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Books on Necromancy
Old 08-20-2004, 12:43 PM   #1
Icelos
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Default Books on Necromancy

Which would you recommend? There doesn't seem to be that many out there. I've come across just a couple.

Thanks!
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Old 08-20-2004, 02:44 PM   #2
ChaosTech
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First of all what do you mean by necromancy? There are several forms of this art. Literally necromancy means corpse divination or although it is comminly understood as divination with the dead. Contacting a ghost, shade, or soul of a deceased human through ritual is one form of it. The second form is the physical rising of a corpse, by forcing the deceased owner of it, or another spirit, into it. In both instances a spirit is summoned before the necromancer in order to retrieve information from it, ask or demand the spirit to perform something via threats, offerings or pacts, or bind the spirit to the magician's will thus making it a slave, much like one could do to a natural elemental or construct (servitor, created elemental, etc). Being as I'm an armchair necromancer and actually find the whole art as sickening and highly dangerious to say the least, except in the case of simply asking a spirit for information via summoning it's astral form in ritual, I personally would advise you to study some other form of magick. Nevertheless I'm all for do what thou wilt, so if you want to study nercomancy, here is a great and intelligently thought out webpage to get you started.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos195.htm


Other than that, there is a newer book that was published which is about a medieval necromancers personal grimiore, which I forget the name, but one can find on amazon.com. I have no idea though about the contents of this book as I have never read it. There is a bit on necromancy in an older book I personally own called "The Black Arts," though, and lots of scattered data on the art within old grimiores like "The Magus," "Three Books of Occult Philosophy," to name a few. Also there are many modern historical books on cults of the dead in ancient times and the necromantic rites of the cults. Some example cultures would be the Greeks, Sumerians, Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Canaanites. Egyptians and Caananites (later known as Phoenicians) especially. But like I said unless you are into the Christianized necromancy, you have alot of work cut out for you in studying necromancy, death cults, underworld mythologies, etc.

Not to mention, many modern occultists say that necromancers, spiritualists, etc, who are contacting and working with what they believe to be deceased humans, are actually just dealing with the left over astral shells of humans who have reincarnated and or went to another state of being (conciousness). The kabbalistic tradition in general is big on this belief. But this of course doesn't mean they are right, but it doesn't mean they are wrong either.

Whatever you decide to do, if you are hell bent on necromancy I wish you the best.
Here are a few other webpages, some are written by people who I think have played too many games of AD&D, though:

http://www.angelfire.com/mi3/tomekeeper/resources/articles/OnNecromancy.txt

http://uk.geocities.com/Haemomancer/necromancy.htm

http://www.wintersteel.com/Necromancy.html

http://death.monstrous.com/necromancy.htm



Also here is a bunch of info I saved long ago when I was reseaching necromancy online, some of it is from sites that don't exist anymore:


Quote:

Necromancy

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Necromancy is the act of conjuring the dead for divination. It dates back to Persia, Greece and Rome, and in the Middle Ages was widely practiced by magicians, sorcerers, and witches. It was condemned by the Catholic Church as "the agency of evil spirits," and in Elizabethan England was outlawed by the Witchcraft Act of 1604.

Necromancy is not to be confused with conjuring devils or demons for help. Necromancy is the seeking of the spirits of the dead. The spirits are sought because they, being without physical bodies, are no longer limited by the earthly plane. Therefore, it is thought these spirits have access to information of the past and future which is not available to the living. It has been used to help find sunken or buried treasure, and whether or not a person was murdered or died from other causes.

The practice of necromancy has been compared by some to modern mediumistic or practiced spiritualism. Many consider it a dangerous and repugnant practice. Dangerous because it is alleged that when some spirits take control of the medium they are reluctant to release their control for some time.

Necromancy is not practiced in Neo-pagan Witchcraft, but it is practiced in Voodoo.

There are two noted kinds of necromancy: the raising of the corpse itself, and the most common kind, the conjuring or summoning of the spirit of the corpse. A.G.H.



Necromancy

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The act of conjuring the spirits of the dead for divining purposes is known as necromancy. This is not the same as the conjuration of demons or devils in order to do one's bidding or cast spells. It is instead, the seeking of communication with those spirits who have passed into another plane of existence, since they will have access to information that is not readily available in this realm.

Necromancy has been used for many purposes, including such things as understanding the circumstances of someone's death, or finding something important that is missing. Spirits who have passed are not limited by time, and so are able to have knowledge of both past and future events. This can allow for the exchange of some very useful and amazing information.

