Crystal gazing has appeared in multiple magical traditions. John Dee, the 16th-century court astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, claimed to communicate with angels through a crystal ball and a black mirror. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, crystal balls were standard tools of professional fortune-tellers, often surrounded by ritual objects meant to amplify the scryer’s focus. The term “crystal gazing” became synonymous with fortune-telling by the 16th century, and many practitioners developed elaborate preparation techniques including fasting, meditation, and ritual cleansing. Crystal balls were traditionally wrapped in black silk when not in use, to protect their metaphysical charge and preserve their power. The process itself often relied on dim lighting, trance states, and suggestive imagery—factors conducive to mild hallucinations or the psychological phenomenon of pareidolia, where the mind sees meaningful images in ambiguous forms.