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Claude Chabrol

“I love mirrors. They let one pass through the surface of things.”

~Claude Chabrol

The Obsidian Mirror

“He said, ‘I am the Smokey Mirror, because I am looking at myself in all of you, but we don’t recognize each other because of the smoke in-between us. That smoke is the Dream, and the mirror is you, the dreamer.'”

~from a story by Don Miguel Ruiz

In ancient Mexico, mirrors were made out of polished iron pyrites and obsidian. Some say that the ancient people of Mexico used these polished mirrors, known as tezcatl, as tools of black magic. Um…black? Are they being literal? Because while it may have been used for magic, I doubt it was used exclusively for dark purposes. (Oh, the Western mind! Is there any hope for it.)  Just because the shamans used mirrors to travel and communicate with other realms hardly qualifies as black magic. These tezcatl were understood to be portals into other realms and likely used for healing, divination, burial ritual, and yes, in the wrong hands, for dark purposes. But put anything into the wrong hands and said humans will find a way to misuse it.

The Mexican god, Tezcatlipoca, or “Smokey Mirror”, is often depicted with an obsidian mirror, sometimes replacing his right foot, sometimes at his head or chest. He is said to be the Lord of Sorcery, King of Rulers, and Lord of the Night, and through his mirror, he could see the true thoughts and motivations of man. For a whole new light on the dark lord of Tezcatlipoca, check out this beautiful story written by author of The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz. In it, Don Miguel weaves of tale of Smokey Mirror‘s awakening from the dream of the planet to discover the oneness of life. Though he attempted to share his new-found revelations with others, it was only to be misunderstood. Everyone else was still caught within the smoke…the dream of the planet that separates us from our truth. He knew he too would fall back into this dream state.

A Mexica (Meh-she-ka) mirror was one of several reflective objects used by 15/16th century astrologer and magician John Dee for divination practices. He had a fascination with mirrors as well as with supernatural and psychic phenomena. With the help of medium, Edward Kelly, Dee would transcribe messages that Kelly perceived “through the looking glass”. This mirror currently resides in the British Museum and is made of volcanic glass (obsidian).

To learn more about obsidian mirrors, check out these links:

The Getty Research Institute: Obsidian Mirror Travels

Mirrors in MesoAmerican Culture (most excellent and fascinating tidbits)

To read more of the myths of Tezcatlipoca:

Tezcatlipoca: Aztec God of Night, the North, and Sorcery

Tezcatlipoca on Wikipedia

 

Percy Shelley

“Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted.”

Percy Shelley

Mirrors in Feng Shui

There is an art to using Mirrors in Feng Shui and for good reason. They reflect the beauty around you (assuming you are indeed surrounded by beauty), put eyes in the back of your head (I loved my over-the-stove mirror that let me see what was happening behind me in my kitchen), and magnify the light, pushing or pulling chi. They have a reputation of being a cure-all, but as you’ll see from this blog, there are right ways and wrong ways to use mirrors inside your home.

We don’t often pay attention to what the mirrors in our homes are reflecting. Mirrors are typically meant to serve either a functional or simply decorative purpose, perhaps making a small room feel larger. But when we become more conscious of how we are using our mirrors, maybe some of that good-old Feng Shui luck and prosperity can come our way. If we don’t, we may end up with bad Feng Shui and bad luck! I remember looking at an apartment once. As soon as I opened the door, I suffered the shock of someone standing right at the door as I entered. Even if it was only my reflection, it made me jump. Not a good mirror placement and for more than one reason!

Mirrors have fascinating qualities, not just expanding a room, as this blog reveals. They carry water energy and can help us stay in the flow. They can help us awaken and access our creativity, and they can repel the “bad energies” that come at us from all directions. But it isn’t just where the mirror is placed. There is also the consideration of the quality and condition of the mirror to ponder. Is it dirty, cracked, peeling? Such conditions can create or magnify problems for us.

Finally, one should also think about how a mirror is hung. Is it too high? Too low? Google some tips on hanging your mirrors according to “good Feng Shui” and for optimum effect.

Have you found a really cool way to use a mirror in your own home or life?

