Crystal
Crystal prevails against unpleasant dreams, dissolves enchantments, and is a medium for magical visions. Being bruised with honey, it fills the breasts with milk. Leonardus appears to have indulged a little spite against this beautiful mineral. "The principal use of crystal," he says, "is for making cups, rather than anything else Crystalomaney, or Crystal Gazing : A mode of divination that is good."
practised from very early times with the aid of a crystal object. Divinations by means of water, ink, and such globe, a pool of water, a mirror, or indeed any transparent substances are also known by the name of hydromancy (q.v.). Crystal gazing may be a very simple or a very elaborate performance, according to the period in which it was practised, but in every case the object is to induce in the clairvoyant a form of hypnosis, so that he may see visions in the crystal. The "crystal" most in favour among modern crystal gazers is a spherical or oval globe, about four inches in diameter, and preferably a genuine crystal; pensive, a sphere of glass is frequently substituted, and but as a crystal of this size and shape is necessarily exsphere of oval, free from speck or flaw, highly polished, with very good results. It must, however, be a perfect and contained in a stand of polished ebony, ivory, or boxwood. Among the Hindus, a cup of treacle or a pool of ink is made to serve the same purpose. Precious stones were much used by crystallomancers in the past, the favourite stone being the beryl in pale sea green or reddish tints. By the ancients crystallomancy was practised with a view to the invocation of spirits, and very elaborate preparations and ceremonials were considered necessary. He who would practise invocations in this wise must, in the first instance, be a man of pure life and religious disposition. For the few days immediately preceding the inspection of the crystal, he must make frequent ablutions, and subject himself to strict religious discipline, with prayer and fasting. The crystal, as well as the stand on which it rests, must be inscribed with sacred characters, as must also the floor of the room in which the invocation is to take place. A quiet, retired spot is suggested for the purpose, where the magician may be free from all disturbance. Besides these matters of solitude and cleanliness, there is the question of the mental attitude to be considered, and this is no less important than the material preparations. A perfect faith is an essential condition of success. If the magician would be accompanied by one or two of his friends, they also must conform to the same rules and be guided by the same principles. The time of the invocation is chosen according to the position in the heavens of the various planets, all preparations having been made during the increase of the moon. All the instruments and accessories used in the performance-the sword, rod and compasses, the fire and the perfume to be burned thereon, as well as the crystal itself-are consecrated or " charged prior to the actual ceremony.
During the process of invocation, the magician faces the east and summons from the crystal the spirit he desires. Magic circles have previously been inscribed on the floor, and it is desirable that the crystallomancer remain within these for some little time after the spirit has been dismissed. It was essential that no part of the ceremonial be omitted, otherwise the invocation would be a failure. Paracelsus, however, and others declared that all such elaborate ceremonies were unnecessary, and that the magnes microcosmi, the magnetic principle in man, was in itself sufficient to achieve the desired object. At a later period, though the ceremonial was not abolished, it became decidedly less imposing. If the person on whose behalf the divination was to be performed was not himself gifted with the clairvoyant faculty, he sought for a suitable medium, the best for the purpose being a young boy or girl, born in wedlock, and perfectly pure and innocent. Prayers and magical words were pronounced prior to the ceremony, and incense and perfumes were burned. Sometimes the child's forehead was anointed, and he himself provided with garments suitable to the impressive nature of the ceremony. Some writers mention a formula of prayers, known as the Call, which preceded the inspection of the crystal. Finally, the latter having been charged, it was handed over to the medium. The first indication of the clairvoyant vision was the appearance of a mist or cloud in the crystal. This gradually cleared away, and the vision made its appearance.
Modern Crystal gazing is carried on in much the same manner, though the preparations are simpler. The crystal is spherical and of the size of an orange; when in use it may be held between the agent's finger and thumb, or, if the end be slightly flattened, placed on a table; alternatively it may be held in the palm of the hand against a background of black cloth. The operation may be more readily carried out in a subdued light. A medium or clairvoyant person acts as the seer and if the divination be made for anyone else it is advisable that he be allowed to hold the crystal in his hand for a few minutes before it is passed into the hands of the clairvoyant. The object of crystal gazing is, as has been said, the induction of an hypnotic state giving rise to visionary hallucinations, the reflection of light in the crystal forming points de repère for such hallucinations. The value of elaborate ceremonials and impressive rituals thus lies in their potency to affect the mind and imagination of the seer. So far, the mystery of crystal vision is no mystery at all. But the remarkable frequency with which, according to reliable witnesses, visions seen in the crystal have tallied with events happening elsewhere at the same moment, or even with future events, is a fact for which science has not yet found an adequate explanation. It has been suggested that if telepathy operates with greater freedom during the hypnotic state, so it may be also with the self-induced hypnosis of crystal gazing. And this, though it cannot be said to cover the entire ground, is perhaps, on the whole, the best explanation yet offered. There are many well-attested cases wherein the crystal has been successfully used for the Dactyls purpose of tracing criminals, or recovering lost or stolen property. The telepathic theory, however, will hardly apply to these instances wherein events have been witnessed in the crystal before their actual occurrence. mysteries as these must be left to the art of the psychical researcher to unravel. 66 Such Crucifixion, Gnostic Conception of: As soon as Christ was born according to the Gnostic speculative view of Christianity , Christos, united himself with Sophia (Holy Wisdom). descended through the seven planetary regions, assuming in each an analogous form to the region, and concealing his true nature from its genii, whilst he attracted into himself the spark of Divine Light they severally retained in their angelic essence. Thus Christos, having passed through the seven Angelic Regions before the Throne," entered into the man Jesus, at the moment of his baptism in the Jordan. From that time forth, being supernaturally gifted, Jesus began to work miracles. Before that, he had been completely ignorant of his mission. When on the cross, Christos and Sophia left his body, and returned to their own sphere. Upon his death, the two took the man Jesus," and abandoned his material body to the earth; for the Gnostics held that the true Jesus did not (and could not) physically suffer on the cross, and die, and that Simon of Cyrene, who bore his cross, did in reality suffer in his room: "And they compelled one, Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross" (St. Mark XV. 21). The Gnostics contended that a portion of the real history of the Crucifixion was never written. 66 At the resurrection Christos and Sophia gave the man Jesus another body, made up of ether (Rosicrucian Aethereum). Thence-forward he consisted of the two first Rosicrucian principles only, soul and spirit; which was the reason that the disciples did not recognise him after the resurrection. During his sojourn upon earth after he had risen, he received from Sophia, or Holy Wisdom, that perfect knowledge or illumination, that true 66
Gnosis," which he communicated to the small number of the Apostles who were capable of receiving the same. Ciupipiltin: Vampires in ancient Mexico. (See Mexico and Central America.)