Pagan Portals: Scrying. Divination using Crystals, Mirrors, Water, and Fire by Lucya Starza.
This is a short and sweet read all about the different divination techniques. Lucya touches on topics such as what scrying is, how to prepare for and perform scrying, and covers all the different tools and techniques along with a FAQ section at the end. Within these pages are some good pieces of advice regarding mental health, accessibility alterations for those with disabilities, alternatives to white sage, and safety and environmental advice. The book also ends with a bibliography, which is great!
As with all Pagan Portals books, these books are aimed at introducing readers to a topic, rather than delving deep into the subject. This usually leaves the reader wanting more so therefore this book is aimed at beginners and would less suit someone who is already seasoned on the subject. However, Lucya has very helpfully added a bibliography at the end so the reader can continue to delve into the subject if they wish!
Although few in number, there are a few points in this book that I personally don’t agree with. It is quickly mentioned that all witches perform cleansing rituals before most ceremonies, which I find is inaccurate as it differs between all witches, varying from cleansing before everything, to cleansing on a blue moon. The last, short point is that ‘the cauldron represents the feminine arts and is womblike in that things are created and transformed within it’. This is a fine correspondence for some, however I personally don’t correlate wombs and creation with femininity alone. Masculinity also has a place within wombs and/or creation (trans and cis alike).
This book would be good for those who are new to the topic and would like a short, fun, and easy 101 guide on the subject.
Last reviewed: 14/03/23.
Disclaimer: Anything stated within these book reviews are based on the writer’s opinions, beliefs, and life experiences and should not be taken as universal truth. The writer’s opinion of said books are subject to change over time and reviews may be amended in future to reflect their most up-to-date opinion. It is generally recommended for you to read these books for yourself so you can form your own personal opinion.