Wiccan Rede * Autumn 1984 by Selena Fox
The Mirror is an excellent tool for tranceworking. It is linked with the Moon, with Magick, with inner journeys, with reflection and with the whole realm of the Inner Mind. The Mirror is a tool of the Element of Water, which is often associated with the West quarter of the magick circle and with the season of Fall. The Mirror, too, has been linked with Hallowe’en, or Samhain, as it is called by some Celtic Pagans.
Hallowe’en marks the peak of the Fall season and it comes while the Sun is in Scorpio, a Water sign, the ruler of the 8th house of the horoscope wheel and the sign associated with the Inner Mysteries, the Spirit World and the Occult.
Hallowe’en is an excellent time to do the following Mirror Magick Tranceworking.
This tranceworking can be done as a rite in itself or as part of a larger ceremony. It also can be worked in either a solo or a group circle.
The Mirror
You need to obtain a Mirror for this tranceworking, or dedicate one you already have to this purpose.
For my own Mirror magick workings I use a silver glass Mirror. Some people prefer to use a black Mirror or scrying glass for this kind of work. You should select the type of Mirror that feels best to you. You might even want to use some other Mirror forms such as a flat, polished obsidian stone, a polished circle of metal, or a black cauldron of water. Whatever you select should be big enough to easily reflect your entire face.
Once you have selected the Mirror you will be using for this tranceworking, you need to consecrate it, as you would do with any ritual tool before using it for magick.
You can consecrate your Mirror in a special ceremony for this purpose or you can consecrate it as part of the tranceworking itself. If you consecrate the Mirror in a separate ritual beforehand, be sure to cover it with silk or some other suitable protective covering when you are done and set it away until it is time to use it for the tranceworking.
Timing
Select a time for your tranceworking – working at Night is best, Full Moons and New Moons are excellent occasions, as is Samhain.
Purification
Before starting your working, spend time purifying yourself in one or more of these ways: take a ritual bath, fast, meditate, do yoga, observe one or more hours of silence, anoint yourself with a purifying oil, fume yourself with frankincense and/or chant.
Purify yourself to strip away all mundane concerns, to ground out any negativity in your aura, to focus your energies on the working and to bring forth your Spiritual Self.
Setting
When your are purified, assemble the following in your ritual place: your Mirror, candles, chalice of water, incense burner and incense, salt and/or pentacle, athame and/or wand, crystal, power object, or any tool dedicated to the Element of Spirit, plus any other items you use to cast your circle and set your altar.
Your working place should be quiet, private and free from distractions. Set up your altar in the center of the circle, or, if you prefer, at the West quarter.
In the case where this Mirror Magick Tranceworking is to be done by a whole group of people, the setting can take several forms.
For a simultaneous group tranceworking, each participant should bring a Mirror and candle to the circle. The group should either sit in a circle around a central altar or the group should sit in a crescent around the altar set at the West quarter during the trance Mirror gazing part of this working.
This trance working can be performed by a coven or group in quite another way. A special Mirror Magick circle can be set up early in the evening of a Hallows Sabbat gathering in a place set apart from where the feasting and partying will be taking place.
This special circle can be cast by the Priestess and/or Priest of the coven, or by the coven as a whole. This circle can be set up as part of the Samhain ritual, or done separately. The Sabbat circle itself could serve as this Mirror Magick circle after the group rite.
Set up a coven Mirror in the West quarter of this special circle. Illuminate it with candlelight, place a censer of scrying incense nearby and place a cauldron of water next to the censer (for a special Hallowe’en bubbly effect, put a bit of dry ice into the cauldron).
During Hallowe’en evening, after the main ritual, coveners can visit the Magic Mirror in this special circle one at a time and do a solo tranceworking with the Mirror.
We have used both setting types for Mirror tranceworkings at our Hallowe’en sabbats in past years. The simultaneous group set-up is very workable for an established group that is used to going in and out of trance together. The one-at-a-time method is better for groups which have members who take longer than others to achieve a deep level of trance and for groups with visitors who are not closely attuned to the group mind.
The Working
Cast your circle in your usual manner, calling on the Elements of the Four Quarters and on the Spirit Force through deity invocations of your own tradition/orientation.
If you have not yet consecrated your Mirror, do it now in this manner. (Even if your Mirror has been consecrated in the past, you may wish to strengthen that consecration by doing this Elemental Blessing at this time).
Face North and spend a few moments in meditation. Center yourself and focus on the consecration at hand.