 

 

 

What We Love on Pinterest & Why

Images are powerful. They can change our thought patterns and altar our mood instantly. Why not feast your eyes on images you love every day? Mirror Spiritus maintains a Pinterest profile, and we invite you to join us there. Unlike other social media sites, Pinterest has the visual advantage of accessible beauty and inspiration. It’s so full of colorful eye candy, and you can personalize it!

Some of the boards we at Mirror Spiritus feature on Pinterest are:

Mirrors:  Well, of course! We’ve collected some amazingly beautiful antique and artsy mirrors of all shapes and sizes. They are seriously breathtaking, and man oh man, would we love to sit in mirror meditation in front of some of these babies or have one as the centerpiece on our mirror altar.

The Great Mystery: In case you hadn’t noticed, Mirror Spiritus is very inspired by light in space. So this board features some striking images from Hubble and other sources that leave one’s mouth agape. The Great Mystery isn’t “out there.” Take a peek at these images and remember not only who you are but where you’re returning.

Shisha Embroidery: Dielle recently wrong a blog about Shisha embroidery which is the art/craft of sewing reflective objects into fabrics. You can see some delightful and colorful samples here.

Chandeliers: Mirror Spiritus is all about bringing more light & beauty into the world. Check out these absolutely gorgeous and extravagant chandeliers that do so quite literally. The lines, the colors, the radiance! YUMMMY!

Stuart Davies Landscapes: We are grateful to our first official blog sponsor, Stuart Davies Art, and enjoy showing off his rich and masterful landscapes. Stuart shares Mirror Spiritus’ love of beauty and light. In fact, he spent much of his life seeking out the perfect light by which to paint. He found it in France. Please visit his website and buy something beautiful for yourself.

The Light Sanctuary: Breathtaking art and other images that heal us through our eyes with the light they exude. This board is like a sanctuary, a retreat from a stress-filled day.

So  stop on by and take a look around. If you have a Pinterest profile, follow us there. Thanks!

 

Mirrors and Traditions

The ways in which mirrors have been used throughout the centuries are fascinating. Surely, their importance in various world-wide traditions points to something quite archetypal regarding our reflection. Did our ancestors understand something we have forgotten? There are, of course, myriad superstitions regarding mirrors around the globe as well, but I’ll save those up for another post. Here, I focus on a few tidbits of mirrors and traditions.

Image Source: Flickr Photo by: dakinewavamon

THE CELTS

The Celts were an artistic people with a love of metalwork and incidently, mirrors made of bronze, iron, or a combination of the two. Theses mirrors were decorated with the motifs of Celtic art frequently reproduced today and have often been recovered from graves begging the question, “What was their significance?” They are generally regarded as “status symbols” among wealthy women, but was there perhaps a more mystical purpose? Very few Celtic mirrors survive intact, and this wonderful website created by Stephen Markoff, has a collection of fascinating resources and pictures for you to peruse.

JEWISH CULTURE

In the Jewish religion, when a loved one passes, the mirrors of the home are covered while the family sits in mourning for a seven-day period in order to facilitate the transition of the departed from this world to the next. If the mirrors were not covered, it is believed the soul could become entrapped in this realm unable to transition to the “afterlife”. Of course, the more popular version of the meaning is that the bereaved should not be at all concerned with their appearance during mourning but should rather reflect inward. You can read more about the touching customs of Shiva here.

SERBO-CROATIAN CULTURE

Yet another culture that buries their dead with mirrors. Perhaps this Serbo-Croation tradition gives us insight into the significance of burial mirrors in the Celtic tradition. The purpose was two-fold: one) it was thought to prevent one’s spirit from wandering and two) it kept evil spirits from rising up, perhaps by providing them with a means of self-fascination in the grave.

MESOAMERICAN CULTURE

Status symbols of the elite and instruments of sorcerers, ancient mirrors have also been excavated from Maya tombs. Typically fashioned of iron or obsidian (volcanic glass), such mirrors have been found placed near the body (specifically the head, the chest, lower back, groin or feet) or at some distance from the body. Interestingly, the Mexican god, Tezcatlipoca, is often depicted with an obsidian mirror at his head, chest, or foot. What was the significance of these burial mirrors? Were they merely prized possessions for their beauty or reflective qualities or were they viewed as portals into other realms?

Do you know of any interesting cultural uses of mirrors?

 

Nichiren Daishonin

“A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality.”

