The Most Dangerous Games: How To See Your Future In A Mirror

Previously: Mr. Eyes.

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This ritual for how to see your future in a mirror is simple to perform; the stakes are also relatively low, which might make it a good option for beginners. (Think of it as a much, much less dangerous version of the Mirror Box.) I’ve seen it in a few places online, including on r/RitualisticReddit, r/ThreeKings, and on this Indonesian website. It’s ultimately a method of scrying — although the fact that it also involves blood magic might be… troubling to some.

Scrying has a long, long history in a great deal of cultures; the purpose of it may vary — it may be used to see into the past, the present, or the future — but it usually involves using a mirror or some other reflective surface to call up visions or impressions that will reveal previously unknown information to those who perform it. It’s not necessarily dangerous, although of course it can be.

[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]

Blood magic, meanwhile, remains controversial in many spellcasting communities. It is both pain and life, although it’s also worth noting that blood magic is not necessarily blood sacrifice. If using blood makes you feel icky, you may want to skip this one — but if it doesn’t, you may proceed… with caution, of course.

Because, as always…

…Well, you already know what I’m about to say, don’t you?

Players:

• One principal.

Requirements:

• Four mirrors. These mirrors should have stands or otherwise be capable of standing up on a flat surface on their own. Something like this is ideal.
• One candle.
• Matches or a lighter.
• Salt.
• A compass.
• A timekeeping device.
• A quiet room.
• A small table (optional, but recommended).
• A cloth or rag (optional, but recommended).
• A pin or other sharp object.

Instructions:

The Prelude:

1. Begin at night.
2. Turn off all of the lights in the building in which your quiet room is located, including those in the quiet room.
3. Bring your supplies to your chosen room.
4. If using, set up the table. Then, position the four mirrors so that they stand upright on the tabletop forming an enclosed square or rectangle. (If you have chosen not to use the table, set them up on the floor or another available surface.) The mirrors should face inward — that is, they should be facing each other, with all of the reflective surfaces turned towards the inside of the square, rather than outside of it — and should be positioned such that they line up with the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west). Use the compass to accomplish this setup.
5. Place the timekeeping device somewhere you can see it.
6. Keep an eye on the time.
7. Wait.

The Main Event:

1. When the timekeeping device reads 12:46am — not a moment before — place the candle in the center of the square of mirrors and light it with the matches or lighter.
2. Draw a line of salt around the square of mirrors.
3. Prick your finger with the pin. Squeeze the tip of your finger until blood issues forth.
4. Place one drop of blood on the tabletop at three of the four corners of mirror square, making sure to keep it within the circle of salt, but along the outside edge of the mirror square. You may choose which corners you wish to anoint depending on what you hope to see in your future (see: Additional Notes).
5. Stand or sit at the fourth corner of the mirror square — the one you chose to leave bloodless.
6. Look inside the mirror square. Look past the burning flame of the candle and into the reflective surfaces of the mirrors before you. Look closely. Look carefully. Be patient; you may have to wait. In time, however, you should notice something in the mirror that is… not necessarily your reflection.
7. This is what you came here for. Make note of what you see.

The Closing:

1. When you look in the mirrors and see only yourself once more, extinguish the candle and remove it from the center of the mirror square.
2. Tip the mirrors so that they are face down on the tabletop.
3. Scrub the blood from the tabletop. Use the cloth or rag for this purpose if you have chosen to include it.
4. Gently blow the salt away with your breath.
5. Go back to your life. Whatever you saw in the mirrors will eventually come to pass, although precisely when it will occur may not yet be clear to you. Is that a good thing, or a bad on? Well… that really depends on what you saw, now, doesn’t it?

Additional Notes:

This ritual may ONLY be performed if it is begun between 12:46am and 1:13am. If you have not managed to light the candle, position the salt, and place the blood before 1:13am, do not proceed. You will not suffer any ill effects; however, you will receive no results from the ritual.

Do NOT attempt to perform this ritual in an outdoor location.

In the Main Event: Steps 4 and 5, you may wish to consider the connotations of each cardinal direction as you choose which corners to anoint and which corner at which to stand. In some belief systems, these connotations may be as follows:

• North: Earth; the body; stability; nourishment.
• East: Air; the intellect; communication; divination; movement; spirituality.
• South: Fire; inspiration; change; passion; strength; success; health.
• West: Water; emotion; love; healing; the spirit.

Choose your corners wisely.

You do not need to dispose of the mirrors after completing the ritual; should you choose to hold onto them, however, you want to be careful with them from that point onward. It is NOT recommended that you use them for any other games or rituals.

Concerning The Future:

The future isn’t necessarily fixed; however, once you know something is coming, it can be hard to avoid it.

Before you attempt this ritual, make certain — absolutely certain — that really want to know what’s coming.

Because once you know it… you can’t unlearn it.

How To See Your Future In A Mirror: FAQ.

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[Photo via Terje Sollie/Pexels]