The Long History of Necromancy

Necromancy has been around for a very long time, being practiced in Greece, Rome, Persia, and during the Middle Ages. It was utilized by many of those who were practicing sorcery or witchcraft. The Catholic Church condemned it, even calling it "the agency of evil spirits," and it was outlawed in England during the Elizabethan period.

Some have called the practice of necromancy dangerous and foolhardy. This is because perhaps the most common form utilizes the channeling of the spirit by a medium. This supposedly can sometimes lead to a situation where a spirit will not let go of their control over the medium when they are asked to.



Webster's 1913 Dictionary



Definition: \Nec"ro*man`cy\, n. [OE. nigromaunce, nigromancie,

OF. nigromance, F. n['e]cromance, n['e]cromancie, from L.

necromantia, Gr. ?; ? a dead body (akin to L. necare to kill,

Skr. na(?) to perish, vanish) + ? divination, fr. ? diviner,

seer, akin to E. mania. See {Mania}, and cf. {Internecine},

{Noxious}. The old spelling is due to confusion with L. niger

black. Hence the name black art.]

The art of revealing future events by means of a pretended

communication with the dead; the black art; hence, magic in

general; conjuration; enchantment. See {Black art}.

This palace standeth in the air, By necromancy

plac[`e]d there. --Drayton.



Necromancy

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Also known as Nagomancy, it is a form of divination by communication with the dead, one of the claimed black arts practiced by witches and magicians. The classic case of necromancy is the witch of Endor, described in the Bible (1 Samuel 2, who summoned the spirit of Samuel in the presence of Saul. This biblical episode was widely accepted as irrefutable evidence for the existence of witchcraft.

Necromancy (from Greek words meaning ‘dead' and 'divination'), a word corrupted by medieval Latin writers into nigromantia, can be divided into two main branches: divination by means of ghosts, and divination from corpses, both of which represent related forms of forbidden knowledge. The second method led to the disinterment of corpses and rifling of graves for the grisly charms which magicians and witches considered necessary for the effective performance of the magical arts.

To evoke the dead the magician needed to obtain the help of powerful spirits, both for his own protection and to compel the corpse or ghost to submit to his will. A spell from ancient Greece calls upon the powers of the mighty Kore, Persephone, Ereshkigal, Adonis, Hermes and Thoth, to bind the dead. According to a ritual described by Seneca, the Roman dramatist, the summoning of the dead involved not only a burnt sacrifice but a blood-drenched altar. See Grand Grimoire, grimoires and Heptameron.

Source: http://www.occultopedia.com/





NECROMANCY

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Necromancy is the art of communicating with the dead. The origins of the word come from the Greek. Necro meaning death, and mancy describing divination. This art has been classified by many as being "Black Magick", but for most that have had the opportunity to study, or practice this art can testify that there is neither any aspects of white or black involved just death.

Past, and some present practices in the rituals of this art have permanently tarnished, and labelled this form of magic as "evil", or bad. In a few cases what has been preformed in the name of this art can only be described as sheer demented lunacy. Some of the information presented in this section of our site is practices that where at one time accepted in the Art’s of Necromancy. By no means do we advocate, or suggest any person or person perform any rites or rituals that would be morally unacceptable by the standards of there community, or perform any actions that would be deemed as illegal.

In past practices more than not the reasoning for summoning the dead was for personal gains. These practitioners of the arts only interests was for there own greed. Whether it was riches, knowledge, or predictions they where trying to gain from the dead. Often the ancient necromancer would find themselves joining those they so desperately wanted to communicate with for eternity. It has been said that the Northern European sorcerer’s where so efficient in this art that they could communicate with spirits just by being near the place the spirit left its humanly body.

In present day necromancy the practitioner leans more towards working with the spirits rather than trying to control and manipulate them. Often the bonds between the necromancer, and the spirits will developed into a lifelong relationship with mutual respect, and understanding growing between them. None the less the necromancer must not allow the spirit, or spirits to gain the upper hand. Occasionally a spirit devoid of any benevolent tendencies will attempt to manipulate the necromancer. This must be carefully watched for, and any feelings of a loss of control, or manipulation by the spirit must be dealt with immediately. Hopefully the first encounter a practitioner of this art has is not with such a spirit, and will have the aid of friendlier spirits to advise as to what the true intent of the mischievous spirit is before things get out of hand.



Necromancy in Graveyards:

In past practices of necromancy the practitioner felt it necessary to use the bodies of the dead to force the spirit to return, and communicate with those that summoned it from it’s realm. Among some of the haunts on a necromancer where cross roads, battlefields, and graveyards.