~Nichiren Daishonin

 

How the Insanity Plea Can Save the World

tout le monde FBWARNING: Do not read if you are easily offended.

I had a rather interesting encounter on Facebook today. A friend had posted about the situation in France sharing his views that declaring war against anything is unlikely to help interracial and religious tensions. I “liked”, not realizing the hostile and heated debate I was getting into.

Some of his other friends just had to express their opinions as well. Nevermind that they had a choice to simply respect his opinion and move on to post on their own walls! No. They had to be heard, damn it! After all, didn’t the rest of the world deserve to be enlightened by their wisdom?

Why can’t we just let someone say what they want to say without going all ape-shit? It is ironic. I wrote two books about the power of the voice and living a fully-expressed and authentic life. I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t. In the wrong hands, that shit is deadly!

It was insanity. One woman was typing totally brainwashed gibberish vacant of fact in an obviously over-the-edge manner (posting and commenting to her own comments) and another man was pointing fingers that were reminiscent of ancient wars fought long ago. There was some serious disrespect being levied. Seriously, it was enough to turn my stomach. My poor battle-weary friend! How on earth are humans ever supposed to communicate if we continually think we’re right and everyone else is wrong? What hope do we have when words are turned against us and the crazy mind justifies the most insane of beliefs? Isn’t that what defines fanaticism? Maybe even terrorism?

I’ve said it before, and I’m not afraid to say it again. We are all terrorists! We are terrorists with our words, in our minds, sometimes in our action whether against ourselves or others, and yes, even in our hearts. I’m sorry. But until we learn to stop pointing fingers, blaming sides, and hating each other, we will continue to kill each other. The mind will not stop the bloodshed. It’s having too much fun being right.

The only way out of this ridiculous pickle as I see it is something very few people will want to do, let alone be capable of doing. That is: to admit we’re all fucking crazy! Not “he’s crazy”. Not “she’s crazy”. Not “they’re crazy.” But I’m crazy. And you’re crazy. I think this is my message for 2015. It’s what I’ve been dealing with myself…the recognition that I’m totally nuts. Maybe I don’t go around killing people or shooting down planes, but I think. And sometimes, that is just as criminal.

And you know what? It’s liberating. When I remember to just embrace and accept that I’m crackers, I no longer have to justify what I believe (let alone believe it). I no longer have to jump in and debate others. I no longer have to prove anything. After all, I’m a lunatic. And so are “they”. And so are you, my friend. Congratulations! Let the healing begin, because the very realization is what gives us hope. The realization begins the reversal.

I’m telling you…the only hope for humanity is accepting that we are all completely bonkers. It doesn’t matter what side you’re on. It doesn’t matter what race you are. It doesn’t matter what religion you are. The unifier here is WE’RE ALL NUTS!!! There are no degrees of crazy until you wake up and admit you are. Then at least, you are finally a little less crazy…but make no mistake, still crazy.

I’m not saying my friend shouldn’t have posted his opinion. Of course he had every right. It was the grenade shower that followed that was completely unnecessary. For God’s sake people, use every last ounce of your will to shut your own trap and stop inflaming what is already so far out of control the only escape is “out of this world”. Blithering is only making things worse. It destroys the spirit and is the clearest form of evil I’ve ever known.

Just because we all have the right to free speech doesn’t mean we need to exercise it. Rights come with responsibilities and hopefully, a certain level of maturity that allows us to respect and empathize with others. So shut up! Stop having to prove your point! Stop spewing political nonsense you overheard and now embrace as fact when it came from someone else’s screwed-up imagination. Stop declaring you are right. Stop letting fear have free reign over every form of intelligence in your being. And start declaring you are an insane piece of work with no clue of the truth and in dire need of divine grace to see clearly again.

Deep breath in. And out.

Right now in France, people are gathered in large numbers to stand against terror, and that’s good, but I doubt they realize that the depth of this terror is rooted within…until it is rooted out. Still, it is a start. If we really want to bring an end to all of this, let’s do so with dignity, refrain, resolve, and unity. Let’s stand as one body, silent, reverent. That is the way.

Aw, what do I know? I’m nuts.

 

Book Review: Full Spectrum Intelligence – What the World Needs NOW!

