Crystal Balls: How to use a Crystal ball [GUIDE]

Anyone interested in the workings and exploration of the human psyche will find crystal balls an invaluable tool, regardless of whether or not there is a belief in occult and magick.

So what exactly are crystal balls? How to use them? Do Crystal balls actually work? We shall attempt to answer these questions in this article.

Do Crystal balls actually work? If so, how?

In our everyday, normal waking consciousness, we are unaware of most of what constitutes the “self”. These include the various involuntary functions in our body and the processes of the subconscious that generate most of our conscious thoughts.

Even the various processes behind the aspects of ourselves that we consider voluntary and conscious are largely unknown to us. Therefore, in a way, the universe “does” us and our “control” is largely an illusion.

But on the other hand, the flip-side of this idea is that you ARE the universe and you do EVERYTHING and the illusion is that you are this small little human being. This is of course, the idea behind almost every spiritual discipline in the world.

In a strictly psychological sense, crystal balls act like mediums onto which you project your subconscious and the subtler aspects of yourself, to get a better idea of the inner depths of your own psyche. Various forms of altered states of consciousness can also be used to achieve the same end, but the visions in the crystal balls can usually be stored and recalled better for most people, than the ones from the altered states.

However, if you stretch your definition of the immediate psyche as an extension of all there is (the universe), then in another point of view, it is possible to work backwards through the psyche to everything there is in the universe.

In alchemical thinking before scientific materialism came into picture, the division between the subjective and objective world was arbitrary. How this is, and the rationale behind the idea is discussed in-depth in the articles on the mechanism behind idol worship, Psychedelic Shamanism, Spirit working and various others on this website. I highly recommend you go through them if you want fodder to make a more coherent mental model of how things work.

If it is possible to work backwards into the psyche into all there is, then the idea is that it is also possible to project any point of view of the universe into the current extension (I.e you). This however, presents a challenge: The defense mechanism of the vessel or the ego, doesn't want to let go of the sense of itself (the ego) and dissolve itself into the universe, which is tantamount to this process. Therefore, unless there is great psychical development and minimal ego, this usually fails.

This is where crystal balls come into the picture: they work in a way that parts of the ego perceives the whole process as coming from outside itself — especially if the pictures are premonitions — so that it can still maintain its integrity and limitations. Therefore, the crystal ball acts as a medium to project the psycho-material complex that we call the universe itself.

Using this, projection of aspects of the universe into the crystal ball is accomplished — whether it be for divination, communicating with subtle aspects of the universe or spirits etc.

But why crystals? Why not some other polished surface that can reflect? To answer this question, we must understand that everything we perceive has a subtle but insidious effect on our psyche. Different colors for example, have different effects on the psyche. Crystals similarly, can be said to have to most profound effect on the psyche than any other type of object. Effects of crystals, stones and metals on the psyche are discussed briefly in the article on jewelry.

A mirror or a black screen - also called the magick mirror — is also sometimes used for similar purposes, but it usually useful only those who have a more sophisticated psyche development and less ego attachment to the personality, because one's psyche has to come to terms with the self's dissolution in the mirror before the deep psyche can be accessed.

Staying absolutely still, without moving a muscle, and staring at the mirror for long periods of time can produce some bizarre results — try it out and see for yourself.

Are Crystal balls dangerous or evil?

One of the most common associations that crystal balls have, much like anything that is associated with “witchcraft”, is that it is dangerous and “evil”. Not only is this view limited, but is also counterproductive and destructive.

Crystal balls are just objects made out of materials that are found in nature. How their effects manifests, depends completely on the psyche of the user. Using crystal balls with negative biases will only work towards a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.

While crystal balls are not inherently “evil”, there can be dangers to using it, especially if the user is unprepared to open up the subconscious.

In a strictly psychological sense, it can open up the pandora’s box of one's psyche. If you are highly resistant and afraid of what might be in there, and keep fighting against it, it can produce visions that may scare you. It may also produce thought forms or phantasms that may haunt you.

Going deeper though, in a magickal sense, it can also manifest more subtle psychic debris or viruses (from our perspective) that exist in the psyche-material complex that we call the universe — psychic vampires, negative entities, “demons” and the like. However, in most of these cases, the user's vessel and ego structure is to blame. They were sensitive to attack from the beginning anyways.

Therefore, for ANY kind of endeavor to open up the psyche by oneself — crystal balls, ouija boards, psychedelics, astral projection etc. — whether it be to the level of subconscious or to the deepest levels of the psyche-material complex that we call the universe, it is advised to have some base level of preparation. This shall be discussed in the next section, on how to use a crystal ball more effectively:

How to use a crystal ball

In order to use a crystal ball effectively, and to read it accurately, one must have some measure of psychic preparation. The following skills are recommended (in order) before proceeding to use a crystal ball:

1. The ability to sit completely still, without moving a muscle, without moving even the eyes for half an hour.

2. Stillness of thought and inner voice for 15 minutes.

3. Non judgement and detachment from the self at anytime. This is absolutely crucial whilst accessing the subconscious and the psyche.

4. Ability to access trance state at will.

Once the above skills are mastered, scrying and various other magickal abilities with a crystal ball should be accessible to anyone.

What is scrying? How to use a crystal ball for this purpose?

