Scrying and Crystal Ball Reading: A

Comprehensive Guide to Divination,

Psychic Mediumship, and Working with
Spirit Guides (A Spiritual Journey)
Silvia Hill
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 Scrying and Crystal Ball
Reading
A Comprehensive Guide to
Divination, Psychic Mediumship,
and Working with Spirit Guides
© Copyright 2023 - All rights reserved.
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Table of Contents
Part 1: Scrying
Introduction
SECTION ONE: SCRYING ESSENTIALS
Chapter 1: Scrying: An Ancient Form of Divination
Chapter 2: Preparing to Scry
Chapter 3: Psychic Protection
Chapter 4: Working with Spirit Guides
SECTION TWO: SCRYING IN PRACTICE
Chapter 5: Mirror Scrying
Chapter 6: Crystal Scrying
Chapter 7: Tea Leaves and Coffee Scrying
Chapter 8: Liquid Scrying
Chapter 9: Flame and Smoke Scrying
Chapter 10: Other Forms of Scrying
Conclusion
Bonus
Part 2: Crystal Ball Reading
Introduction
Chapter 1: What Is Scrying?
Chapter 2: Preparation and Tools
Chapter 3: Crystal Ball Basics
Chapter 4: Scrying Your Crystal Ball
Chapter 5: Crystal Ball Symbols or Interpretations
Chapter 6: Psychic Protection
Chapter 7: Mediumship Fundamentals
Chapter 8: Preparing for Mediumship
Chapter 9: Enhancing Your Psychic Abilities
Bonus: Esoteric Signs and Symbols
Conclusion
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References
 Part 1: Scrying
Unlocking Ancient and Modern-Day
Methods of Divination, Fortune-
Telling, and Ways of Receiving
Messages from Spirit Guides
Introduction
Today’s world feels a little too big and a little too scary. How can you
navigate it and figure out your daily choices? Could you receive
supreme guidance that you can trust a hundred percent? Is it
possible to know that the path you are walking on is exactly where
you should be? Or how do you figure out your past to better
understand where you’re at and what you can do about it? Do you
want to take control of your life and chart your journey to fulfillment
with ease and flow? If so, this book is excellent for you.
Unlike other books on scrying, this one is written in simple, easy-to-
understand English. It is packed with powerful information with step-
by-step instructions on how to accomplish various techniques you
will work with as you learn to craft your life using scrying.
This book is superior to anything else you will find out there. It has
been written with love and with one powerful intention; to take
anyone, whether beginner or struggling scryer, to a point where they
have mastery of their craft. So, if you’re ready to elevate your craft
to the next level, dive into this book with gusto. Take lots of notes
and prepare to put in the work to see phenomenal results!
SECTION ONE: SCRYING ESSENTIALS
Chapter 1: Scrying: An Ancient Form of
Divination
Imagine having a GPS for your life. You can use it to figure out your
path in life and even look at the ground you’ve already covered to
understand where you’re coming from. That’s what it’s like when you
can scry. Your crystal ball may not have the names of streets and
stations like your GPS, but the fact remains that the scrying process
is just as valuable. Through scrying, you can receive guidance and
clarity on whatever you want.

Scrying can be considered a GPS for your life.