Full Spectrum Intelligence
by Chris Thomson

Full Spectrum Intelligence: A Practical Course on Behaving Wisely and Well

I actually reviewed this book for Amazon a couple of months back, but I really wanted to bring it to Mirror Spiritus to encourage people to read it. Every so often, one reads a book that blows the mind with “good stuff”. It is very rough-going for authors to get the attention they deserve if they aren’t already famous or carried by the giant publishers. So I’d like to do my part for this book.

Thomson illuminates the various realms of intelligence available to humans. He writes about that which we are most familiar because it is the most valued…mental intelligence or brain smarts. Perhaps a growing number of us are familiar with these other types of intelligence: emotional intelligence, or being able to manage our feelings or social intelligence, the ability to “play well with others.” He goes on to explain that intuition is also an intelligence, something more and more of us are realizing but not something valued much in our patriarchal society. He also gives credence to spiritual intelligence or the ability to go beyond normal awareness, understanding, and behavior, and finally, to physical intelligence which goes beyond the concept of an athlete’s skills to the finer use of all of our senses.

So, what’s the Mirror Spiritus tie-in? It’s the full-spectrum, baby! Mirror Spiritus is about light and what better way to embody light than to fully develop our innate intelligence to its full potentials. But there’s more. I see this work as a reflection of human potential. Thomson does a beautiful job of opening our minds to all that remains untapped within us.

My Amazon review went as follows:

This book deserves a 10 star rating, but since that isn’t an option, I’ll settle for five. Chris Thomson has written a fascinating book I wish EVERYBODY would read…like NOW! It is clearly written and easy to read but full of incredibly inspiring and insightful information about “behaving wisely and well”. He explores the various intelligences–physical, emotional, mental, intuitive, social and spiritual–in a completely accessible way and offers simple practices to become more aware of and to build your intelligence in every area. It’s really a timely book while the whole world seems to be going mad; it reminds us to exercise humility and to pay attention to the whole self. It’s a prescription for what ails us if we are willing to get past our outdated concepts of intelligence (and indeed past our own arrogance) and heal the wounding around not being smart enough. I hope it gets translated into every known human language.

As Thomson writes, developing our intelligences is a means to become fully human. To be unconscious in any of the intelligences is to be less than we can be…indeed were born to be. And ignorance perpetuates insanity. Let’s face it. Some crazy-ass shit (pardon my language) has been going down in the world lately. Just this week, Paris endured terrorism the likes of which it has never known. I’m not saying this book can change the world and end the hate, but I am saying that this book can change your world if you let it. And isn’t that how we change the rest of the world?

Full Spectrum Intelligence: A Practical Course on Behaving Wisely and Well

 

Shisha Embroidery

Did you know? Shisha embroidery is the craft of sewing tiny mirroring objects to fabric. It originated in 17th century India (supposedly with the wife of Shah Jehan who built the Taj Mahal in her honor) eventually spreading throughout Asia and the Middle East. Interestingly, Native Americans are also known to have used mirrors to decorate their dress supposedly seeing them as symbols of wealth and prestige (though Mirror Spiritus has a much more spiritual theory on their usage by tribal cultures). Whether sewn on clothing or into domestic fabrics such as tablecloths and hangings, shisha is used in some cultures to throw off the “evil eye”, whether this was believed to happen because it reflected the evil away or because it dazzled and distracted, one cannot say. Mirror Spiritus finds shisha a delightful means of bringing more light into our world. (And the “evil eye” protection can’t hurt!)

The mirrors most often represent the center of flowers or the eyes of animals. In wall hangings, they sometimes represent the ears of the Sun God or the breasts of Radha, so they aren’t random decoration traditionally. The video above demonstrates (in a rather meditative fashion) how the mirrors are affixed to fabric.

For those of you who have never had the privilege of seeing the Native American “Jingle Dance” live, take a look at this video. Though it is not related to Shisha in an obvious way, Mirror Spiritus would speculate that the numerous rows of shiny metal bells perform a similar function…to bring in more light and cast out darkness. What do you think?

More on Osho & Mirror Meditation

When we look into the mirror during mirror meditation, what do we see?

