Gandalf was using LordVPN

I always thought it was Ulmo deciding what to show

I like the idea that Mirror is essentially a satellite uplink to Earendil.

I think it's likely that Gandalf was hiding his presence and mind on purpose. At this point Saruman is still around and still has a Palantir. It's likely Gandalf and Saruman also could use long range telepathy between themselves, and purposefully fogging his mind's presence was likely on purpose so that Saruman would have less info on whether Gandalf is alive or not. Gandalf was going stealth mode.

Not entirely sure on the timings, but I’d always imagined that she can’t see him because he is/was dead - but she’s unaware of that. So she’s not sure why she can’t see him, but if he WERE to come to Lothlorien, she’d know - because she has some awareness of what goes on within her realm. And/or perhaps dying and being resurrected gives Gandalf a new “phone number” - she’s trying to see/contact Gandalf the Grey, not Gandalf the White (new body, who diss?), but when he drops in to visit he can give her his new contact details.

Possibly when Galadriel says that she can 'command' the Mirror, that she means that she can demand to see things, but the Mirror doesn't always obey. It's a bit like the exchange between Glendower and Hotspur in Henry IV, Part 1: Glendower “I can call the spirits from the vasty deep." Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come, when you do call for them?”

I love your channel. We are all Tolkien Geeks here!

Intriguing ideas. I did not understand the Earendil references but you know more than I. I would guess the ability to have far sight would be linked to the ring of power, as Elrond speaks of not being able to see the fellowship’s journey because the shadow had moved all the way to the borders of the Greyflood and under the shadow all was dark to him. I also may misunderstood but it appeared you implied the palantiri could not see things in the past but Gandalf talks about being tempted to test his will upon it and to look across the wide seas of water and time and perceive the unimaginable hand and mind of Feanor and the two trees etc. Thanks for the thoughtful work!

It's pretty clearly hinted that Galadriel is in telepathic communication with Elrond, from (1) Haldir's reference to messages from Rivendell (2) her knowledge of the Fellowship make-up as it set out. This is most likely a power of the Elven-Rings, so she could normally reach Gandalf as well. If he wants to talk! He is a little busy just now, on his third day of fighting the Balrog. The "fences of Lothlorien", also called the Northern Fences, sound like a "magical defence" on the lines of the Girdle of Melian. This idea was popularised in the 1930s by a man called W.F.Jackson Knight, a Virgil scholar who was an Oxford contemporary of Tolkien and Lewis. Part of it is the Troy Town maze or labyrinth; both Caras Galadon and Minas Tirith are laid out like such a maze (they are typically circular with a zig-zagging path to the centre). The Mirror channels Galadriel's prophetic powers in a way reminiscent of the Norse Norns or Fates, who live in a well watered by dew from the world-tree Yggdrasil. It does seem significant that this episode occurs just as Gandalf returns to life. All in all there are almost too many vague hints and references; I'm not sure if any more coherent pattern can be made of them.

I once heard a theory (I don't remember where, could be one of your older videos) which connects the Mirror directly to the Music of the Ainur: Ilúvatar made the Music visible in a vision for the Ainur, and the Ainulindalë also sais that "in water there lives yet the echo of the Music of the Ainur". So maybe Galadriel learned (perhaps from Melian?) to make the echo in the water visible and show glimpses of the Vision. That doesn't explain the case with Gandalf, but I think it is an interesting thought about the Mirror itself

Here is the passage in FotR The Mirror of Galadriel, about the third page: Galadriel said, "Gandalf the Grey set out with the Company, but he did not pass the borders of this land. Now tell us where he is; for I much desire to speak with him again. But I cannot see him from afar, unless he comes within the fences of Lothlorien: a grey mist is about him, and the ways of his feet and of his mind are hidden from me." She later says, "Those that followed [Gandalf] knew not his mind and cannot report his full purpose." I don't think Galadriel could communicate with Gandalf via osanwë except when he passed the borders of Lothlorien. Why else would she say, "Now tell us where he is? Or stated later that "those who followed him knew not his mind?" As for this clause: "a grey mist is about him, and the ways of his feet and of his mind are hidden from me," I think Galadriel is simply reading the faces of those in the Fellowship and sensing that something bad had happened to Gandalf. She is speaking metaphorically. Sorry, that is my best guess.😞

No because if you have the inner strength to master it, you can cotrol the Palantir so it will look at what you want and where you want it to. The Mirror is random, it might show you anything - future, present or past. It may even show things that will never happen.

