#graveyard spirit

[lilibat]

Halloween 2024 at Night

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The girls are back (from the grave)

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[dewardin]

[thecupidwitch]

Graveyard Etiquette🪦

Before you go protect yourself you don't want a spirit attached to you.

Bring coins as offerings to the gatekeepers.

Bring with you offering for the spirits (food, water, flowers ect...) and leave it by a tree or away from the headstones for the spirits.

Make sure you don't step on anyone and apologiz if you do by accident.

Clean up neglected tombstones.

Ask before you take dirt. Use your intuition or divination to get a response.

Don’t take anything that is left for the dead.

Don't leave trash behind and if you find trash clean it.

Leave the way you came.

tip jar

[sitting-1n-silence]

Graveyard etiquette from a cranky traditional witch:

-Leave shit at the gate (coins, cigarettes, eggs, flowers)

-If alone go in silence, if with others speak in a hushed tone

-Wear a hat or head covering to prevent possession or bringing home unwanted spirits.

-Bring bells and/or rattles to wake the dead if desired

-Smoking in the graveyard or carrying a flame is an easy way to get the attention of the dead at night.

-Bring a knife or object made of iron should things get hairy (always bring a knife). Canes are also excellent tools for working with the dead

-have a way of gathering occult materia without being noticed by people or spirits (invisibility charms work best)

-If you're bringing spirits home with you (intentionally), don't turn around until you're across the threshold of your home

-Upon leaving the cemetery, say a prayer for the dead and wild things that inhabitant there

-When home, spread white powder (flower, salt, ect...) at the door to keep unwanted spirits out. A colander over a key hole works too.

[mishoarts]

time repeats itself?~

Doomed siblings ,my favourite trope ,,

[fastpassers shhhh]

[ex0skeletal-undead]

Graveyard of the Melodies by João G. Santos

[wolfhoundwitch]

A Guide to Graveyard Work

One of the earliest introductions I had to spirit work as a baby witch was graveyard work. In short, this practice involves building relationships with the deceased spirits of a graveyard, by communicating, leaving offerings and being mindful of their space. It is part of a wider practice known as death work, but this focuses specifically on how to enter and respect what is essentially the 'home' of the spirits you are working with. You can further build on your practice from this.

This is a handy guide to the different aspects of the practice, looking into the appropriate offerings and etiquette, written with a lot of love.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧���˖⋆

Graveyard Etiquette

There are rules you must follow in graveyards, whether for your personal safety, out of politeness, or following the law of your country. Sometimes these overlap. But sometimes, the rules you hear might be no more than baseless superstition, which there is a lot of concerning graveyards. There are way too many superstitions to list, however -

Some good rules to follow are:

Don't begin this work with the intention of taking from the graveyard or using the spirits in your practice. In the same way you wouldn't take from a stranger, it's important to build a relationship before you ask for things.

Try not to stand on graves where possible, out of respect for the dead but also those mourning them. Sometimes, graveyards are set up so that it is impossible to go anywhere without stepping on something, which is okay so long as you're not intending disrespect. However, do be wary that headstones can fall and the ground can shift.

Some people believe you shouldn't take any photos of the graves. I personally think that if the grave is old enough, it doesn't matter too much. If the grave is modern, it might be inappropriate for those in mourning to see you taking photos.

You can clean up trash, but be mindful of what might be considered trash. Obvious thrown-away food and drink packaging might be appropriate to clean up, but what if someone left a deceased one's favourite food at their grave? Or what if you decide to get rid of a toy or letter left there? Try to avoid cleaning up around the actual graves and focus on cleaning near the gates or in empty areas.

Don't trespass! If the cemetery has set entry times, enter and leave only within those times. Don't jump the fence, and don't enter any areas that are clearly gated or off-limits.

Leave an offering when asking to take something from the cemetery grounds. I don't feel it necessary to leave an offering each time you enter, especially if you plan on visiting often. But, if you want to take something like graveyard dirt or plants growing there, leave an offering for sure. And make sure to ASK. If you feel wrong, it's a no.

If you EVER find anything askew in a graveyard, such as vandalism, theft, or even dug up bones (it happens, I've found them before) PLEASE report it straight to the groundskeeper, associated church, or relevant authorities. It is not your responsibility to attempt to fix these things, or take things for yourself.

Offerings

You can leave offerings at the gate, or on specific graves if you want to work directly with that spirit. You don't always need to leave an offering, but it is a good thing to do when building a relationship and especially when asking to take from the site.

Some good offerings are:

Coins, especially two coins. There is a belief that the two coins are placed on the eyes of the deceased to pay the ferryman taking them over the river Styx. This has been maintained as a tradition.

Flowers. Even better if you look into Victorian flower symbolism for older grave sites and base your offering on this.

Origami. I would often fold multiple tiny cranes and leave them as offerings on individual graves. The best part is they are biodegradable.

I would be wary of leaving any kind of food or drink, as you might attract animals or even cause harm to the ecosystems living there. The same goes for anything made of plastic or that could hurt an animal.

Natural items such as seashells, feathers or stones are great, safe options for offerings.