Spiritual teacher, Mooji, has an awesome youtube meditation in which he has you visualize yourself standing on a scale removing everything that is not natural to you. In other words, you remove your clothes, your dental fillings, and your nail polish, and once that is through, you remove the memories and thoughts which did not exist for you when you were born. In other words, it is a stripping away of all that is unnatural to our being. When we practice this, we get a sense of just how light our actual being is. Osho, another spiritual teacher, defines meditation as “the art of cleaning your mirror from all the dust that the society, the religion, the educational system has poured on you, to take away everything that has not been born with you, to bring you to your absolute innocence as you were born as a child”.

When Osho was asked why during mirror meditation, one meditator felt like he wasn’t looking at or seeing himself, Osho explained that this is absolutely correct! The reflection we see isn’t us. We are what is perceiving the reflection. He says, “if you think you are mirrored in the mirror, that is a lie…” It just happens to be one we all agree upon, and therefore it seems logical and real. He goes on to say, “Your consciousness cannot be reflected by the mirror,” unless, he says, that mirror is love.

Osho’s teaching on this is so profoundly beautiful. He explains how lovers can sometimes mirror each other through their deep intimacy. The personalities disappear and only love remains. The experience is akin to two mirrors reflecting one another thus reflecting infinity. That’s what two clear mirrors do when they face each other. They create infinity. This is one of the reasons why practicing mirror meditation with someone you love (being one another’s mirror) can be so profound.

When you are practicing mirror meditation alone, do the practice, whatever the focus, and engage with yourself, but always try to keep in the back of your mind that what you see is NOT you. Always bring any mirror meditation session to a close by being still and empty, practicing the recognition that you are the pure consciousness aware of the reflection and not what is being reflected.

Source: God’s Got a Thing About You, Chapter 17 – Osho

Book Review – Rising in Love: An Honest Spiritual Journey…

 

Mirror Spiritus likes to bring great works of writing to readers. So from time to time, we’ll post book reviews of books that we feel are aligned with Mirror Spiritus. This post features a book by Ram Das Batchelder titled Rising in Love: My Wild and Crazy Ride to Here and Now, with Amma, the Hugging Saint.

The book shares the author’s adventures as he follows Amma across the country and then to India where he undergoes an intense purification through dysentery…hey, no one ever said the spiritual path was an easy one…and the tests he either fails or passes. Within seconds of beginning the book, I felt the presence of this being, Amma, and all she embodies working on me. It made my eyes water with anticipation of the gift.

“The world being my mirror, I find nutty people everywhere.”

Along the journey, Ram Das meets other awakened beings, but none whose love can hold a candle to Amma’s. Throughout his quest for enlightenment and relationship, the beauty of this story is in the honesty…that the spiritual path is not only one full of bliss and bright light, but one of inner thorns and torments as well as outer-world challenges.

Ram Das’s story is honest and courageous, hiding nothing because he’s already learned he can’t hide anyway. For him, this realization came through Amma in all her aspects who repeatedly penetrated his secret thoughts and failings and brought them into his awareness. He never really got away with anything he might have thought he did.

It makes one wonder…at least me wonder…if we really are all the characters in our own dream. When we choose to take a guru, or a guru chooses us, are they not a stand-in for our own divinity?

And that’s where this book meets Mirror Spiritus. A good guru is a clear mirror, reflecting all parts of us with perfection…a perfection we aren’t always ready to acknowledge within ourselves, a perfection we can’t understand because we’re either still judging ourselves for our failure to live up to it or so lost in our own delusion we believe too strongly in our own image.

“If there’s one thing in life I’m an authority on, it’s the mood swing that accompanies finding out you’re not Enlightened after all.”

I know that there will be many readers out there who can relate to his fascinating and somewhat dizzying psychological backstory. To be honest, this section was painful for me to read. But it did serve to punctuate Amma’s transformative power in his life all the more. I know it illustrates how lacking our society is in dealing with spiritual awakenings…so often treated as rebellion or worse, mental illness. Contrarily, it also illustrates how insane the mind can be, when we begin to think we understand something and try to grasp a truly unknowable thing and turn it into a concept and make meaning of it for ourselves and end up in trouble. And this trouble can be made all the worse with phsychotropic substances, as our author illustrates. Thankfully, as Ram Das writes: “God doesn’t let anyone stay in hell forever.”

I appreciated deeply the story of the author’s Ashram marriage and the challenges he and his wife faced on their path, especially when it seemingly diverged. Again, Amma’s love made it possible for their commitment to one another to endure.