I had never interpreted Galadriel's statement as you have but now that I have gone back and read it, I see your point. In that context, it is an odd statement to make, like telling someone you can't call your mutual friend because you didn't have the phone number. I'm puzzled too as to what Tolkien meant here now.

c. 18:40 or so, re: the grey mists and not being able to see Gandalf, I've always felt that the explanation was somewhat simpler; that Gandalf was "dead" and that's what placed him beyond her reach. I saw one of your videos discussing Gandalf's episode with the Balrog, and if memory serves Gandalf defeats the Balrog but is himself slain and the Valar basically tell him he's not quite done yet and send him back as Gandalf the White. Perhaps she was having such difficulty seeing/communicating with Gandalf because he was "dead"/in the West at that point in time and not yet reincarnated to in physical body/returned to Middle Earth. Great insights as usual! I had never considered the Mirror deeply before. P.S. This is my first comment after almost two decades of using this website (I even logged onto an old shared G Drive account just to post it), just wanted to say I love your content, I eagerly await every new upload on Sunday night (then I usually sleep before I can watch it because I'm on the east coast and its late and I prefer seeing it all in one go) and the longer it is the greater my anticipation.

In the movie, I think she says, “He has fallen into shadow.” I always took that to mean he’s gone from the earthly plane, and she realizes that. Maybe I’m reading too much in that. Perhaps she can somehow sense the other ring bearers? I don’t know, just a thought.

Perhaps her ability doesn't extend to where Gandalf went after passing following the battle with the Ballrog? So when Gandalf returned the Fellowship had already left Lothlorien so Galadriel couldn't reveal she had found him?

I dont think this has something to do with the mirror. Galadriel can see him in her lands because she has authority over it. Remember that Ainur and other higher beings can "scan" their lands by their mind even without palantir or a "mirror". For example it is said that "no creature can bypass the valley that Sauron espied from afar" ( that was before Sauron in Tol in Gaurhoth who didnt have palantir at the time ) and the whole plot of the rings destruction is based upon the faith that they will distract Saurons mind from his lands so that Frodo will have a chance of sneaking. So Gandalf needs to come into Lorien because thats where Galadriel can most effectively use her powers of sight. Grey mist seems to be a metaphor for Gandalf hiding himself and that too is used pretty occasionally by higher beings such as Sauron who "woved darkness about himself" to avoid sight in Barad Dur or the darkness Melkor used to shield his thoughts from Manwe in Utumno and darkness Ungoliant used in Avathar to somehow remain wholly hidden from beings who can hear and see all of Arda. Grey mist seems to be a good version of this. He also may have a special connection with Gandalf. Frodo used the ring for some months at this point but he can see Galadriels ring while Sam cant. Galadriel, Elrond and Gandalf were using the elven rings for thousands of years and it is perhaps possible that their connection grew to such a level that they can see each others mind and movings generally unless one of the ring wielders try to hide themselves. Its also reasonable that Galadriel can look into someones mind even without her mirror even if this person is outside of her lands ( if this person is unable to hide himself ). Gandalf was able to spot and help Frodo by his mind when Frodo was in Amon Hen after all ( tho you can maybe say that this also happened because Frodo was wielding the One Ring while Gandalf had his elven one ) and Gandalf didnt use a mirror ( he says that he strove with Sauron while he was in a long hill so him being in Lothlorien at this point doesnt mean that he used the mirror as the mirror wasnt located at a long hill ) nor did he have some authority over Amon Hen so I wouldnt attribute this to the power of the mirror but other possible explanations as this but this too seems uncertain

I have always thought that it was Gandalf who shouted from afar to Frodo on the Amon Hen who had put the Ring on: ”take it off, fool!” It sounded like him. So he can see Frodo and talk to him…. because of the Ring, or what? Reading the book for the first time I was relieved to know that Gandalf was still alive. Or was he alive then?