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Before getting into anything else, it is important to explain what
scrying is so there’s no confusion about it. Scrying is an ancient
divination practice that involves the intuitive interpretation of visions
observed on a reflective surface that depict past, present, or future
events. The most common form of scrying would be using the
crystal ball, but you can use many other methods besides the one
you will explore later in this book.
The word scry is etymologically rooted in “ scrye ” a Middle English
word. The full word is ascrye, which is from escrier , a Middle French
word that literally means “to call out.” This word is also connected to
the Middle English word “ descrien,” which means “to descry,”
meaning “to spot something by looking.”
Some assume that only witches, mediums, or psychics can practice
this ancient divination art, but that’s untrue. You don’t have to be a
monk or have practiced meditation for eons. You don’t need to learn
to sit in silence for hours on end before you can finally learn
something through scrying. This doesn’t mean there’s no work
involved in learning, but that it’s something anyone can pick up —
including you.
The Origin of Scrying
Evidence shows that scrying was practiced in ancient Babylonia
between 1895 and 539 BCE. The ancient Babylonians would fill a
bowl with water in their version of scrying. Then, they’d put some oil
in the water and observe the shapes it formed and the way it moved
since oil and water don’t mix. In ancient Mesopotamia, rather than
using oil, they used flour. Later on, it became more commonplace to
work only with water in a specific method of scrying, now called
lecanomancy or hydromancy .
“The Shahnameh” is a tenth-century Persian text about a divination
tool called the Cup of Jamshid. It is believed that the first time this
cup was used for divination was between 518 and 330 BCE in
Persepolis. This is based on mythology, but the fact that this text
exists says that scrying must have been a thing in Persia. Also,
considering that Mesopotamia was part of the Persian Empire, it
makes sense to assume that scrying was also practiced there.
Back in medieval times, specifically during the Renaissance, people
became increasingly interested in esoteric philosophy, which led
Europeans to become more fascinated by scrying. Other cultures
participating in this art at the time included the Greeks, Egyptians,
and Hindus. Egyptians would fill a container with oil, and then they’d
have a young boy to serve as a scryer, looking into the oil to see
what would come up, while others would invoke one or more gods
seven times. This process would lead to revelations about the future.
The Egyptian scrying method was very similar to what can be found
in ancient Hebrew texts. Also, it’s important to note that the vision’s
intensity depends on the kind of water or oil used with this method.
The scrying vessel varied from one tradition to the next. For
instance, some preferred to work with obsidian or other smooth
rocks which easily reflected images. Others would work with crystals
or bronze discs. Certain traditions had priests who put blood on the
mirror or reflective surface to get answers from the divine. It’s
natural to be apprehensive of this method, but don’t let that scare
you away from the practice of scrying in general. You won’t need
blood to scry, so you can breathe easily now.
The Aztecs had a temple built in honor of Tezcatlipoca, a god whose
name is a combination of two different words: tezcatl , which means
“it’s a mirror,” and ihpoca , which means “it releases smoke.” His
name is interpreted to mean “Lord of the Smoking Mirror” or
“Smoking Mirror.” The priests would receive visions by working with
flat, black obsidian mirrors. According to the mythology, Tezcatlipoca
is omniscient, meaning he is all-knowing, aware of everything
happening everywhere all at once, and able to see into even the
darkest of hearts. Hernán Cortés got hold of the mirrors these
Tezcatlipoca priests used, and he took them to Europe, where John
Dee would take one to use in his divination work. Eventually, it
became popular among all European magicians and mystics.
Scryers from the Past
John Dee was born in 1527 and passed away in 1609. He was an
astrologer, alchemist, occultist, astronomer, and mathematician, and
he was in the service of Queen Elizabeth I. Dee was responsible for
impressive writings on alchemy and had quite a collection of
interesting objects which were mystical in nature. Among them was
the Claude glass, which he used for scrying. The Claude glass was a
black glass mirror, and it was kept safe in a case made of sharkskin.
Typically, it was used by those who wanted to get the lay of the
land, as well as artists and travelers. It was called a “Claude glass”
because it’s eponymously named after Claude Lorraine, a landscape
painter who lived during the 17th century.
Nostradamus’s preferred scrying method was using a brass bowl full
of water balanced on a tripod. The “prophet” would look into the
water long enough to notice a flame. This flame would then reveal
to him everything to come, and he would write down his predictions
as poetry in his 1955 book “Les Prophéties.” These prophecies are
popularly called quatrains, and from them, scholars deduced that
Nostradamus had foretold the coming of Hitler and the assassination
of John Kennedy.
Eliphas Levi Zahed was another powerful diviner, born Alphonse
Louis Constant on February 8, 1810. He was a prolific author who
wrote over 20 books on the occult, alchemy, the Kabbalah, magic,
etc. At first, he was a consummate Catholic, but he would eventually
walk away from that path in his mid-twenties, choosing magic
instead. By age 40, he began sharing everything he knew about the
occult. Fun facts: his pen name is an anagram of his actual name,
written in Hebrew, and he was a former French Mason.
The Spiritual and Ceremonial Nature of Scrying
Without fail, no matter what culture practices scrying, you’ll notice
that they do so with reverence, understanding the power and
mystery behind this profoundly spiritual practice. When you practice
scrying, you’re pushing past the seemingly solid bounds of reality
and diving deep into the world of spirits. You’re pushing past the 3D
world to connect with the divine power that created and sustains all
life, so you can glean information that would remain otherwise
hidden.
Many cultures and religions worldwide have scrying at the heart of
their practices. However, beyond culture and religion, this practice
has a psychological aspect. You must plumb the depths of your
psyche to make it work. This means you cannot operate with your
regular, waking consciousness. You need to enter an altered state,
not through substances or anything sketchy, but by keeping your
attention locked on your preferred scrying medium. As you channel
your focus on it, you’ll wind up unlocking amazing psychological
gates that will let you see archetypes, symbols, pictures, and other
visuals, coming through your subconscious. Therefore, scrying is an
excellent way to explore the world within yourself, so you can better
understand why life plays out the way it does for you. When you
practice this ancient divination art, you’ll open up to healing and
transformation and discover things you never knew about yourself.
The Athenian philosopher Socrates once said, “Man, know thyself.”
Scrying is one of the best ways to accomplish that lifelong task.
When you practice scrying in a group, the odds are this practice will
shape how you think and how everyone else thinks. The images
appearing as you gaze into the medium often go beyond things
affecting individuals. Instead, the themes of your visions will be
those that affect everyone, as the revealed archetypal patterns are
relatable to one and all. This leads to a sense of unity,
understanding, and acceptance of everyone present for this
profound experience. Tapping into wisdom from the divine as a
community or any other group is a powerful experience everyone
should have at least once.
There’s also the matter of the spiritual connection that you
experience when you scry. You’re bridging the gap between the
material and spiritual worlds, which means anything is possible. Your
state of awareness is anything but ordinary as you do this, which
implies you’re very open to messages from the other side from all
sorts of wise, intelligent beings. These messages can guide you, help
you develop spiritually, and improve your understanding of your
place in life.
Gift or Skill?
Many practitioners of the craft disagree about whether scrying is
something you’re just born with or something you can learn. Either
way, the general consensus is that you have to be naturally talented
when it comes to divination and work on getting better at your skills
through practice if you want excellent results. Those who say that
scrying is an innate gift believe that not everyone is great at picking
up on subtle energies and spiritual messages. They say that some
people have an affinity for divination and display their abilities from
a young age, consciously or spontaneously, with no training. On the
other hand, some insist that scrying is something anyone can learn
to do. These people believe that while you may need more time and
training than someone with a natural bent for these things, you can
still master this craft. They believe all you need to do is practice
exercises that help you improve concentration, shift your state of
consciousness, and visualize. You can accomplish these things
through specific exercises meant to sharpen those skills.
Just because you are naturally gifted at scrying or some other form
of divination doesn’t mean you’re exempt from practicing to get
better. If you don’t nurture your skills, your practice will not be
effective. You need guidance so you understand what you’re doing.
Fortunately, you’re reading this book, and that’s a good step in the
right direction. Even people who’ve practiced for the longest time
still need to keep learning and growing. If you’re one of those who
aren’t gifted at divination, know that the doors of scrying are still
very open to you with some work and patience.
Popular Scrying Methods
There are so many scrying methods you can use in your practice.
Crystal ball gazing is the most popular one, but that doesn’t mean
that’s all there is to it. So, take a look at some of the other ways that
you can scry.
Using a Scrying Bowl: While this tool is known as a scrying bowl,
that does not necessarily mean it was always shaped like that. In
ancient times in Japan, scryers would work with black lacquer boxes,
like the kobako incense box , to divine what was in store for them.
Usually, scrying bowls are made of glass, metal, or stone polished to
a shine. They would fill the scrying bowl with water, ink, or oil. Then,
the bowl would be set on an altar or a board before the scryer so
that they could get into a state of trance as they stared at the
surface of the bowl of water.
The beauty of working with a scrying bowl is that you do not need
too much to start. This instrument is very easy to get. You can work
with a teacup as a makeshift scrying bowl. Your bowl must be made
of something dark because the darker it is, the easier it is for you to
see reflective images and other things. If your bowl is not dark
enough, you may find it useful to dim the lights around you, draw
the curtains if necessary, and work with lights that have a softer
glow, like from a candle or a lantern. Then, all you have to do is look
into the bowl and do your best not to blink too often.
Using a Scrying Mirror: Finding a black obsidian mirror or plate in
your nearby New Age shop is pretty easy. To work with a scrying
mirror, you must first sanctify it. You’ll need to work with Sage or
Palo Santo to smudge the mirror so that the information that comes
through it is always true. Ideally, you should do this before every
practice. You can also work with herbs like mugwort, lavender, and
sage to raise the vibration of the mirror and your divination space.
You can put the mirror on an altar or a cloth made of velvet so that
it doesn’t get scratched. To amplify the effects of the mirror, use
crystals like amethyst which is excellent for psychic abilities, and
quartz, which amplifies any energy channeled to it or around it.
As you allow yourself to get lost in the mirror, go deeper within
yourself while meditating so that your subconscious can connect
with the divine and send messages to your conscious mind. Your job
is to watch whatever forms on the reflective surface with no
judgment. All you need at this time is your intuition so that you can
accurately interpret what you’re seeing. Some imagination also
helps. Some people prefer to create their own mirrors – and you can
do this too if you’re inclined. Also, it doesn’t have to be brand new;
you can get one from a thrift store. Just ensure that it is the darkest
black possible.
Using a Scrying Stone or Crystals: The side stone, also known
as zaztun , was popular for scrying among the Yucatan people.
Usually, the stone was made of quartz or some other clear crystal to
allow the people to divine what happened in the past and what was
to come. The boylya of Western Australia also worked with the
quartz crystal to channel their energy into it and then divine answers
for all kinds of things like healing, predicting when the rain would
next fall, trying to locate someone, or creating medicine.
If you choose this tool, you must note that clear quartz is not your
only option. You could also work with black obsidian, which has a
very reflective surface. Both of these crystals possess magical
energies that enhance results when scrying. These crystals are
excellent for boosting and cleansing energy, enhancing clarity and
protection. Another wonderful thing about them is that they are
pretty hard to damage, so you don’t have to worry too much about
ruining your stone if you are a little careless. That doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t take care of it as best as you can, though.
It is also possible to make use of several crystals at once. Author of
the Book of Mormon, and the creator of the Church of Latter-Day
Saints, Joseph Smith Jr, would do this. He received visions from a
being called Moroni. This being led him to discover the seer stones,
and while Joseph worked with these stones, he had other people
around him who helped to write down his dictations from the
visions. This would lead to the creation of a new religion and its
central religious texts. Joseph Smith Jr. also had the Urim and
Thummim, which were named after the stones in the Bible. These
stones were called the Plates of Nephi. He also worked with a
brownstone and a white one which he had discovered before
encountering an angelic being. These stones were extremely useful
for locating treasure back in the late 1700s.
Seer stones are excellent because you can use them for scrying and
deepening your meditation practice. You can also incorporate them
into other magical practices that you may be engaged in. All you
have to do is hold these stones in your hand while focusing on your
intention.
Fire Scrying : Did you know you can also stare into the flames to
get visions? This practice is known as fire scrying or flame scrying .
At this point, it is important to state that you must exercise extreme
caution when working with fire. The last thing you want to do is
burn yourself or damage your home. So please make sure you have
the proper fire safety tools like extinguishers around you.
When you stare into the flames, you can get messages from the
divine about what’s to come. Scrying with fire was popular with
many magicians because fire possesses brilliant and powerful
energy. It can tear through the darkness and uncover all that is
secret and hidden so that you can see it all laid there before you.
The great thing about working with fire is that it increases the
energies responsible for change, creation, and passion. Also,
metaphysically speaking, fire represents the divine spark of life in
everything and everyone. It is also excellent for purifying stale
energies and transforming them into much higher frequencies.
Often, magicians and witches work with fire because they know they
can use it to transmit energy and make it more positive and
powerful.
So, when flame scrying, you pay attention to the flames while
allowing your mind to settle into stillness. It’s like meditating with
your eyes open as you look at the fire. When your mind is still, you
may begin to see patterns, symbols, images, and any other form of
communication possible, giving you insight into whatever it is that
you need to know. It’s easy to do wherever you have a fire, like with
a candle or a fireplace. You can do it independently or work with
others if you wish. Working with fire has another advantage. It
amplifies your psychic abilities, helping you become more accurate in
your divination and more sensitive to subtle energies around you.
This means that you can elevate your spiritual practice. You may use
several candles simultaneously if you choose to work with candle
fire. To amplify the energy of the flames, it’s worth setting up the
candles in a triangular shape, or you can draw sacred geometry and
set the candles up at various points on it. This is an excellent way to
supercharge your results. Note that you can consider what the
flames are telling you as a whole, or you may look at each candle
flame individually for various questions or aspects of your query. You
could focus on how powerful the flame is, how much it flickers and
dances, the color gradients of the flame, and so on.
Water Scrying: You’ve probably already figured that if you can scry
with fire, you can scry with water too. To make this more interesting,
you can work with bath oils or bath bombs. The colors of these tools
can add extra dimensions to the messages you get from the water.
You can also perform this as a ritual bath. In other words, after
taking a bath, you can step out of the water and see what it tells
you. Think of yourself like a tea bag. Having soaked your essence
into the water, you can use that to read what is going on with you or
what will happen in the future. Another excellent thing you can do
when scrying with your bathtub water is to pour candle wax into it
and observe the patterns that form to see if you get any messages
from it.
The great thing about water is that it’s so easy to slip into meditation
as you focus on it. By incorporating other elements like aromas, you
can easily slip into a state of calm that makes it easy for you to
connect with your subconscious mind and the divine messages that
are streaming through it. Scrying by water can also be done by
working with natural bodies of water. For instance, you may stare
into a lake or pond, take a look at the ocean’s waves, or if you’re
fortunate enough to see a waterfall, you may look to it for guidance.
However, if you choose something more private, then working in
your bathtub is a good option, and in the absence of that, a bowl
will do.
Scrying with Technology: Humanity has come a long way since
the ancient times of working with obsidian stones and such. The
spiritual can merge with technology and create amazing results. If
you look at your phone when the screen is not on, you will notice
that it is black. Not only that, but it is also reflective. The point is it is
reminiscent of black obsidian. So, you can stare at any screen and
use that as a divination tool. It may seem a bit sacrilegious to think
that such a powerful ancient practice should be performed on
modern-day tools like your cell phone, where you spend countless
hours watching kitty videos. However, if you think about it, back
then, black obsidian and other such tools were considered the
standard of the day. So, there’s no reason why you cannot work with
a screen.
When you work with your electronic devices, you must be mindful of
the radiation they can admit. Some studies suggest that melatonin is
necessary for the repression of cancer and that too much screen
time reduces melatonin levels. Therefore, you should be mindful of
how long you expose yourself to your device. Better yet, make sure
that it is completely switched off. If you are extremely worried about
radiation, you can also use shungite crystals to protect you from EMF
radiation.

Is Scrying Dangerous?
Scrying isn’t dangerous if you carefully implement certain
precautions and approach the practice with the right attitude. First of
all, it is important to note that the process of scrying opens up your
subconscious, which means that you may deal with intense
experiences on an emotional and psychological level. Therefore, if
you are struggling with pre-existing mental conditions or have
trouble regulating your emotions, you may have experiences that
feel too intense and overwhelming to cope with as you scry.
Another thing to beware of is that you may misinterpret the images
you get. If you are turning to scrying for proper guidance, you may
find that this misinterpretation is dangerous. You may make choices
aligning with what you’ve received or think you received, which
could be damaging. Sometimes, some entities have ulterior motives
and may seek to deceive you. So, you should employ the right
safeguards to remain protected from these entities and their
intentions. The key? Be clear in your intentions before you begin to
scry and set up psychic protection. You’ll learn about these later.
So, to ensure you have a safe experience, you must prepare yourself
emotionally and mentally before each session. This means you
should meditate to release stress and anxiety, and any other
negative emotions that may color what you perceive from your
scrying medium. You must ensure your emotions are grounded
because this is how you will receive clear readings.
You must never begin a session without being clear about your
intentions, and not only that, but you must also set your boundaries
clearly. You must state in your mind or out loud that you want only
the best, most accurate information from positive, loving, and
trustworthy sources. You must also be clear that no negative,
mischievous entity is welcome at your session. When you set these
boundaries, there is no way that you can receive information that
could harm you. Another thing you can practice is to sanctify and
cleanse the energy of your divination space. That could mean
sprinkling salt in a circle all around you or envisioning a bright
golden light that surrounds you and fills your space as you work. It’s
also important to prepare your space by choosing somewhere you
will not be distracted, with the appropriate lighting, temperature,
and ambiance. Now that you understand everything about the basics
of scrying, you will learn what you must do to be prepared for this
practice in the next chapter.
Chapter 2: Preparing to Scry
When you are about to travel to a different country, you must make
certain preparations. You must research the country, its customs and
laws, safe areas, and places to avoid. You must ensure that you
have done all the required medical examinations and have your visa
and passport ready. You must pack appropriately for the weather
and ensure you get to the airport on time to check in and not miss
your flight. In the same way, when scrying, you have to be prepared
before you start the process. So, in this chapter, you’ll learn how to
prepare and the tools you need for scrying.
Preparing Your Mind
Before anything else, you must understand that scrying is a skill like
any other. That means you need to practice constantly to get the
hang of it. This applies to you even if you are already talented at
this. It is also important to remember that there will be a trial and
error period so you do not wind up frustrated when things appear
not to be working out for you. There will also be times when it
appears as if you’re stuck, but you must not give up at this point
because things will eventually line up. Right after this time, you may
experience a plateau again. However, at this point, you must have
learned that just because your progress appears to have flatlined
does not mean it will not spike again.
 Like any other skill, scrying requires a lot of practice.
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Therefore, you should be willing to accept that it may take you some
months before you start to see consistent results. Sure, you will
experience times when things are really working out better than
you’re used to, but it’s important to anticipate those times when they
do not. You will know that you truly have advanced in your practice
when you have consistency for a week or two. Now that you know
what to expect, it is important to address the subject of distractions.

