Why do they cover mirrors when a person dies?
With the development of occultism, reflective surfaces began to be perceived as magical, mystical objects. They were actively used in conducting all kinds of fortune-telling rituals and spiritualistic seances.
The mourning period is associated with the thinning of the line connecting the worlds. Mirrors are gateways to another dimension. There is a risk of its inhabitants entering our dimension. Hanging reflective objects prevents associated adverse events.
Under the influence of grief of loss, sensitivity intensifies. Plays of light and shadows can be perceived as terrifying images. Curtaining reflective surfaces avoids additional shocks and aggravated stress.
What do folk signs say?
According to legends, uncovered mirror surfaces enhance sad emotions.
Fear of no reflection
In the first 3 days, the soul of the deceased, not fully understanding what happened, strives to return to its usual environment. Not finding the usual reflection, she will get scared and may damage or break the mirror in fear.
Soul distraction
One of the tasks facing the soul is to comprehend everything done before the moment of death. Mirror surfaces that distract the soul are covered with dense dark matter.
Getting into the looking glass
The soul of the dead man, who perceives the mirror as a labyrinth, will not find a way out. She will remain a prisoner of the looking glass. Release will occur if the piece of furniture is accidentally or deliberately broken.
Danger to the souls of the living
Reflective surfaces located in the house of the deceased absorb pre-death energy. This invisible energy clot can cause significant damage to all people who accidentally touch the mirror.
The worst thing that can happen is the absorption of the souls of the living.
Distorted reflection of the cross
The pectoral cross is considered the strongest protector. According to legend, if a cross is reflected in a mirror near a recently deceased person, it will have a destructive effect on its owner. This should be avoided by covering reflective surfaces and carefully hiding crosses under clothing.
Doubling Items
Reflection creates duplicates. According to beliefs, an unhung object will double the number of dead people.
What happens if the mirror breaks?
If this happens within 40 days of death, there is a risk that someone else will die.
To neutralize the signs, a cat with 9 lives is first brought to the mirror.
What the Orthodox Church says
The clergy do not support superstitions, considering them unfounded and far-fetched. Mirror signs may not be taken into account.
Instead of studying numerous interpretations, it is recommended to pray for the soul of the deceased.
Opinion of parapsychologists
The moment the spirit of the deceased leaves the body, a surge of deadly energy is inevitable. Mirrors can, like a camera, capture an image of the feeling of dying. The result is a strange sound background in the form of creaking floors, the clinking of dishes, groans, and sighs.
Church recommendations
Orthodoxy does not provide a clear regulating framework for how long mirrors should be covered. The answer of any Orthodox priest when opening mirrors after a funeral does not have clear instructions. The clergy recommend not delving into this issue. It is not recommended to maintain superstitions in yourself; moreover, they are considered a sin and should be gotten rid of. The Church does not connect spiritual life with the material world and any objects, including reflective ones. The priests ask Christians to place more emphasis not on whether the mirrors are covered, but on praying for the soul of the deceased, on performing various good deeds, giving alms, and arranging dinner for the hungry and needy. The Church believes that only these good deeds matter to the deceased person. And unauthorized rituals and any ritual manipulations with objects can even cause harm, since they are similar to magical actions.
Mystical phenomena associated with signs
According to legend, a medieval merchant, who learned about his wife’s infidelity, killed her in front of a very large mirror and committed suicide. When the house changed hands, the new owner's wife was soon found dead in front of the killer mirror. The same thing happened after every change of ownership of the property.
In some cases, relatives of the deceased, who did not cover anything, noticed strange phenomena. At night they heard footsteps, the sounds of falling objects, and detected flickering lights. According to signs, this means that the soul did not rest after death. If something like this happens, you need to invite the priest to consecrate the house and get rid of mirror objects.
It is believed that the more luxurious and older the mirror that is in the house of the deceased, the greater the danger posed by it. An ancient object with reflective surfaces accumulates the energy of the souls of the dead who looked into it during life.
The negative properties of mirrors were revealed by holding church candles to them. If they go out, it means that the item is capable of bringing death into the house and must be disposed of.
It has been noticed that mirrors have a destructive effect even in hot weather.
Reasons for curtaining
Mirrors have memory and are able to become saturated with negativity . The spirit of the deceased will become a guest at home, and will even appear to be alive. If a person sees a deceased person in the reflection, then the deceased will be able to take him with him to the next world. Therefore, mirrors should be cleaned regularly and covered during funerals. People are devastated and depressed after losing loved ones. Against the background of this bad state, they may see a terrible image in the reflection.
The video explains why mirrors are closed for the deceased:
This is interesting: How to clean an apartment of negativity and damage yourself?
