ESOTERIC MADE EASY!
Happy New Years, guys!
It’s 2025, a whole new year, and, if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably made a New Year’s Resolution to better yourself in one way or another.
Where better to start than some serious self reflection!
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One of the things that we pride ourselves on here at Greater Huntsville Paranormal Research is our approach to the paranormal. There’s an overwhelming urge, across this field, to document encounters and data using the most scientific methods possible. Now, I’m not saying that we jump to conclusions, that we don’t try to disprove things, or that we don’t try to collect data is the best possible manner (what’s the point of calling it research if we aren’t actually researching anything) just that we tend to have some orthodox methods.
Or, well, I do at least (Robbie, too, but he is our occultist so I guess that kinda makes sense).
I think that most groups are so hellbent on adding a sense of legitimacy to the paranormal (and trying to get it recognized as something of a science) that they end up leaving out or ignoring bits and pieces here and there that are worth including. No, not every weird feeling or moment of dizziness that you might experience out in the field is going to be caused by a ghost, but there are, occasionally, personal encounters that should make you pause and thus, are worth including in a data file produced after an investigation.
I’ve come to believe that most paranormal encounters have elements to them that are not easily captured in photographs or on tape recorders. Perhaps, even, in some cases, there is no evidence that can be physically obtained at all. This, however, does not in the slightest mean that those cases should always be discredited.
My point is, some of the best tools you can have are tools that you can’t always quantify what you encounter with them.
The tarot is a wonderful tool for self reflection.
Here, in each deck, are archetypal representations of so many aspects of life and the human psyche — no hand guides our interpretation of them beyond our own. And yet, I find myself taking them with me on nearly every investigation that we’ve gone on. I don’t always use them, but they seem to help me, on occasion, find a baseline for the presences that occasionally come face to face with. They help me decipher, for myself, how I can best make contact in situations where we can’t always seem to find the right hook to latch on to.
Every now and then, we need a little something more.
That, my friends, is what I’m here to show you how to make today! Keep in mind, though, as we’re making this (if you choose to follow along) that this isn’t necessarily only to be used for paranormal research. What we’re going to make is something that can also be used, just like a deck of tarot cards, for self reflection.
How to make a dark mirror
I call them dark mirrors (after a lesser known haunted object covered by a favorite paranormal group of mine) but these are really just your average scrying mirrors. Most people (myself included) don’t have obsidian glass as to make one of these black mirrors but, turns out, you don’t need obsidian glass!
Required tools and objects:
An empty picture frame (make sure it’s got a piece of glass in it)
Black paint
A paint brush
Whatever you feel like you need to consecrate it for use
A black handkerchief (or any other cloth that you can use to cover it when it’s not in use)
Find a picture frame!
I went to a few thrift stores at first when I was making mine. I had a mental image of a small-ish circular or oval shape in mind (preferably with a bit of an ornate frame) but I didn’t have much luck. For whatever reason, from anecdotal sources, it seems that pre-owned frames work best. Something that I’ve come to believe is that most haunted objects are probably haunted because we believe that they’re haunted. If someone uses something frequently (and does so with the same approach each time) I think, perhaps, a piece of that emotion related to the use of the object can stick to it (think something like the stone tape theory just, ya know, not with stone). Be careful with this, though! For all we know the frame we’ve found secondhand may have once held the photo of someone it’s prior owner hated. That won’t affect what we observe within our future mirror, though, right??
As I was unable to find a frame that I liked, I bought mine at walmart (pictured below). This will work fine, too, just keep in mind that you’ll have to “train” it to do what you like. Speak nicely to it, hold it and look at it while you talk about all the problems in your life, just keep in mind that what you’re putting in to it will affect what you get out of it in the future.
2. Take the frame home, remove the glass, and paint the underside black
While you’re doing this, if you’re like me and you’re a practicing pagan, it may help to treat it somewhat like a ritual tool. Light a candle, burn incense, use whatever you use that you feel like you need to either cleanse it or prepare it for use. Consider this a dangerous tip, if you want, (don’t make use of the tip that follows unless you’re somewhat experienced with this kind of stuff) but leaving it uncleansed (and leaving whatever energies it has already attached to it intact) CAN produce better, or at least more interesting, results later on.
When I first made mine it felt blank. While painting the underside of the glass, I focused on setting an intention to use it to communicate with the paranormal (and perhaps catch glimpses of the other side in it from time to time should it be possible). It has no “personality” so to speak, but it does definitely seem to work.
Make sure you get complete coverage with your paint. Gaps or thin spots will affect your ability to focus with it.
3. Let it dry.
Don’t try to replace the glass too early. If the paint’s still wet, it can and will make a noticeable spot that will affect your ability to focus while using it later.
4. Adorn the frame or any other part of your new mirror as you see fit.
Set and setting, so to speak, go a long way in helping set your intentions.
5. Use it!
To do so, set the lights dim (at least ensure that there’s no light directly hitting the mirror) and gaze into it. Don’t really focus on anything. Treat this mirror like it’s a window into some other room and, without looking at anything in particular, see what happens.
Your face is probably going to seem to morph to some degree. This just happens when you look at your reflection in low light; it has to do with how your brain is perceiving the image given poor information quality — this IS NOT the point. Just like tarot, the point is making sense of what you seem to be seeing. I think this is a little easier than using tarot, honestly, since there’s not all so many different potential images that you can encounter.
Perhaps, for example, your reflection seems to have very pronounced sunken cheeks. Maybe that means you’re concerned on some subconscious level about your health? I don’t know, I’m not the one interpreting it for you. What you make of what you see is what it means.
If you’re using it to attempt to make contact with the paranormal, pay more attention to your surroundings, too. I’ve caught glimpses of shadows moving behind me in my own, suggesting in the moment that whatever entity was in the building with us that night didn’t quite like our presence and wanted to stay out of our focus.
Again, though, based on how your using, and what intentions you set for it, IT MEANS WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS. Scrying mirrors are deeply personal tools. Nobody else can interpret it for you.
** Make sure that, when the mirror isn’t in use, it’s covered or otherwise put away!
This is for two reasons: to keep the intention and energy of other people away from it, and to help prevent dust build-up.
My mirror pictured in about the light level you want to maintain for usage.
Notice the marks on the glass — these are from having not waited long enough for it do dry, resulting in the glass sticking to the cardboard backing leaving those very distracting spots.
It’s still usable if you end up with one that looks like these, it can just make it a little harder to focus on nothing in particular when gazing into it.
If you make your own scrying mirror, let me know how it goes! Tell me what you’ve seen, show off the frame you customized for it, whatever you want! If you made one, I hope it serves you well!
Stay weird!
-Scott