Scrying is essentially using an object medium — be it crystal balls or mirrors to access magickal abilities such as divination, spirit communication etc. As we have discussed before, this is done by accessing the psyche-material complex and projecting the desired information onto the medium.

The following steps are usually taken, in order (and this requires that you have mastery over the previously mentioned skills):

1. The intent of the crystal ball scrying session has to be noted and fed into the subconscious by achieving a trance whilst staring into the intent in written format.

2. Place the crystal ball in front of you, and achieve complete stillness of the body whilst gazing into it.

3. Hypnagogia type images may start to project onto the crystal ball, but one must not be tempted to analyse them. You must be detached from these images.

4. Once the surface level thoughts are calmed and mental stillness is achieved, this is when the images pertaining to the earlier intention may appear on the crystal ball. This has to be observed, but not analysed at this stage.

5. Once the session is over, the projected images has to be immediately noted down, and whatever striking hypnagogia images that can be remembered has to be noted down as well.

How to read the crystal ball accurately

The final crystal ball reading, by analysis, is made after the scrying session. This is done by objectively looking at the notes you jotted down and without bias getting in way, make sense of it.

The process is far more easier if done for yourself than for someone else.

There is no real way to describe in words, how to read the crystal ball accurately from the images it presents you, for someone else. It is much like riding a bicycle — after sometime, you just “get” it.

Practice can be done by repeatedly performing crystal ball readings for others, and making an analysis from the images it provides. Verify after, and also be open to feedback from others as to what the images may mean. Sometimes, you don't have to do an analysis — describing the images to the said party alone should be sufficient for them to make sense of it themselves.

Online “fortune teller” balls and crystal balls

A quick search in the internet will bring up a ton of online fortune teller balls. These run on algorithms that randomly generates a “prediction” for you. Needless to say, they are not an effective means for scrying works that physical crystal balls give you.

That being said, working with randomness DOES have it's value — the I-ching is one such example. Much like the physical elements (hydrogen, carbon etc.) that the physical world is made out of in space, time can also be said to have temporal elements. Don't forget that space and time are one and the same (relativity).

Therefore, the difference hexagram configurations of the I-ching are different temporal elements that make up the nature of the time. Picking up a random hexagram from the I-ching after keeping in mind a question or intent will give you the nature or “element” of the time relates to that question or intent. Even if you are looking it in a strictly psychological sense, randomly generated I-ching predictions can still be a valuable introspection tool. The same can be said of online fortune teller balls.

How to charge a crystal ball

Charging a crystal ball is much like charging any other magickal tool. You build a psychic association to it. The more you use the crystal ball, the more “charged” it therefore becomes.

The more the said crystal ball is used for only by you and no one else, the more intimate your relationship with the crystal ball becomes. Therefore, much like any other magickal tool, it is highly recommended that the crystal ball be used by a single user alone. There is a reason why children do not allow you to touch or play with their most favorite dolls!

Treat the crystal balls you own like living entities. Everything has its own consciousness and psyche. Panpsychism is the idea that every object has an element of consciousness and has been the oldest philosophical idea, tracing back all the way to the shamanic era. Indeed, this intuition is something with which we are all born with before losing touch with ourselves as we grow up. We treat everything around us as dead objects, including other people.

When you purchase a crystal ball for the first time, it may be simply an object for you. However, much like how a child would do, give your crystal balls names and talk to them like living entities when you are not scrying. You will be surprised with the results!

It is important to remember however to purify a new crystal ball that you have bought off the market. Crystals pick up very subtle vibrations and have a very sensitive psyche of their own. Therefore, it is recommended to soak the crystal ball in rock salt for 24-48 hours and then washing it with warm water before starting to use it.

After use, always cover it with black cloth. You do not want other psychic influences to taint your crystal ball even by accident. If you suspect corruption, repurify the crystal ball once again.

Crystal balls for sale: Where and how to buy crystal balls

Crystal balls can be bought online or from physical stores. If you are a beginner, it is recommended that you buy a crystal ball that is large enough. A minimum of 2 inches diameter is recommended. Bigger the ball, the better the images on it can be deciphered.

There are two major ways crystal balls are produced — from natural crystals and lab grown crystals. Lab grown is usually cheaper, and just as effective so don't think you absolutely have to go for natural crystals.

As with any items of magick, it is recommended that you do not concern yourself too much with the price. If a certain crystal ball resonates with you, go for it! It is an investment for a lifetime.

As for the type crystals, there are plenty. Clear quartz crystal balls are most popular and general purpose. If you do not want to spend too much for different types of crystal balls, then you may want to just get yourself a clear quartz crystal ball.

Other types of crystal balls have different specific psychic effects, but they can also vary on the user's resonance to each of them. Therefore, it is recommended that you try out what type of crystal ball resonates to what aspects of the psyche for you personally.

In closing

It is my hope that this article has given you an insight to getting started with crystal balls, without bogging you down with needless fluff.

Crystal balls are valuable tools that anyone can use to their advantage — whether it be for self introspection alone, or for spiritual/magickal purposes. Developing the necessary skill level to use them is also pretty easily achievable.

Crystal balls act like training wheels before you proceed to more advanced and direct forms of exploring your own psyche. But even at that level, they can be excellent aids for when you are not “feeling” it.