The History of Scrying in Ancient Egypt

Egyptian dream scrying dates back thousands of years. The practice of entering an altered state or trance was recorded in Greek papyri around 200 B.C. Ancient Egyptians engaged in the practice to receive answers from gods about the future.

Scrying Defined

Scrying derives from the word "descry," which translates to "succeed in discerning" or to make out dimly, according to Marlene-woolgar.com.

Origins

The Egyptians are believed to be the first to employ scrying as a supernatural means to receive messages from their gods, according to Redbubble.com.

Who Qualifies

Priests were thought to be the only individuals capable of understanding and interpreting dreams, according to Paralumun.com.

The Initiate

Priests practiced scrying in initiation ceremonies in which water or oil was poured into a darkened vessel and the initiate gazed into the vessel to enter into an altered state or trance.

Preparation

On the day of dream scrying, an initiate was required to meditate, abstain from alcohol and sex, and fast four hours before the ceremony dreams.

The Dream

Once the priest ended the altered state of the initiate, the initiate made an invocation to the god of his choice with a specific question, then slept to receive the answer in a dream.

References

• Egyptian Scrying Information
• More Egyptian Scrying History
• Art of Scrying

Resources

• Scrying Details
• Dream Scrying Facts