Divination is the art of seeking knowledge and wisdom through one’s inner knowing or intuition through the use of divination tools like tarot or oracle cards, pendulums, etc. Scrying is a specific divinatory practice that can be practiced with a number of mediums from fire to crystal balls, to clouds, to water, and more — join me to explore the different ways you can practive divination with crystals…

Working with crystal scrying tools, objects made from crystal that commonly feature a reflective surface like a Clear Quartz sphere or a Black Obsidian mirror, is a great way to experience the art of gazing into a crystal to receive guidance & wisdom.

Scrying divination is a great way to hone your intuition. Developing your intuition helps you fill in the gaps where you don’t have all the information or data necessary to make the best possible decision. That doesn’t mean you should just follow your intuition without a second thought, but learning to trust your inner guidance, and combining that insight WITH reason and logic is far more practical than following logic alone.

Performing the art of scrying divination with crystals takes patience and practice. You might need to form a relationship with your crystal tools before you start to see any meaningful symbols or images. Here are a few of my favorite crystal scrying tools and techniques to help you get started with your scrying divination practice.

Crystallomancy – Scrying Divination with Crystal Balls:

Crystallomancy, is the art of gazing into a crystal ball to receive guidance and wisdom in the form of images revealed within the sphere. The energy of a sphere represents wholeness and infinite possibility and spheres emit energy in all directions.

Humans have been practicing the art of crystallomancy also known as crystal ball reading, for hundreds – if not thousands of years. One of the most famous crystallomancers was John Dee, advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. Dee practiced his art in the 16th century, but people still know him today for his wise counsel. He relied upon his crystal scrying tools for their ability to reveal hidden truths and offer profound guidance. The British Museum displays Dee’s crystal ball and other divination tools, such as his Obsidian scrying mirror.

Tips for Selecting Your Crystal Ball:

When choosing a crystal ball to work with for scrying, it’s important to select one that will allow you to see into the depths of the crystal. Quartz-based minerals (like Clear Quartz, Smoky Quartz, Amethyst, etc.) typically work best for this and are also great amplifiers of energy, but there are many suitable transparent stones available (like some Calcites, Fluorite, etc.). These transparent to translucent stones let you gaze into the crystal to explore the sphere’s inner landscape for symbols and images in the stone’s fissures, fractures, and inclusions.

Opaque stones (like Jaspers), however, typically aren’t recommended for scrying as they limit your gaze to the very surface of the stone. One common exception is Black Obsidian, which has such a glassy surface, it allows you to scry using the exterior surface of the stone, rather than the interior of the crystal…(Obsidian will be  covered in more detail in the next section as we dive deeper into exploring divination with crystals.)

For example, there would be quite a big difference in attempting to scry with an opaque stone like Unakite compared one that is transparent like Ametrine. Ametrine’s transparence really lets you view into the crystal, see into the depths of the crystal, whereas the Unakite would really only allow you to view the surface of the stone which would make scrying much more difficult, particularly for a beginner.

Be Aware of What You’re Purchasing When
Looking for a Crystal Ball:

It’s also important to note here that there are many commercially available “crystal balls” that are actually just glass. Sometimes, sellers market these under the name “Reconstituted Quartz.” These “crystal” balls are flawlessly clear. Although they may most evoke what one would expect a crystal ball to look like, informed by appearances in popular culture, these flawless spheres are not recommended for scrying. First, producers do not make these glass spheres from natural crystal, so they will not possess the same energy as a natural crystal. Second, flawless spheres are actually much harder to use for scrying. These flawless spheres (whether natural or not) lack the internal imperfections that create a backdrop for our intuition and subconscious to project the symbols and images on. So having a natural crystal ball with some character is much preferred for scrying.

Affordable Alternatives to Crystal Balls:

Crystal balls are one of the most common tools for scrying, but you don’t need to worry if you don’t have one. A small tumbled stone, or just about any other transparent or translucent crystal you feel drawn to (like a polished dome shape, the back of the head on a crystal skull, etc.), can still work for crystal gazing. Just be sure to follow similar guidelines for choosing your stone, such as selecting one that is transparent and that you can easily gaze into.

Seer Stones are also natural substitutes for crystal ball scrying. People also refer to Seer Stones as River Bed Quartz, Dragon Eggs, or Emu Eggs. These stones go through a fairly intense process to take shape. First, rough pieces of stone are lightly tumbled to remove any edges and form a rounded shape. Once the stones are smooth, they are sand-blasted to give the outside a foggy appearance. These pieces are then sliced in half and polished so that the cut surface has a smooth, shiny surface. The result is a window-like face that can be gazed into. The rough, outer-surface provides a backdrop to the “window.”

How to Perform a Crystal Ball Reading (Step-by-Step)

Scrying Divination with Obsidian Mirrors:

Obsidian mirrors, made by polishing thin slices of Obsidian into mirror-like discs, serve as potent tools for scrying. With their glassy, reflective surfaces, Obsidian mirrors provide a gateway to the realm of the subconscious. These mirrors give you the ability to look at yourself, so you are better able to reflect on your life paths, your behaviors, and your identity.