“And sometimes – this is a secret – butterflies, too, metamorphose.
Into angels.”

I had heard of Amma before reading this book, but I never encountered her nor knew of the amazingly intuitive and miraculous things she does…other than the hugging. I would love to meet her someday. In many ways, after having read this book, I feel as though I already have. To learn more about her, visit Amma.org. All proceeds from the sale of the book benefit an Indian orphanage. To learn more visit, Rising in Love.

Or purchase the book on Amazon*:

Rising in Love: My Wild and Crazy Ride to Here and Now, with Amma, the Hugging Saint

Meet Artist & Lighting Designer Jill Mulholland

“Color and light are the strongest elicitors of beauty.”

I love how I met artist and lighting designer, Jill Mulholland. I had gone to a Temazcal or Mexican sweatlodge in Albuquerque. The woman running it just happened to be talking about a woman she knew who had done some research on how mirrors were used by “avisadores” to communicate with light signals across long distances. Having been working on Mirror Spiritus for several weeks prior, my little ears perked up. I begged for an introduction.

Jill was very accommodating and willing to meet with me not knowing if I was some kind of crazy person or not. She invited me to her home and without even having to explain what I was up to, she told me all about herself and her work. She had so many interesting things to share about mirrors and light. I was enthralled.

Then she showed me her Light Confetti. I was immediately taken back to a scene from the movie, Pollyanna, when the children discover “rainbow makers” or chandelier crystals at the house of the grumpy old man. Only Jill’s Light Confetti was about 10x more enchanting than any crystal light show I’ve seen. This art was casting a sun-lit constellation of stars all over her room! It was breathtakingly beautiful.

I downloaded a copy of Jill’s dissertation, Light Celebrating Place, West Texas Road Trip, and started reading it. It isn’t as dry as one might expect. Instead, it is a poetic and inspiring work that details her fascination with light, shadow, reflection, glow and color; reading about it fascinates the reader in turn…at least it did me. It’s right up the Mirror Spiritus alley, so to speak.

She writes:

“For me, reflections let me enter that place inside myself where it is quiet and non-verbal.”

She also talks about the depth of information contained in a shadow and that while reflection “bounces off”, glow “passes through”. Without knowing anything about mirror meditation, Jill has somehow managed to describe what it is, how it works, and what can be achieved through its practice!

I have two of these delightful, glistening pieces in my home now. I definitely want more!!! I hope to add some more photos of Light Confetti soon, so stay tuned.


Jill Mulholland received a B.A. in Maya Archaeology from Rutgers College, worked as an archaeologist in Belize, and as a contract archaeologist in California, Montana, Oregon and New Jersey. She learned light as a three-dimensional art form in the theater and received a Masters in Interior Architecture from the University of Oregon. Jill practiced as an architectural lighting designer in San Francisco, Portland, OR, and Princeton. She received a PhD. in Architecture from Texas A&M University, where she taught design studios in the Architecture and Visualization Departments. Her dissertation, Light Celebrating Place, resulted in four works of light art, one of which was temporarily installed in Big Bend National Park. This installation brought her work full circle back to the archaeology of the Mesoamerica and the Southwest.

Jill was the recipient of the Baker Chair, a position of merit that brings distinguished faculty to the University of Oregon in 2011. Later in 2011 she was a visiting professor at the University of Oklahoma. Currently she coordinates an all-volunteer non-profit board for the International Association of Lighting Designers that furthers architectural lighting education. Jill recently moved to Albuquerque to start a light art studio.

 

 

 

Hum for Health

We all want to stay healthy and happy all year-long, of course. Here’s a great article with some tips for staying healthy this winter. Toning for Peace finds #14 exceptionally interesting!! And you can do it all year-long…

It’s all about the hum! “Humming has been shown to increase nitric oxide in the nose, which is antimicrobial,” says Dr. Payne. To read the full article and item 14:

http://www.today.com/health/26-ways-avoid-getting-sick-winter-1D80290214?google_editors_picks=true

Mirrors in Art

There are some seriously beautiful installations out there that feature mirrors. Check out these “mindmelting” amazing mirrors in art. These images are not to be missed!!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kevintang/mind-melting-artworks-made-with-mirrors#t7qhwl

http://beautifuldecay.com/2013/11/29/dan-graham-four-artists-use-mirrors-artwork/

Daniel Rozen, mirror artist

 http://www.smoothware.com/danny/

Mirror Cubes

http://twistedsifter.com/2013/12/light-bending-cube-of-one-way-mirrors-numen-for-use/

Here also is a fabulous blog post, How Mirrors Changed Art, from Thinking About Art that talks about some of the earliest mirrors and includes links to some interesting videos as well as some additional resources (though some of the links no longer function).

