“One thing that I really wanted
I really wanted you
This will leave you
Haunted in your mirror”
–Stevie Nicks, Mirror Mirror
The mirror is one of the most popular and beloved magical tools. They have been used in Egyptian, Chinese, and Aztec ceremonial magic as well as in Irish, Appalachian, and Italian folk magic.
Mirrors can be used for scrying, spirit summoning, protective and romantic magic, and lunar rituals. Like a crystal, mirrors absorb and store information—this is why there is a Victorian tradition of covering mirrors in black cloth after someone dies, a practice that is still followed in rural Appalachia where it was brought over by the Irish. This was done to ease a soul into the afterlife by preventing them from getting trapped in the looking glass.
Ancient Egyptian mirror were made of copper and associated with Hathor and gazing into a Hathorian mirror was thought to bestow her beauty and grace. Aztec mirrors were made of obsidian and iron pyrite, because of the destruction of the Aztec culture we do not know exactly how the mirrors were used but the precious obsidian mirrors were believed to be used in ritual for spirit communication and are still used by occultists in Mexico and Central America today. In China, small bronze hand mirrors with power symbols on the back were used particularly for lunar magic and to channel the power of the sun. One Emperor of China allegedly became emperor because of his use of a magic mirror. Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty in 25 CE claimed his mirror allowed him to see the true qualities of those who looked into it. Appalachians have plenty of superstitions about mirrors; breaking a mirror means 7 years of bad luck, the youngest of three people looking into a mirror together will die first, and it’s considered bad luck to look into a mirror by candlelight because you may see the spirit of a loved one that has died (though this might be good luck if you’re trying to reach someone on the other side of the veil).
Mirrors can be used for divination, a once widespread practice, the future or psychic visions being witnessed by gazing into a mirror. There are many methods, and getting the gaze and concentration just right can be difficult. The basics boil down to sitting in front of a mirror (or mirrored surface like a crystal or bowl of water) in a darkened room with a candle (or two on either side). Stare into the mirror with a soft focus, concentrate on your peripheral vision instead of your direct gaze, relax and let your mind wander, open to receiving visions.
References: The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells by Judika Illes, The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft, and Wicca by Rosemary Guiley, The Case of the Chinese Emperor’s Mirror by Benjamin B. Olshin
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