Crystal Balls in History and Religion

The four letters constituting the Tetragrammaton are the Hebrew characters yôdh, hê, wâw and hê. As this divine name was regarded in later Judaism as too sacred to be pronounced, the word lord, adonai, was substituted for it in the reading of the Scriptures. For this reason, when the vowel signs were added to the text to indicate the traditional pronunciation, the consonants Yhwh were provided with the vowels of adonai and the name was therefore read Jehovah by Christian scholars.

The Persian poet Jami writes thus of a magic mirror in the poem "Salaman and Absal" (Jami's "Salaman and Absal," trans. by Edward Fitzgerald, Boston, 1899.):

Then from his secret Art the Sage Vizyr

A Magic Mirror made; a Mirror like

The bosom of All-wise Intelligence,

Reflecting in its mystic compass all

Within the sev'nfold volume of the World

Invol'd; and looking in that Mirror's face

The Shah beheld the face of his Desire.

Roger Bacon (1214-1292) was probably the most gifted man of the thirteenth century, and his writings testify to an extraordinarily clear perception of the essential principles of scientific research. However, his true greatness was not generally appreciated in his own age, and popular fancy wove about his name a fabric of legend in which he appeared as an arch-necromancer and magician. The curious old work entitled "The Famous Historie of Fryar Bacon" gives a number of the strange recitals which became current in England in regard to Bacon's wonderful powers.

One of these treats of a marvellous "glass" made by the friar, in which events happening at far-distant places were mirrored. On one occasion two young men, between whom the friendliest feelings existed, came to Bacon and requested him to let them see in the mirror what their fathers were doing at the time. The friar consented, but the experiment, while successful, was the cause of a terrible misfortune. The story is as follows:

"The Fathers of these two Gentlemen (in their Sonnes absence) were become great foes: this hatred betweene them was growne to that height, that wheresoever they met, they had not onely wordes, but blowes. Just at that time, as it should seeme, that their Sonnes were looking to see how they were in health, they were met, and had drawne, and were together by the eares. Their Sonnes seeing this, and having been alwayes great friends, knew not what to say to one another, but beheld each other with angry lookes. At last one of their Fathers, as they might perceive in the Glasse, had a fall, and the other, taking advantage, stood over him ready to strike him. The Sonne of him that was downe could then containe himselfe no longer, but told the other young man, that his Father had received wrong. He answered againe, that it was faire. At last there grew such foule words betweene them, and their bloods were so heated, that they presently stabbed the one the other with their Daggers, and so fell downe dead."

The sceptre of the Scottish regalia is surmounted by a crystal globe, two inches and a quarter in diameter, and the mace by a large crystal beryl. In former times these stones were regarded as amulets and their use was traced back to the Druids. Sir Walter Scott tells us that in his time they were still known among the Scottish Highlanders as "Stones of Power." (Description of the Regalia of Scotland, by Sir Walter Scott, Bart., Edinburg, n. d.)

The testimony of John of Salisbury (1120?-1180) shows that in the twelfth century, in England, divination by means of the arts of the specularii was often practised. The prelate writes that when a boy, he himself and a companion a few years older received instruction from a priest who was addicted to the use of these magic arts. This priest used to polish the finger-nails of the boys with a consecrated oil or ointment, and then direct them to look upon the polished surface until some figure or form should appear. Sometimes the smooth, polished surface of a basin was used. John of Salisbury regarded it as a mark of divine favor that he himself saw nothing upon the smooth and lustrous surface, but he states that his companion observed certain vague and shadowy forms. Certain names pronounced by the priest on these occasions terrified the boy, for he believed them to be the names of evil spirits; indeed, such was his reluctance to participate in the unholy rites that his presence was believed to interfere with the production of the phenomena. (Johannis Saresberensis, "Policraticus," Lyon, 1513, fols. lxxvii, verso.)

In another part of his "Policraticus," John of Salisbury states that the specularii claimed that their gift of seeing visions on polished surfaces was never used to injure any one, but was often useful in the detection of theft and in counteracting magic spells. (Johannis Saresberensis, l. c., fol. lxxvi, recto.)

Under the comprehensive chapter heading: "How to conjure the crystal so that all things may be seen in it," Paracelsus (1493-1541) declares in that "to conjure" means nothing more than "to observe anything rightly, to learn and to understand what it is." The crystal was of the nature of the air, and hence all things movable and immovable that could be seen in the air could also be seen in the crystal or speculum. ("The Hermetic and Alchemical writings of Aureolus Philippus Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim, called Paracelsus the Great," trans. by Arthur Edward Waite, London, 1894.)

Paracelsus showed keen insight, and his conclusions are excellent. One might add, however, that it is a fact that these are images condensed in the double convex lens, forming as it were, an internal crystal sphere. These images are reversed, distorted and twisted, and when they become visible to one who is expecting strange things, they form mental impressions which it is often very difficult to erase. Many crystal gazers are frequently very highly wrought, nervous and susceptible, and other influences uniting with the impressions produced, may give the brain for a time the power to evolve kaleidoscopic effects.

Directions for the use of an Erdenspiegel, or "earth-mirror," are given in an old German manuscript written in 1658 by a Capuchin priest. ("Unterricht vom Gebrauch des Erdspiegels, 1658" (Aus dem Kapuziner-Kloster in Immenstat. Eine Handschrift des Kapuziner-Paters Franziscus Seraph. Heider daselbst); in "Handschriftlichen Schatze aus Kloster Bibliotheken," Koln am Rhein, 1734-1810 (reprint)). The mirror is to be set about two inches above a board, and the questions to be answered are to be placed beneath it. The scryer is recommended to place three grams of salt upon his tongue, whereupon he is to repeat a prayer and cross himself. He now takes the mirror in his hand and breathes upon it three times, repeating the words, "In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

These preliminaries having been accomplished, the following prayer, or rather invocation, is repeated:

"O thou holy Archangel N. N., I pray to thee most fervently through the great and unsearchable name of the Lord of all Lords and King of all Kings, Jod, He, Vau, He, Tetragrammaton, Adonay, Schaday, receive my greeting and give ear to the humble petition which I offer in the name of the great and highest God, Elohim, Zebaoth, that thou shalt appear to me in the world-mirror, and give me knowledge and instruction in answer to my questions."