Getting into a Meditative or Trance State

During your practice, you may experience distraction in terms of
physical sensations in your body, external noises, and other people
you live with, as well as the constant inner monologue in your head.
Ignoring such things as an itch that desperately needs scratching
may feel impossible, but it is doable. One thing that will help you
tremendously is mindfulness. To become more mindful, you should
practice meditating every day. By meditating, you quieten your mind
and make it conducive to receiving messages without being
distracted by what your body or other sensations are feeding you.
All you need is 10 to 15 minutes daily when you sit or lie down in a
relaxed, comfortable position. Then, close your eyes and pay
attention to your breath. When your attention wanders (and it will),
gently notice and lovingly return your attention to your breath. Keep
coming back to your breath as often as needed, and ensure you do
not beat yourself up for being so distracted. The fact that you’ve
noticed you’re distracted is a good thing to celebrate because it
means your focusing power is improving. Also, before every scrying
session, you should meditate, as this will help you strengthen the
connection between your mind and spirit and give you better results.
The more you meditate, the more you can observe physical
sensations in your body without responding to them. You will also
realize that the internal chatter in your head subsides, and you will
identify with the larger aspect of yourself that simply observes it and
does not take part in it. Therefore, your mind will become quieter,
creating the optimal conditions for you to perform your scrying.
Creating Your Sacred Space and Yourself
Now that you have realistic expectations from the craft of scrying
and have learned what to do about your mind, body, and other
distractions that may ensue during your practice, it is time to ensure
that your environment is optimal for connecting with the divine. You
see, whatever magical practice you’re engaged in, your imagination
is absolutely essential. This is because it is with your imagination
that you can perceive images. Not only that, imagination acts as the
bridge between your conscious and subconscious minds.
Your imagination also connects you to the spiritual world. In the
spiritual world, one of the most prominent methods of
communication is through visuals, which may include scenes, texts,
and so on. So, when you train your imagination, the results you get
from your magical work will be even better than average.
One of the best things you can do to work on your imagination is to
create a safe space in your mind’s eye. The space is not only safe
but sacred. It could be a simple practice, like imagining golden or
pink or white light that encompasses you and penetrates every
corner of the room you are scrying. Or it could be a more elaborate
practice where you set up an entirely different scene. Note that the
process of creating a safe space by working with your imagination
will do wonders for your third eye by opening it up so that it is easier
for you to perceive messages from the spirits as you scry.
Craft an imaginary world that feels like home to you, then envision
yourself in it. For this to work, you must do this consistently, and
each time you enter this world, you can add details so that it starts
to take on the quality of feeling real and permanent. When creating
this world, you need to incorporate boundaries so that only energies
and entities of a specific quality can make their way into your world.
How you choose to go about this is entirely up to you.
The excellent thing about creating a safe space in your imagination
is that it allows you to scry wherever you may find yourself since you
simply overlay the environment with your own world in your mind’s
eye. Just because your body is in a certain physical location doesn’t
mean that’s the only place you’re in. There is literally more to you
than meets the eye. However, learning to be present in your
imaginary, spiritual space will require much practice. So, if that is
difficult for you, the next best thing is to learn how to turn your
physical space into a safe space.
Pick a space that will be strictly for the practice of scrying. This place
must be quiet and free from distractions so you will not be
interrupted as you scry. If you do not have enough room, you can
pick a section of your space that feels like it would work.
Clean out your space. This means getting rid of all physical clutter
and energetic clutter as well. For physical clutter, you must pick up
things that don’t belong and do your best to ensure the space is in
as much order as you can manage to get it. When it comes to
energetic clutter or still energy, you can get rid of it by sprinkling salt
or salt water around the area, or you may choose to envision a
bright golden light that shines in that area and burns through stale,
dark energy. Remember, you’re using your imagination to envision
this light and darkness. It may feel like it’s not real, but it truly is.
You can also burn sage or other cleansing herbs like mint to purify
your space.
Create the ambiance. You want this space to be somewhere you can
relax and focus on the task at hand. So, if it’s too bright, you may
want to dim the lights. If it’s too dark for your tastes, you may want
to increase the light but make sure that it is soft lighting because
that is more conducive for scrying. Work with LED lights if you want
– or make the classic choice of candles; it doesn’t matter as long as
your space feels like it has a spiritual vibe to it.
Another important element to consider in creating the ambiance is
sound. So, you can use soft instrumental music that allows you to
relax and opens you up to your subconscious mind. You don’t have
to play music. You can create your own by chanting, drumming,
using a singing bowl, or – if you prefer – incorporating sounds of
nature to increase the sense of sacredness, safety, and spirituality
about your space.
Choose sacred objects that matter to you to place in your space. You
may want to incorporate pictures of your ancestors, sacred symbols
connected to your faith, crystals, sacred stones, plants that hold
special meaning for you, and so on. You can also try to incorporate
things that represent all four of the classical elements, Earth, air,
fire, and water.
Now it’s time to bless your space. Purification is one thing. Blessing
is an entirely different thing. You can work with holy water if you
have it, or if your intuition suggests them, use essential oils and
other herbs. You can sprinkle these herbs around your space while
you pray or state an affirmation or a blessing. For instance, you
could say, “ I bless everything that takes place in this space .”
Blessing is about imbuing something or someone with positive
energy and proclaiming that only good can come through to this
person or thing. So, you can work with any phrase that embodies
that intention.
Establish a ritual before every scrying session. When you continue to
do things a certain way before you partake in the scrying session,
you’re essentially increasing the energy of divinity and positivity in
your sacred space. This implies that the results of subsequent
scrying sessions in your sacred space will continue improving. Your
ritual may be as simple as lighting a candle and praying or making
an invocation, but whatever you choose, always begin by cleansing
yourself. You could either take a bath in salt water, sage yourself, or
meditate and visualize a bright golden light from the sky pouring into
you through the top of your head, permeating every part of your
body, inside and out.
Required Tools
Trying to scry without the right tools is like reading a book without
the alphabet. It’s impossible. So, here is a detailed breakdown of the
tools you will likely need for your scrying practice.
Scrying Medium. This refers to whatever tool you gaze into to gain
information from your subconscious mind and the divine. It has to
be a reflective surface that you can stare at for a long time. You
could work with a crystal ball, usually made of gemstones or quartz,
which makes it possible for the refraction of light necessary for you
to see visions as you scry. Other alternatives could be your scrying
mirror, a bowl of water, a flame, or whatever else you can work with
or feel intuitively drawn to.
Cleansing Tools. It is important to note that everything you work
with during your session must be cleansed and purified. This is
because energy can remain stale - counterproductive to your goals.
It is also possible that someone may have touched your things while
you were away, leaving an energetic residue that likely will not be
conducive to receiving accurate messages. Therefore, you must have
the tools necessary to cleanse your other tools and purify your
space. Among the tools required are a smudging bundle like sage or
Palo Santo, which you can burn to cleanse the area, or other tools; a
cleansing spray which could be a combination of salt water, essential
oils, holy water, or whatever else you want to incorporate in your
spray, and a sound instrument like a bell or singing bowl or chimes,
which create sound vibrations that banish negative, stale energies
from a place.
Candles. You will find them a positive addition to your practice.
Something about the soft flame of candlelight makes it easier for
you to get into a meditative state. You must consider choosing
candles and colors connected to your query or intention. For
instance, if you are scrying because you want more clarity on
matters of the heart, you may want to work with a pink or red
candle. A green candle would be great if it’s a subject of abundance.
If you’re thinking about opportunities, try an orange candle.
Sacred Objects. Some of these have already been discussed, like
crystals and other personal effects that have meaning. Other things
include amulets, talismans, figurines, statues of deities that you
were connected to, and so on. This doesn’t mean you should throw
everything on your altar. Just what you feel intuitively is essential.
Other tools include incense, which will help you focus and encourage
a spiritual atmosphere around you, a pen and notepad to write down
everything you experience during your scrying session, and a
meditation mat or a cushion to sit comfortably as you practice.

The Best Time to Scry

Put simply, there’s no best time to scry. You can scry in the morning
or at night. You can scry whenever the urge or inclination hits you.
However, some magicians claim they experience much more power
at certain times of the day or night. The best thing to do is to work
with your intuition and keep a journal. Always write down the times
during which you experienced the best results so you can track that
metric.
If you are particular about having a certain time to scry, you can
choose to work with numerology. For instance, you may choose to
work at a certain time, like 11:11, because of the meaning of the
number 11. 11 is a number related to mysticism and spirituality.
Therefore, you may find all occult work that you partake in is more
efficient when performed at this time. You may want to do your
work during a time that correlates with your birthday or that of the
person you are scrying on behalf of.
Another thing you can use to determine the best time to scry is the
phase of the moon. Different phases of the moon mean different
things. For instance, if you would like to inquire about matters that
are developing or about to start, it may be best to work with the
waxing or new moon. If you are making inquiries about things that
are coming to an end, you can work at any time after the full moon
as it starts to wane. It all comes down to your intention and
preference. Also, it is important to note that some magicians and
diviners don’t care what phase of the moon it is as long as it’s a full
moon, new moon, or dark moon. The way they see it, these three
phases possess tremendous power that can be channeled toward
their scrying session. However, it is important to remember that if
your craft depends on the phase of the moon, you may not have
enough opportunities to practice as often as you should so that you
can get better faster. In the end, the choice is yours.
Finding the Tools
When it comes to finding scrying tools, you have multiple options.
You can check out New Age or metaphysical stores – specialty stores
with tools for scrying another form of divination. This means it’s a
one-stop shop, so you don’t have to go from place to place to find
what you need.
Another thing you can do is check out online stores. While it’s better
to be in a physical, metaphysical store (pun very intended) to touch
and feel the things you want to work with and sense if their energies
are right for you, online stores offer you convenience. In other
words, you can surf their catalogs and choose what you want so it
can be delivered right to your doorstep. You can also check out
reviews online to ensure you’re getting top-notch quality.
You may also want to try crystal and gem shops. They are excellent
for buying crystal balls and other crystal-based mediums for scrying.
These shops usually offer high-quality products because they are
dedicated solely to crystals.
Antique stores or flea markets are other excellent places to hunt for
your scrying tools. The beautiful thing about these places is that the
tools you find often have some history and will have magical
energies that, once cleansed, will simply be a boon to your practice.
Also, you are not likely to break the bank at these places.
Sometimes, you may stumble on auctions on sites like eBay, where
scrying tools are available for you to bid on. Usually, these tools are
unique and collectible. They’re not your run-of-the-mill scrying tools,
so if you are the sort of person who cares about that, auctions are a
great option. You can also try out DIY and craft stores, especially if
you would rather make your scrying tools than have the ready-made
stuff.
Finally, you should consider checking out the local crafters and
artisans around you. Rather than seeking out the mass-produced
stuff, these people will offer you products made with love and good
spiritual intentions. There’s something that sets apart handcrafted
tools by local artisans from the mass-produced stuff. This does not
imply that if your scrying tools are mass-produced, they’re any less
effective, but you have the option of customizing your tools if you
choose to work with local crafters and artisans, and that unique
energy and thoughtfulness will go a long way toward ensuring your
scrying success.
Regardless of where you choose to get your tools, it is important not
to settle for low-quality inauthentic ones. Also, when choosing your
tools, please check in with your intuition. If you even hesitate about
any of the tools you’re considering, that’s enough of a sign that it is
not for you. When you are looking at something that is yours, you
will know it in your gut.

