Death is a daunting and controversial topic in society.
Sure a lot of our generation may joke about death lightly in various memes or ‘lol someone just kill me, I wanna die from this failure I committed’, but when actually confronted with death, some people start singing a different tune. We’ve all been affected by it some way or another, whether it be the death of a friend, family member, beloved pet, or an idol you adored. Reactions and how we are, in turn, affected by said death is variable.
Some take it better than others, others reel and take very long to recover, but it is never easy when someone reaches that inevitable ending.
As such, death witchery is a road less traveled when it comes to witches. I won’t lie and say it’s an easy path to take on. Because it isn’t, death witchcraft is probably one of the most daunting paths of witchcraft one can choose. Working closely with death isn’t for everyone and can be quite dreary on the mind, but hopefully with this entry level guide, you can really decide whether or not you truly think death witchery is a path for you.
Making a Protective Shield With Death Energy from the Earth
One of the strongest energies I work with is that of death. It can be intimidating to outside forces, malevolent or otherwise, and I tend to use it sparingly in protection because of it’s all encompassing scare factor. I don’t want to scare away good things, and certainly don’t want to draw any bad things in. However, death isn’t always scary. Sometimes it’s a guardian force, as is the energy of cemeteries. There is a certain respect associated with death, and thus is what I pull from to make a shield from it.
This is a visualization I created as well as my directions for energy work and chants. You can switch things up if you like, this is just what I do.
What you’ll need:
A spot of ground, preferably inside your home somewhere, that has the Earth directly under it. This makes the energy work simpler, in my experience
Kneel or sit with your palms pressed into the floor. Take a few breaths and begin to visualize the energy beneath you stirring around and coming to meet your fingers.
Allow your energy to flow freely out into the Earth, and the Earth’s energy to go into you. There’s an exchange here and an important part of being able to use the energy, as you’ll be more connected to it.
Feel around in the energy below you and search for bones, fossils, undisturbed caves filled with fallen animals. Don’t wake any spirits if you feel them, just call to the energy of somber respect and invite it into your sculpting hands.
Once you’ve called this energy and gathered a fair amount of it, slowly raise your hands into a palms up position. Look ahead, not down anymore, to show this energy you are above the surface, not below it.
I use a wand for this step, but you can use your hand or fingers for it just as well. I draw the sigil I use to represent my own home in the air and say:
Earthen bays shall now release
Somber eyed and kindly beasts.
Guided up like brick and stone,
I summon thee, and thee alone.
Wrap around in sharpened spires,
Ivy cages and guarded fires.
Protect my home like the blessed dead,
From malice and spite and tidings of dread;
Cater to love, invite my warm friends,
Review all that passes except what I send.
Here I sit with you, hands facing thee.
This is my will, so it shall be.
After the chant, Invision a smoky wall of grey coming up and around you home, starting from a point underneath of it. When a sphere of some kind is formed, attach it to an energy source to provide a constant recharging base. I like the sun, moon, inner core of the Earth, and the ocean if you’re nearby it.
Close off the ritual by flipping your hands back over and onto the ground. Send a sealing energy into the ground and stand up to end everything.
~Anise- protection, psychic awareness ~Bay oil- manifests spirits ~Basil- emotional healing, peace, manifests spirits ~Black Pepper- protection ~Carnation- eases grief ~Cinnamon- spirit communication and connection ~Cinnamon Bark- psychic awareness ~Cyprus- protection ~Cypress- eases grief ~Dragon’s Blood- protection ~Frankincense- protection, spiritual connection ~Iris- courage ~Jasmine- psychic awareness ~Lavender- eases grief, grounding, psychic enhancement ~Lemon Grass- psychic awareness, anointing tools and offerings; especially necromancy tools. (Make sure to dilute it as it is not good for your skin; use with caution) ~Lilac- healing, peace ~Lotus- eases grief, heartbreak ~Musk- courage ~Myrrh- ease grief, protection ~Narcissus- eases grief ~Orange- eases grief and sadness ~Patchouli- grounding, protection spells and inks. (Associated with the Earth and Underworld) ~Peppermint- spiritual connection ~Roman Chamomile- grounding ~Rose- courage, protection, helping a spirit pass ~Rosemary- ease grief ~Rue- protection ~Sage- grounding, protection, helping a spirit pass ~Sandalwood- spirit communication, helping a spirit pass ~Thieves- grounding, spirit communication ~Vetiver- grounding ~Violet- protection ~Wormwood- can be used to help spirits manifest. (Caution when using this oil!! It is slightly hallucinogenic) ~Ylang Ylang- eases heartbreak So this is my list of essential oils in my correspondences (With the help of death-witch-envy!!) Feel free to add to the list or change some correspondences to your liking. Remember, some correspondences work for different people. I hope this helps!!
