Necromancy Resources

[Nepthys]

I notice most of these sources are in the European vein of Necromancy. I wanted to offer up a link to a New World alternative (especially due to the link to the Wiki article on Spiritualism) that is less about "raising" the dead and more recognizing that the dead are all around us and eager to help. Yes, it's in the spiritualist tradition, but is a contemporary, living, breathing [heh!] form of modern necromancy:

http://hoodoofoundry.com/casting/the-ancestor-altar/
http://magickshop.wordpress.com/2010/10 ... ancestors/
http://www.carolinaconjure.com/the-ancestors.html

[aleister faustus]

ive never had any intrest in necromancy founded in the us, it always seemed to have a bit of a cheesy new age feeling to it. but then again, i am interested in the second link however, that seemed to be more culturaly influenced.

[Sypheara]

Some good resources would be the following books, but they are difficult to find.

I am wanting to start my own thread on necromancy, when i have the time, but for now you will find some very good information tracking down the following books. Most things on traditional witchcraft, and theistic satanism and LHP schools have very good information in this regard.

Liber Falxifer by Ixaxaar
Liber FalxiferII : The Book of Anamlaqayin by Ixaxaar
Serpent Songs (Anthology) by Scarlet Imprint
At the Crossroads (Anthology) by Scarlet Imprint
Palo Mayombe: The Garden of Blood & Bones by Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold
Exu & the Quimbanda of Night and Fire by Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold
Pomba Gira & the Quimbanda of Mbùmba Nzila by Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold
Sabbatica : The Sea of Death and the Arcana of the DeathBringer (Anthology) by Nephilim Press
Greek and Roman Necromancy by Daniel Ogden

Tracking down and researching paths that have necromancy as an integral part of their arts will net you big gains in knowledge in this regard. Happy searching and sorry if i have repeated anything already suggested!

PS: I dont rate Konstantinos too highly.. mainly because he comes across as too much theatre, too little substance sometimes. If read with a pinch of salt however, there is merit in both books and they make an ok addition to a collection on the topic for sure.

[manofsands]

Since this post was bumped... and because there is such a bend on the name necromancy from the public at large... I'll just ask those of you who know and are necromancers.... What paradigm or point of view defines one as a necromancer vs. just a 'normal' practicianer? Obviously it has to do with death... but probably not with raising a zombie army.... Or Does It!? [eg]

[Sypheara]

I'd argue that, in the most loose definition, any one who works with the dead in any magickal form could be termed a necromancer.

As for the origins of the word, it means lierally divining by means of the dead and was in such a way practiced in greece, but the term now includes practically any work at all with the spirits of death, death spirits, and death energies.

I'd argue anyone on the scale of simply venerating their ancestors to calling up a ghost to do malefica or penetrating the realm of the dead astrally is practicing necromancy as the term is used.

Necromancers as a whole are an individual bunch so there is no usual or all unifying paradigm which would tie all necromancers together. The one thing id say alot have got in common is the lure towards and embracing of death and its existence / energies rather than to pretend its an unappraochable / 'evil' / taboo subject.

Raising a zombie army would be all but impossible. I've studied the topic of zombification to a degree, and it seems to even perform the process on one individual would be very difficult. A legion of familiars from that sphere is however theoretically possible, or alternatively, using the dark / despoiled dead for the same purpose.

Also without restarting a debate, I just want to point out that the Falxifer books are written by the same people who did Liber Azerate and practice the 218 current.. it is a Dark Gnostic current so in this light, their work makes more than enough sense. There methods are also probably one of the most developed, alongside cults such as Palo Mayombe I have run across. They also make many excellent points, especially in the second book, where the list of the 72 Black in Green is most useful.

[manofsands]

Let me ask a question then, as I really have no frame of reference for the answer, and I welcome all view points.