Cross roads where selected due to there alleged link with the spirit realm. Often criminals where hung at cross roads in Europe. Generally though the problem with the cross roads is the lack of a corpse this would mean the body of the dead would have to be brought from it’s resting place to where the ritual’s where to be preformed. Battlefields provided a superb location to find corpses with one small set back, where there was a battlefield there was a war. It was one thing wanting to speak to the dead, but it was quite another risking the chance of becoming deceased by a hostile act of war. So by far the best and safest place to acquire a dead body was from one of the many surrounding graveyards. . . .

Not just any graveyard would be suitable for the needs of the necromancer, as being able to hide ones acts was most important. For this reason sites with crypt's where generally sought out. Even if the body of the person who deceased was not buried in a crypt it would take little effort to dig up the remains, and transport them to a suitable crypt during the hours of darkness.

There are other reasons besides remaining undetected for choosing a crypt. Another concern was that of shelter. The crypts not only provided a door to keep the rituals private from unforeseen guests, but would also provide a home for the necromancer, and his assistant during the lengthy art of raising the dead.

For some practitioners of necromancy the graveyard was only considered to be a shopping centre where they could pick and choose the cadavers, and there tools of the trade. These persons for what ever reason didn’t practice there art where the bodies where buried. Whether they didn’t feel secure in a public place, or they felt the need to separate the body from its resting place.

In modern times anyone caught desecrating a gravesite in such a manner would be arrested, andheld accountable for there actions in a court of law. Where a jail sentence would be handed down by the judge. In the Middle ages anyone caught doing these acts might be decapitated. Perhaps that’s one law that should of not been changed.



Necromantic Rituals:

There where two main forms of necromancy practiced during the middle ages in Europe for the purpose of this article we will only be dealing with the practitioners that used corpse in there rituals. The other form of necromancy is still in use today and information concerning that practice can be found in our modern necromancy section.

To be able to command the dead to speak was considered by many a practitioner of this art as the peak of there magical abilities. The ritual would commence nine days before the actual act of speaking with the dead occurred. During this time the necromancer and assistant would seclude themselves from human contact especially the contact of woman.

The starting of the ritual would be getting dressed for the occasion. For this, the people practicing this art would wear cloths stolen from graves. They felt it necessary to get as close to the dead as they could. If possible they would also sleep with the cadaver they planed to raise, but for this to occur a secure setting was needed like a sealed catacomb.

After the location was deemed safe and all precautions where in place to not arise attention to there actions the next item needed was food. The food eaten during this lengthy ritual was mainly unsalted dog meat. Now besides most people not caring to eat dog the main problem was the lack of salt. Remember these rituals where preformed in times when salt was used to preserve meats. Refrigeration was not known back then.

For the next eight days the practitioners would practice there rites, prayers, burn, and inhale hallucinogenic incenses, and do what ever else they seen fit to bring them closer to the spirits they desired to contact. The incenses they used for these rites where not only mind altering, but also deadly, and many a ritual would be ended permanently by inhaling these substances.

If by chance the necromancer did not die from botulism, or an overdose of narcotics the ritual would start around midnight. Elaborate circles where drawn around both the dead, and the place the participants planed to stand. Again more incenses where burned, and the body of the deceased was placed inside its circle sealing the spirit that the necromancer was attempting to raise from escaping. The necromancer and apprentice, or assistant would then enter there respective circle.

Prayers would be spoken for protection against the spirit of the dead, and prayers to force the spirit to reinhabit its former body. If all went successful the departed spirit would once again animate its body, and rise to meet those who have conjured it. This by no means was thought to be a pleasant experience for the spirit involved, and often the necromancer had to take steps to keep the spirit at bay.

Now that the practitioners where successful in raising a spirit the next step was to communicate with the dead. This was done with questions, and answers, for whatever the reason the spirit was forced back to the world of the living it was now when the necromancer would find out if the information sought after would be provided. More often than not the reasons then for speaking to the dead where for either, money (the location of hidden treasures), or knowledge only the dead could provide.

The spirit would then be released back to its realm at this point if the necromancer felt the information provided was accurate, and reliable. It was a common belief in the middle ages that a body was needed for its spirit to return to the world of the living. So as a reward for providing proper information to the necromancer the spirits discarded body would be destroyed so to never be used again in raising that spirit from its resting place. . . .



Ritual Tools in Necromancy:

Past practices in the arts of necromancy where heavily influenced by complex rituals, and peculiar trinkets. The one found in almost all ancient practices is the corpse. The necromancers felt the spirit would return to fresh corpses (ones less than a year old) for the purpose of communication with the living. This was something the spirit never did by its own will, and had to be manipulated or forced to return to its former body.

Those that didn’t care for the thought of hanging around places of death, or exhuming graves would use a skull during the ritual to summon the spirit. It was treated in the same manner as a corps for it was the spirit that the practitioner needed protection from not the container the spirit manifested in.

