Let’s assume we’ve all seen one of those “crystal balls” that diaphanously veiled mediums with long fingernails wield in shows, movies, or perhaps near Jackson Square in New Orleans (a hotspot for psychics). That murky orb of mystery is a sensory focus that magic practitioners use to “scry:” simply look, stare, block out sounds, and let the mind wander, as Learn Religions explains. Other scrying options include fire, water, a mirror, or really anything that will induce a trance state. Ultra-black scrying mirrors are what you’d call one time-honored method. The British Library, for instance, has on display the black mirror of famed English magician, astrologer, and mathematician John Dee (1527 to 1608/9). The mirror itself dates back to the 1300s, and you can be sure that such traditions go way, way back before that.
Nostradamus didn’t use a scrying mirror, though, or fire, a crystal ball, or even psychedelics like LSD or ayahuasca, for that matter. He went with water — herbal-infused water, in fact. When Nostradamus was a medical doctor, he devised homeopathic cures like vitamin C-rich, herbal lozenges made from rose petals (via History). It makes sense that he thought to incorporate some of his professional finds into his nightly vision quests. Nowadays, there’s a massive holistic health market for scents, smells, incense, fragrant oils, etc. And to be fair, it’s not too far of a leap to go from “use scents for meditative relaxation” to employing scents in a ritualistic way that involves deep focus.