Checklist for Preparing

Find the tools you need and get them
Choose when you want to practice
Create a sacred space
Cleanse yourself and prepare your mind
Begin scrying
Remember how scrying involves working with various bits of
intelligence and entities? Well, you need to protect yourself to
ensure you will only work with those of the highest vibrations and
the best intentions. Therefore, in the next chapter, you will learn
everything you must about protecting yourself psychically.
Chapter 3: Psychic Protection
Scrying is about piercing the veil separating the seen from the
unseen. Therefore, you must arm yourself psychically to avoid
vulnerability to nefarious entities and energies. While gazing into the
reflective surface you’re working with, you are entering into a world
that combines all kinds of energies. From these energies, you can
pull out the visions and meanings relevant to your questions. This
practice requires the utmost care regarding the energies you attract
and focus on.
You need to be as purposeful about crafting a shield to protect your
psyche during a scrying session. Just as a master weaver would be
with choosing the best threads and intricate patterns to create a
beautiful cloth, you must be selective about the energies you
interact with. Suppose you do not take the time to create a psychic
barrier before you inquire of other entities about what you want to
know. In that case, you leave yourself exposed and vulnerable to
influences that may not serve you in the long run.
 Using grounding techniques can help you achieve psychic protection.
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There are so many ways that you can fortify your psychic armor.
Often, the best thing to do is what’s always worked in the past for
the ancients who developed this practice that you now know and
enjoy. Therefore, in this chapter, you will learn how to ensure that
you can confidently interact with divinity and all sorts of beings for
the good of one and all.
Grounding Technique
When interacting with energies outside the physical world, it is
common to feel pulled away from visible ones. Sometimes, people
get lost in the sauce, finding it difficult to tether what they’re
experiencing in the spiritual realm to their physical being. The
difficulty with this is that navigating day-to-day experiences becomes
a tricky situation. You do not want to end up so far gone that you
cannot be useful to yourself or anyone else in the physical world.
After all, the whole point of scrying is to get information that will
serve practical purposes on Earth. So, here is how to ground
yourself.
First, you must get into a comfortable position in your sacred space.
You must ensure that your physical body feels at ease, so do what is
necessary to eliminate any discomfort and ensure you will not be
bothered for the duration of your session.
Next, it is time for you to enter a meditative state. Close your eyes
and shift your attention to your breath. Take a deep breath in and
imagine that this breath is full of life and light. See this light coursing
through your entire being, clearing all negative, dark energies you
may carry. As you exhale, imagine that you’re letting go of the
darkness. Feel your body relax and allow the tension to drain from it.
Now it is time to deepen your awareness of your physical body.
Beginning from your toes and moving up to your head, notice how
you feel. If any part of your body feels tense, simply inhale and
exhale that tension out of you. When it feels sufficiently relaxed, you
can move on to the next body part until you arrive at the crown of
your head.
After you have become aware of your body and released all tension,
the next step is to work with your imagination. If you’re sitting on a
chair with your feet planted on the ground, imagine that you have
roots growing out of your feet and connecting you to the Earth’s
core. If you are sitting in a lotus position with your buttocks directly
connected to the floor or a mat, imagine the roots coming out
through the base of your spine and connecting with the Earth’s core.
See these roots as powerful. Imagine that they pulse with beautiful,
brilliant red energy. Let these roots make you feel stable and
connected, just like the roots of a tree planted firmly into the
ground.
Now it is time to draw in the Earth’s energy. Imagine that this
energy flows up through your feet or the base of your spine and
surges powerfully through you in waves of red. Feel the power and
warmth of this energy as it makes you even more rooted in the here
and now.
Now, affirm in your mind or out loud that you intend to be protected
by this powerful Earth energy as you go about the process of
scrying. You can condense this intention into a single sentence or
word and repeat it as often as you need to until you begin to feel
the power of your words radiating through your body and mind.

The White Light Technique

The white light technique is another powerful method to protect
your psyche when crying. White light is synonymous with strength
and purity. The security it offers keeps you safe from any negative,
unwanted energies and entities that may interfere with the
effectiveness of your scrying session. Here’s how to use this
technique.
Once you are in your sacred space, close your eyes and shift your
attention to your core. Imagine as you breathe deeply that there is a
bright ball of white light located in your solar plexus. Imagine that
this light is bright and brilliant enough to be blinding, but it doesn’t
hurt your eyes. This is who you are at your core. It is the essence of
you, the divinity that lies within you, and the source of your psychic
protection.
Next, invoke the powers that you believe in. If you are not a person
of faith, you can simply focus on the white light. You may call upon
Spirit Guides, deities, figures in your religion, archangels, or
universal energy if you are. When you invoke the presence of these
beings, you must state your intention, which is to maintain this
shield of white life that will keep you protected throughout your
session. You may state this intention out loud or in your mind. As
you do, feel the shift in energy as the beings respond to you. Feel
their energies full of love and light acting as a support for your
endeavor.
Next, imagine this radiant white light in your solar plexus growing
and expanding. Feel it getting warmer, a nice, pleasant glow
radiating through the center of your body outward. See the brilliant
light growing bigger and growing outward to the point where it
encompasses your entire body. Continue to imagine this light
expanding even further than the confines of your body, filling your
entire ritual space and even the building you’re in if you so choose.
Now, while visualizing this light, it is time to fill it with the power of
your intention to protect you. In your mind’s eye, see this light as a
powerful shield. See it repelling darkness and negativity, making it
impossible for any of those influences to get to you. Feel your white
light shield’s power and resilience, knowing it protects you
completely.
Softly and resolutely state your affirmation for psychic protection.
Your words should be positive and feel powerful to you. You may
say, “ I am surrounded and protected by divine white light. ” Or, “
My space is now sacred thanks to the divine white light. ” You may
repeat this as often as necessary until you feel the power of your
words overcoming you. When you reach this point, offer thanks to
the beings you’re working with, and proceed with your session.
Sage and Incense for Protection
Cleansing your space with sage or some other incense is a powerful
way for you to ensure that you are protected throughout your
scrying practice. Historically, sage has always had the power to
banish all negativity and evil energies. So, it is worth looking into as
a valid method to ensure you are protected throughout your session.
First, you must set an intention for this ritual of purification. You
must be clear about what you hope to achieve by burning incense or
sage. You will create an environment that is clear energetically and
will support your practice as you scry.
Decide what it is you want to work with, whether that be sage or
some other incense. You must have a fireproof container, such as an
incense holder or a smudge bowl. These will help ensure that the
burning material does not fall onto flammable things and put you in
danger. Also, you need to ensure that there is enough ventilation in
your space so that all the stagnant energy can leave along with the
smoke.
Now, it is time to enter into a state of mindfulness. Close your eyes
and take some deep breaths. Allow your inhales to cleanse you on
the inside, and when you exhale, release all tension and negative
thoughts, for they will be a hindrance otherwise. You can also
ground yourself so that you draw on the energy of the Earth for this
particular exercise.
When you are ready, open your eyes and light your cleansing
incense stick or sage. You can use a match or a candle. Give it
enough time for the herb to begin to burn, and then, as gently as
you can, blow it out so that the material smolders and releases
smoke.
When you’ve got a good smoke going on, it is time to draw on the
energies that you need to help you with your practice. Call on
whatever deities or beings you resonate with and ask them to purify
your space. State clearly and firmly, aloud, that all negative energies
and entities in your space are immediately to leave. Ensure that you
have open windows so that they can get out.
Start from the entrance of your room, moving slowly in a clockwise
direction, allowing the smoke to fill the air. Make sure you take your
time when you’re at a corner, in the doorway, or where you sense
heavy energy. In your mind’s eye, see the smoke as a purifying light
that drives away all that isn’t light. You must focus on your intention
to clear your space and protect yourself. So, imagine the smoke
creates a shield that banishes anything with less-than-honorable
intentions trying to access you.
Now it is time for you to affirm your intention for psychic protection.
You can say, “ I am now protected by the smoke. Only entities and
energies of the highest vibrations may enter this space .” You may
also sage yourself by allowing the smoke to touch you. Work from
the crown of your head to the soles of your feet. You must be
careful during this process because you do not want to set yourself
on fire. So please exercise caution. You do not need to place the
sage right up to your head because that would be asking for trouble.
Simply allow the smoke to waft upward around you and then move
the incense down so it gets to the rest of you until you arrive at your
feet.
Casting a Protective Circle
A protective circle is an energetic boundary that prevents any energy
you do not want present during your practice from being there.
Needless to say, you must cast a circle in your sacred space. The
first thing you must do is center yourself. So close your eyes and
take a few deep breaths to ground your energy. Bring your attention
to the breath alone, and in your mind’s eye, imagine that energy
flows between you and the Earth, keeping you firmly planted in the
here and now.
Next, you must set your intention for casting the circle. You can
speak it out loud or just think it over and over in your mind.
Whatever you choose, all that matters is you must be clear and
sincere in your intention.
Once your intention is set, it’s time to cast the circle. You may
sprinkle a literal circle of salt around your ritual space and yourself,
ensuring you are bound within the circle. Or you may work with a
cleansing herb like mint, sprinkling it all around you or using it to
trace a circle around yourself. In your mind’s eye, imagine that the
circle is a boundary of light that violently resists anything seeking to
permeate it that isn’t of resonance with high frequencies or
vibrations. It is important that whether you’re working with salt,
sage, or even blessed water, you must apply the cleansing tool in a
circle moving clockwise, starting from the east. As you move, it
would be helpful to state your intention for protection out loud.
While casting the circle, you should also call upon all the spiritual
deities you believe in, seeking their protection and help with casting
and maintaining the power of your circle. Drawing on their power
makes the circle you have cast even more impermeable to any
negative force.
Once you’ve finished casting the circle and calling upon your
preferred deities, see a sphere of light around you in your mind’s
eye. This is energy meant to protect you. Notice that this sphere
grows out from the circle you cast, extending up and down to create
an even wider barrier.
Once more, go around the circle clockwise, and this time around,
imagine that from your heart chakra, energy flows out through your
arms and onto the ground charging the circle even more, infusing it
with your intention and energy. Continue to do this until you arrive
at the starting point of your circle.
Finally, you must seal the circle. To do this, stretch your arms out
with your palms facing down towards the circle and imagine that the
energy from your heart surges even more intensely into the circle,
closing it up and creating an impenetrable barrier. You are now fully
protected and may begin your session.

