Welcome back, I’m Adeline Atlas, 11-times published author, and this is the Mirror Mirror series. In this video, we’re going to explore a critical aspect of working with mirrors in spiritual practice—why you should cover mirrors during rituals. While mirrors are incredibly powerful tools, they are also highly sensitive and can cause energetic disruptions if not properly managed. Specifically, we’ll discuss the concepts of bleed-through and interference—two key reasons why mirrors must be treated with care and covered when not in use.

Mirrors are not just reflective surfaces. They are energetic amplifiers and, when used in ritual or divinatory work, they function as portals between realms, holding and reflecting energies. Left uncovered, these portals can continue to transmit and amplify energy long after your ritual is complete, causing unwanted interference in your personal space. This video will teach you why and when mirrors should be covered, how to prevent bleed-through, and the role of mirrors in energetic interference.

Bleed-Through: What It Is and Why It Matters

When working with mirrors, bleed-through refers to the continuation of energy after a ritual or divination session has ended. A mirror, especially a black mirror or one used for scrying, can hold onto energy from the ritual—whether that’s from you, the spirits you’ve communicated with, or the space itself.

Why does this happen? Mirrors act as energetic interfaces. They reflect not just light, but also energetic imprints left behind by the practitioner. This can include emotions, thoughts, spirits, or even residual energy from the environment. When you finish a session and simply walk away without properly closing the mirror, it can continue to reflect these energies, allowing them to “bleed” into your energy field. This can create confusion, distortions, or unwanted lingering energies that may distort future work or disrupt your personal energy.

Why Is This Important?
When you leave a mirror uncovered after use, you risk leaving the portal open, which allows these energies to continue circulating. For example, if you've used the mirror to communicate with ancestors, spirits, or entities, the energy from that interaction might still be active, even after you've finished the session. This can cause lingering emotional or energetic effects. You might feel drained, disoriented, or emotionally unsettled after leaving a mirror open, because the energy isn't contained. The mirror continues to “echo” what it was shown.

What Is Interference?

Interference in mirror work occurs when external energies, influences, or emotional residue affect your mirror session or energy field. Mirrors amplify whatever energy is present in the space, including ambient emotions and spiritual residues. If you don’t properly shield the space around the mirror or seal the mirror after a ritual, you run the risk of external forces influencing what the mirror reflects.

External interference can come from a variety of sources:

• Other people: If others are in the room or near the mirror, their emotions or energy can affect your session. The mirror amplifies not only your energy but the energy of anyone in the surrounding environment, meaning that if someone else is carrying tension, fear, or unresolved emotions, the mirror can reflect those energies, distorting what you are trying to see.
  
  
• Environmental influences: Energy from your physical space can also affect the mirror. For instance, clutter, chaos, or even technological devices nearby can interfere with the clarity of your work, because these external energies distort the field the mirror reflects.
  
  
• Unresolved emotions or psychic residue: Mirrors, especially those used for personal reflection or soul work, can pick up psychic residue from the practitioner’s unresolved emotional states. If you’ve been carrying emotional baggage or unresolved issues during your ritual, the mirror can reflect those distortions, preventing clear communication or vision.
  
  

This is why covering mirrors after use becomes essential. Not only does it prevent further bleed-through, but it also shields the mirror from collecting unwanted interference from your surroundings.

Why Covering Mirrors Is Important

After any session involving mirrors, it’s important to close the energetic portal. Covering the mirror ensures that the energy within it is contained and not allowed to continue influencing your space or your energy field. When a mirror is left uncovered, it can act like an open doorway—and if you don’t properly close it, you risk leaving that door ajar. This leaves your energy exposed to ongoing reflections or new energy imprints.

The act of covering the mirror serves as a ritualistic way to seal off that portal, ensuring that no unwanted energy flows in or out. It’s a spiritual boundary, ensuring that the mirror is closed for the time being, allowing your energetic field to rest and reset.

How Do You Cover a Mirror Properly?

The practice of covering the mirror should be done consciously and with intention. Here are a few methods to properly seal your mirror after use:

1. Cover with a cloth: Use a cloth, preferably something sacred or symbolic. A silk cloth or one infused with your intention (such as a piece of fabric blessed or charged with protective energy) works well. This cloth serves as both a physical and energetic shield. When you place it over the mirror, you are symbolically closing the portal.
   
   
2. Cover with a protective sigil: You can place a sigil, protection symbol, or even a prayer underneath the cloth before covering the mirror. The sigil acts as an additional layer of energetic protection, ensuring that only the energies you wish to work with are present in your ritual space.
   
   
3. Close energetically: After covering the mirror physically, it’s important to close it energetically. This can be done by visualizing the mirror's surface as sealed, like a door shutting. You can imagine a light or symbol “locking” the mirror, ensuring no further energy can pass through.
   
   

Action Tip: After your ritual or divination work, cover the mirror immediately and sit with it for a moment. Visualize the mirror as closed, the energy sealed, and the space cleared. Ensure that you feel your energy field stabilized and that the mirror is no longer an active gateway.

When Should You Cover a Mirror?

In addition to covering a mirror after use, you should also consider covering it before any ritual if you are in a space that is chaotic or filled with negative energy. Mirrors reflect what is present, so if the environment around the mirror is filled with distracting or heavy energy, it can affect your work. By covering the mirror, you protect it from reflecting unwanted energy and ensure that it only responds to the energy you’ve intentionally brought into the space.

Mirrors should also be covered during times of vulnerability or when you're not mentally or emotionally grounded. This is especially important if you feel unstable, overly emotional, or unclear about your intention. If you don’t feel clear-headed or energetically protected, it’s best to cover the mirror until you are in a more centered and balanced state.

The Importance of Ritual and Care

Mirrors are incredibly powerful tools when used properly, but they require responsibility and care. Bleed-through and interference can distort the clarity of your work, create energetic clutter, and even cause unwanted spiritual disturbances. By covering the mirror after use, you ensure that the energies you’ve worked with are contained and sealed, preventing further influence.

Treat mirrors as sacred tools. They are not just reflective surfaces but energetic interfaces that require respect, care, and proper closure after use. Remember, the mirror doesn’t just reflect your appearance; it reflects your energy, your intention, and the space you create for it. By covering your mirrors, you are not only sealing off a spiritual portal but protecting your energy and ensuring that your mirror work remains clear, focused, and aligned with your highest good.

In our next video, we’ll explore Mirror Fasting—a practice that allows you to reset your connection with self-image and clear psychic noise. Until then, remember to always respect the mirror and the space it reflects.