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Excerpt from Initiation Into Hermeitcs:
Two kinds of magic mirrors exist: the concave mirror and the flat
mirror. Normal mirrors are suitable for both kinds, which must be
spread with silver-amalgam or black lacquer, or covered with a
liquid or a solid fluid condenser. For our magic purpose the ones
mentioned before are of special value, and I will describe
the production of these mirrors on the basis of some examples.
For the magic mirrors produced in the simplest way, with the help of
a condenser, the surface of any mirror or of a glass bowl will be
suitable. It must only be spread with a liquid or a solid fluid
condenser.
1. Cut a circular disk from a pasteboard 8-20 inches in diameter,
the size depending on how big you want the mirror to be.
2. Now cut the same disk from a piece of blotting or filter paper,
moisten or spread it evenly several times with a painting brush or a
swab of cotton wool until it is saturated with the fluid condenser
and let it dry.
3. Glue the blotting paper onto the pasteboard disk, wait until dry,
and the mirror is ready to use.
Everybody will certainly be able to construct a mirror like this.
Supposing somebody does not like the circular form, he may choose an
oval or angular shape. You can put the mirror into a frame if
you like. The fluid condenser that is required here can be the
simple one, but the compound condenser is more recommended.
The procedure of the third method is exactly the same, but here you
have to cover the surface of the impregnated blotting paper with a
very thin layer of colorless lacquer and strew the entire surface
with the pulverized solid fluid condenser.
You can use a fine sieve. A mirror that is ready for use immediately
after drying is the best because it contains both of the fluid
condensers and is therefore especially useful for practice.
The preparation of a parabolic or concave mirror is not complicated.
1. Procure a curved glass such as is used for large clocks. An
evaporation bowl will serve the purpose too.
2. Spread the outside several times with black lacquer that contains
acetone; it dries very fast. If you want the mirror for optical
clairvoyance, it will be sufficient to put it in a black wooden
frame and the mirror is ready. But if you want to cover it
with a fluid condenser you have to paint the inside with a thin
layer of colorless lacquer and spread the solid fluid condenser on
top of it and let it dry.
If you would like to produce a magic concave glass mirror and you
cannot obtain the concave glass:
1. Take instead carved wood or a piece of pasteboard that is easy to
work with after moistening it, or use
plaster. The plaster must be mixed with a liquid fluid condenser to
render the mass pliant.
2. Now form the mirror and allow it to dry slowly so that no cracks
appear. If they do, smear them over and let the shape dry again.
3. Polish the completed shape of the mirror with fine sandpaper to
remove rough spots.
4. Spread the surface of the mirror with colorless lacquer
5. Sprinkle the condenser through a sieve on top of the varnish, and
let it dry.
You can cover the edge and back with black lacquer. The mirror is now
completed.
As a matter of fact, such a homemade mirror happens to be more
effective magically than the one made from glass because it contains
two very efficacious fluid condensers, the solid and the liquid one.
The only disadvantage is that such a mirror is heavy and breaks
easily.
If there is anything left of the fluid condenser after the
preparation of the magic mirror, preserve it because it might come
in handy for other purposes.
Two kinds of magic mirrors exist: the concave mirror and the flat
mirror. Normal mirrors are suitable for both kinds, which must be
spread with silver-amalgam or black lacquer, or covered with a
liquid or a solid fluid condenser. For our magic purpose the ones
mentioned before are of special value, and I will describe
the production of these mirrors on the basis of some examples.
For the magic mirrors produced in the simplest way, with the help of
a condenser, the surface of any mirror or of a glass bowl will be
suitable. It must only be spread with a liquid or a solid fluid
condenser.
1. Cut a circular disk from a pasteboard 8-20 inches in diameter,
the size depending on how big you want the mirror to be.
2. Now cut the same disk from a piece of blotting or filter paper,
moisten or spread it evenly several times with a painting brush or a
swab of cotton wool until it is saturated with the fluid condenser
and let it dry.
3. Glue the blotting paper onto the pasteboard disk, wait until dry,
and the mirror is ready to use.
Everybody will certainly be able to construct a mirror like this.
Supposing somebody does not like the circular form, he may choose an
oval or angular shape. You can put the mirror into a frame if
you like. The fluid condenser that is required here can be the
simple one, but the compound condenser is more recommended.
The procedure of the third method is exactly the same, but here you
have to cover the surface of the impregnated blotting paper with a
very thin layer of colorless lacquer and strew the entire surface
with the pulverized solid fluid condenser.
You can use a fine sieve. A mirror that is ready for use immediately
after drying is the best because it contains both of the fluid
condensers and is therefore especially useful for practice.
The preparation of a parabolic or concave mirror is not complicated.
1. Procure a curved glass such as is used for large clocks. An
evaporation bowl will serve the purpose too.
2. Spread the outside several times with black lacquer that contains
acetone; it dries very fast. If you want the mirror for optical
clairvoyance, it will be sufficient to put it in a black wooden
frame and the mirror is ready. But if you want to cover it
with a fluid condenser you have to paint the inside with a thin
layer of colorless lacquer and spread the solid fluid condenser on
top of it and let it dry.
If you would like to produce a magic concave glass mirror and you
cannot obtain the concave glass:
1. Take instead carved wood or a piece of pasteboard that is easy to
work with after moistening it, or use
plaster. The plaster must be mixed with a liquid fluid condenser to
render the mass pliant.
2. Now form the mirror and allow it to dry slowly so that no cracks
appear. If they do, smear them over and let the shape dry again.
3. Polish the completed shape of the mirror with fine sandpaper to
remove rough spots.
4. Spread the surface of the mirror with colorless lacquer
5. Sprinkle the condenser through a sieve on top of the varnish, and
let it dry.
You can cover the edge and back with black lacquer. The mirror is now
completed.
As a matter of fact, such a homemade mirror happens to be more
effective magically than the one made from glass because it contains
two very efficacious fluid condensers, the solid and the liquid one.
The only disadvantage is that such a mirror is heavy and breaks
easily.
If there is anything left of the fluid condenser after the
preparation of the magic mirror, preserve it because it might come
in handy for other purposes.