If Gandalf's presence and mind are not usually accessible to Galadriel, maybe it is because of Gandalf's Elven Ring; he's using it as a cloaking device. And the effect goes away in Lothlorien because of Galadriel's Elven Ring; she has used her Ring to create and protect Lothlorien, which includes being able to monitor things in Lothlorien, including even wearers of the other Rings--at least, unless they went mano a mano in a magic duel, which wouldn't happen because they're all on the same side. Just going on the general idea that unusual powers in the story generally hinge on unusual artifacts, especially Rings.

The rings.

Well Galadriel has tremendous power right? Didn't she cleanse Dol Guldur's pits and throw down its gates 3 days after the destruction of the One Ring, meaning she did it all herself, no use of Nenya? Also she says she can perceive the thoughts of Sauron himself that have anything to do with elves. Doesn't Elrond also have some of this (general farseeing), as he sent the Grey Company to Rohan and the Paths based on nebulous foresight? I'm not sure there. So we could hypothesize that she has a farseeing power without the mirror, or that the mirror just channels that power into different uses, amplifying it with the power of the light of the silmaril far above...I don't see the issue with the grey mist--I always put that down to Gandalf being a Maia, and a very subtle one too. But within Lothlorien, Nenya is enough to cut through that. My first thought on the Earendil idea was: how does Earendil have this superhuman vision, vision far beyond even an Eagle's to see and telescope to details so far below?

Earendil has more access to the Music of the Ainur than Galadriel has, since he has the Silmaril that makes him a star, literally.

I’m going to go off-piste and say it’s an astrological thing: That the Mirror is an astronomical calculator and that all the Wise are some metaphor for celestial bodies 🤩 so when Galadriel can’t ‘see’ Gandalf it’s because whichever one he represents is in eclipse or cusp or whatever the terms are.

Sorry, maybe I'm missing the hiccough, but that was never a thing I found inexplanatory. (I have to admit that the peculiar phrase "unless he comes within the borders of Lothlorien" had escaped my mind, though the general conversation hadn't. More on them later). The explanation is that Galadriel *can* see Gandalf from afar - through what is apparently called osanwe (I had not known the expression) or "ring-communication" or a mixture of both. I even had thought less about the Mirror (cool theory about Earendil, though) in that regard; after all, can even she really command it? Who knows. Maybe, occasionally, it'd help too (to establish a video-conference if you pardon me). Bottom line, she can. The thing is, when she says "a grey mist is about him", etc., she does give off pretty strong vibes as if surprised herself by the fact. Hence what does she see? She sees (and attempts to describe) something she has never seen before, including in her communication with Gandalf, and does not know what it is. She sees an incarnate Maia who has died, is in the Timeless Halls outside of not only Arda but all Ea (which *is* a barrier even to mind-communication - at least for a Child-of-Illuvatar, though possibly not for an Ainu), but will later be resurrected. That's what she sees. And it *is* - though as I said I had forgotten that part - entirely plausible that, not knowing what she sees, she confidently adds: "if, whatever undescribable state he's in, Gandalf should come to my country which I rule and fence out with the ring, *then* I should be able to penetrate even *that* cloud. I'd assume then (I have not checked the tale of years, though) that Gandalfs resurrection happens rather immediately after, but not before, the Company's departure from Lothlorien. (If earlier, she'd certainly had given them the happy news, and they had waited for him.) It is expressly stated that she sees him then: it was her who sent the Eagle to fetch him up.

Would Galadriel trust anything made by Fëanor?

I always assumed that the "grey mist" referred to being in the land of the dead. I know that this is not part of Tolkien's cosmology, but if you read books from the late 19th century, into the 30s that refer to Spiriitualism, they refer to the spirit realm as being full of "grey mists". Whilst Tolkien was not a Spiritualist, he would have been familiar with the term on what we now call Pop Culture. So I just think it refers to Gandalf as being dead. As for the star of Earendil being involved directly in the visions, this feels wrong to me. To me, the water is irrelevant. This is something that Galadriel is doing. It's not called the Mirror of Caras Galadhorn. Scrying through water is a mythological thing that many witches and wizards were said to be able to do. The crystal ball, mirror or water is purely there as a focus. The hole in this is that it doesn't explain why Frodo and Sam can scry, but maybe in the proximity to Galadriel they can share this ability?