You could also burn a candle or incense, but remember to stay with them while they burn and make sure they are extinguished when you leave.

Offerings don't have to be physical - you could say a few kind words, sing to them, or even just dedicating time to sit with the dead or talk with them can be an offering in itself.

Protection

I personally don't go into my practice thinking I could get possessed or followed by a demon at any given moment. However, I do think it's important to remember that graveyards can be full of a lot of upset, angry, and occasionally malevolent energies. Even if you don't intend to, these energies can attach to you or be taken home by you and can make you feel off.

Here are some ways you can protect yourself:

Cleanse yourself before and after entering a cemetery, even just by meditating and visualising or by using incense.

Check out my post on shielding techniques, and try to familiarise yourself with the visualisation techniques until you feel comfortable doing them.

Charm an item of clothing, such as a piece of jewellery, as an amulet to ward against negative energies that you can wear.

Find or create a protective sigil or rune that you can draw on something or on yourself.

You can pray to any deities you work with to ask for protection, especially if these deities are associated with death or spirits.

Communication

People who practice death work might communicate with the dead in different ways. They might be clairvoyant, use divination, feel energies or sometimes even just know what the spirits are saying. In any sense, spirit communication is a skill that is very much required in this practice. @koscheys-skull said it best here. You need good communication skills, in the sense that you are still talking to PEOPLE. And you need to go in with good intentions. If you are going in purely with the intention of using the dead for your own benefit, you won't get very far. If you can't talk to and actively listen with some semblance of empathy, you won't get very far. Death work is not an aesthetic, it is not for you to take your emo photos and be disrespectful. it is a serious, difficult and tolling practice that takes a lot of time and refining.

If you have gotten this far, I wish you all the best. It is a difficult but ultimately fulfilling part of spirit work, and if you are ready to dedicate the time and effort to it, you will get a lot out of it.

Thanks for reading! Please visit my tags for more guides, and feel free to reach out with requests for more information. Lots of love.

[astra-ravana]

All-Purpose Necromancy Powder

Traditional necromantic powders are often used in rituals for spirit communication, ancestor work, or baneful magic. Below is a standard recipe for a necromancer’s powder, which can be adapted based on your tradition and intent.

Needed:

• Bone Dust or Crushed Eggshells

• Graveyard Dirt

• Myrrh Resin

• Dittany of Crete

• Wormwood

• Black Salt

• Dragon’s Blood Resin

Instructions:

Grind all ingredients into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle. Charge the mixture under the moonlight, preferably during the Waning Moon for necromantic work. Store in a dark glass jar or a fabric sachet.

Uses:

• Sprinkle on an altar for spirit summoning or divination.

• Dust onto candles or ritual tools.

• Sprinkle in your/someone’s path to draw spirits close.

• Add to incense blends when performing necromantic rituals.

[lilibat]

One of my graveyard spirit props, close up

[dewardin]

[sictransitgloriamvndi]

[sitting-1n-silence]

Goetic spirit pots/vessels

Before diving in I wanna mention the work of Rufus Opus that I encountered researching for this post. I think he does a better job explaining this concept and it's origins than I could. He also provides a method of making your own, which isn't something I'm going to be getting into much.

Some of his blog and youtube posts explaining goetic spirit pots:

"Working with spirit pots"

"More on spirit pots"

Goetic spirit pots

Spirit pots, witch bottles, and Brass vessels

I will be speaking from my own perspective having encountered the idea of spirit pots from a magical tradition I was invited to explore, with inspiration from the work of Jake Stratton-Kent's work with the Grimorium Verum (who has some of his pots now on display at the Museum of Witchcraft. One can be seen above. 1,2,3), with a focus on the rite I found in the Book of Oberon.

This idea has it's roots in ATRs, and has spread into the wider ceremonial magic community. As some ATRs utilize grimoire magic, spirits, and seals. These different branches of magic mixing lead to the creation of this way of working goetic spirits through a permanent brass vessel. As shown by grimoire magicians like Jake Stratton-Kent, Rufus Opus, and Aaron Leitch. To paraphrase someone I met who practices from a tradition where they make true spirit pots, "Anyone can make a pot and put a spirit in it. It just wouldn't be a traditional (insert tradition) spirit pot."

[Note: I also wanna give a word of caution to anyone looking to research these spirit vessels further. As traditional spirit pots can be beautiful and gruesome. Containing animal parts, blood, bones, blades of various kinds, and more. These images can be jarring to some, so go into any research you do knowing you might encounter these things.]

What is a goetic spirit pot/vessel:

So to quote Rufus "They Aren't Really "Spirit Pots"." These are spirits put in pots. And these pots are very comfortable spirit houses, or highly potent talismans. That is intended to be permanent or long lasting. So these spirit houses are made by including materia that aligns with the spirit you will hopefully be calling into the vessel. The vessel of choice should also be something that can seal, and if possible able to be marked with the desired spirit's seal.

Once a spirit is put into a pot, it becomes significantly more present in your life, as you are making them a permanent house here in your home. You can more easily access this spirit without grand rituals, and they can access you. There becomes less of a need for elaborate rites, as when someone has a spirit in a pot, they might just approach the vessel and speak to it when they're in need and give small offerings. Similar to the way someone might work with an enlivened statue.

