Recent research revealed that this obsidian mirror was used by Queen Elizabeth I’s famed political advisor and occultist John Dee to 'speak'

Recent research revealed that this obsidian mirror was used by Queen Elizabeth I’s famed political advisor and occultist John Dee to 'speak' with angels, and that it has Aztec origins.

The mirror was crafted in Mexico more than 500 years ago and (most likely) wound up in Europe as part of the expeditions of Hernan Cortes. It is now on display at the British Museum. Dee had a wide range of interests, from astronomy to astrology, alchemy and math, and he advised the queen from the start of her reign in 1558 to the 1570s. He was also a huge advocate for overseas exploration and the establishment of colonies. Later he became involved in divination and the occult, seeking to talk to angels through the use of scryers (those who divine the future), who used artifact - like mirrors and crystals. Scholars determined that Dee’s mirror and one of the others originated in Pachucha, just northeast of Mexico City, while the third mirror and the slab came from Ucareo, about 150 miles west. Both regions were under Aztec control in the early 16th century. The Aztecs used obsidian for medicinal purposes and viewed its reflective surface as a shield against bad spirits. The volcanic glass was also associated with death, the underworld, and capturing the image and soul of a person. Forces under the command of Hernán Cortés invaded the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán in 1521 and quickly began shipping treasures, including obsidian mirrors, back to Europe. Source: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/magic-mirror-used-by-queen-elizabeth-is-court-astrologer-has-aztec-origins-180978830/

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