Calling on Guardians and Angels

Fortunately, when exploring the spiritual realm, there is no reason
for you to do so alone. Enter guardians and angels. You can call in
these beings to not just keep you safe but also help you enhance the
results of your scrying session. There is no reason for you to work
without their assistance when it is available. Therefore, you should
make it a practice to invoke them rather than consider them as an
afterthought. There’s only so much you can do on your own, but
when you work as a team with these beings, you will receive
phenomenal results and be extraordinarily protected from evil.
First, to call upon these beings, ensure you are in your sacred space.
Become centered and grounded by focusing on your breath with
your eyes closed. Bring your attention to your core, where your solar
plexus is. Whenever you notice your attention is drifting from the
goal, gently return your attention to your breath and your solar
plexus. Feel the connection that you have between your physical
body and the essence of you, which is spiritual and divine, nestled in
your solar plexus.
When you feel ready, invoke your angels and guardians to assist you
in your practice. If you are working with several, you may want to
call on them one after the other. If you prefer, you may call them as
a team all at once. As you call each one, you must clearly state what
you want them to do. You seek psychic protection in this situation,
so you should mention that.
Now it is time to address these beings from your heart with
gratitude. Thank them for showing up for you and for offering you
their assistance in every way possible. Thank them for looking out
for you and ensuring that you can focus on the task because you
know you are safe and protected. In your mind’s eye, imagine that
these beings are present powerfully to the point where you can see
multicolored lights surrounding you. These lights are brilliant and
powerful, full of love and divinity. Envision this light surrounding you
like a circle. If you are working with angels, imagine these beings
standing tall, towering over you with wings outstretched, circling you
to protect you. Thank them for their help, and then you may begin
with your session.
Now that you know everything there is to know about protecting
yourself psychically before you start a scrying session, the question
is, what other assistance could you get to have the best results?
Well, you can work with Spirit Guides. If you’re wondering how they
differ from angels and guardians, you’ll find out in the next chapter.
Not only that, but you will also learn how to get them to help you.
Chapter 4: Working with Spirit Guides
Regardless of the spiritual practice you’re involved in, it never hurts
to enlist the assistance of your spiritual guide. So, in this chapter,
you will learn about Spirit Guides and how to find your own. This is
because when you’re scrying, you need all the help you can get to
ensure your readings are on point. Spirit Guides aren’t the same as
guardians or angels, as those entities exist to help every living being
in the universe. Your Spirit Guide, however, is your personal helper
and confidant.
Who Is Your Spirit Guide?
The concept of having a Spirit Guide is ancient. These are spiritual,
ethereal beings who are mysterious and act as a connection
between worlds so that you do not feel lost on your spiritual journey.
Your Spirit Guide offers you wisdom beyond what you could glean on
your own. Think of getting to know your Spirit Guides as walking
through a door in life’s hallway that everyone else missed. This door
allows you access to a world of knowledge and wisdom, a world
where the physical and the spiritual blend seamlessly. Your guide’s
wisdom is far beyond anything humanity can comprehend, as this
being possesses the wisdom of the ages across all worlds and times.
 Spirit Guides can offer you wisdom beyond human comprehension.
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Suppose you practice any form of divination or magical art. In that
case, the odds are that you seek to develop and grow spiritually. In
the process of this development, it makes sense to have someone
who already knows how to take you by the hand and show you
where you need to go. This is what the Spirit Guide does for you.
They take the mysterious and break it down so that you can clearly
grasp it and apply it practically in your daily life.
Before you can work with your Spirit Guide, you need to accept that
this being is real and exists. This guide comes from the world
beyond the physical and has been specifically assigned to oversee
everything you do and render assistance only if you ask for it. Why
only when you ask? Because the principle of free will is supreme
across all worlds. It is easy to dismiss these beings as nothing more
than a figment of your imagination. However, you may find it
beneficial to return to your childlike mind and bring back that
imaginary friend you used to play with as a kid. This is because that
was your Spirit Guide. Unfortunately, over time life, society, and
modern-day conventions in thought and media brainwash you into
thinking these beings are not real. Since they respect your free will
and always act in alignment with your beliefs, they make themselves
seem unreal. However, if you have the intention to connect with your
Spirit Guide right now, do not be surprised if, over the coming days
and weeks, you begin to notice experiences that indicate their
presence in your life.
Now, when it comes to scrying, the Spirit Guide is meant to help you
accurately deduce the messages that come from the divine or source
energy. Across various cultures, humans have accepted the idea that
there are spiritual beings who oversee these magical, spiritual acts.
Whether it is the Native American shamans who work with their
spirit animals or the ancient Egyptians who would have invoked the
presence of deities to guide their ceremonies, the concept of Spirit
Guides is very clearly a part of human spirituality for a reason. That
reason is that Spirit Guides are real.
As you scry, you take a deep look into the other side. Your Spirit
Guide acts as a sentinel to make sure that as you traverse the
otherworldly planes from which you will gleam the information you
seek, you remain safe the entire time. It is no mean feat navigating
the mysterious labyrinth of the spiritual realm. So, it makes sense to
have someone to guide you. Now that you know your Spirit Guide
exists, the question becomes how you can identify and connect with
your Spirit Guide.
Identifying and Connecting with Your Spirit
Guide
Understanding that there’s never been a moment in your life where
you’ve been truly alone can be simultaneously comforting and kind
of unsettling. Therefore, to connect with your Spirit Guide, you must
cultivate courage. For you to connect with your guide to elevate your
scrying practice, it’s important also that you keep an open mind and
accept that there are things that you never deemed possible, which
actually are. There is an entire world, worlds even, that possess
other forms of life besides the physical. These worlds are waiting to
reveal themselves to you. All you need to do is have unshakable
faith in the supernatural, call out with expectation, and expect an
answer.
The first thing you must do when you want to connect with your
Spirit Guide is self-reflection. This means you must take a critical
look at what you desire. Consider what you may be afraid of and
what you hope to accomplish from your scrying practice. You must
develop a deep understanding of yourself and your motivations
because this is how you will line up your energy with the divine force
you resonate with. So, you’ll need to take some time to think. Put
down the phone, turn off the screens, set this book aside for a
moment, and contemplate what you hope to accomplish by reaching
out to your spirits guide.
Now that you have developed a strong understanding of yourself
and your motivations, it is time to keep your eyes open to the
various synchronicities that will occur. Naturally, wanting to connect
with your Spirit Guide will make them eager to contact you. This
means you’ll start to notice signs and seemingly happy little
coincidences. You must develop a mindset with no room for
coincidences if you truly are going to walk this spiritual path and rely
on your Spirit Guide’s help because nothing in life happens
accidentally. Even the most seemingly random thing with zero logic
is very precise and planned. When you approach life with this point
of view and demonstrate a willingness to connect to the ethereal
intelligence that is your Spirit Guide, you will notice signs that there
is more to life than meets the eye. So, you must keep your eyes
open. Observe the world around you and notice patterns. Keep a
journal. In this journal, you should write down everything you notice
in your waking life and dreams. This is because your Spirit Guide will
also relay messages through dreams and could just flat-out reveal
himself to you there.
How Your Guide Communicates
Through Nature: Nature is of a high vibration. This means it is
very in touch with the world beyond sight, which is also of a high
vibration. Therefore, pay attention to such things as random animals
that cross your path because they could easily be your guide
communicating with you. If you notice a cat in a weird place, a
certain bird that just decides to pop by your window, or some other
creature you’re not used to seeing or that is particularly striking for
some reason on that day, consider that this could be your Spirit
Guide. They’re telling you they’re with you and ready to assist you in
any way you need in your scrying practice and even in other aspects
of life.
A huge part of maintaining a strong connection with your Spirit
Guide is meditation. When you practice entering into a relaxed and
calm state, you raise your vibration so that you’re naturally better at
discerning when your guide is drawing your attention to something
or leaving a message for you. So, in addition to scrying every day,
you must meditate. Be patient and observe your life in the coming
days and weeks. All you need every day is just 10 to 15 minutes,
and you will see phenomenal results.
Through Symbols and Objects : Another way your guide may
reach out to you is through certain symbols or objects. If you notice
that a particular motif or an object continues to pop up in your
existence, perhaps it is important to pay attention to the context in
which it shows up. In other words, what were you thinking when
you saw it? How were you feeling? What was going on when you
saw the sign? These are things to consider when these objects show
up. For instance, you should also do the same when you experience
number synchronicity.
The following are signs that your Spirit Guide is present:
A steady stream of synchronicities
Heightened intuition
Odd sensations like pressure and your skin, wind in a room
with closed windows, the width of a fragrance, and so on
An all-pervading sense of inner peace and well-being
Another random document with
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than there is food for, thus ensuring that every portion of the food will
be rapidly consumed, after which the partially-grown larvae complete
their development by the aid of cannibalism. It is thus ensured that
the food will raise up as many individuals as possible.

Fam. 38. Muscidae.—Bristle of antennae feathered. This family

contains many of the most abundant flies, including the House-fly,
Blue-bottles or Blow-flies, Green-bottles, and other forms which,
though very common, are perhaps not discriminated from one
another by those who are not entomologists. The larvae live on
carrion and decaying or excrementitious matters. The common
House-fly, Musca domestica, runs through its life-history in a very
short time. It lays about 150 very small eggs on dung or any kind of
soft damp filth; the larvae hatch in a day or two and feed on the
refuse; they may be full-grown in five or six days, and, then pupating,
may in another week emerge as perfect flies. Hence it is no wonder
that they increase to enormous numbers in favourable climates.
They are thought to pass the winter chiefly in the pupal state. The
House-fly is now very widely distributed over the world; it sometimes
occurs in large numbers away from the dwellings of man. Of Blow-
flies there are two common species in this country, Calliphora
erythrocephala and C. vomitoria. The Green-bottle flies, of which
there are several species, belonging to the genus Lucilia, have the
same habits as Blow-flies, though they do not commonly enter
houses. The larvae are said to be indistinguishable from those of
Calliphora.