- keeping obsidian, a small skull amulet, a pendulum, or smokey quartz with you to squeeze when a confidence boost is needed
- gently reminding yourself to really live in the moment, as our time here is so short
- burning a black candle when you feel the need to “power up” your energies
- beginning each day with a positive reminder: “i shall continue to make my strongest mark on the world, to the best of my abilities, during my period on this Earth"
- taking a “spirit bath” filled with salt + a black bath bomb, cleansing yourself of negative energies
apache tear + gentle form of obsidian, useful for mending sorrow and grounding + legend states this stone formed when the tears of weeping apache women fell to the ground as they mourned their dead warriors
calendula(marigold) + often used in funerals and remembrance ceremonies, eases sorrow + closely tied to samhain and día de los muertos
cemetery dirt + used in a variety of death rituals and spells + contacting the dead, banishment, protection, astral protection + various types have different effects, research ethical collection first
copal + resin often burned for purification, grounding, exorcism + closely tied to día de los muertos
cypress(tree of death) + used to honor the dead and mend associated sorrow + chips may be sprinkled over a grave to ease the pain of loved ones left behind and help the departed soul move on + classic symbol of mourning, commonly found in cemeteries
frankincense + resin burned for consecration, exorcism, communing with the dead
mullein(corpse candles) + can be used as a substitute for cemetery dirt + stalks are often used as wicks for homemade candles + used to invoke spirits and for divination
myrrh + resin burned for purification, exorcism, healing sorrow + increases power of any incense, often paired with frankincense
patchouli + can be used as a substitute for cemetery dirt + powerful, earthy musk when burned, useful for grounding in rituals
poppy + suitable offering for the dead and many deities associated with such + brings peace to the deceased and loved ones
rowan (mountain ash) + may be worn or planted near homes for protection + planted on graves to prevent haunting by departed spirits
violet + legends tell of violets blooming on graves of virgins and saints + appropriate offering for the graves of children
willow(witches aspirin) + traditional symbol of mourning as it “weeps” similarly to humans + used for protection and to commune with spirits + often found in cemeteries to soothe departed spirits
wormwood + often used to summon spirits and commune with the dead + burned with sandalwood at night in cemeteries to conjure spirits
yew + used for protection from evil and contacting the dead + often found in cemeteries and used in ancient roman funeral pyres
Hey, graveyards are great. So the next time you go for whatever purpose, remember these things:
- Don’t step on or over headstones. Walk around and between them. Some people just know this by default, others, not so much. It’s just plain rude.
- If you take anything, be sure to leave an offering. This only goes for naturally occuring things such as dirt or leaves. Coins, coffee, wine, and apples are a great trade.
- Don’t remove anything left by the living. Bouquets, trinkets, coins… Seriously, you aren’t employed or authorized to do so. You don’t have a right to steal from the dead.
- Speak softly.
- Clean up after yourself and others. Garbage isn’t special. Take your picnic trash back out with you. And grab that soda bottle some jackass left on your way out.
- Find the focal point, every cemetery has one. The weird hotspot where everything seems to hyperfocus. This is the best place for spellwork.
- Don’t speak ill of the dead while present. Regardless of whether they’re buried there or not.