I have a beloved cat and dog buried in my yard. Depending on ones beliefs, I've heard them to be akin to elementals. I've considered digging up and decorating their skulls, possible to use as a conduit or servitor... to what end... I have no idea yet, if any at all. My question though, would the energy of my pets still be there? Is this an imprisonment? Uncomfortable? I understand only opinions can be given. Its all I'm asking for.

[Sypheara]

Sorry for the brief answer as I want to srite more but im on a bus on a tablet. It has no suspension

What you say is actually decently informed. They are like elementals exceptwith subtle differences. Most death spirits ivr worked with are of no element thrmselves but instead make use of the elemnts around them to support and form their physical bodies.

Yes the energy of your pets would stillcbe there. To what extent, and what strength, and the levek of personality retained is another story. If you were to dig up the skull and make it into a spirit vessel for the use of your pets spirits, it would neither be wrong or painful for them as long as its consecrated s a conduit like you mention ie a house that the spirit decides when to come and go into.

Sealing them in would beanother matter and id object to that, the same way iabhor goetic binding of daemonic spirits.

Hope that helps, ill gladly post more when im not on this damn tablet. Thanks for your welcome in the other thread by the by~

[manofsands]

If you were to dig up the skull and make it into a spirit vessel for the use of your pets spirits, it would neither be wrong or painful for them as long as its consecrated s a conduit like you mention ie a house that the spirit decides when to come and go into.

Sealing them in would beanother matter and id object to that, the same way iabhor goetic binding of daemonic spirits.

Can you describe the spirit vessel consecration or recommend good reading specific to it.

I most certainly would not want to imprison them, and the idea of them coming and going is refreshing in this context.

....

I was totally joking about the zombie army.
They are way too slow and clumsy. I've been working on flying monkeys. Airpower rules.

[Sypheara]

On tablet so again sorry for brevity and or mistakes.

All of the resources ive linied usually have something to do eith spirit vessels within them. In addition, my ownsite at http://www.theluciferianrevolution.com has a reource section where I upload my own pdfs.I recently made a spirit box - although not an identical operation hopefully it eill give you some ideas as to the underlying processes. On top of this, there is a fantastic witch out there known as Sarah Anne lawless. Give a search for her name with the tags necromancy and or spirit vessel and give her stuff a read it greatly inspired my own works.

As for a very very general outline, as ive not utilised a skull for this purpose, id try something like below.

Prepare the skull, plant ingredients, incenses etc required by purifying them with a holy water created utilising water from a natural running water source and pepper, using intent.

Wash the skull in a alcoholic spirit, most likely vodka to help empower it.

If the plants were harvested by hand using a copper implement, theyd require no further work. If store bought id put them in a triangle of manifestation, burn a venusian incense, three candles lit on each point, with the plant material ontop of an + sigil. Id use intent or ask hecate or another death diety to stir the spirits within them. Reason is store bought ones are likely cut eown using a metal related to mars and thst can make them weaker. ( theyd still work)

Id then when I have all my things do something vaguEly like the following.

Call a circle of power
Invoke the enrgies of the death diety into my body.

Put the chosen ingredients into the skull. Id probably use quarts crystal shards, red string, catnip afor the main ingredients, then either 4 Underworld aligned plants or three of them plus one small item my cat used to love / a sigilvbearing its name in theban script. This sigil paper would have been laced eithcoffee, and a drop of my blood, spit and alcoholvplaced on it before being activated via sandalwood incense prior to its insertion. Either method can work, the sigilbin this case id say may be ott as its your cats skull so is already linked to them.

Id then seal the neck hole using wax from a black, black and white, or red candle. The xandle would be left to burn down as an offering.

Id then use red ochre pigment to redden the bones, before drawing a + on the skulls forehead with acrylic ink. Id then directthe death energies using sexual meditation plus asking the death deitty to lend me me its aid. At point of orgasm, id direct all my attention into visualising the link and directing that energy to open that gateway. Id then anoint the cross with sexual fluid, before cutting open my finger and allow several drops of blood to run over the cRoss or repeating the pattern. The cRoss will be drawn in a top to bottom, right to left fashion.