The larvae of Eumyiid Muscidae are, when first hatched,

metapneustic, but subsequently an anterior pair of stigmata appears,
so that the larva becomes amphipneustic. They usually go through
three stages, distinguished by the condition of the posterior stigmata.
In the early instar these have a single heart-shaped fissure, in the
second stage two fissures exist, while in the third instar there is a
greater diversity in the condition of the breathing apertures.
The various forms of Muscidae show considerable distinctions in the
details of their natural history, and these in certain species vary
according to the locality. This subject has been chiefly studied by
Portschinsky, a Russian naturalist, and a very interesting summary
of his results has been given by Osten Sacken,[435] to which the
student interested in the subject will do well to refer.

A few years ago a great deal of damage was caused in the

Netherlands by Lucilia sericata, a Green-bottle-fly, extremely similar
to our common L. caesar, which deposited its eggs in great
quantities on sheep amongst their wool. This epidemic was
attributed to the importation of sheep from England; but, according to
Karsch, there is reason to suppose that the fly was really introduced
from Southern Europe or Asia Minor.[436]

The larvae of species of the genus Lucilia sometimes attack man

and animals in South America, but fortunately not in this country. The
larva of Lucilia (Compsomyia) macellaria is called the screw-worm,
and is the best known of the forms that infest man, the larvae living
in the nasal fossae and frontal sinuses, and causing great suffering.
The fly is common in North America, but is said never to attack man
farther north than in Kansas. A little fly (Stomoxys calcitrans), very
like the common house-fly though rather more distinctly spotted with
grey and black, and with a fine, hard, exserted proboscis, frequently
enters our houses and inflicts a bite or prick on us. It is commonly
mistaken for an ill-natured house-fly that has taken to biting. It is
frequently a source of irritation to cattle. A closely allied fly,
Haematobia serrata, is very injurious to cattle in North America, but
the same species causes no serious annoyance in England. We may
mention that the various attacks of Dipterous larvae on man have
received the general name "myiasis."

The Tse-tse fly (Glossina morsitans), another ally of Stomoxys, is not

very dissimilar in size and shape to the blow-fly.[437] It bites man and
animals in South Africa, and if it have previously bitten an animal
whose blood was charged with the Haematozoa that really constitute
the disease called Nagana (fly-disease), it inoculates the healthy
animal with the disease; fortunately only some species are
susceptible, and man is not amongst them. It has recently been
shown by Surgeon Bruce[438] that this fly multiplies by producing,
one at a time, a full-grown larva, which immediately changes to a
pupa, as do the members of the series Pupipara. There are already
known other Muscid flies with peculiarities in their modes of
reproduction, so that it is far from impossible that the various
conditions between ordinary egg-laying and full-grown larva- or
pupa-production may be found to exist. Although it has been
supposed that the Tse-tse fly is a formidable obstacle to the
occupation of Africa by civilised men, there is reason to suppose that
this will not ultimately prove to be the case. It only produces disease
when this pre-exists in animals in the neighbourhood; only certain
species are liable to it; and there is some evidence to the effect that
even these may in the course of a succession of generations
become capable of resisting the disease inoculated by the fly. As
long ago as 1878 Dr. Drysdale suggested[439] that this fly only
produces disease by inoculating a blood-parasite, and all the
evidence that has since been received tends to show that his idea is
correct.

Fig. 244—The Tse-tse fly (Glossina morsitans). A, The fly with three
divisions of the proboscis projecting; B, adult larva; C, pupa.

Although the facts we have mentioned above would lead to the

supposition that Muscidae are unmitigated nuisances, yet it is
probable that such an idea is the reverse of the truth, and that on the
whole their operations are beneficial. It would be difficult to
overestimate their value as scavengers. And in addition to this they
destroy injurious creatures. Thus in Algeria Idia fasciata, a fly like the
House-fly, destroys the dreaded migratory Locust Schistocerca
peregrina in great quantities, by the larvae eating the eggs of the
Locust. The female of this fly, in order to reach the desired food,
penetrates from one to three inches below the surface of the ground.

Fam. 39. Oestridae (Bot-flies).—Rather large or very large flies, with

extremely short antennae, bearing a segmented arista, the front of
the head prominent, the posterior part of the wings frequently rough,
and with but few veins: the mouth usually atrophied, the trophi being
represented only by tubercles; larvae living in Vertebrates, usually
Mammals, though it is possible that a few occur in Birds and even in
Reptiles. This is a family of small extent, less than 100 species being
known from all the world, yet it is of much interest on account of the
habits of its members, which, though of large size, live entirely at the
expense of living Vertebrates, to the viscera or other structures of
which they have definite relations, varying according to the species.
Some (Gastrophilus, etc.) live in the alimentary canal; others
(Hypoderma, etc.) are encysted in or under the skin; while others
(Oestrus, etc.) occupy the respiratory passages. As many of them
attack the animals used by man, and some of them do not spare
man himself, they have attracted much attention, and there is an
extensive literature connected with them; nevertheless the life-
histories are still very incompletely known. Indeed, the group is from
all points of view a most difficult one, it being almost impossible to
define the family owing to the great differences that exist in important
points. Some think the family will ultimately be dismembered; and
Girschner has recently proposed to treat it as a division of
Tachinidae. The chief authority is Brauer, in whose writings the
student will find nearly all that is known about Oestridae.[440] Some
of them exist in considerable numbers (it is believed that they are
now not so common as formerly), and yet the flies are but rarely met
with, their habits being in many respects peculiar. Some of them, for
purposes of repose, frequent the summits of mountains, or towers,
or lofty trees. Some have great powers of humming; none of them
are known to bite their victims, indeed the atrophied mouth of most
of the Oestridae forbids such a proceeding.
 Fig. 245—Cephalomyia maculata, a Bot-fly of the camel. Arabia. A,
The fly with extended wings; B, under aspect of the head: a,
antenna; b, the obsolete mouth-parts.

Some deposit their eggs on the hairs of the beasts from which the
larvae are to draw their nutriment, but others place their larvae,
already hatched, in the entrances of the nasal passages. They do
not feed on the blood or tissues of their victims, but on the
secretions, and these are generally altered or increased by the
irritation induced by the presence of the unwelcome guests. It would
appear, on the whole, that their presence is less injurious than would
be expected, and as they always quit the bodies of their hosts for the
purposes of pupation, a natural end is put to their attacks. We have
ten species in Britain, the animals attacked being the ox, the horse,
the ass, the sheep, and the red deer; others occasionally occur in
connexion with animals in menageries. The eggs of Gastrophilus
equi are placed by the fly, when on the wing, on the hair of horses
near the front parts of the body, frequently near the knee, and, after
hatching, the young larvae pass into the stomach of the horse either
by being licked off, or by their own locomotion; in the stomach they
become hooked to the walls, and after being full grown pass out with
the excreta: the Bots—as these larvae are called—are sometimes
very numerous in the stomach, for a fly will lay as many as four or
five hundred eggs on a single horse: in the case of weakly animals,
perforation of the stomach has been known to occur in consequence
of the habit of the Bot of burying itself to a greater or less extent in
the walls of the stomach. Hypoderma bovis and H. lineata attack the
ox, and the larvae cause tumours in the skin along the middle part of
the back. It was formerly inferred from this that the fly places its eggs
in this situation, and as the cattle are known to dread and flee from
the fly, it was supposed to be on account of the pain inflicted when
the egg was thrust through the skin. Recent observations have
shown that these views are erroneous, but much still remains to be
ascertained. The details of oviposition are not yet fully known, but it
appears that the eggs are laid on the lower parts of the body,
especially near the heels, and that they hatch very speedily.[441] As
the imago of Hypoderma appears for only a very short period in the
summer, the time of the oviposition is certain. The newly-disclosed
larva is considerably different from the more advanced instar found
in the skin of the back; moreover, a long period of many months
intervenes between the hatching of the larva and its appearance in
the part mentioned. Brauer has shown that when the grub is first
found in that situation it is entirely subcutaneous. Hence it would be
inferred that the newly-hatched larva penetrated the skin probably
near the spot it was deposited on, and passed a period in
subcutaneous wandering, on the whole going upwards till it arrived
at the uppermost part: that after moulting, and in consequence of
greater need for air, it then pierced the skin, and brought its
breathing organs into contact with the external air; that the irritation
caused by the admission of air induced a purulent secretion, and
caused the larva to be enclosed in a capsule. Dr. Cooper Curtice has
however found, in the oesophagus of cattle, larvae that he considers
to be quite the same as those known to be the young of Hypoderma;
and if this prove to be correct, his inference that the young larvae are
licked up by the cattle and taken into the mouth becomes probable.
The larva, according to this view, subsequently pierces the
oesophagus and becomes subcutaneous by passing through the
intervening tissues. The later history of the grub is briefly, that when
full grown it somewhat enlarges the external orifice of its cyst, and by
contractions and expansions of the body, passes to the surface, falls
to the ground, buries itself and becomes a pupa. If Dr. Curtice be
correct, there should, of course, be as many, if not more, larvae
found in the oesophagus as in the back of the animal; but, so far as
is known, this is not the case, and we shall not be surprised if the
normal course of development be found different from what Dr.
Curtice supposes it to be. His observations relate to Hypoderma
lineata. Our common British species is usually supposed to be H.
bovis; but from recent observations it seems probable that most of
the "Ox-warbles" of this country are really due to the larvae of H.
lineata.

The history of Oestrus ovis, which attacks the sheep, is also

incompletely known, but appears to be much simpler. This fly is
viviparous, and deposits its young larvae at the entrance of the nasal
passages of the sheep, thereby causing extreme annoyance to the
animal. The larvae penetrate to the frontal sinuses to complete their
growth. The duration of their lives is unknown, for it is commonly the
case that larvae of various sizes are found together. Cephenomyia
rufibarbis has recently been found in Scotland. It attacks the Red
deer, and its life-history is similar to that of Oestrus ovis, though the
larvae apparently prefer to attain their full growth in the pharynx of
the deer.

In reference to the Oestridae that attack man, we may merely

mention that the larva of the Hypoderma of the ox is occasionally
found in Europe infesting human beings, but only as an extremely
rare and exceptional event; and that only those engaged in attending
on cattle are attacked; from which it is inferred that the flies are
deceived by an odour emanating from the garments. In America
numerous cases are known of Oestrid larvae being taken from the
body of man, but information about them is very scanty. It appears,
however, that there are at least four species, one of which,
Dermatobia noxialis, is known as a fly as well as a larva. Whether
any of these are peculiar to man is uncertain.[442] There are several
larvae of Muscidae that have similar habits to the Oestridae; hence
the statements that exist as to larvae being found in birds and
reptiles cannot be considered to apply to members of the latter
family until the larvae have been studied by an expert.

