Welcome back, I’m Adeline Atlas, 11-times published author, and this is the Famous Magical Mirrors Series.

In today’s video, we are stepping into the curious world of Alice in Wonderland, where mirrors are more than just reflective surfaces—they are portals to a world that is not quite like the one we know. In Through the Looking-Glass, Lewis Carroll uses the mirror as a powerful symbol to reflect identity, reality, and the unseen dimensions that lie within. The Looking Glass in this story is not just a tool of reflection—it’s a gateway to transformation, a space that distorts time, space, and meaning.

Today, we’re going to explore the symbolism behind the mirror in Alice in Wonderland, how it functions as a spiritual and magical tool, and the deeper philosophical and psychological themes it represents. We will decode how Carroll used the mirror as a means to explore reality, identity, and the self.

The Mirror as a Portal: Alice’s Journey Through the Looking-Glass

In Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass”, the mirror serves as much more than a physical object. It is a gateway—not just to another world, but also to Alice’s inner self. At the start of the story, Alice is curious about the world around her, but the Looking-Glass opens up an entirely new dimension, where the rules of reality no longer apply. It is in this world that mirrors become portals, and Alice must learn to navigate not just the world outside but also the world within.

In the book, Alice wonders what it would be like to “step through the looking-glass,” and when she does, she enters a mirror world that reflects everything in a reversed and distorted way. The Looking-Glass is more than just a tool for traveling to a different place—it is a space of reflection, a symbol of transformation, and a place that forces Alice to question her identity and the nature of reality.

Mirrors as Symbols of Reflection and Transformation

The mirror in “Through the Looking-Glass” serves as an essential metaphor for self-reflection and personal transformation. In occult traditions, mirrors have long been associated with the idea of looking into the soul—into the deeper, often hidden aspects of one’s being. Mirrors are more than just reflective surfaces; they reflect truths about ourselves, often ones we may not want to acknowledge.

In Alice’s case, the mirror reveals more than just a physical reflection—it exposes the confusion and chaos of her inner world. The mirror acts as both a guide and a test, challenging Alice to move beyond the surface world and confront the deeper psychological and emotional layers of her existence.

Just like a shamanic journey or a ritual of self-discovery, Alice’s journey through the mirror forces her to face herself and her own perceptions of reality. Throughout the story, Alice is repeatedly confronted by questions of identity, where she is asked to define who she truly is in relation to the world around her. The mirror becomes a metaphor for self-examination and an essential tool for personal growth.

The Mathematical and Logical Mirror: Carroll’s Philosophy of Reality

It is important to note that Lewis Carroll, the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was a mathematician and a logician, and his use of mirrors in his works reflects his fascination with mathematical paradoxes and philosophical questions about reality. Carroll’s work often explored the borders between the real and the imagined, and the mirror in Through the Looking-Glass is no exception.

The mirror world Alice enters is a place where the usual rules of logic and order are turned on their head. In this world, things do not work the way they do in Alice’s real world. For example, in the mirror world, Alice experiences time as being reversed, where things that are supposed to happen later occur before—a direct reflection of mathematical paradoxes like time symmetry and inversion.

This distorted reality that Alice encounters reflects Carroll’s interest in mathematics and logic—particularly in the area of paradoxes, where the rules of logic break down and things can exist simultaneously as true and false. The mirror world is like a mathematical formula—it challenges the concept of absolute truth and asks Alice (and us, the readers) to reconsider what is real and what is simply a construct of perception.

For Carroll, the mirror world is a place where opposites are combined, and seemingly impossible things are given form. It becomes a place where logic and reality meet the surreal, offering a philosophical reflection on how we overstand the world around us.

The Mirror as a Metaphor for Identity

Another critical element of the Looking-Glass in Alice’s journey is its role as a mirror of identity. Throughout the story, Alice is constantly questioning who she is in relation to the world around her. The mirror world itself, with its reversed and chaotic nature, forces Alice to confront the idea that her self-perception may not be accurate.

At the beginning of the book, Alice feels somewhat disoriented when she passes through the mirror, as she enters a world where everything seems familiar yet distorted. The people she encounters in this world, such as the Red Queen and the White Queen, have their own versions of self-identity that are equally confusing and fluid. The mirror world seems to suggest that identity is not fixed, but instead constantly shifting based on our perceptions, interactions, and experiences.

As Alice moves through the mirror, she must decide who she wants to be in this new world. The mirror world reflects not just the external world but Alice’s internal state, showing her struggles and conflicts with overstanding herself. The idea that identity can be mutable and unstable is central to her journey through the Looking-Glass.

The Mirror as a Gateway to the Unseen World

In addition to representing self-reflection, philosophical paradoxes, and identity, the mirror in Through the Looking-Glass also functions as a gateway to another realm. The mirror world is not just a distorted reflection of reality; it is a new space where the rules and laws of nature no longer apply.

This realm is deeply connected to fantasy and magic, where time flows differently, space is bent, and impossible creatures roam. The mirror serves as a portal into this alternative dimension. Just like mirror magick in the occult, where mirrors are used as windows to communicate with the spirit world, the Looking-Glass in the story acts as a bridge to a world of paradox, symbolism, and transformational change.

Alice’s adventure through the Looking-Glass is symbolic of how individuals must sometimes pass through portals—whether spiritual, emotional, or intellectual—in order to access deeper layers of their consciousness and self-awareness. The mirror serves as the doorway to that journey, a place where impossibilities become realities and where the self can be transformed.

The Mirror in Alice in Wonderland: Reflection as a Journey of Self-Discovery

At its core, Through the Looking-Glass is about identity and transformation, and the mirror plays an essential role in this process. The Looking-Glass is a magical tool that allows Alice to reflect on who she is and what she believes about herself and the world. Through the mirror, Alice enters a world where everything is distorted—reflecting the psychological process of self-exploration and personal transformation.

In many ways, the mirror journey represents self-discovery. As Alice travels through the Looking-Glass, she encounters characters that challenge her overstanding of herself, such as the Red Queen and the White Queen, whose roles represent different facets of Alice’s inner world. These characters help Alice confront her fears, doubts, and desires, ultimately leading her to a new overstanding of self.

Where Is the Mirror Now?

Unlike some of the famous mirrors in history, the Looking-Glass in Through the Looking-Glass is more of a symbol than a physical object. It represents not just the material mirror, but the journey of self-discovery and the spiritual transformation that mirrors themselves represent in occult and mythological traditions.

While there is no tangible "Looking-Glass" in the physical world that exists like John Dee’s obsidian mirror, the symbol of the mirror lives on in our cultural consciousness. Mirrors, in modern times, often serve as metaphors for introspection, identity, and transformation—just as they do in Alice’s journey through the Looking-Glass. Today, mirrors continue to be used in magical rituals, psychological exploration, and self-reflection.

The mirror in Alice in Wonderland is far more than just a surface to see one’s reflection. It represents transformation, identity, philosophical reflection, and magical portals to other realities. Through the Looking-Glass, Alice not only explores a new world but also her own psyche—challenging her ideas of who she is and what she can become. The mirror symbolizes our personal journey, encouraging us to reflect on our own truths, confront our self-perceptions, and embrace the paradoxes of life.

In the next video, we’ll explore the Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter—a mirror that shows not what we are, but what we long for. Until then, take care, and remember: mirrors are not just reflective surfaces—they are portals to the truth within.