Who Needs a Crystal Ball?

© Copyright 2024 Fran Carey, All Rights Reserved.

Crystal balls are, very simply, spheres carved from some sort of stone or metal. They take a chunk of rock or metal and cut off everything that doesn't look like a ball. More of a mystery is what you do with them.

Crystal balls can be used for scrying, for decoration, to move chi, or for the energetic properties of the stone or metal of which they're made. They can be various sizes, and bigger is not necessarily better. They can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. The first determinant of what you need is your intended use.

The most common magical use is scrying, or crystal ball gazing. Karen Charboneau-Harrison has written excellent articles on that - Crystal Gazing Part 1 and Crystal Gazing Part 2, but the basic concept is that you stare into the ball until you lose focus and start seeing from within, rather than without. To do this, you need a ball big enough to hold your attention and let yourself gaze into the heart of the ball. This is one reason that transparent or translucent balls are most popular for scrying. I personally prefer a clear or lightly smoky quartz with a viewing plane, a line of bubbles or other inclusions which form a surface on which to rest my gaze. Reconstituted quartz or leaded glass balls are also excellent for this, and a much more economical choice. They also provide consistency, as, being manufactured from natural ingredients, they are perfectly clear, but at a price a human can afford, not a Bill Gates price range.

The lab created balls are also excellent for moving chi in the practice of Feng Shui. Place one in an area that doesn't receive enough light and increase the energy of the area. These balls are sometimes available in colors, too. Red, blue, green, and yellow make great Quarter Markers for your sacred space for Wiccan rituals, and amethyst is a soothing color and good focus for meditation.

The balls can also be used for their crystal properties. Karen's article Magickal Gemstones and Their Uses is a great opportunity to learn more about that. Some examples would be rose quartz for love, clear quartz for light and energy, fluorite for healing, or smoky quartz for protection.

Round and spherical shapes can be used to add softness and organic flow to otherwise sharp modern interiors, and, since they are available in a literal rainbow of colors, various textures, and sizes from 30mm to 110mm, one can be found to fit almost any decor and space.

The sizes are usually measured in millimeters, although we often use fruits or sport ball sizes as convenient references. You can buy a natural stone ball about the size of a grape for around $25, but, if you really must have a softball, even in leaded glass you will pay close to $200.

Baseball size is good for scrying, but that is a personal choice. Some people can use the grape size, some people need a basketball, and some of us just don't have that talent at all.

It's best if you can shop for a scrying or energetic usage ball in person, but a reputable store with stock on hand and shipping capabilities is also a good resource, and reconstituted quartz or leaded glass balls are very uniform in clarity.

Recommended Products
Scrying for Beginners	Essential Guide to Crystals, Minerals and Stones
Deluxe Psychic Development Kit	Amethyst Tinted Crystal Ball - 80MM