Crystal Ball

Lore & Background

By the fifth century AD, scrying using crystal balls was widespread within the Roman Empire and was condemned by the early Christian Church as heretical. The tomb of Childeric I, a fifth-century king of the Franks, contained a 3.8 cm diameter transparent beryl globe. John Dee was a noted British mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I; he devoted much of his life to alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy, of which the use of crystal balls was often included. Crystal gazing was a popular pastime in the Victorian era, and was claimed to work best when the Sun is at its northernmost declination. The use of crystal balls for divination also has a long history with the Romani people.

Reader's Guide

The process of scrying often involves the use of crystals, especially crystal balls, in an attempt to predict the future or otherwise divine hidden information. Crystal ball scrying is commonly used to seek supernatural guidance while making difficult decisions in one's life. When the technique of scrying is used with crystals, or any transparent body, it is known as crystallomancy or crystal gazing. Crystal balls are popular props used in mentalism acts by stage magicians. One of the most famous performers of the 20th century, Claude Alexander, was often billed as 'Alexander the Crystal Seer'.

Did You Know?

• A crystal ball was among the grave-goods of the Merovingian King, Childeric I (c. 437–481 AD). The grave-goods were discovered in 1653. In 1831, they were stolen from the royal library in France.
• The Sceptre of Scotland has a crystal ball in its finial, honoring the tradition of their use by pagan druids. It was made in Italy in the 15th century, and was a gift to James IV from Pope Alexander VI.
• The Penn Museum in Philadelphia displays the third-largest crystal ball as the central object in its Chinese Rotunda. Weighing 49 pounds, the sphere is made of quartz crystal from Burma.