbols and you may not draw meaning from what you viewed instantaneously. Once done, re-cleanse your space.
Additional Tips:
- Scrying is particularly powerful during a full moon when intuition is high!
- Once you feel comfortable with your Hydromancy practices, try adding a candle into the middle of the bowl before adding your moon water.
- You can also charge you bowl overnight with some tea made from magickal herbs. I like to use mugwort, rose or lavender.
- Add a few drops of magickal oil to your bowl while scrying to help charge the bowl and the water’s energy. The oily surface can also help with extracting messages and visions.
- You can also use your scrying bowl for offerings when working with spirits and deities.