Lesson SIXTEEN
by Brother Moloch 969
www.molochsorcery.com
Copyrighted 2000-Present All Rights Reserved

One of the best modern books on the subject of Necromancy is Communing With The Spirits by Martin Coleman. The gist of Coleman's work is for the practitioner to get back in touch with your own Ancestors. All this involves is simply setting up a small shrine to them & regularly offering them an anointed white candle and a clear glass of pure water every day. Coleman has some very practical ideas and NONE of them involve digging up skeletal remains. Truly his work is a gem for the modern practitioner of Necromancy.

However, if you're interested in the "Cults of the Dead", some of the best stuff is on the Religio-Magical practices of Palo Monte & Palo Mayombe. This involves creating a Nganga (or in Santeria it's called a Prenda) which is a big ol' cast iron pot into which you put many things associated with the dead. This creates a home for the deceased spirit to live in that will become your personal familiar. Of course there aren't that many books out there on this subject, however you can find Carlos Montenegro's Palo Mayombe which purports to tell you what exactly you need in a Nganga but many Paleros say that Montenegro’s book is full of bull and lacking any real knowledge. It is interesting as an adjunct to your Necromantic leanings.

Montenegro does not tell you enough information - key info is left out thus you are forced to find an expert/practitioner in the field to fill in the missing gaps such as which palos (tree sticks) are from which trees and how to make the Nganga or Prenda.

Hope this gives you Necromancers and Wannabes something to work with. It's not much but it's all we got for now.

The Dead

Why would you want to work with the Dead? Most practitioners incorrectly believe that the God Forces, Archangels, Goetial Spirits, etc., are faster and more reliable. These preumptions have no bearing in fact just theory. In all actuality, the Dead are closer to our plane of existence than the Gods, Angels, Demons, etc., are. Thus the dead can work much quicker in some matters than can Angels, Archangels, Demons, Gods. Why is this? Again because the realms of the Dead are closest to the living. Plus there are many deceased practitioners who you can contact and possibly learn directly from.

In old folklore, the necromancer would become almost downright abusive to the deceased spirit when it came. In this day and age, all you need to do is put out a call to the Spirits of the Dead to come to your shrine and partake of your gifts to them which usually should be white candles anointed with a blessing oil, mild incense such as white sandalwood and a piece of bread and fruit. Anything else is arbitrary.

You may also wish to setup a shrine to one of the leaders of the dead such as Gheude, Baron Samedi, Baron LaCroix, Baron Cimitiere, Santisima Muerte, Ereshkigal, Hella, Hades, Pluto, Kali, etc. The shrine is where you'll regularly take time to talk with the dead and discuss your problems and then hopefully listen to what they have to say.

Some years ago, someone sent me this Ancestral Invocation but they did not know WHO was the original author of it. I found it to be beautiful and succinct. You're welcome to use it in your Ancestral workings and with your shrines to the dead.

Ancestral Invocation:

"I hear your whispered voices speaking words of wisdom into my unconscious mind.

Your whispers awaken my dreams, my heart, my desires.

You who are my Ancestors who once walked upon the earth and were part of my shared life eternal, I praise you with all that is sacred in my life!

You who planted the seed of knowledge, you who sought inner peace, you who claimed your love for the Gods of old, I give you honor and praise your names!

Grandmother, without you I would not be here.
Grandfather, without you I would not be here.
People that have come before and gone ahead, without you I would not be here.

I give you honor and praise your names!

I ask you for guidance, for you have the power of knowledge. You have been born in me & is a part of my being.

I draw upon your strength so that I may move ever forward.

Your footsteps, I follow as all children will!

You are MY family and with all the love in my being, I give you honor and call your names!

Ancestors, I praise you with the Earth in my palm!
I praise you with the raging fires in my heart!
I praise you with my breath as I give offerings to your greatness!
I praise you with the blood and water of life within my body!
I call forth for you with honor for all eternity!"

You can use that daily or just walk up to your Ancestral Shrine, slightly bow, & say something like:

"Greetings Grandma __! Greetings Grandpa __! Greetings Aunt __! Greetings Uncle __! Greetings Mighty Gheude, Leader of the Dead! Welcome to my home. Thank you for watching over me and my loved ones as we slept. Thank you for helping me with __. Thank you for helping me also with __. Please watch over me and my loved ones and protect us from all mental, emotional, physical and spiritual harm. Thank you for the many blessings you've showered upon me & thank you for all the future blessings you'll shower upon me. I love and respect you one and all."

Close with however you like such as "Amen" or "Blessed Be" or whatever.

The purpose of calling your ancestors and the dead are to ask them to watch over, fortify and strengthen you while you still have work to be done here on earth. Their job is to simply help smooth out the road bumps in your path as best as they can. That's it.