For the necromancers safety the circle was the prime means of defence. The circle had two purposes the first being a barrier to keep the summoned spirit inside, and the second being a protective circle surrounding the necromancer and assistant in case the spirit broke free from its barrier. The circles used in this art of raising the dead where constructed in the same manner as the protective circles found in the Keys of Solomon.

After the circles where constructed, and blessed the next tool to be employed by the necromancer was incense. A mixture of various narcotics where used including: belladonna, mandrake, henbane, opium, among others. This combination of herbs has no doubt been the cause of more practitioners of this art joining there sought after spirits than any means of death. For information on what the chemicals in these herbs are capable of see our Botany section. An in depth article on belladonna can be found under the flying potion link on that page.

Now that the practitioner, and his assistant have inhaled enough herbal smoke to put them literally on deaths door the next tool required is the wand. This item was generally made of bone, and serves two purposes the first is to conjure, or force the spirit back into its body so communication can commence. Secondly the wand acts as a blasting rod to send the spirit back to where it came from. This is used if the ceremony does not go as directed by the practitioner, or the spirit starts gaining control of the ritual.

The last main thing needed by practitioners of the ancient art of necromancy is wood, or quicklime. The necromancers of that time believed the spirit could only be summoned if there body was still intact. So if the spirit was particularly helpful in what the necromancer required from it, the corpse would either be burned, or buried in quicklime. This was to prevent any others from ever disturbing this particular spirit again.



Spirits in Necromancy:

Spirits where thought of as just servants to the necromancer something in most cases to use, and discard. If they had a act, or errand they prefer to not perform themselves they would call upon the dead to carry out there wishes. If they required forbidden knowledge again it was the spirits who where summoned to feed there hunger for the knowledge they desired. Tracking down a lost item, or hidden treasure again it was a spirit of the dead who was called to do the necromancers bidding.

It is no wonder that some necromancers would request there body be destroyed upon there death. Being that they where prime targets for new, and uprising practitioners of the art to call upon, and be forced back into there former body to serve. After all who better to seek wisdom from than a person who has had so much contact with the dead, and gained so much forbidden knowledge in there human lives.



Modern Necromancy Communicating with the Dead:

Throughout history humankind has always had a deep desire to understand what is beyond life, and to quench this knowledge they have turned to the spirits of the dead to provide them with answers. There has been many that claimed to have received this wisdom, and many different ways of receiving it. There has been much debate to whether spirits do in fact exist with valid arguments arising from both viewpoints. Truly though the only way to prove the existence of life after death (without dying) is to contact the spirits personally. Only then will absolute proof be provided to the persons in search of the answer of a afterlife.

Talking to the dead is somewhat had to explain, I am not sure if everyone is able to do it or just a few select people. They say children, and those young at heart have a closer bond with the spirit world, but proving this would be just as difficult as proving there is existence after death to a sceptic. The principal behind communicating with those that have passed on is rather simple. State what it is you want the spirit to hear by means of talking, and listen for a reply from the spirit.

The reply may come in different forms, from feeling what it is the spirit wants you to understand, to an outright sense of vocal communication between the parties involved. Regardless of the way communication occurs if a spirit needs to relay a message to the necromancer it will be picked up on and comprehended.

The spirits of the dead are not unlike those of the living many find great enjoyment in "pulling one’s leg". In other words they are not above practical jokes, telling tall tales, and mischief. With a bit of common sense, and some experience these tall tale tellers of the spirit realm can quickly be identified, and asked politely to leave. If you are the type of person that enjoys spreading the truth a little thin perhaps a spirit of this nature would make a good companion. Remember to take everything that spirit says with a grain of salt though as some tails sound to real to be false.

Generally a necromancer who has been practicing this art for a period of time will have a spirit, or spirits to confide in. When communication with a new spirit arises it is best to ask the intent of this new spirit with those spirits the necromancer already has a bond with. That is not to say the spirits the necromancer are familiar with will know of this new guest, but it never hurts to ask.

There has also been; tools, trinkets, and toys appearing every so often that claim to assist people in raising the dead. Some of these items include the ouija board, spirit writers, and chalk slates. Regardless what the item is, it should be used with a hands off approach. The desire for humans to contact the dead is at times so great (especially after the loss of a loved one) that they might unconsciously manipulate an item to achieve the desired response they where looking for.

So regardless what method is being used to communicate with the dead keep an open mind, don’t allow emotions or others trickery to be deceptive, and be prepared for the worst case scenario. After all if preparations are taking against the worst thing that could go wrong, chances are the experience encountered with the spirits of the dead will go smoothly. They are always around us. Now it is up to us to accept there presence, and grow together, or deny there existence and be bound by our humanly shells.