A Brief History of Scrying

Ever wish you could just look into a crystal ball and see into your future? Would it be a blessing or a curse to have such vision?

The art of scrying, the practice of gazing into a reflective surface and becoming focused on a single point to remotely view another person, place or time, has been around as long as the human desire to foretell the future.  The ancient Greeks and Celts practiced scrying as did the “wizards” of Mesopotamian and Mesoamerican cultures, the latter known for using polished obsidian.

In more recent culture, we see scrying in the Wizard of Oz, first when the fortune teller Dorothy meets after she runs away from home uses a crystal ball to focus in on her Auntie Em and again when the wicked witch uses one to follow Dorothy’s movements. We also see it in Snow White, when the evil queen uses the mirror to confirm her identity as the fairest in the land. And of course, it appears in even more recently in the Harry Potter series.

Any smooth and reflective surface will do…a bowl of water, a mirror, glass, or a candle. Nostradamus, in fact, used a bowl of water to see into the future while in a trance state, making it possible for him to to perceive and then interpret images that appeared through ripples, waves, and reflections upon and within the water.

At Mirror Spiritus, we aren’t so much interested in the practice of scrying as an end unto itself. It is neither something we practice nor teach, though it can spontaneously occur during mirror meditation for those with such proclivities. Certainly, when we quiet the mind and become focused on a single object, we open ourselves to deep relaxation and can receive messages from deep within. If you are interested in learning more about it, check out this short course in scrying from Hermetic.com.

 

 

Paul Klee Quote

“Some will not recognize the truthfulness of my mirror. Let them remember that I am not here to reflect the surface… but must penetrate inside. My mirror probes down to the heart.”

Paul Klee

Byron Katie on Mirrors

“Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror.”

Byron Katie

Mirror Meditation – Intro Meditation

This is an introductory mirror meditation suitable for all levels. It draws upon the practice of Ho’oponopono, a practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. You will need a mirror. For more mirror meditation videos, please subscribe to the MirrorSpiritus youtube channel.

Rumi & the Mirror

Rumi & the Mirror

Contemplate these beautiful quotes from Sufi poet, Rumi, during your mirror meditations.

~~“You have no idea how hard I’ve looked for a gift to bring You. Nothing seemed right. What’s the point of bringing gold to the gold mine, or water to the ocean. Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the Orient. It’s no good giving my heart and my soul because you already have these. So I’ve brought you a mirror. Look at yourself and remember me.”

~~“The truth was a mirror in the hands of God. It fell, and broke into pieces. Everybody took a piece of it, and they looked at it and thought they had the truth.”

~~“If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”

~~”We are pain and what cures pain, both. We are the sweet cold water and the jar that pours. I want to hold you close like a lute, so that we can cry out with loving. Would you rather throw stones at a mirror? I am your mirror and here are the stones.”

~~”Between the mirror and the heart is this single difference: the heart conceals secrets, while the mirror does not”

~~”If you could get rid of yourself just once, the secret of secrets would open to you. The face of the unknown,
hidden beyond the universe would appear on the mirror of your perception.”

~~”Let go of your worries and be completely clear-hearted, like the face of a mirror that contains no images. If you want a clear mirror, behold yourself and see the shameless truth, which the mirror reflects. If metal can be polished to a mirror-like finish, what polishing might the mirror of the heart require? Between the mirror and the heart is this single difference: the heart conceals secrets, while the mirror does not.”

~~”Your grief for what you’ve lost lifts a mirror up to where you’re bravely working. Expecting the worst, you look, and instead here’s the joyful face you’ve been wanting to see. Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you’d be paralyzed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as bird wings.”

~~”When the mirror of the heart becomes pure and clear, impressions of the other world will become manifest. The image and the image-maker will become visible, like the carpet and the carpet-spreader.”

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