How to properly cover mirrors and other reflective surfaces
In the house where the deceased died, all objects are hung using thick, opaque fabric of gray, dark brown, or black. In addition to mirrors, you need to close:
- windows, doors, other objects with glass inserts
- TVs
- monitors
- various containers of water. They are not covered if the water can be poured out
Make sure that the fabrics and bedspreads used are securely fixed so that they do not accidentally slip off.
Do mirrors have memory?
Any person himself determines what and what to believe in. In the Orthodox faith there is no such thing as the memory of mirrors. There are many beliefs, among which one says that the mirror that was inherited from grandmothers is the purest good.
About other traditions:
- Funeral meal
- What to do with the cross of a deceased person
- Is it possible to wear things after a deceased person?
A long-lived sign is when a structure is broken. It is believed that this will lead to trouble.
Important! Historical information indicates when the belief arose. In the 13th and 14th centuries, during the period of internecine wars, mirrors were broken during an invasion of the opponents' house.
Do other religions require mirrors to be covered?
Each belief has its own traditions, its own answer to this question.
Islam
There is no information in Islamic scriptures about the influence of mirrors on life and death. It is believed that the transition to another world is irrevocable.
No events associated with reflections can connect the world of the dead and the living, or cause harm to any of the loved ones.
Judaism
Reflective surfaces distract mourners. There is a ban on reading prayers in front of your reflection. In order not to violate it, absolutely all mirrors must be closed.
Buddhism
A funeral is considered not a mourning event, but a joyful event. A deceased loved one leaves earthly life behind, awaiting a new incarnation. Buddhists do not have a tradition of dealing with reflective objects after death in any special way.
How does the Orthodox Church relate to the ritual of hanging mirrors?
The Orthodox Church does not have specific rules regarding hanging mirrors.
The priests consider this a superstition and fear of antiquity, and people’s explanations about this are naive and even stupid.
A person, acting in this way because his grandmother did it, is responsible for his actions.
As soon as people start thinking about what, how and when they do and why, everything will become much simpler, many questions will simply disappear by themselves.
Real stories
“A friend’s son died. She asked me to stay with her for a few days. I took a shower in the evening. There was a mirror there that was not covered. I dry myself and see the reflection of a man. I thought I wouldn’t leave my place. There was no one in the house except my friend. This fear is still with me."
“I moved into the apartment where a relative died, a few days after the funeral. On the third day, a mirror fell in the hallway. I was shaking all over and couldn’t calm down for a long time. I went to church and lit a candle for the repose. It became a little easier. And I decided to throw away the mirror.”
“My nephew was 3 years old when he saw the mirror image of his grandfather, who died 5 years ago. So he said: “Look, there’s grandfather!” I remembered that we didn’t curtain anything then. After this you will believe in anything.”
“When my grandmother died, according to tradition, everything mirrored was covered with a cloth. But my stepfather said that this was nonsense and removed everything. From that day on, some strange knocking and shadow movements began. Only the icons were saved, which they used on the advice of the priest.”
Have you ever had stories related to uncurtained mirrors? How did it all end? Share in the comments
Church opinion
According to Orthodoxy, there is no need to cover mirrors if a person has died in the house. But, despite the advice of priests, many Christians still observe this tradition that is rooted in the people. The Church explains the reason for this in its own way. The evil one created the mirror in order to multiply the sin of pride in a person, to push him towards narcissism and preening. In days of mourning, when the fate of the soul is not yet predetermined, it is worthwhile for a Christian to devote all his spiritual strength to prayer for a loved one. And it is completely inappropriate to admire yourself and dress up during this period. In addition, the appearance of someone grieving for a loved one or loved one who has died is depressed and sad, and seeing oneself from the outside in such a state will contribute to an even greater immersion in grief.
Funeral taboo
- The coffin must be carried by strangers. Relatives are strictly prohibited from doing this. They are not allowed to walk in front of the funeral procession, nor wash the floors in the room where the deceased lay.
- Hygiene products that were used to prepare the deceased for burial are placed directly in the house or destroyed away from prying eyes.
- Drinking alcohol in a cemetery, as well as pouring vodka or other alcohol on a grave mound is unacceptable. Such actions desecrate the memory of the deceased and are considered blasphemy.
- You cannot return to the house of a deceased person after the coffin has been removed and until the end of the funeral process. Failure to comply with this sign threatens a person with health problems and even death.
- Traditionally, hygiene items, money, handkerchiefs and other accessories are placed in the coffin with the deceased, which he can use for its intended purpose in the afterlife.
- It is not advisable for pregnant women to attend a funeral ceremony, since the unfavorable energy and atmosphere of the cemetery have an extremely negative impact on the fetus.
