The Conjuring Mirror of Pennsylvania
Is there another world just beyond your reflection?
Throughout history, there has always been an interest in what lives beyond our own reflections, what is captured by the panes of glass that hang on the walls of our homes, and what inside that world looks back into ours.
If there’s one thing we do know, it’s that the objects inside the home of Ed and Lorraine Warren are far from ordinary, including the mirror that today is known as the conjuring mirror.
Today we’re looking at the conjuring mirror, once living in the home of Steven Zellner in Northern New Jersey before he begged the Warrens to take it for his own safety.
In mythology, mirrors have always held a special place and an unknown world reflected back at us. The ancient Romans believed mirrors reflected your soul, breaking a mirror would induce seven years of bad luck, the length of time they believed it would take your soul to regenerate. Along with the ancient Greeks, witches and magicians of the time were said to be able to use mirrors to predict the future.
Claptromancy
Catoptromancy, as it was known, involved the mirror dangling from a thread until the bottom edge touched the water. The reflections bouncing off of the water and mirror would create visions of the future.
In the 16th century, Nostradamus was said to have used mirrors made of obsidian for his predictions, an act known as scrying.
But mirrors are not solely used for visions of the future. Witchcraft and magic are said to be able to use mirrors as instruments to exact revenge on those the performer wishes to harm.
Steven Zellner
This is what caught the attention of fifty-five-year-old Steven Zellner, a man who had revenge to dish out. Having come across a medieval ritual, Steven picked a mirror in his home to use as a portal to the other side.
He performed the incantation, inviting a spirit to show him a future. At first, he saw nothing, but as the days went on and more he practiced things began appearing in the mirror. Small blurred shadows rushing by just out of his sight, told Steven he was getting closer.
Months went on with him focusing, concentrating on the mirror to bring him a spirit to a point of obsessiveness. Finally, he would get what he wanted but power corrupts all eventually.
At first, Steven could see events in his own future, days or weeks in advance. But he wanted more, Steven wanted to exact revenge on those who had wronged him in the past. He began to focus on the image of those he wanted to suffer into the mirror and before long he could see them.
He could see their futures and the events in their lives a day, week, or months in advance. But soon he was able to not only see these events, but he was also able to interfere in them. He could call on the spirits in the mirror to cause injuries to those he wished.
Someone going up the stairs weeks from now could be pushed down by a spirit at the request of Steven Zellner. It was what he always wanted, he could control the future, and take revenge on those that he wished it on.
Evil Invades
But Steven had made a costly mistake. Witchcraft is not inherently evil but the way he was using it, was, and Steven had failed to show admiration for Satan as he performed his incantations.
The spirits he let loose on his enemies took residence in his home. Steven was hearing disembodied footsteps, heavy breathing, and other noises throughout his empty home at all hours of the night.
Doors would open and slam on their own, objects would fly around, and Steven began fearing for his life. He knew it was only a matter of time before the spirits would take him as a prize. He reached out to a local catholic priest begging for help, and the priest in turn sent the famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Dropping everything to help, the Warrens reached his home and almost immediately received a welcome from the spirits torturing Steven Zellner. In order to put an end to the haunting, the Warrens performed a reverse incantation sealing up the evil back into the mirror while preventing any future damage Steven had already unleashed on his enemies.
By locking the spirits away, the Warrens knew they had added themselves to the list of enemies on the spirits list. Steven Zellner requested the Warrens remove the mirror from his home and they happily agreed.
The Cursed Road Home
Ed Warren recalls the night being bitterly cold and the road covered in patches of ice. Though they were careful on their drive, they were not five miles away when a pothole blew out one of their tires. Swerving into oncoming traffic the Warrens were lucky they were not killed at that moment.
Yet, the pair would have more trials to face before reaching their home in Connecticut. After changing the tire and driving several miles a plain truck absent of any lettering sped in front of them, moments later a sludge appeared to fall from the truck covering their windshield and obscuring their view.
By the time the sludge was wiped away by the windshield wipers, the truck had vanished. Yet moments later it reappeared from behind speeding back in front and dropping the same sludge onto their car.
According to Ed Warren, this went on for half a dozen times when they were finally able to get onto a backroad leading them to Connecticut.
An hour passed and the Warrens felt they were in the clear as night had fallen during their drive. Just as they felt safe Ed noticed a jet-black car speeding up behind them. It swerved past them narrowly slamming them off the road and raced up the road.
Lorraine is quoted as saying “it was as though the devil himself had just passed.”
The Black Car Returns
Ed kept an eye on the black car as best he could through the darkness, through a one-lane suspension bridge then up a hill, about a mile out. It was here where Ed’s heart sank. The car stopped, turned around, heading straight for them.
The Warrens were now on the one-lane suspension bridge, swerving out of the way would drop them into the valley below, killing them for sure. Their only option was to proceed with the satanic game of chicken.
Ed yelled to Lorraine to drop to the ground and call on Saint Michael. He braced his arms preparing for the impact. With the chrome grill of the black car in his sights, he held his breath in what might have been his last breath.
He clenched his eyes at the moment the impact was surely set to happen, he looked up a moment later to see the car had vanished. The Warrens proceeded home, free from any other attacks, placing the mirror near Ed’s office for safekeeping.
Mirrors have always held an air of mystery around them since ancient times, stories of spirits, ghosts, and demons appearing in mirrors is commonplace.
Yet many are hard to prove or replicate.
In fact, the story we’ve told today of Steven Zellner comes from sources within the books and writings of Ed Warren himself. I couldn’t find news articles or scientific sources supporting any of the claims. Many believe the Warrens themselves were well-intentioned frauds while others believe they truly helped those suffering from evil spirits.
So maybe take the story with a grain of salt but the next time you look into a mirror, don’t stare too long.