The family Ctenostylidae has been established by Bigot for a South

American Insect, of which only a single individual exists in
collections. It is doubtful whether it can be referred to Oestridae.[443]
 Series V. Pupipara

The four families included in this Series are, with the exception of the
Hippoboscidae, very little known. Most of them live by sucking blood
from Mammals and Birds, and sometimes they are wingless
parasites. The single member of the family Braulidae lives on bees.
The term Pupipara is erroneous, and it would be better to revert to
Réaumur's prior appellation Nymphipara. Müggenburg has
suggested that the division is not a natural one, the points of
resemblance that exist between its members being probably the
results of convergence. Recent discoveries as to the modes of
bringing forth of Muscidae give additional force to this suggestion. A
satisfactory definition of the group in its present extent seems
impossible.

Fam. 40. Hippoboscidae.—Wings very variable, sometimes present

and large, then with waved surface and thick nervures confined to
the anterior and basal part; sometimes mere strips, sometimes
entirely absent. Certain members of this family are well known, the
Forest-fly, or Horse-fly, and the Sheep-tick belonging to it. The
proboscis is of peculiar formation, and not like that of other flies.
Seen externally it consists of two elongate, closely adapted, hard
flaps; these are capable of diverging laterally to allow an inner tube
to be exserted from the head. The details and morphology of the
structure have recently been discussed by Müggenburg.[444]
Melophagus ovinus, commonly called the Sheep-tick, is formed for
creeping about on the skin of the sheep beneath the wool, and may
consequently be procured with ease at the period of sheep-shearing:
it has no resemblance to a fly, and it is difficult to persuade the
uninitiated that it is such. Hippobosca equina (called in this country
the Forest-fly, perhaps because it is better known in the New Forest
than elsewhere), looks like a fly, but will be readily recognised by the
two little cavities on the head, one close to each eye, in which the
antennae are concealed, only the fine bristle projecting. Very little
seems to be known as to the Natural History of this fly. Lipoptena
cervi lives on the Red deer; the perfect Insect has apparently a long
life, and both sexes may be found in a wingless state on the deer all
through the winter. When first disclosed in the summer they are
however provided with wings, but when they have found a suitable
host they bite off, or cast, the wings. The female, it appears, does
this more promptly than the male, so that it is difficult to get winged
individuals of the former sex.[445]

Fig. 246.—Diagrammatic section of the larva of Melophagus ovinus.

(After Pratt.) a, mouth; b, suctorial pouch; c, imaginal disc for adult
head; d, meso- and meta-notal discs; e, anterior tracheal
anastomosis; f, first muscular belt; g, transverse tracheal branch;
h, the dorsal tracheal tube; i, sex-organ; k, Malpighian tube; l,
terminal part of intestine; m, terminal chamber of tracheal tube; n,
stigmatic fossa; o, terminal part of intestine; p, anus; q, anal disc;
r, ventral tracheal tube; s, stomach; t, nervous system; u, discs for
the three pairs of legs of the imago; v, ventral pouch; w, pharynx;
x, suctorial lip.

Most of the known Hippoboscidae live on birds, and are apparently

specially fond of the Swallow tribe. They are all winged, though in
some species the wings are very small. The bird-infesting
Hippoboscidae have been very little studied, and will probably form a
distinct family; the antennae of Stenopteryx hirundinis are quite
different from those of Hippobosca. The development is remarkable,
and has been studied by Leuckart[446] and by Pratt[447] in the case
of Melophagus ovinus. The ovaries are peculiarly formed, and
produce one large egg at a time; this passes into the dilated oviduct,
and there goes through its full growth and a certain amount of
development; it is then extruded, and undergoing little or no change
of form becomes externally hardened by the excretion of chitin,
passing thus into the condition of the Eumyiid pupa. Dufour thought
that there is no larval stage in this Insect, but it is quite clear from
later researches that he was wrong, and that a larval stage of a
peculiar kind, but in some respects resembling that of the Eumyiid
Muscidae, occurs. The larva has no true head, but the anterior part
of the body is invaginated, and the most anterior part again
protrudes in the invagination, so that two little passages appear on
section (Fig. 246); the upper one leads to the stomach, which is of
very large size. The tracheal system is peculiar; it is metapneustic,
there being neither anterior nor lateral spiracles. Pratt says that there
is at first a single pair of terminal spiracles, and subsequently three
pairs, hence he considers that the terminal part of the body
corresponds to three segments. This is however probably a mistaken
view; it appears more probable that the so-called three pairs of
stigmata really correspond with the complex condition of the
stigmata in the later instars of certain other Dipterous larvae. The
Melophagus-larva is nourished by secretion from certain glands of
the mother-fly; this is swallowed and the stomach is greatly
distended by this milky fluid. Probably it was this condition that
induced Dufour to suppose the larva to be only an embryo.

Some of the Hippoboscidae that live on birds take to the wing with
great readiness, and it is probable that these bird-parasites will prove
more numerous than is at present suspected.

We may here notice an animal recently described by Dr. Adensamer

and called Ascodipteron.[448] He treats it as the female imago of a
Pupiparous Dipteron. It was found buried in the skin of the wing of a
bat of the genus Phyllorhina, in the Dutch East Indies, only one
individual being known. It is entirely unsegmented, and externally
without head. If Dr. Adensamer should prove to be correct in his
surmise the creature can scarcely be inferior in interest to the
Strepsiptera.
 Fig. 247.—Braula coeca. × 18⁄1. (After Meinert.)

Fam. 41. Braulidae.—This consists only of a minute Insect that lives

on bees. The antennae are somewhat like those of the sheep-tick,
though they are not so completely concealed in the cavities in which
they are inserted. According to Müggenburg[449] a ptilinum exists,
and he is also of opinion that although the parts of the mouth differ
very much from those of Hippoboscidae they are essentially similar.
Lucas says that Braula specially affects the thorax of the bee:
Müggenburg, that it is fond of the queen-bee because of the
exposed membranes between the body-segments that exist in that
sex. Whether this Insect is truly Pupiparous is unknown, though
Boise states that a pupa is deposited in the cell of the bee by the
side of the young larva of the bee, and appears as the perfect Insect
in about twenty-one days. Müggenburg suggests that Braula may be
oviparous, as he has never found a larva in the abdomen. Packard
says that on the day the larva hatches from the egg it sheds its skin
and turns to an oval puparium of a dark brown colour. The Insect is
frequently though inappropriately called bee-louse; notwithstanding
its name it is not quite blind, though the eyes are very imperfect.

Fam. 42. Streblidae.— Winged; possessing halteres; the head

small, narrow and free. These very rare Diptera are altogether
problematic. According to Kolenati the larvae live in bats' excrement
and the perfect Insects on the bats.[450] If the former statement be
correct the Insects can scarcely prove to be Pupipara. The wing-
nervuration is, in the figures of the Russian author, quite different
from that of Hippoboscidae. The Streblidae have been associated by
some entomologists with Nycteribiidae, and by Williston with
Hippoboscidae.
 Fig. 248.—Nycteribia sp., from Xantharpyia straminea. Aden. A, Upper
surface of female, with head in the position of repose; B, under
surface of male. x 12⁄1.

Family 43. Nycteribiidae.—The species of this family are found on

bats; they are apparently rare, and we have been able to examine
only one species. The form is very peculiar, the Insects looking as if
the upper were the under surface. They are wingless, with a narrow
head, which reposes on the back of the thorax. The prothorax
appears to be seated on the dorsum of the mesothorax. According to
Müggenburg there is no trace of a ptilinum. A brief note on the
metamorphosis[451] by Baron Osten Sacken indicates that the
mature larva differs from that of Melophagus in the arrangement of
the stigmata; they appear to be dorsal instead of terminal. There are
apparently no characters of sufficient importance to justify the
association of these Insects with the other divisions of Pupipara; the
sole ground for this connection being the supposed nature of the life-
history of the larva.

Fig. 249—Anterior part of the body of Nycteribia sp., found on

Xantharpyia straminea by Colonel Yerbury at Aden. A, Upper
 surface of female, with head extended; B, under surface of male,
with head extended; C, claws of a foot.

Sub-Order Aphaniptera or Siphonaptera (Fleas)

Fam. Pulicidae.—Wingless, with the body laterally compressed, so

that the transverse diameter is small, the vertical one great. The
head indistinctly separated from the body, small, with short thick
antennae placed in depressions somewhat behind and above the
unfaceted eyes. These are always minute, and sometimes wanting.

Fig. 250—Hystrichopsylla talpae. Britain. (After Ritsema.)

Fig. 251.—Mouth-parts of a flea, Vermipsylla alakurt ♂ . H. Unpaired

pricking organ; Lp. labial palp; Md. mandible; Mx. maxilla; Mxp.
maxillary palp. (After Wagner.)

We all know that the Flea is so flat, or compressed sideways, that it

does not mind the most severe squeeze. This condition is almost
peculiar to it; a great flattening of the body is common in Insects—as
is seen in another annoying Insect, the bed-bug—but the
compression, in the flea, is in the reverse direction. In other respects
the external anatomy of the flea shows several peculiarities, the
morphological import of which has not yet been elucidated. The head
is of very peculiar shape, small, with the antennae placed in an
unusual position; the clypeus is said to be entirely absent, the front
legs are articulated in such a manner that they have a large
additional basal piece—called by some anatomists the ischium—and
in consequence appear to be placed far forwards, looking as if they
were attached to the head; the meso- and meta-thorax have certain
flaps that have been considered to be homologues of wings; and the
maxillary palpi are attached to the head in such a way that they
appear to play the part of the antennae of other Insects (Fig. 250),
and were actually considered to be the antennae by Linnaeus, as
well as others; the mouth-parts themselves are differently
constructed from those of any other Insects.[452] The maxillae and
labium are considered to be not only present, but well developed, the
former possessing palpi moderately well developed, while the labial
palps are very large and of highly peculiar form, being imperfectly
transversely jointed and acting as sheaths; the mandibles are
present in the form of a pair of elongate, slender organs, with
serrated edges; and there is an unpaired, elongate pricking-organ,
thought by some to be a hypopharynx, and by others a labrum.

Fig. 252—Larva of Pulex serraticeps, the dog- and cat-flea. (After

Künckel.)

