Andor's Tome of Stuff : )

Types Of Scrying

You may see the word "scrying" used on this book. In general, the term is used to mean staring into something—often a shiny surface, but not always—for the purpose of divination. Visions that are seen are often interpreted intuitively by the person who is scrying. It's a popular method of divination and can be done in several different ways.

The Crystal Ball
We've all seen images of the old fortune teller woman peering into a crystal ball, hissing, "Cross my palms with silver!" but the reality of it is that people have used crystals and glass for scrying for thousands of years. By focusing on the ball, which is usually made of a clouded glass, a medium may be able to see visions that foretell not only the future but unknown aspects of the present and past.
Most practitioners believe that seeing things while scrying is possible for anyone, because everyone has some latent degree of psychic ability. Once you learn basic techniques of scrying, and what to look for, it becomes second nature.

Fire Scrying
Fire scrying is exactly what it sounds like—staring into the flames of a fire to see what sort of visions might appear. As with other methods of scrying, this is often very intuitive. By relaxing your mind and focusing only on the flames, you may get messages telling you what it is you need to know.

Watch as the fire flickers and flashes, and look for images in the flames. Some people see clear and specific images, while others see shapes in the shadows, mere hints of what is within. Look for images that seem familiar or for those that may repeat in a pattern. You may even hear sounds as you watch the fire—and not just the crackling of wood, the roar of larger flames, the snapping of embers. Some people even report hearing faint voices singing or speaking in the fire.

Water Scrying
A very popular method of scrying involves the use of water. While this can be a large body of water, such as a pond or lake, many people simply use a bowl. Nostradamus used a large bowl of water as a scrying tool, and put himself into a trance to interpret the visions he saw. Many people also incorporate the reflections of the moon into their scrying—if you're someone who feels more aware and alert during the moon's fullest phase, this might be a good method for you to try!
Water scrying is sometimes referred to as hydromancy. In some forms of hydromancy, the practitioner has a bowl of water in front of them, and then touches the flat surface of the water with a wand to create a ripple effect. Traditionally, the wand is made from the branch of a bay, laurel, or hazel tree, and has resin or sap dried upon the ends. In some practices, the dried sap is run around the edge of the bowl, creating a resonating sound, which is incorporated into the scrying appearance.

Mirror Scrying
Mirrors are easy to make, and easily transportable, so they're a very practical scrying tool. Typically, a scrying mirror has a black backing on it, which allows for better reflective properties. Although you can certainly buy one, it's not hard to make your own.