What Goes into a spirit pot/vessel:

Its common to find dirt, herbs, stones, bones, and other objects in these pots (I've seen cards, knives, flowers, chains, matches, dice, and more). Oil, fat, and blood are also sometimes used. As well as the spirit's seal. It is also sometimes suggested to write out the purpose of the spirit you're calling and including that in the vessel.

I find that including blessed solomonic talismans is another potent option as well. Either using the whole charm, or by burning the talisman to ash and including that in the vessel. Putting in things like anti-witchcraft charms and such has also proven to be useful in a spirit pot for me. Once given to this spirit these worked objects becomes apart of them.

It's suggested to put grave dirt down first, then dirts that aligning with the realm the spirits operate in, and dirt from your local community or crossroads. Then a rock/stone over top. Followed by your other materia.

Making sure to awaken the spirit of each thing as you put it into the vessel, and having paid proper respects when gathering these things. As well as doing divination to make sure the spirit wants every object you intend you put in, this should be a clear Yes/No type of divination. This process of gathering materials during the proper planetary days and hours can take time, and it should. This is not a process to rush.

Making and Working a spirit pot:

The initial act of creation should be a grand one. Involving a full goetic rite. Rufus Opus gives a good praxis for this in the above videos. It's highly recommended to go through the act of casting a circle or hallowing your ritual space. I also suggest using a ritual knife during the rite, and wearing all white if possible (or another form of ceremonial garb).

When calling and approaching the spirit come with respect, respect for yourself as a magician and respect for the spirit giving you their time. This will run counter to some other traditional approached to goetic magic, but this will bring you the best results. When making the vessel for the fairy queen in the Book of Oberon you see this difference in tone when compared to other operations in the text.

When the vessel has been assembled it becomes time to ask the spirit to enter the pot. Offer the spirit gifts of liquor, fire, and favorable incense, and inform it you will continue to provide these things if the spirit enters the vessel and works for you. Unless you receive some horrific sign telling you "no" then assume the spirit has gone inside. Give the spirit an initial task to prove it's here in the vessel, then give it 2 weeks to work before returning the vessel. Let it rest and do it's task, and only call the spirit back to you if you're certain something went wrong in how the spirit was sent out. If the spirit is called back, it's task clarified, and it still doesn't work than you're vessel may be empty. Though if you just keep providing offerings eventually a spirit will call it home. Also, consider a form of passive divination to look for signs of spirit as well.

Working a pot might be different than working a typical talisman or goetic spirit seal too. Within Oberon there are a few taboos you're supposed to observe, such as not asking the spirit it's name or whether it's a woman or fairy. To work with this fairy you're also supposed to anoint your eyes with an oil special to her. So the spirit being bound might have specific expectations for how they are to be worked properly. Divination or knowing a skilled diviner is helpful in this when a text isn't clear on how to best work with a spirit.

Some pots might need to be continually fed to work their best, this should be done sparingly. Small offerings of candles, incense, and liquor are okay to give when putting the spirit to work. Save food offerings, animal offerings, ect.. for special occasions or when the spirit has done a lot of unpaid work for you. A fat spirit is a slow spirit, so keep them fed but not satiated.

Thoughts on the nature of goetic spirits in this context:

My personal experiences with working spirits this way has lead me to believe that these spirits inhabit the world around us and beyond us. Goetic spirits frequently being spirits of place or necromantic spirits called into these names. Rufus Opus will frequently refer to them as "nature spirits" and I've seen other goetic magicians call them "elemental" or "directional" spirits. Showing an alignment with place/location.

I compare this process of calling spirits by goetic titles to pinning a mask to a shadow. Spirits are happy to be known and receive offerings, and if someone is calling spirits under a certain name local spirits would be happy to fill that role. To no harm to the practitioner, in fact to their benefit. And maybe through this work the spirit will becomes more like the goetic name they're operating under.

As the way I and some see it is, if we both have a house for say Bune then my housed "Bune" may or may not be the same as your housed "Bune." My experience with Bune will be shaped by my environment, what I'm able to provide for him, what his house is made from, and more factors. Especially when you're using local dirt in a spirit house like this, this will impact the way Bune comes through to you through this vessel. Your Bune might come to you in the form of a teacher or wise parental figure, mine might come in a more devilish necromantic form. Both are "Bune", maybe different facets of one grand Bune, or maybe they're different more local spirits who both operate well through Bune's domain and name. Some food for thought before you go housing a goetic spirit.

[missingyouinchains]

Turn over every pebble just to find what you're looking for

[aroaessidhe]

faves of 2024: novellas

Walking Practice

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins

The Salt Grows Heavy

Dehiscent

As Born to Rule The Storm

The Butcher of the Forest

Graveyard Shift

Pluralities

Rose/House

The Brides of High Hill

Small Gods of Calamity

The Labyrinth Beckons

Party of Fools

The Fireborne Blade

The River Has Roots

[ex0skeletal-undead]

La Grande Danse Macabre by Daria Egorova

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