Id then meditate onf the operationvuntil the candles had allvburnt down, then thank the death deity and close the Circle.

The skull would then need regular offering and upkeep for the link and conduit to remain strong.

That is a very very brief overview but hopefully it gives you a decent idea of how id consecrate this and empower it. Hope that helps! If the ingredients cant be kept inside the skull because its got a hole or two, id wash it in a special herb bath instead and just put in the quarts string and sigil. Once consecrated if the skull breaks thats a sign it needs to be disposed of in a quiet, wooded and secluded location as the energy has caused the vessel to crack and it can no longer be used. That may also be asign the conduit is no longer wanted by the spirit.

[manofsands]

Thanks. That was a very helpful summary.

[Sypheara]

Glad it was some use, was worried it would be a bit fragmentary.

Here is the link to the sarah anne lawless post

http://sarahannelawless.com/2011/08/15/ ... it-bottle/

With a bit of tweaking, it should help. You will notice I did not use graveyard dirt.. thats because collecting it in my tradition is a not so easy process, and is not needed in the above operation.

[Sypheara]

Sorry to double post as cant find edit. i wanted to just add you can also used myrrh resin to redden bone as well! This might even be a more potent ingredient.

[Sypheara]

For someone so inflamed, you certainly havn't read the last page or two at all very thoroughly.

The page where the very authors you mention are even highlighted in recommended works. I would agree Jake Stratton Kent is an excellent writer, and that his geosophia series or whatever it is called are very, very good works on western occultism. I only have his last book in hard copy, the one that deals with Saint Cyprian, and I am not yet fully read through it. But it certainly does contain a lot of good knowledge.

Nocholaj de Mattos Frisvolds work is also highly important, and I'd recommend people hunt down his books wherever they can find them. Unfortunately, they are difficult to find for many people or too far out of their price range, but where there is a will, there is certainly a way. All but there more special formatted books of scarlet imprint are in paper copy.

However I would say there are alot of practices that lie outside of their work: to call something like the Temple 182 not necromantic nor say they don't practice what they put out in material is just plain untrue. Also you are forgetting many necromantic works undertaken by practices which have links to traditional witchcraft, where there is a revival of such practices carried out and being heralded as returning by people such as Sarah Anne Lawless. I recommended Serpents Songs because it contains elements of these practices which are also from the western tradition. It is also a component within my own path, a very important one, and one I am trying to bring back to local practice within my area as many occultists / neopagans here have rejected it.

I wouldnt say it is purely left hand path. It is not distinctly left hand path at all really, and could be used by either paths as understood normally; if you have read thoroughly any of the works on the traditional African religions, especially to do with palo mayombe, you will notice that such a distinction is seen as very artificial within those belief systems. In some of the traditional witchcraft traditions as stated, they are not left hand path but place a huge duty on keeping the death spirits of house and place worked with, noticed and appreciated.

Calling necromancy 'nekromancy' is also not a correct term, and I have never seen 'nekro' used anywhere outside of the black metal circle of idiots. Not to say that you are one, just it doesn't seem pertinent to the discussion and it seems you are trying to introduce some false distinction between necromancy and 'nekromancy'. Magic and magick only really exist to differentiate actual magic from stage magic and it can't really be extrapolated to other words in a fashion that makes sense.

Using it does not give an argument more validity or distance it from necromancy, it just looks silly in my opinion. I am aware that the root word is nekrós and manteía, which is 'dead body prophecy' in greek, and that this became necromantia is latin which is where necromancy derives from. Interested now as to why you have used that form of the term.

Do you have a link to the yahoo group? To the one you participate in? It would be good to link it for people in the thread if its a good resource. I would agree with you that people like Konstantinos give me pause. Most of what he writes seems regurgitated from other sources, and anything that is marketed as his works is to the teen goth crowd just hammers that nail home for me. Also his suggestions along the lines of 'ingredients dont matter' etc make me actually angry, as if you can actually replace blood with red paint? Ludicrous.