The antennae are of unusual form, consisting of two basal joints,

and, loosely connected therewith, a terminal mass of diverse form
and more or less distinctly, though irregularly, segmented. The full
number of ten stigmata exists, Wagner giving three thoracic, with
seven abdominal, placed on segments 2-8 of the abdomen; but
Packard thinks the supposed metathoracic stigma is really the first
abdominal. Fleas undergo a very complete metamorphosis; the
larvae are wormlike, resembling those of Mycetophilid Diptera (Fig.
252). The egg of the cat's flea is deposited among the fur of the
animal, but (unlike the eggs of other parasites) apparently is not
fastened to the hair, for the eggs fall freely to the ground from
infested animals; the young larva when hatched bears on the head a
curious structure for breaking the egg-shell. It has the mouth-parts of
a mandibulate Insect and is peripneustic, having ten pairs of
stigmata. It subsequently becomes of less elongate form. Flea-larvae
are able to nourish themselves on almost any kind of refuse animal
matter, Laboulbène having reared them on the sweepings of
apartments; they may perhaps sometimes feed on blood; at any rate
the contents of the alimentary canal appear red through the
transparent integuments. When full grown the larva makes a cocoon,
and frequently covers it with pieces of dust. The perfect flea appears
in a week or two thereafter; the pupa has the members free. The
food of the larvae of fleas has been much discussed and a variety of
statements made on the subject. It has been stated that the mother-
flea after being gorged with blood carries some of it to the young, but
Künckel has shown that there is very little foundation for this tale.
Enormous numbers of fleas are sometimes found in uninhabited
apartments to which animals have previously had access, and these
fleas will attack in numbers and with great eagerness any
unfortunate person who may enter the apartment. The cat-flea can
pass through its growth and metamorphosis with excessive rapidity,
the entire development of a generation in favourable conditions
extending but little beyond a fortnight.[453]

About a hundred kinds of fleas are known, all of which live on

mammals or birds. Hystrichopsylla talpae (Fig. 250) is one of the
largest, it occurs on the Mole. It was found by Ritsema in the nests of
Bombus subterraneus (and was described under the name of Pulex
obtusiceps). As these nests are known to be harried by Voles, and
as this flea has also been found on Field-mice, it is probable that the
parasites are carried to the nests by the Voles. The species that
chiefly infests man is Pulex irritans, an Insect that is nearly
cosmopolitan, though arid desert regions are apparently unsuitable
to it. Pulex avium occurs on a great variety of birds. P. serraticeps
infests the dog and the cat, as well as a variety of other Mammals. It
is a common opinion that each species of Mammal has its own
peculiar flea, but this is far from correct. Fleas pass readily from one
species of animal to another; the writer formerly possessed a cat that
was a most determined and successful hunter of rabbits, and she
frequently returned from her excursions swarming with fleas that she
had become infested with when in the rabbits' burrows; her ears
were on some occasions very sore from the flea-bites. Some of the
fleas of other animals undoubtedly bite man. There appears,
however, to be much difference in the liability of different individuals
of our own species to the bites of fleas. Sarcopsylla penetrans differs
in habits from other fleas, as the female buries the anterior parts of
her body in the flesh of man or other Vertebrates, and the abdomen
then becomes enormously enlarged and distended and undergoes a
series of changes that are of much interest.[454] While in this position
the Insect discharges a number of eggs. This species multiplies
sufficiently to become a serious pest in certain regions, the body of
one man having been known to be affording hospitality to 300 of
these fleas. Sarcopsylla penetrans is known as the Sand-flea, or
chigger, and by numerous other names. Originally a native of tropical
America it has been carried to other parts of the world. Another
Sarcopsylla, S. gallinacea, attaches itself to the eyelids of the
domestic fowl in Ceylon, and an allied form, Rhynchopsylla pulex,
fastens itself to the eyelids and other parts of the body of birds and
bats in South America. In Turkestan Vermipsylla alakurt attacks
cattle—ox, horse, camel, sheep—fastening itself to the body of the
animal after the fashion of a tick. Retaining this position all through
the winter, it becomes distended somewhat after the manner of the
Sand-flea, though it never forms a spherical body. The parts of the
mouth in this Insect (Fig. 251) are unusually long, correlative with the
thickness of the skins of the animals on which it lives. Grassi
considers that the dog's flea, Pulex serraticeps, acts as the
intermediate host of Taenia.

Great difference of opinion has for long prevailed as to whether fleas

should be treated as a Sub-Order of Diptera or as a separate Order
of Insects. Wagner and Künckel, who have recently discussed the
question, think they may pass as aberrant Diptera, while Packard,
[455] the last writer on the subject, prefers to consider them a
separate Order more closely allied to Diptera than to any other
Insects. Although widely known as Aphaniptera, several writers call
them Siphonaptera, because Latreille proposed that name for them
some years before Kirby called them Aphaniptera. Meinert considers
them a separate Order and calls it Suctoria, a most unfortunate
name.

Order VIII. Thysanoptera.

Small Insects, with a palpigerous mouth placed on the under

side of the head and apposed to the sternum so as to be
concealed. With four slender wings, fringed with long hairs on
one or both margins, or with rudiments of wings, or entirely
apterous. Tarsi of one or two joints, terminated by a vesicular
structure. The young resemble the adult in general form, but
there is a pupal stadium in which the Insect is quiescent and
takes no food.

The tiny Insects called Thrips are extremely abundant and may often
be found in profusion in flowers. Their size is only from 1⁄50 to ⅓ of
an inch in length; those of the latter magnitude are in fact giant
species, and so far as we know at present are found only in Australia
(Fig. 253). As regards the extent of the Order it would appear that
Thysanoptera are insignificant, as less than 150 species are known.
Thrips have been, however, very much neglected by entomologists,
so it will not be a matter for surprise if there should prove to be
several thousand species. These Insects present several points of
interest; their mouth-organs are unique in structure; besides this,
they exhibit so many points of dissimilarity from other Insects that it
is impossible to treat them as subdivisions of any other Order. They
have, however, been considered by some to be aberrant
Pseudoneuroptera (cf. Vol. V.), while others have associated them
with Hemiptera. Both Brauer and Packard have treated
Thysanoptera as a separate Order, and there can be no doubt that
this is correct. Thysanoptera have recently been monographed by
Uzel in a work that is, unfortunately for most of us, in the Bohemian
language.[456]
 Fig. 253—Idolothrips spectrum. Australia.

The antennae are never very long, and are 6 to 9-jointed. The head
varies much, being sometimes elongate and tubular, but sometimes
short; it has, however, always the peculiarity that the antennae are
placed quite on its front part, and that the mouth appears to be
absent, owing to its parts being thrust against the under side of the
thorax and concealed. Their most remarkable peculiarity is that
some of them are asymmetrical: Uzel looks on the peculiar structure,
the "Mundstachel," m, m (Fig. 254) found on the left side of the body,
as probably an enormous development of the epipharynx. Previous
to the appearance of Uzel's work, Garman had, however, correctly
described the structure of the mouth;[457] he puts a different
interpretation on the parts; he points out that the mandibles (j), so-
called by Uzel, are attached to the maxillae, and he considers that
they are really jointed, and that they are lobes thereof; while the
Mundstachel or piercer is, he considers, the left mandible; the
corresponding structure of the other side being nearly entirely
absent. He points out that the labrum and endocranium are also
asymmetrical. We think Garman's view a reasonable one, and may
remark that dissimilarity of the mandibles of the two sides is usual in
Insects, and that the mandibles may be hollow for sucking, as is
shown by the larvae of Hemerobiides. There are usually three ocelli,
but they are absent in the entirely apterous forms.
 Fig. 254—Face (with base of the antennae) of Aeolothrips fasciata.
(After Uzel.) a, Labrum; b, maxilla with its palp (c); bl, terminal part
of vertex near attachment of month-parts; d, membrane between
maxilla and mentum; e, mentum ending in a point near f; g,
membrane of attachment of the labial palp h; i, ligula; j, j the
bristle-like mandibles; k, the thicker base of mandible; l, chitinous
lever; m, mouth-spine, with its thick basal part n, and o, its
connection with the forehead, r, r; p, foramen of muscle; s and t,
points of infolding of vertex; u, a prolongation of the gena.

The wings appear to spring from the dorsal surface of the body, not
from the sides; the anterior pair is always quite separated from the
posterior; the wings are always slender, sometimes very slender; in
other respects they exhibit considerable variety; sometimes the front
pair are different in colour and consistence from the other pair. The
abdomen has ten segments, the last of which is often tubular in form.
The peculiar vesicular structures by which the feet are terminated
are, during movement, alternately distended and emptied, and have
two hooks or claws on the sides. The stigmata are extremely
peculiar, there being four pairs, the first being the mesothoracic, 2nd
metathoracic, 3rd on the second abdominal segment, 4th on the
eighth abdominal segment.[458] There are four Malpighian tubes,
and two or three pairs of salivary glands. The dorsal vessel is said to
be a short sack placed in the 7th and 8th abdominal segments. The
abdominal ganglia of the ventral chain are concentrated in a single
mass, placed in, or close to, the thorax; the thorax has two other
approximated ganglia, as well as an anterior one that appears to be
the infra-oesophageal.
The metamorphosis is also peculiar; the larva does not differ greatly
in appearance from the adult, and has similar mouth-organs and
food-habits. The wings are developed outside the body at the sides,
and appear first, according to Heeger, after the third moult. The
nymph-condition is like that of a pupa inasmuch as no nourishment
is taken, and the parts of the body are enclosed in a skin: in some
species there is power of movement to a slight degree, but other
species are quite motionless. In some cases the body is entirely
bright red, though subsequently there is no trace of this colour.
Jordan distinguishes two nymphal periods, the first of which he calls
the pronymphal; in it the Insect appears to be in a condition
intermediate between that of the larva and that of the true nymph;
the old cuticle being retained, though the hypodermis is detached
from it and forms a fresh cuticle beneath it. This condition, as Jordan
remarks, seems parallel to that of the male Coccid, and approaches
closely to complete metamorphosis; indeed the only characters by
which the two can be distinguished appear to be (1) that the young
has not a special form; (2) that the wings are developed outside the
body.

Thrips take their food, it is believed, in the same manner as Aphidae,

by suction; but the details of the process are not by any means
certain, and examination of the stomach is said to have resulted in
finding pollen therein. Walsh thought that Thysanoptera pierce and
suck Aphidae. An elaborate inquiry by Osborn[459] failed to elicit
satisfactory confirmation of Walsh's idea, though Riley and Pergande
support it to some extent; Osborn concludes that the ordinary food is
not drawn directly from sap, but consists of exudation or pollen, the
tissues of the plant being pierced only when a supply of food from
the usual sources falls short. Members of this family have been
reputed as being very injurious to cultivated plants, especially to
cereals, and it is said that as a result the harvests in Europe have
been seriously diminished. Several species may take part in the
attacks. These appear to be directed chiefly against the
inflorescence. Lindeman thought that Limothrips denticornis (=
Thrips secalina), and Anthothrips aculeata (= Phloeothrips
frumentarius), were the most destructive species in an attack of