When psychic photographs were first created people thought they were magick. A blend of science and alchemy to preserve a slice of time, photographs kind of are magick. At the beginning of the art form there were also many questions raised as to what things were capable of being photographed. Could you photograph the dead? the divine ? ghosts? fairies ? There was a long list of subjects people wanted to try to capture. Over a hundred years, later people are still trying to capture magick, and psychic phenomenon with their cameras. There are whole tours, books, and even television shows dedicated to such pursuits.
Personally, I have found psychic photography to be a fascinating subject since I was old enough to hold up a polaroid camera. The interest and motivation to improve techniques carried me through film school, and is still with me today. In the early days photographs and filming during any ritual events were seriously frowned on. As a Pagan, I think individually people were afraid to be featured associated with alternative religions because of the stigma and negativity associated with them. Many people choose alternative names and identities to go along with their hidden life “in the broom closet.” One of my godbrothers would get a new wig, name and makeup for each new documentary crew he encountered. Then there was the other side of the coin, where many believed that spirits and the otherworldly entities can’t, or shouldn’t be, photographed. This is in keeping with certain Native American Tribes who believed that a camera was capable of stealing and capturing someone’s soul. Both of these issues are very real concerns, ones that I hope will be addressed by some of my suggestions on this list.
- Be Prepared – This is both practical and spiritual advice. Make sure you have extra everything… batteries, cameras even, if possible.
- Double Tap – Like they say in the Zombie movies it is always best to double tap. Take two or more photos of your subject if possible. Use a different camera, or your phone to try and capture what it is you desire to document.
- Earth – It will be very helpful to your psychic photography attempts if you do an elemental blessing on both the equipment and the space. For best results craft spells for both protecting and progressing. For the earth blessing you can use actual dirt, for guidance on this see my post on Magickal Dirt, or you can just use salt. Sprinkle it in the corners of the room, or place a small bag in with your camera equipment.
- Air – The blessings of air can be brought to your psychic photography by using incense before you begin to take any photos, or do any recording. Use blends to bring clarity and vision, like sandalwood, myrrh, and vanilla.
- Fire – Light both a black and a white candle before you set out to do any serious photographing of magick, ghosts, and other things like these. You can do this the night before, or in the hours leading up to your photo session.
- Water – The easiest way to use water as a blessing when talking about electronic equipment, which obviously shouldn’t get wet, is to cast a magickal circle with the water around the equipment. You can use Florida water, Holy water, spring water, or your favorite magickal water suited to the situation.
- Patience – Sometimes the spiritual world doesn’t run on the same time schedule as we do, please be patient sometimes great psychic photographs take time.
- Fortitude – Fortitude, Strength, Guts, all of these things will help when trying to take psychic photographs or record the otherworldly. Open the closets, peek under the beds, who knows what you will find.
- Luck – A lot of times when trying to capture psychic phenomenon on film you will need some luck. This is especially true if you are after something very elusive, like the Loch Ness monster. There are several formulas for luck out there like Fast Luck oil, or Success incense, consider adding one of these to your blessing.
- Permission– This is the most important tip, and the one most people forget. There should be a formalized asking of permission from what you are trying to photograph. Spirituality, like all things, should be approached with respect and caution. When you light your black and white candle consider saying aloud that you ask to photograph all that wishes to be seen, that you mean no harm, and that you will be open to the responses you receive. In this day and age cameras are on the end of our fingertips, on our phones, and a new way of filming is emerging. By approaching the spirit world with respectability and responsibility you will achieve the best results.
Good luck with your psychic photographs and recording, please let me know if you have any other questions, or tips of your own. If you like what you have read here please remember to share !
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In