Also I do believe that few people in this thread have actually practiced necromancy to any degree, so they are just recommending what they read which seems well sourced with good intentions. I would agree that therefore some of those sources are substandard - but trying to improve them rather than coming in with a wrecking ball is probably the way forward.

[Sypheara]

I had a good reply to your post, but then the internet swallowed it. Since i can't be particularly bothered to retype nor really format this,
hope this suffices.

1. im not saying you dont, but before i answer this, do you understand the distinction between right and left hand path? , because "undersood normally"
doesnt mean much, most people in the socalled "occult" community have no idea what have the words they use actually mean. the "common" understanding is
usually a half assed dictionary definition mixed with a lil bit of idiot mysticism to make it appear "dark" or "cool". so im trying tot figure out if you
know the difference. if you dont its irrelevant, but if you do then i am quite curious on how you come to the conclusion that nekromantic traditions are
not by their very nature left hand path.

I understand the distinction, I just see it as very pointless and proceeding from a very dualistic worldview that serves very little purpose for someone who wishes
to stand at the centre of the axis mundi.

One focuses on rejecting a want to be unified with the all over self empowerment and deification and vice versa. In a basic nutshell that does it disservice.

A good discourse on why can be found in a book called Fosforos, written by Johannes Nefastos, which deals with how
they wrap around and into each other, reaching a oneness, the joined quintessences of both the Right Hand Path and the Left Hand Paths. This is what I'm interested in -
not rejecting one thing to see saw into the other.

This merging can already be seen in Luciferian Gnostic orders that describe themselves as left hand path, but actually want to reduce everything to a unifed state of non being that
escapes God / the demiurges control. These orders see the materialistic, and individualism promoted by church of satan and other groups as profane, and im inclined to agree with them,
so i don't bother researching such groups.

2. i did see other people refer to frisvold and stratton kent, yet i also saw a lot of other SHIT. so instead of dissecting every response i added my two cents: if my two cents match someone elses two cents, then im obviously not referring to them when i say previous comments were more or less useless.

You might have been better served then explaining what was wrong with that shit. You certainly seem to know alot of what you are talking about; that isn't a sly dig, i'm being honest,
so it would have been good to read as to why their sources you think are not worth reading /are incorrect. That way people could be educated. Thanks for posting the group link,
by the by.

3. i choose to spell greek words as closely to a proper transliteration as i can. its called maturity, and not bending to latinized customs when i have no reason to.

Maturity plays no part in that, considering that the most used term in modern discourse is necromancy. It could be said to be closer to either pretention or even anal retentiveness.

Not bending to latinized customs is fine and all, but in that case, why are you not using the classical greek term in its pure form?

4. konstantinos, in all honesty doesnt even merit an explanation, hes a pure right hand path golden dawn fool, with a "goth" mask on, ive read all his books and hes just a damn idiot.

I also don't put much stock in him, especially after reading about how he believes ingredients can be substituted by such weak suggestions such as red paint. Because that is clearly
going to offer up the same material effects as blood. I enjoyed your alchemical post about antinomy as a side note.

5. also you are completely wrong about magick and magic. first of all, magick is a much older spelling that appears in several middle age grimoires, letters, laws, etc. second of all, aleister crowley was the first person in modern times to use it, and his exact explanation is that he added the k to return magick to the glory it had in the middle ages when it was spelled that way, and to seperate it from spiritualism and the many hoaxes of his day. since he was the one to reinstate the spelling (despite how many testicle climbers took to it after him for cool points) and since he clearly stated his purpose in doing so, im sorry but his explanation trumps yours.

Completely wrong, no, off mark, ill agree. I do thank you for correcting me to a degree. Yes, but it was changed over time just how languages naturally evolve and change. Crowly used it
by your own admission due to wanting to seperate it from all the 'fakery', which is what I was getting to. Since this doesn't really apply to the discussion anymore now I know why you
are using the K (due to trying to be closer to the greek spelling) then fair enough. Point is moot. Its interesting to note I have a very, very personal dislike for using the K in
necromancy especially, due to its connotations with the underground black metal scene as being exceptionally poserish and childish. I therefore personally cannot use it because it reminds
me of such infantile attempts at appropriating occult themes for pure shock value.