Now start doing the Elemental blessings. You can use the incantation listed after each Element here, or you can make up your own. Be sure to give each part of this consecration your full attention.
Take up your Mirror and face West. Sprinkle some drops of Water from the Chalice onto the Mirror and say:
O ELEMENT OF WATER, cleanse this Mirror of all unwanted emotional influences. Protect it from all maleficent forces now and forever more. Bless this Mirror and this Working with Intuition and Insight. So Mote It Be.
Face North and sprinkle some Salt onto the Mirror and/or touch it with your Pentacle and say:
O ELEMENT OF EARTH, cleanse this Mirror of all unwanted physical plane influences. Protect it from all maleficent forces now and forever more. Bless this Mirror and this Working with Strength and Foundation. So Mote It Be.”
Face East and fume your Mirror with incense smoke from the Censer and say:
O ELEMENT OF AIR, cleanse this Mirror of all unwanted mental plane influences. Protect it from all maleficent forces now and forever more. Bless this Mirror and this Working with Intelligence and Wisdom. So Mote It Be.”
Face South and pass a lit Candle around the edges of the Mirror and say:
O ELEMENT OF FIRE, cleanse this Mirror of all unwanted influences from other planes. Protect it from all maleficent forces now and forever more. Bless this Mirror and this Working with Force of Will and Strength of Love. So Mote It Be.
Turn to the West. With your Mirror in your left hand and your Spirit tool in your right hand, touch the tool to the center of the Mirror and then raise the Mirror with the tool still touching it over your head and look up at them.
Charge the Mirror with Spirit Energy, while chanting your own words of power and/or these words:
O ELEMENT OF SPIRIT, I dedicate this Mirror and this Working to the Light. Fill this Mirror, this Working and me with Radiance and Magick. So Mote It Be.”
When you have finished this final Elemental blessing, sit down and face the West. Prop your Mirror up at the West quarter or hold it in your left hand. Place a candle or candles nearby so that they illuminate your face but so that the flames themselves are not visible in the Mirror. You may wish to place your Elemental tools around you and the Mirror at this time.
Now prepare to go into trance. You may use herbal ritual aids for inducing the trance if you wish, such as anointing your third eye with vision oil, burning scrying incense and/or drinking a psychic vision potion.
Close your eyes and begin to meditate on the kind of vision you seek in the Mirror.
You may wish to get glimpses of and guidance from one or more of your past life selves and/or your Spirit guides and teachers.
Or, you may wish to focus on better knowing different aspects of yourself in this lifetime.
If you have been extensively trained and are experienced in mediumship, you may use this tranceworking to contact the Spirits of departed friends and relatives.
If you have not had such training and experience, do not attempt this without a knowledgeable teacher present to guide you.
Whatever purpose you decide upon, keep meditating on it until you reach a deep state of relaxation. Take deep breaths as you meditate to help you relax even further.
Now, with your eyes still closed, touch your hand(s) to the Mirror and begin chanting over and over this tranceworking chant:
Magick mirror
Inner sight
Bring me vision
On this night.
As you chant this faster and faster, feel your third eye opening. When you feel you are deep in trance and your psychic vision has been activated, open your eyes and begin gazing into the Mirror.
Don’t try to force visions to come and don’t try to project images into the Mirror. Rather, stay relaxed and receptive. Let whatever is to appear, appear. Think of your Mirror as a psychic TV screen and watch it.
You may find that focusing your gaze on the area of your third eye (center of your forehead) of your face in the Mirror is helpful in allowing the visions to come. Or you may find having your eyes somewhat out of focus helps you to see the visions clearer.
You may see many kinds of visions in the Mirror -your face may disappear entirely, your face may turn into other faces and/or you may see patterns and shapes instead of faces.
If you are more clairaudient or clairsentient than clairvoyantly inclined, your vision may take the form of a verbal message or feelings during this tranceworking.
When you sense you have received the visions/messages/guidance you have sought with this working and/or you sense it is time to stop, take some deep breaths and slowly return to waking consciousness.
Give thanks for the vision you experienced. Give thanks to the Elemental Forces and the Deities you invoked at the beginning of the working. Bid Farewell to the Elemental Guardians at the Four Quarters of your circle and take down your circle.
Wrap your Magick Mirror in a protective cloth and store it away until your next tranceworking.
Be sure to make a note of any dreams you have that night after the working – sometimes more visions and guidance will be revealed to you in this form.