Modern Necromancy Ritual Tools:

The tools of necromancy have changed dramatically sense the middle ages. Though some traditions still use bones, and skulls generally such items have either been replaced with those of animals, or other items that represent a symbolic link to the spirits of the deceased. Often bowls, cups, or other containers are incorporated into the art as a resting place for the spirits during there time with the necromancer.

Regardless if it is a skull, or a china dish the intent of the modern day necromancer is to offer a secure place where the spirit will feel comfortable. It is of coarse symbolic as spirits don’t require any form of security on our physical plane.

As with the ghouls of the past who desecrated graveyard, and cadavers to perform there art. The modern day practitioner also will incorporate incense into the rituals of communicating with the dead. Though the incense used in modern practices is blended to enhance spiritual presence, and not considered a deadly hallucinogenic. Some of the incenses used to enhance the likelihood of contacting a spirit are as follows:

Benzoin Frankincense

Myrrh Sandalwood



Personally I find the combination that for me works the best for communicating with the dead is Sandalwood, and Amber. Though it should not be used in large quantities.

On occasion when a spirit becomes unruly a blasting rod will be incorporated for the purpose of dismissing the spirit. The use of this technique should not be done in haste, and only if there is truly no other way to deal with the particular spirit. It is considered a hostile act by the spirits, and will be noted by other spirits as to the frequency, and for what reason such a measure was used.

A popular concept in modern necromancy is the rewarding of spirits that have in some way or another preformed a service to the practitioner. Depending on the necromancer, and the service provided by the spirit this reward varies. Most often though it is either food, or drink. Yes for some reason spirits get tickled pink if they get there own glass of brandy, or other alcoholic beverage. Food that is to be giving to a spirit must be carefully prepared to make sure it contains no salt for spirits despise salt.

Other tools of modern necromancy include items listed on the ouija board page. They are more designed towards people thinking they can snap there fingers, and have a spirit appear. For those people necromancy is not an art, but only a party favour. By treating this art as such they get what they invest which is nothing . . . .



Modern Necromancy Assisting Spirits:

If you are the type of person that is only interested in contacting the dead for personal means I would strongly suggest you find something different to do with your time. Spirits that feel they are being "screwed over" will screw you over many times in return. If this happens live with it you more than likely deserve what it is you receive.

As for assisting spirits, the most common question I receive by people is; What do spirits talk about? Well what spirits actually talk about is between myself and the spirit, but I will say what it is spirits most often ask for, and that is forgiveness. Not from there God, or Gods nor from crimes committed during there mortal life. They ask for forgiveness from a friend, or relative for whom there last living words with where not pleasant. They truly didn’t mean the things they said, but now find it to late to tell the person they where sorry for there words, or actions.

If all I have gained by working with spirits is to never turn my back on, or leave with bitter feelings towards a friend for it may be the last time you speak to each other. Then I feel I have learned knowledge that takes many people more than a lifetime to realize. It is true that time heals all wounds, but when ones life is taken away the time to heal wounds has vanished.

So now that a spirit wants to make amends with a member of the living the task is left to the necromancer to relay that message. The first thing needed from the spirit is information as it would be hard to deliver a message to persons unknown. Questions that need to be answered include who the spirit was during its mortal life, who the spirit wants to communicate to, what the message is that needs to be delivered, and most important some background information about the spirit, and the person who is to receive the message. This last part is important for credibility, lets face it if some stranger came up to you stating a friend, or loved one who passed on wanted to them to relay a message from said spirit you would think they are insane unless they somehow could prove to you that they where in fact in contact with the person lost to you.

The easiest way to show that contact was indeed made between the spirit, and necromancer is by personal information that only the spirit, and the party receiving the message would know. The spirit will know what information would best be suited for this task.

Now that the necromancer has all the required information needed to relay the spirits message the next step is the actual relaying of the message. One could use the up front face to face method, bit I would advise against this for two reasons. The first is rather simple by confronting a person to there face you are exposing yourself as a necromancer. For the vast majority of practitioners in this art public exposure is not something desired. The second reason this is not advised is due to the nature of the message being delivered. Where one individual may walk away as soon as the necromancer starts to talk about why and who had a message. The next person may hound the necromancer for the next ten years seeking more information about there lost friend, or loved one.

By far the best way to deliver a spirits message is by mail. Some people may feel this is an impersonal way to deliver such a personal message, but it is not the necromancers job to be personal or friendly. The only thing the spirit requires from the necromancer is to deliver the message, and the mail system provides a great way to do that and still remain unknown. The choice of a; hand written, typed, or computer printed letter is entirely up to the individual necromancer, but generally unless you want credit for relaying the spirits message a signature, and return address are not included.