Obsidian mirrors have been esteemed for their connection to the underworld and the spiritual realm. In the last few years, the popularity of Obsidian mirrors has surged again, but they have long served as tools for scrying divination. Practitioners like John Dee, the famous crystallomancer, worked with one of these mirrors in his scrying practice to communicate with otherworldly entities and gain profound insights. By gazing into obsidian mirrors, you can receive messages from your intuition, your guides, and your ancestors as part of your crystal scrying practice.

Affordable Alternatives to Obsidian Mirrors:

Many modern diviners use black mirrors as a tool in their scrying practice. These are regular glass mirrors that have a black coating behind the glass, as opposed to a metallic silver coating. People use them in the same way as Obsidian mirrors. Obviously, practitioners generally prefer Obsidian mirrors for crystal healing and divination, but black glass mirrors offer a more affordable option that may be accessible to more people financially.

If you’d like to stick with natural stones, rather than glass mirrors for your work in divination with crystals, a Black Obsidian tumbled stone or small palm stone will also work well as a scrying tool, and these are typically much more affordable than the round disc-shaped mirrors. Read more about the Healing Properties of Black Obsidian here! 

Scrying Divination with Crystal Bowls:

Artisans carve some stones into bowl shapes, making them suitable for scrying when filled with a little water. A dark colored, relatively flat basin works best for this. Think of the energetic properties your crystal bowl carries with it based on the stone it’s made from and how this may influence your scrying work. Opting for a stone bowl carved from a crystal that boosts your intuition, enhances divination practices, or facilitates mental clarity can be particularly helpful.

Affordable Alternatives to Crystal Bowls:

Finely crafted crystal bowls can often carry a large price tag, especially those of exceptional quality. I’ve found Black Steatite (Soapstone) to be more affordable and readily available than other carved stone bowls for my divination with crystals.

If this is still not accessible for you, you may also perform a type of water scrying by using a crystal infused water inside of any bowl of your choice. Just add a few drops of a prepared gem water or crystal elixir to your bowl of water to add a bit more magic to the practice! Instead of ingesting the elixir or gem water, you’ll use it in your scrying bowl to create an energy-infused scrying water! This allows you to transform any bowl or vessel into a crystal scrying tool!

How to Scry with Water in a Crystal Bowl or Basin

How to Scry with Your Crystal Divination Tools:

Dim the lights and place a small source of light, like a candle or nightlight, off to one side where it will not interrupt your field of vision. Gaze at the crystal and allow your eyes to go in and out of focus. Allow your mind to absorb any images or symbols that appear within the crystal ball. When you feel you have received the information you needed, extinguish your candle. Try to interpret the meanings of the images and symbols presented to you. Then take a moment to write in your crystal journal about the images or symbols that appeared within your crystal ball and your interpretation of their meaning.

Divination with Crystals – Reflection Questions
for Journaling:

• What kind of crystal did you use to practice scrying? What shape was it? Was it smooth, rough, transparent, or translucent? Make detailed notes about your crystal here.
• What kinds of images or symbols did you see?
• How did you interpret these images or symbols?
• Did you receive clear responses to any questions you may have asked?
• Is this technique something that you would try again in your divinatory practice? Why or why not?
• Include any additional notes, doodles, sketches, etc.

Developing your intuition is an important step to deepening your connection to your crystals and to the world around you. When you tune in intuitively, you receive the messages from the universe so you can act upon that guidance. Intuition is an important tool for navigating the waters of life – because whether you need to make a decision, get more information for your healing work or spiritual practice, or just need a little help “trusting your gut” in a given situation, your intuition plays a huge role in how you interact with the world around you.

I think intuitive development is SUCH an important part of crystal work, that there is an entire class dedicated to Intuitive Development in my Crystal Healing Certification Program. If you’d like to learn more about the program, head to crystalhealerschool.com to get notified once enrollment opens!

Here’s what some of our students had to say about the divination methods they learned in class:

Whether you prefer working with crystal scrying tools like the ones above, or some other form of crystal divination like pendulum dowsing, or stone casting, just know that the practice is a little different for each one of us in our interactions with our crystals.  

When you’re learning how to tune into or are trying to rekindle your crystal connection, becoming familiar with these different ways of working with crystal energy can be really helpful. 

That’s why, in my Crystal Healing Certification (CCH) Program, we dedicate a whole lesson to covering a broad range of crystal divination methods – because it’s about a lot more than just scrying!  We cover topics like crystal cartomancy, pendulum work, lithomancy – also known as stone casting – and crystallomancy, or crystal ball scrying)…PLUS TONS of advanced techniques for using crystals as part of your intuitive practice!

We talk about sensing crystal energy in a whole variety of ways like…

— Using a pendulum for those who are more visually-oriented

— How to develop hand sensitivity as a skill for those to whom it doesn’t come naturally

— Working on ‘seeing’ energy through practices like aura-seeing, and so much more! 

As crystal healers, we need to tune in, not only to our crystals’ energy, but also to the more subtle energies that surround us. Make sure to get all the details and unlock your exclusive early-bird saving discount by joining my waitlist here.

So, are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!