CRYSTAL SCRYING
Both Merlin and John Dee used a crystal globe for scrying. Because of the cost of rock crystal balls many people use a glass ball but this is not advisable.
Brazil has the best crystal rocks in the world. Although crystals may grow to a considerable length, they seldom exceed one inch in thickness.
There are however some exceptions. Flaws in a crystal such as cracks, bubbles and discolorations do not make crystal unfit for scrying although they may distract your attention.
Size is however not important and bigger does not mean it will be better. Crystal scrying should be done in near or total darkness.
The main thing is to avoid reflections on the surface of the crystal. The best method is to use the light of a candle when scrying but make sure the candle does not reflect in the ball.
Focus your gaze on the centre of the crystal not on its surface. Try looking through the crystal as if it were a mirror upon the astral world.
The first thing you may see is clouds that change color. Eventually a mist will spread outwards from the centre of the crystal to reveal images.
When you scry for visions sooner or later you will achieve communication from the spirits. These spirits will help you to understand what you have seen in the visions.
It may be helpful to charge your crystal ball once a month with moonlight. Place the ball in a glass bowl of natural water in the glow of a full moon.

OIL SCRYING
The history of oil scrying can be traced back to the ancient Babylonians. Some of their magic books have survived down through the centuries with details of the methods they used.
One of their techniques was called the "Princess of the Thumb". A scryer annointed the forehead and thumbnail of a subject.
The shiny nail acted as a magic mirror in which the scryer saw spirits. Another version was called the "Princess of the Hand".
Oil was mixed with black soot to make a black paste that was then smeared upon the hand. The scryer then used the hand as a mirror to scry future events.
A third type of oil scrying was called the "Princess of the Cup". Sesame seed oil was used to coate the inside of a cup that was rested on its side.
The cup was used as a concave magic mirror to capture and magnify the light of a candle that was fixed on its inner rim.
From the Babylonians oil scrying found its way to the wiccans and Hebrews. The most detailed examples of oil scrying are written in the Greek Magical Papyri written in Egypt between 200 B.C. and A.D. 500.
Four kinds of water which is to be mixed with the oil is used for four types of divination.
If you call upon the services of the heavenly Gods then use rainwater. If you invoke the terrestrial Gods then use sea water. If you invoke the Gods Osiris or Serapis use riverwater. And if you call upon the souls of the dead then use spring water.

LAMP SCRYING
Both the Egyptions and Babylonians scryed by means of an oil lamp. The lamp itself was in fact a stone shaped as a low open dish with a strip of white linen coiled in the oil that had an end hanging over the end of the dish.
The wiccans used clear Oasis oil which was a kind of palm oil. The clearer the oil the better.
The wiccans used a lamp that was red in color which is the color of the God Set. Set is in fact the God of evil.
It may be advisable for you to use a white lamp. Place your lamp on a table and sit on the west side facing east across the lamp.
You should address your invocation to the Greco Roman God who rules the day you scy on.
Sunday : Sun.
Monday : Moon.
Tuesday : Mars.
Wednesday : Mercury.
Thursday : Jupiter.
Friday : Venus.
Saturday : Saturn.
Using the name of the God of the day you should chant a suitable invocation doing so directly into the flame. This invocation should be chanted in a soft voice and done so several times.
Gently focus on the flames of the lamp. You will begin to see moving shadows off to the side.
Do not look directly at the shadows or they will vanish. Ask the shadows what it is you seek.
You may hear voices or you may see images.

