“For now we see through a glass, darkly” —1 Corinthians 13:12
Throughout history, why do mirrors particularly antique mirrors get such a bad rap? Perhaps it’s just something about being duplicated in a mirror that both validates us and makes us feel uneasy. The reality is that there is no proven evidence that mirrors act as portals between our world and other dimensions but that doesn’t mean earie effects connected to them are not real. So how did all this start?
The earliest known manufactured mirrors approximately 8000 years old have been found in Anatolia (south central modern-day Turkey). These were made from obsidian (volcanic glass), had a convex surface and remarkably good optical quality.
Cultures such as the Mayan Empire believed mirrors to be portals. Archeological finds from this period depict mirrors acting as portals and windows to the spirit world. The ancient Romans believed that mirrors or any reflective surface were a reflection of the human soul. If they were misused the soul could be lost.
Mirrors are often used in culture such as movies and films and books as a source (usually evil) to the unknown. They are a common tool of witchcraft as well.
Here are a few very common superstitions connected to mirrors:
- Breaking a mirror results in seven years of bad luck. There are even more superstitions regarding how to get rid of bad luck should you break a mirror such as burying all the broken pieces under moonlight (after you’ve waited for a short period) or simply throwing a pinch of salt over your left shoulder.
- A mirror should never face your bed so your soul doesn’t get sucked into it. A bit of feng shui might help or you can cover it before going to sleep.
- Mirrors should be covered after a death of a loved one. (This is so that their soul does not become trapped in a mirror before their body is buried.)
- Newlyweds should stand in front of a mirror and admire their reflection to begin a happy life together BUT gifting them with a mirror on their wedding day is bad luck.
- Do not look into a mirror by candlelight – you may see something you don’t like that is staring back at you.
- Mirrors with a solid backing placed in the same position for a long period of time, are thought to be more likely to become spiritual portals. Move mirrors around if possible.
If you have a legitimately haunted mirror you want to get rid of the best thing to do is to hand it over to a paranormal specialist who has experience in disposing of it. There are other methods but in my experience, that is the best way from everything like a wall mirror to a hand mirror.
Here is a true event published with permission by the author New England Scriber:
I grew up in a neighborhood that was richly ‘old country’ in its ways. It was always curious to me how oddly yet seamlessly the past worked side by side with the modern society that was emerging.
Most neighborhoods had their own unique brands of superstitious ways regarding healing, protection and ‘getting things done’ most of which would be laughed at in today’s society. Having seen firsthand that more often than not these things worked beyond a doubt, generally for good, there were times when situations happened that would have been best left alone.
In my mother’s group of lady friends there was the mirror. The origin of the mirror was unknown and was in the possession of the mother of one of the gals – a very pleasant and happy going Italian woman. It was never divulged how it worked and the woman had never used it herself but she was aware that it worked. She kept it wrapped in a white cloth in a special drawer. It was believed that if you wished for what you wanted via the mirror you would get it and this turned out to be true. What was not realized until hindsight set in in every case was that the prize did not come without consequences.
There was nothing special about the mirror. It was a plain glass, rectangular in shape about 4 inches by 8 inches. Its only unique feature was a crack that ran across the middle. What would be known later was that the old superstition about seven years bad luck regarding a broken mirror did not apply here. The mirror had a seemingly vicious nature that moved much more quickly.
The first person to use the mirror was the woman’s daughter who back in those days was considered to be verging on old maid-dom. Of course, she wished for a husband and sure enough she was happily married within one year. They were not married very long until he was killed in a car accident. She did remarry several years later but without any help from the mirror which she had handed on to another friend in the group. This person was a gorgeous single woman who could have snatched any man on the planet but she was not interested in marriage per se. She was interested in money. She had a good job working in securities and banking and was making a good living but it was not enough. She wished upon the mirror and about six months later she was actually married to a much older gentleman who was quite wealthy. She was given everything she wanted and when he passed (which was six months later) she inherited a fortune. Unfortunately for her and unknown to her, her husband had run up great debt and owed taxes. In the end she was left with nothing and was in worse shape than before she married because her reputation was ruined and she could not get hired in her former capacity. She was forced to live with relatives and work a store job until she was able to get on her feet which took several years.
Another woman in the group wished for a husband and ended up with several none lasting more than two years.
A stable and married woman of the group used the mirror to get a house. She worked for several years part-time to make extra cash that could supplement her husband’s wages and with some help from the mirror they were able to get a house sooner than expected. Within a year, her husband nearly died of a heart attack and there was an odd sense of depression that hung over the house like a black cloud. Finances were tough for many years. She was the last person to have possession of the mirror. She revoked use of it and would not pass it on to anyone else. The mirror was wrapped in a cloth and kept out of sight … and of mind.