As far as the contents of the letter it should be compassionate, sincere, and to the point. A short paragraph as to why it was important for this letter to be sent. The message the spirit wanted delivered including proof that in fact it was truly a message from the departed. Lastly condolences if so desired. Never should information of a negative, or harmful manner be relayed from a spirit. If the spirit you are dealing with feels it necessary to get a message like this to someone advise the spirit to do it on it’s own.

If you find the task of helping spirits in this manner to much, or undesirable perhaps working with the dead is best left to someone else. Spirits are enjoyable to be around most of the time, but they also have needs, and it is up to the necromancer to make sure the needs of the dead are met.





Modern Necromancy, Modern Theory of Spirits:

The word spirit refers to the energy force that still exists after the body is gone. Different civilizations have come to call this energy by a vast number on names, but it is still what it is, regardless of what name one chooses to call it. For the purpose of this article I will be referring to that residual energy as a spirit.

One of the first things to comprehend is the laws of energy. Energy never depletes itself it just changes forums. As a spirit excretes its energy it has a need to consume new energy else it will deplete itself as it is known. Like it’s mortal shell the spirit is also concerned with an intake of sustenance to continue its existence. Unlike humans that need to eat food to remain healthy a spirit lives on energy. The energy a spirit thrives on is not devoured like we would eat a meal, but instead it is absorbed into its being.

So the only thing remaining is where do these spirits receive there energy from. Like all things living spirits tend to chose the easiest from of sustenance available. In most cases this is the energy, and emotions that we human beings are constantly releasing during our daily routines. Like us spirits also have distinct likes, and dislikes for what they prefer. When a person passes on that persons spirit will mimic the behaviours they betrayed during there mortal life. If the person found content in misery then to will the spirit of that person search for an energy force that is close to providing the same vibes.

So places, or people that excrete a pleasurable energy will be surrounded by spirits feeding on those emotions. People that are always negative, and down will have spirits attracted to them that feed on that form of energy. Again spirits like anything else don’t like to work harder than they have to for there survival. If an event occurs to change the disposition of there energy source they need to weigh there options as to what would be easier, using valuable energy to attempt to revert there surroundings back to what they where, or to move on to a new source of energy.

If the decision is to try and convert the energy back to its original state one of two things will occur. In the case where the energy being consumed was derived by positive emotions then positive energy will be released by the spirits to try and countervail the events that occurred to cause the energy to shift in the first place. I am sure everyone can relate to an area, or person they have met where regardless what emotional state you where in before entering the area, or meeting the person a sense of calmness, joy, or other positive emotion becomes overwhelming. This is caused by a balance of positive energy being consumed by the spirits, and in return emitting a small amount of energy back to assure there sustenance remains readily available.

Where negative energies where at one time being released a haunting may occur if this flow of energy is being depleted. Fear is one of humankinds strongest negative emotions, and spirits who feed of that type of energy thrive under the conditions of a haunting. The energy is so strong that it will attract spirits of that nature from miles around like sharks to a wounded fish. Soon the area where these spirits reside will gain the reputation as being haunted causing fear by all those curious enough to enter. In this respect the spirits no longer need to use there valuable energy to create more sustenance as humans are quenching there appetites even if unknowingly. If for some reason the flow of negative energy starts to diminish then the haunting will return till the point where the spirits involved would find it easier to relocate to a new location over using there precious energy to attempt to create there sustenance.

To remove the unwanted spirits that feed on such emotional energy is a hard if not impossible task for most humans. The first step is to remove the source of the spirits feeding, and in the case of a haunting this means removing the fear. By human nature we are creatures that fear the unknown so the trick here is to get to know the spirit(s). Talk to them, and discuss there plans on where they feel would be a better place for them to dwell as there type of spirit is no longer welcome in the area. Generally the spirit is content to remain where it is at the time, and only complete denial to a preferred energy source will force the spirit to find better hunting grounds. Remember a spirit will only emit as much energy as needed to replenish its supply of nourishment, and if the energy being used out weighs the energy consumption the spirit will have no choice but to move on.



Modern Necromancy Ouija Board:

The Ouija, board was giving birth by a man named Charles Kennard around the turn of the nineteenth century. It consists of a table, or board with twenty six letters, ten numbers, the words yes, and no, goodbye, or bye, and in some cases also a greeting. Also included with this board was a heart shaped free moving wooden device known as a planchette( French for Little Plank). In modern boards this has been replaced with a plastic planchette. The Ouija board also goes by other names like the witches board, and the Yes, Yes board. Oui French for yes, and Ja German for yes.

