The Witches' Book of the Dead (7 page)

The most obvious choices are those who cared the most for you in life. I often say that the Virgin Mary is busy and Isis has better things to do, but your grandmother will care about your problems. Our personal dead often stick around to help us. Bonds made in life often live on in death.

This brings us to an interesting and age-old question. Don't all the good souls reincarnate, ascend to heaven, or end up grazing in some Elysian paradise? As Witchcraft and necromancy became demonized over time, the spirits of the dead were recast as sinister creatures of a lower vibration, leeching the life force from those who call upon them. While there are certainly shades of the dead that you don't want to traffic with, they aren't all automatically bad. The ancient Romans, in particular, saw the dead as good (Lares), bad (Lemures), and as yet undetermined (Manes). Their understanding of nature of spirits was pretty accurate even if they did shy away from using them in sorcery. Many good spirits stay behind to help those they love. It doesn't mean they aren't evolved. On the contrary, reincarnating into a new form can be a burden to the spirit that feels she can be of greater service in the spirit world. But you do need to know who
is going to actually lift up your life through the relationship, so choose your associations wisely.

Not all of the spirits you put on your altar have to be blood relatives, either. Some, like those who have been adopted, will honor members of their adopted family. We often choose our family from among our cherished friends, so placing photos of those who have touched your life, now that they are in spirit, is a powerful way of keeping that connection alive. I have both a photo and a vial of ashes of my “Auntie” Kathy—in truth my mother's best friend when she was alive—on the altar at HEX because she was a strong person in life and I call on that strength when I need it. You might also consider including photos of those you revere as heroes—great leaders, spiritual mentors, compassionate charity workers, successful businesspeople, even celebrities whose talent inspires you. Some even include bone relics of the Catholic saints or other important spiritual people, though competition for their interest can sometimes be great.

Witches do not discriminate against other faiths, but rather honor the paths by which we all advance our spirituality. By connecting with those people and honoring them, you allow their gifts to come and flow through you—one of the most important benefits to working with the dead. If you're having trouble securing a job, call on the grandfather who was a master of industry. If you're unlucky in love, call on someone whose strong marriage you admire. The dead thrill in the joys of life once lived and will jump at the chance to be part of your life.

The images on an altar need only be comprised of the dead to be considered an “altar of the dead,” but some also like to put other images of death, including deities of the dead. For deities, you might include a statue of Anubis, the Egyptian god who guides the spirits to the land of the dead; Persephone, the queen of the underworld; or even the Mexican image of Santisima Muerte, the popular saint of death in that country. I give prominence on my altar to Marie Laveau, the famed Voodoo Queen of mid-1800s New Orleans. While not a goddess, per se, she was a powerful and compassionate sorceress who has since become the very spirit of the Crescent City—
a place I feel very connected to. She is considered a Loa—or intermediary spirit—of the city. By having her on the altar, I keep my connection to both Marie's spirit and a city so close to my heart. Deity statues should be blessed and consecrated to the deities they represent according to their own preference. A list of deities and their preferred offerings is featured in
appendix B
.

Other ways of connection include animal skulls and bones, including artwork carved from bone such as statuary, beads, and jewelry made from animal bone; Katrina dolls from Mexico (skeletal ladies dressed in Victorian finery); photos of graveyards; and more. As you learn to make offerings to the dead, your altar will become quite full!

The Skull

If someone were to ask me what I would choose if I could only keep one of my many magical tools, my answer would be Robert, the human skull that resides on the altar of the dead in my shop. I inherited Robert from my departed best friend and business partner, Shawn Poirier, who passed into spirit in the year 2007. Shawn was one of the most magical people that I have ever known, and he taught me the ways of necromancy and spirit work. Shawn ordered his two skulls, which are named Robert and Claudia, from
BoneRoom.com
, a website and retail shop based in Albany, California, that specializes in bones both human and animal. When Shawn died, my coven-sister, Leanne Marrama, received Claudia. I became the caretaker for Robert, an honor I cherish deeply, as I know the power inherent in this most ancient tool of magic.

The greatest tool a Witch can possess is a human skull—if “possess” is the right word, for we are caretakers and the dead are equal partners in our magic. If you truly seek to walk the ways of Witchcraft, you should consider obtaining a skull, for it is, quite literally, a doorway to the spirit world. To fully become a Witch, you must be able to walk in the worlds of the living and of the spirits. Bones of all different creatures can connect us to the Other Side. The bone of a wolf, for example, will connect us more fully to the spirit vibration of the Wolf. Thus, the human skull connects us to the legacy of our
own humanity, the great river of DNA that reaches into the deepest places of the long history of our species. Through the skull, we are able to draw upon the entire spectrum of the spirit realms, calling on information and sending out our will upon the spectral winds.

The skull you choose and how you choose it is important. The spirit and legacy of the person whose skull it was will absolutely influence the magic you do with it. You can't always know to whom the skull once belonged, but you should be able to use your psychic ability in a visionary state to tap into the skull before you purchase it. This can be done in person, or even with a skull you only have an online picture of, since psychic ability works across great distances. You will want to get a skull that does not have much negativity associated with it!

