A few weeks ago a monsoon passed through. Not rare given monsoon season in Thailand. It rains just about every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Although the storms are powerful I don't often think about contents of my room being affected, for I don't have much. Jewelry, jewelry supplies/ table, clothing, yoga mat, small bed, Buddha parchment, protective, blessed cloth from monk, personal altar - most is kept away from harm. One item I thought little of, until recently, was the Mirror.
This mirror measured 11x8 inches or so, and I used it as one does a mirror: to see how jewelry looked on me, to see how clothing looked on me, to put makeup on.
One balmy Thai evening an extra powerful monsoon plowed through, high winds accompanying the torrential downpour. Standing at the foot of my door, I heard a loud CRASH! Wind smashed through the window, the screen, forcing the mirror, which was previously haphazardly propped on my shelf against the window, tumbling onto the ground into pieces. Given my non-attachment mindset, I paid little mind to the incident, swept up, threw out broken pieces and went on my way. A flash of the old "7 years bad luck" superstition ran through my mind, but I let it go as quickly as I allowed it in. What good could come, holding on to that notion? The mirror had already broken and if I choose to buy into "7 years of bad luck" superstition that most Americans abide by, well, that would just simply be quite negative, victimizing and debilitating. No THANK YOU.
In fact, there were a few pieces of the mirror that were quite funky, not sharp and worth keeping. They added a cool-yet-functional element to my room so I chose to keep them and I've been using them for the past few weeks.
It was not surprising that as I tried to dig up information about the "Spiritual reasons a mirror cracks", the only search results Google produces relates to the traditional American superstition. How indoctrinated have we become to buy into such nonsense and isn't there other information to at least read giving a broader perspective on the subject? Surely it isn't this small, narrow-minded culture's way, or the highway?
Uh, huh. Must kill proxy server. Alas, I found ONE article that debriefed the Mirror Myth a bit further, offering a more general historical perspective on cultural mirror beliefs. I hate history when I was in school. I feel I must be a sleuth to de-code unrealistic, unTruths that society has indoctrinated mankind to believe. I am surely not the only one by any stretch of the imagination and The Mirror is the least of our worries. However, it is interesting to take apart.
Turning out to be a historian I am fascinated by ancient cultural beliefs, where they originate, why, how/ if they are useful to us today. The intention of my research is always to provide healing, protection, consciousness, expansion, transformation for people. May we rise out of the small, strict ideas that have chained us, to a more expanded perception of Oneness.
Old, Dried-Up, Death-Based Mirror Superstitions:
- Broken mirror = 7 years bad luck
- A mirror falls & breaks by itself, someone in the house will die
- Seeing one's reflection in a room where someone recently died, this person will soon die themselves
- If a mirror falls from a wall someone will soon die
- Babies should not look in a mirror the first year of their life
- To see your reflection in a mirror is to see your own soul; cracking a mirror means a portion of the soul will not be able to reunite with the body
Neutral/ Benevolent Mirror Superstitions:
- In Feng Shui, mirrors can serve as magical tools to improve one's life.
---If a mirror cracks it is no longer able to absorb negative energy
- Ancient Chinese: mirrors frighten away evil spirits. Cracked mirror, the protection is broken.
- To see your reflection in a mirror is to see your own soul
- A couple who catches a glimpse of themselves first in a mirror will have a happy marriage
- A woman may see the image of her future husband by sitting in front of a mirror, eating an apple, brushing her hair. His image will appear behind her.
- A cracked mirror may be upcycled, modern piece of art. It is all in the eye of the beholder
Ancient Gods & Mirrors:
- Aztec God Tezcatlipoca used "smoking mirrors" to reveal others true character, including that of Quetzalcoatl who was shamed into exile as a feathered snake once revealed.
- Quetzalcoatl, ancient Mayan God, himself was often depicted with a mirror on his chest. Known as lord of healing & magical herbs, thought, arts, poetry, all things good & beautiful he was the Lord of Hope and Morning Star. This account suggests the mirror of high moral, aesthetic and spiritual value.
Note: These two accounts are discrepant, something to consider as we take on ancient mirror beliefs and superstitions.
To see your reflection in a mirror is to see your own soul; cracking a mirror means a portion of the soul will not be able to reunite with the body.
One account states, "Obviously, without a portion of the soul, a person would be in for some bad luck.
The seven years thing comes from the Romans. They believed that aperson's health and fortune changed every seven years."
I find this conclusion anything but obvious and not necessarily the case. Who do you know that has had bad luck after the breaking of a mirror? I venture to guess only if they themselves have chosen to take on this superstition as true. Another way to look at this is that if indeed a portion of the soul is in the mirror, perhaps the mirror is protecting us from an "evil" aspect or negative energy within "the soul" thus absorbing it so we are able to move forward with only positive energy and vibration.
Any and all of the above is possible; if we give power to beliefs, they have power. Clearly these beliefs contradict one another depending on one's lineage, background, belief system. It is up to you what you want to draw from. Like any scenario, we can become the victim, draw negative aspects, become powerless to "superstitions", or we can find value, expand and grow from a situation. While our ancestors do have powerful knowledge to share with us, I also take every droplet individually, deconstruct and ask: does this apply today, does it make sense, is this appropriate in my reality, does it raise consciousness? A broken mirror may help to raise consciousness- it protects from negative energy, perhaps evil spirits. Depending on what you choose to take from this information it may even block negative, harmful aspects of one's soul (in ancient times ancestors may have considered this "death"). All of it is true and false at the same time. Our reality is moldable, flexible, changing every moment. For we are the creators of our reality and we only take on what we choose.
How do you choose to allow the broken mirror into your reality?
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Pictures: Love This Look Mirrored Floor , Girl Glass Mirror, Broken Mirror Shoes
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