There is also a second form of planchette known as the spirit writer. This tool was identical to the planchette’s used today but with one small difference. The front of the three legs was replaced with a writing instrument. The person attempting to make contact with a spirit would place this device on top of a blank piece of paper, and rest there finger tips lightly on its edges. When a spirit was contacted the planchette would move across the paper writing the spirits message.

The concept behind using the board is for a group of two or more people to sit around placing there finger tips lightly on the planchette while calling out for a spiritual being to communicate with them via moving the planchette over the board, and briefly stopping on the letters etc. it desires to spell out its message to the living. Of coarse for this to truly work keep your fingers off the planchette. Regardless what people say about needing to make personal contact with the board it is not true. Spirits are more than capable of moving items on there own. The trick is to try and convince a spirit that it needs to move this little heart shaped item around the board to spell out words. That in itself can provide for hours of entertainment, and frustration. Spirits don’t see the need to waist there energy moving a piece of wood around just for you or your friends personal entertainment. They are also genuinely puzzled as to why you don’t just listen to what they have to say instead of making them spell there messages to you.

The problem with placing the tips of everyone's fingers on the planchette is rather obvious. There is always someone that takes it upon themselves to speak for the spirit. The solution is simple, remove the fingers and let the planchette move on its own. If it doesn’t move then it is rather obvious that it was being aided by one, or more of the human participants.

It seems the stories of possessions, and haunting caused by the ouija board date back as far as the invention of the board. One of the longest surviving stories I can recall is to never use the board alone. Well there is a reason for this the manufactures of the Ouija board never intended the board to actually work in the manner it was intended. They expected at least one person to move the planchette around the board to deceive the other participants that a spirit had actually been contacted and was relaying a message. This is hard to pull off if you are the only one using the board. Another great fable is how spirits have gone from the board and possessed the user, or the users of this board have gone mentally insane. Regardless it seems every one knew a person who knew a person that had something bad happened to them as a direct result from this device. In the words of Parker Brothers the last mass producers of this board:

It’s only a game Isn’t it?



Modern Necromancy a Theory of Death:

Being that this site deals with a vast number of pagan religions all having different views of the afterlife this page will deal only with occurrences around the time of death to the time when the spirit journeys onwards. The one nice thing about working with the dead is the assurance that the spirit is in fact real, and moves on after the physical body has ceased to function. The Afterlife is no longer a hope, or part of a religious faith, but something tangible.

For many spirits being in this realm comes as somewhat of a disappointment believing all there mortal lives in a peaceful afterlife only to realize after the death of there flesh that the spirit realm is not what they expected it to be. For other spirits the realms of the dead are a relief from the afterlife they thought they where going to. Last are the poor wretched spirits that find death a release from there mortal suffering. It is these spirits that tend to linger around with the living the longest, and are in most need of the necromancers assistance.

Where traditional scientists by studying the brain have determined what causes people who have experienced near death, or have been revived from a deaths state to experience similar events. It is necromancer that practices the science of the dead. After the brain ceases to work, and the body is decomposed the traditional scientist work is completed. This is where the necromancers art begins.

Most spirits are content with just being, but some for whatever reason they have want to make contact with the living. When a spirit unfamiliar to myself attempts to make me acknowledge its presence it is my sense of smell that is first triggered. As to what a spirit actually smells like I have no idea, but on first contact I get the sense of something that has burnt. This is not to say that the body of the deceased was cremated, or the person died in a fire it is just a smell that I have picked up on when a new spiritual presence in my company is trying to contact me. The key is making me acknowledge its presence, spirits come and go as they see fit without anyone ever knowing they where around. It is only when a spirit wants your attention that a sign or signal will be present.

Two points of interest in regards to spirits I know, and have known the first being they are well aware that they are dead. It may make for a good Hollywood movie having a spirit believe it is still mortal, but when the flesh is dead the spirit knows. The second, spirits enjoy the company of the living. That is not to say they want to hang around all day, or night and socialize, but they do enjoy seeing what we are up to. So the next time you are up to no good remember you are never alone. Mind you hearing first hand what it is your neighbours are doing behind closed doors does make for some interesting conversations between the spirit, and the necromancer. . . . .



Modern Necromancy Mediums:

In modern times a new bread of necromancers has arising calling themselves mediums, or channelers. This trend in communicating with the dead began with two sisters Kate and Maggie Fox in the mid eighteen hundreds. They claimed to be able to decipher knocking sounds as messages from the spirit realm. Years latter they confessed that this was all a hoax. None the less it created a huge uprising of interest in the spirit realms, along with many sceptics.