PSYCHOMETRY
Psychometry is the ability to read the history of certain objects by holding the object in your hand or placing it to your forehead. Usually small personal objects such as a watch, ring, key or other personal objects are the best.
People with the ability to scry this way are called Psychometrist. The term psychometry was invented in 1842 by J R Buchanan.
Buchanan experimented with some students from Cincinati medical school and found that when certain students where given an unmarked bottle of medicine they had the same reaction as if they had taken the medicine. Buchanan developed the theory that all things give off an emination.
These eminations contained a sort of record of the history of the object. Buchanan believed that objects recorded senses and emotions and these could be played back in the mind of the psychometric scryer.
Some theosophists attempt to explain psychometry in terms of the Akashic records. Psychometrists usually scry in a normal state of mind.
In other words there is no preparation needed or any need for trance, etc. Scryers are sometimes unable to hold certain objects because of that objects past. For example if the object had been used in a violent crime.
In some cases if a scryer has been handed an object of someone who recently died of illness the scryer may suffer from symptoms of the illness. Psychometric impressions may come in the form of emotions, sounds, scents, tastes or images.
The visions are usually very rapid in nature. The visual images occur with no logical sequences.
Psychometrists usually experience a loss of energy and an increase in body temperature when scrying. Some scryers report an irregular heartbeat.
It is generally thought that psychometry is a natural power of the human mind, but some people believe that it is controlled by spiritual beings. Some scryers feel that they act as an instrument and that the spirits do the actual scrying.
If you possess a talent for psychometry you probably already know it.

ORNITHOMANCY
Ornithomancy is a method of divination that interprets the flight patterns of birds.
It also refers to the divination of the songs of birds.
It was a very popular form of divination during ancient Rome where in fact it was part of its religeon.

ORACLE
An Oracle is a person who acts as a go between for those who seek council from the Gods.
Some people use an Oracle to seek a prophecy.
Sometimes the Oracle will take on the role of being a medium whose soul is temporarily taken over so as to pass on the information.
Oracles have been used by the Dalai Lama and as well in ancient cultures such as Greece.

MONITIONS OF APPROACH
Monitions of Approach are ideas of an impending meeting with someone. Basically its when you see someone you know only to realize its not them, then just soon after the real person appears.
Some Monitions appear in a much more complicated way. For example it may come in the voice of announcing someone, then the real person appears.
It may be that the astral body of the person is somehow projected in advance.

LECANOMANCY
A form of divination where a stone is thrown into a basin of water.
The scryer will divinate by the sound the stone makes in the water and the images of the rippling water.
Sometimes oil is used instead of a rock.
In this case the scryer interpretes the shapes of the oil floating on the water.

HAKATA
Hakata are pieces of bone, ivory or wood that were used by African witch doctors for divination.
These different objects are inscribed with symbols that represent the signs of the zodiac.
They are cast upon the ground by the witch doctor who then interprets their meaning.

COSCINOMANCY
Coscinomancy is a form of divination that is practised with a sieve and a pair of shears. This form of divination is used to find a thief.
A thread was tied to a sieve by which it was upheld. Or a pair of shears which was held up by two fingers.
The divinator prayed to the Gods for guidence. They repeated the names of those people under suspicion. The sieve or sheares would then swirl around a person or persons name. This person was then thought to be the guilty one.
In the Athenian Oracle it is reffered to as "the trick of the sieve and scissors".
This method of divination was also used to find missing persoms and discover love secrets.

CRITOMANCY
Critomancy is an ancient form of divination of cakes.
The paste of cakes which were offered in sacrifice were divinated.
Omens were drawn from the flour spread upon them after being strewn upon sacrifices.
CURSED BREAD
In ancient times cursed bread was used in divination to find a guilty person.
A piece of bread that would be about an once in weight would be given to the suspected person.
The piece of bread would have a spell caste over it.
If the person became sick he was regarded as guilty. If he remained fine then he was innocent.
Often barley bread was used for this as it often caused choking or the person may be allergic to it.
DACTYLOMANCY
Dactylomancy is a form of divination practised with rings in ancient times. There are various methods used.
One method involved placing gold or silver rings on the fingernails in certain conjunctions of the planets.
In another way a round table is inscribed with the letters of the alphabet and a ring suspended above. The ring will then spell out the message.
Another method involves suspending a ring within a glass. If the glass is struck once it will indicate yes, and twice will be no.