posted November 16, 2005 10:41 AM         

How you can use the centuries-old Native American tradition
of scrying to foretell your future.

Thanksgiving is a marriage of Native American and European traditions celebrating the harvest, when both human communities and nature prepare for the winter ahead. At this time of year, human and nature spirits are freed from their hard work in the fields, making it a perfect time to safely explore the hidden worlds of symbolic visions. Nature itself is turning inward, and subsequently, our way to the inner paths is, itself, easier. If you are seeking the door to your unconscious, or to work more directly with your inner spirit guide, now is the time.

For centuries in North America, shamans and seekers, lovestruck maidens and warrior chiefs have all sought to view the outlines of their future in visions; their efforts are rooted in our very soil.

To invoke visions of future events, Native Americans had a variety of techniques. During tribal events they smoked the peace pipe and watched for visions in the sweat lodge. They also danced rituals over days without rest or food to be overtaken by visions. Individual vision seekers like shaman (whose role it was to guide the community spiritually) would attend to the shadows and whispers of spirits in pools of water at night, or would sit alone reading the portents told by writhing tendrils and trails of scented smoke above a small fire. This technique (smoke scrying or seeing visions unfold through smoke), is the easiest to do yourself. With practice it can be learned by anyone and it introduces a wealth of symbolic forms along with the wisdom hidden within them.

10 steps to begin learning the art of smoke scrying:

1. Find a safe, quiet place where you will not be disturbed.

2. Position a chair where you can sit with your back supported and your feet flat on the floor.

3. Place a candle (and/or incense) on a fire-safe surface and in a non-flammable holder below eye level.

4. Turn on a tape recorder or other recording device.

5. Light the candle (and incense if you like).

6. Close your eyes and ask for spiritual protection from a Divinity or a spirit guide.

7. Breathe deeply and relax every part of your body starting from your scalp and moving progressively downwards. Imagine each set of muscles melting into fluid warmth.


8. Open your eyes and watch the smoke above the candle. Steady your gaze, don’t follow the curls of smoke upwards and keep your focus relaxed.

9. Let your mind open and stay clear. Soon you should start to see slight indications of shapes, or letters, figures, animals, faces, numbers, symbols, maybe even events. Speak aloud what you’re seeing so that the recording captures it, as the images may come quickly.

10. When the images fade or when you feel it’s time to stop, offer a word of thanks to the unseen helpers who brought your vision and the for the spiritual protection given to you during this meditation.

When you’re done, review the recording, make notes or sketch what you saw. The symbols you’ve received are unique to you, and you can best interpret them. Follow your emotional reactions to the symbols and write down your associations with them. This written account will become your personal ‘dictionary’ of symbols. Over time will lead you to greater and deeper understanding of inner visions – and your own subconscious – as well as some of the messages it provides you.


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