For most people there vision of a medium was someone sitting around a table holding hands with there customers in a smoked filled dark room. If by chance a "spirit" would make an appearance, and for some unknown reason it was always the spirit the customers paid to visit with, it would be invoked by the medium. Now there is one major problem with this Who in there right mind would allow a spirit (knowing it or not) to enter, and take control of the body.

These channelers have been, and still are being proven as fakes time and time again. There séances are nothing more than a well orchestrated production with there customers the deceived audience, and victims of there deceptions. This type of channeler never works alone there is always someone behind the scene pulling the wires, or making ghostly noises. As every type of deception is uncovered another one appears to take its place. A sure way to tell such hoaxes is by the exchange of currency. If in fact a spirit had a message to relay it would be the necromancers duty to make sure that message was received by the person it was intended for within reason. Though there are people that will orchestrate such and illusion just for there own personal enjoyment.

In more modern times a new type of medium has appeared, to them I will name the twenty question medium. They are easy to spot as they are the ones playing guessing games with there victims. Often they will work a room throwing out statements in the form of a question, and looking to see how the audience responds. While keeping there questions/statements broad and open they attempt to pin point a victim from the audience. When they have found a likely participant the questions will be more focused towards that individual, and by chance if they state something that is incorrect they claim the spirit is drifting from them, or some other imaginative story.

The last type of modern medium's are those that are generally real. They are few and far between with most staying out of the publics eye. They are easy to distinguish from the fakes, as they relay the message they where giving, and nothing more. They wont approach saying something along the lines of; You knew someone who died of cancer, or had cancer when they died with the first name starting with the letter B. They will be accurate in what they have to relay to you, and they will be precise. If any of the information they relay to you is wrong then they must be dismissed as another fake. If though the information is all true, and detailed you have found a truly gifted individual.

Along with the mediums there comes the sceptics. For the obvious fake mediums an intelligent sceptic has no problem uncovering there web of lies, and deceptions. For the true spiritual channeler a new type of sceptic takes over where the logical sceptic leaves off. These people are not concerned if in fact spirits are indeed being contacted. There scepticism comes from what type of spirit it is, and to determine what the spirit truly is they quote from old texts. There belief is if in fact a spirit has been in touch with the living it is one of a malevolent nature those spirits they refer to as demons.



Along with the accusations of all spirits in contact with the living being of a demonic nature comes the reasoning behind there views. They feel these "demons" are only being nice enough, and telling parts of the truth mixed in with blatant lies to gain the trust of the medium. Only to later take control of the mediums for there own bidding. Makes you wonder who the "demon’s " here truly are.. .. .. The spirits or those that would go to such extremes into deceiving people not to listen to the spiritual voices.

Last edited by ChaosTech : 08-20-2004 at 03:37 PM.
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Old 08-20-2004, 03:46 PM   #3
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Also I wanted to add my thoughts on the original meaning of the greek word for necromancy. Sence the greek word nekros literally means corspe, I wonder if the reason why necromancy has gotten such a bad reputation is because it didn't mean divination with the dead as in the spirits of the dead, but with the physical bodies of the dead? I know there is a greek word for divination with the entrails of animals (name?), and many cultures practiced this form of divination. I wonder if the original "necromancers" actually used dead human bodies in a similar manner? This is all just speculation, and I have no evidence to back this up but it does make sense, as nercomancy was not just looked down upon in medieval europe but in ancient greece as well. The confusing it with the word niger and so it's connecting it to black magick, can't explain why this was so in greece. Another reason why this makes sense is because the greeks as well as many other cultures were well familiar with comuning with the dead, and this was not looked down upon at all, and is a common practice even in shamanistic cultures.

Last edited by ChaosTech : 08-20-2004 at 03:48 PM.
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Old 08-20-2004, 05:37 PM   #4
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Thank you so much for your helpful detailed input. I'm actually referring to books on conjuring spirits, contacting "souls" of the deceased. Although, the possibility of physically raising a corpse is quite intriguing.

My house is pretty haunted. We've counted over a dozen "sightings" (only by family members - 7 of us), most of which were sighted by me. All our maids left, claiming to have been chased away by ghosts. Bizarre things, but we've tried doubling their salaries.

Anyway, I'd love to be able to contact them professionally. I was told (by basically every fortune tellers/chiromancers/mediums I've been to - yes, we do that a lot) that I'm gifted with the ability to see/hear/sense ghosts. And I have, but I'd always find some reason to dismiss them. I have no idea what's stopping me from communicating with one. I've also felt them touch me while I slept (or about to fall asleep, more like), which I find quite strange.

Has anyone read Forbidden Rites? Would you recommend it?

Thanks!
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