The history of the crystal ball can be traced as far back as to the Medieval Period in central Europe (between 500 – 1500 AD) and in Scandinavia (1050 – 1500 AD). There have always been fortunetellers throughout history as well. Religious sciences tell us, for example, about Apollo’s (the Greek God of prophesy) oracle priestess, Pythia who had powers (1500 B.C.). Used by Seers, Fortunetellers, Psychics, and Sorcerers, the Crystal Ball seems to be one of the most well-known and popular forms of scrying, as well as a divination tool. Scrying is the name given to the ancient technique of gazing into an object such as a crystal ball or a bowl of water. It is usually physically, ritually or spiritually, cleansed before each use for purification purposes. When a crystal is used, scrying is known as crystallomancy. Using crystals in the divination of one’s past, present, and future traditionally played a key role in the decision-making process of many powerful leaders throughout history. One of the most notable was King Arthur, who sought out the advice and prophecies of Merlin the Magician. In more recent history, Nancy Reagan, the first lady of then President Ronald Reagan, avidly used psychics to help plan her husband’s domestic & foreign affairs. One of the earliest uses of crystals in scrying comes from the Druids, who used Beryllium Aluminum Silicate (Beryl), a natural gemstone whose characteristics range from transparent to translucent. Scottish Highlanders termed these objects “stones of power”. Early crystal balls were made from Beryl, later replaced by spheres made of rock crystal. The reason crystals in particular became important tools for scrying and other metaphysical aspects is because of their inherent characteristics of transparency and regularity of their patterns, called symmetry. Additionally, the energetic fields of crystals influence what the scryer “sees” on a very subtle and often esoteric level.