The condition of the skull can also be crucial depending on what you're using it for. According to lore, a skull that has a mandible or lower jaw is able to communicate the voices of the spirits in the ancient tradition of the Oracular Head—what the Tibetans refer to as Yama and the early Hebrews called the Oboth. The Witch of Endor probably would have had an Oboth. These were often adorned with jewels, carvings, sacred metals, and other embellishments. A skull without a lower jaw, however, is considered to be silent and so is used primarily for calling the dead in magic—soliciting the spirits to perform tasks for you, which you'll learn about later. Robert, the skull that I work with, does not have a lower jaw and thus I use it for magic.

Where you obtain the skull is also important. Just as you don't want the skull of a serial killer, you should avoid the skull of someone who has been treated in a disrespectful way. We definitely don't recommend digging up grandma to get her skull. This would be considered a desecration not only of her grave, but probably of her wishes as well. In ancient times, people would bequeath their skulls to family members to carry on traditions of magic, but this practice is very rare today, and we must honor the wishes of our dead. It is wiser to choose skulls that belong to people who donated themselves to science for the advancement of medicine and other noble causes. This shows selflessness on the part of the donor. Robert was once just such a man.

Another good choice is a skull that was prepared in a spiritual way.
BoneRoom.com
offers several examples of the Tibetan Yama, a skull that has been ritually prepared in a sacred manner and lovingly carved with Buddhist symbols. I gave my mentor, Lori Bruno, a Yama carved with a pair of Buddhist Dorje—symbols of lightning—forming an equilateral cross, which is a very old symbol of protection and power.

Finally, it is most important to obtain the skull in a legal manner. This is, of course, the other reason you shouldn't dig up grandma. It certainly wouldn't look good to the rest of the family if they had to bail you out of jail for desecrating her corpse. So again, please use a reputable source for such purchases. It is perfectly legal under federal law to purchase and possess a human skull. Certain states and municipalities may have their own rules, so check first.

If, in the worst-case scenario, you cannot obtain a true human skull, that will not render your altar useless. You will simply want to obtain a representation of it, perhaps of ceramic, resin, bronze, or my preferred substitution: quartz crystal. While these materials will not contain the full power of a real skull, when combined with your magical intent, they can be an effective doorway to spirit.

Ritual: Blessing Your Skull

A ritual of consecration is very important after obtaining a skull. The following is a simple method to connect yourself to your most powerful spiritual tool.

What you will need:

• An anointing oil. (See
  appendix A
  .)
  
• A black candle to draw in the energy of the spirits. The color black draws in light and creates a psychic battery, which is also, by the way, why Witches wear so much black!
  
• A white candle to honor the dead and send energy out. White has often been worn as a way of respecting those who have passed.
  
• Necromantic incense (see
  appendix A
  ) with a pot and charcoal to burn it. Stick incense is fine if it has the right ingredients. Myrrh, copal, wormwood, and dittany are safe bets for conjuring spirits.
  

Place the skull upon your altar; place the white candle to the right of the skull and the black candle to the left. The incense burner should be in front of the skull but not impede your ability to access it. The oil should be accessible on the altar as well. Prepare by going into a visionary state (see
chapter 1
) and continue to breathe deeply. Anoint the forehead of the skull with the oil in the form of an “X.” Lift the skull with both hands until the eyes of the skull are facing your own eyes. Stare into the eye sockets for several minutes or more, until you feel a strong connection with the skull. When you can feel the energy of it boring into your soul, speak aloud the words:

I gaze into the eyes of my own mortality

For I shall be as you one day

Be now my guide to the realms of spirit

My intermediary between the living and the dead!

May our bond be in perfect love and perfect trust

And may I serve you as you serve me

As my will, so mote it be!

Continue to gaze into the eyes of the skull until you feel that the connection has been made. Then, place it reverently back upon the altar. Your skull is now blessed and ready to become your portal between the worlds. The very first task you should now ask the skull to perform is to give you its name. To name something is to be able to understand and know its power. Thus it is important to know the name of your new guide in the spirit realms. It is rare that you will already know the name of the skull you are working with, so take a few moments while in your visionary state and ask the skull for its name. Wait a few moments and it will come to you. From that moment forth, you should always refer to the skull by that name, just as I refer to Robert.

• • •

Sacred Offerings and Daily Devotions

Your altar is now a true crossroads between the worlds of the living and the dead. You have those you have chosen to honor and, hopefully, you also have your skull—though that can sometimes take time to acquire, so I hope that you at least have a worthy substitute. Now we come to the real, everyday work of the altar—the regular offerings that build the relationship!

As I mentioned earlier, the spirits remember the joy of life once lived, and so leaving offerings of things they enjoyed in life is an effective way of drawing their energy. The spirit of your departed grandmother is not likely to literally consume the chocolate chip cookie you leave on the altar, but everything, including that cookie, has a spiritual energy signature, and the dead, who are also made up of energy, will be drawn to patterns of energy they understand. Occasionally, the spirits actually will consume the food you leave for them. In 2007, Leanne Marrama left a dirty martini for Shawn Poirier on the back windowsill in the ballroom of the Hawthorne Hotel where she hosts Salem's annual séance. No one went near that martini all night, as it
sat behind the podium where Leanne spoke. When Leanne turned to retrieve it, the glass was empty! If anyone could have pulled off this trick from the spirit world, it was Shawn.

To decide what offerings you should leave, think about what your loved ones liked. Was your mother partial to Opium perfume? Did your grandfather like cigars? Was your nephew an avid reader of comic books? Did your great-aunt have a penchant for expensive champagne? There are certainly more general offerings you can leave, but the most powerful are those that directly connect to the spirits you are trying to work with!