6. necromancy and nekromancy as stated above are both the same word, i simply choose to use a k, like i do in hekate and many other word/names. however, nekyomancy and nekromancy are NOT the same thing, as i stated in a previous post in this thread.

I had a long winded answer to this, but it basically boiled down to that your distinction is one that seems rather artificial and strained for relevence, considering the dual use of . I would be highly interested in seeing sources, historical sources, that say that nekromancy was not a term used for divining with the dead in mind, considering the word literally comes from dead body prophecy in the original greek, whereas you describe nekyomancy as being the prophetic work and im guessing the nekromantic work as the alchemical/self transformation work which seems different to say the least.

7. if you like stratton kent, i highly suggest you pick up the previous copies in his encyclopedia goetica series:
-"the true grimoire" , "geosophia vol. 1" - "geosophia vol 2" .. his goetica series is by the far the biggest wealth of scholarship on the greek/thracian art of goetia.. which at this point is the only even rudimentary nekromantic tradition from europe thats still salvagable. you are missing out on quite a bit by not reading these works (and essentially anything by scarlet imprint)

I have read extracts on both, I intend to get hard copies when available. I have tracked them down and they are not out of my price range - i refuse to buy paper copies usually due to being a bit of a bibliophile ill admit.
It shows that this is one series where I have considered caving for the short term, until I can find hardcopies which wont be ridiculous shipping and import tax costs. I dont tend to read electronic copies all the way through either - i think one should support authors. But yes, fully intend to, and glad that they are as good as I thought they would be. I am especially interested in how Hekate/Hecate is approached, considering she is my patron.

8. if you can read Frisvolds works on palo and quimbanda, stratton kents works on goetia, and still tell me that nekromancy is not a left hand path tradition, then you seriously need to study up on what constitutes the paradigm of right or left hand, or you need to re read all those books over again VERY carefully. saying that goetia/quimbanda etc. are not left hand path traditions is like saying kabbalah is not a right hand path tradition.

I had another long winded explanation to this as well that the internet ate.

As such im afraid cliffnotes must suffice:

You cannot lump Goetia, Quimbanda, Palo mayombe and Kabbalah into such neat categories. They are simply systems, such which fit the paradigm categorisation system more neater than others.

To start with the Kabbalah example, traditionally Kaballah I would accept is very 'right hand path' in that in seeks unite with God and in that way self dissolution. However Kabbalah can also be worked
with the tree of death, for self empowerment, and also to work against the desire of that unity to more individual freedom and apotheosis by descending to Thaumiel. This is implicit in the system,
and has been developed and worked within by numerous people. It therefore transcends its initial limitation and shows the false veil for what it is.

Quimbanda and Palo itself does definitely not set itself into that grain as one or the other. This can be seen by how Nzambi or god contains both dark and light elements - whilst self empowering to the
point that a person can achieve sainthood as an exu, there is still a rigid structure that must be followed, rules that must be adhered, an emphasis on an overall unity with the sainted dead that runs through at the base of such
systems that actually shows where the light and dark,chaos and order, dissolution and empowerment of the ego exist as simply opposite ends of the same xis. Right and left defintions existing as one, therefore conjoining together into that synthesis described by works such as fosforos. I find examining Quimbanda and Palo Myombe from such a categorisation system as Palo as 'left hand path' would be utterly alien to many that practice those systems. Especially when you consider the role of kalunga and the ancestral ocean, and the role that plays alongside the enspiriting fire. It places limits on these traditions that have alot more to teach than reinforce such simple left right dichotomies.

[Sypheara]

Definitely would second that. The very fact he has a book called Gothic Grimoire should trigger the alarm bells.