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No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the
publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Be sure to check with your local laws regarding the finding and collecting of animal remnants. Even
remains found in the wild may be subject to regulations so proceed with caution. Additionally, there
are some rituals in here that call for the Witch to enter graveyards, forests, or other wild places during
all hours of the night. Proceed here with caution as well and ensure you are following all local
ordinances. The publisher and author assume no liability for any adverse results from the rituals
contained herein so proceed with a strong sense of dedication and utmost caution.
For Feens & Lil
Contents
Preface
1. The Magical Uses of the Skull
About Author
Preface
The concept for this book began back in March of 2020, although it would
be over a year before I found the words that would eventually give way to
the rituals that follow. With the onset of the pandemic and most of the world
being forced to live in seclusion, many Witches, myself included, dove
deeper and deeper into the spirit world. My magical work turned inward
and I placed much more emphasis on creating and maintaining a connection
with the inhabitants of their world. At the time, I couldn’t quite figure out
how I would maintain such a connection and found myself withdrawing to a
small forest that sits just a few minutes from my home to connect with the
spirits there. Back in these woods, far removed from the sounds of the
everyday world, of passing cars, of conversations being had among the
passersby, lies an incredibly mystical world. Here, the voices of the spirit
world can be heard with ease, assuming the Witch sits down and shuts up
long enough to listen—and that is exactly what I did.
I spent as much time as I could getting to know these woods. Every spare
moment that I could find would be spent just being back there. I became so
immersed in this part of my landscape that the local animal life became
noticeably more accepting of my presence. I recall several times where a
herd of deer would sit just a few feet away from me, carrying on with their
daily activities without even batting an eye. It was quite a sight to behold
and the more time I spent back there, the more frequently I could expect
these types of things to happen.
I was definitely connected to the spirits here, but sadly I struggled to
maintain this connection with as much ease back home. After all, the
sounds of life were all too prominent back home—phones ringing, TVs
blaring, cats meowing, neighbors knocking—it’s all so distracting. At the
time, I lived in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, which never truly
seemed to quiet down despite the pandemic-induced citywide lockdowns.
Enter the skull. I happened to stumble upon a small raccoon skull during
one of my trips into the woods and immediately felt drawn to it. Picking it
up and holding it sent shivers down my spine and I knew that this would be
my key to maintaining and strengthening my connection to the spirit world
while home.
Back home, it sat for quite some time on a shelf in my magic room,
which also happened to double as my work office (the joys of city living).
The oddest thing began to happen not too long after this—I started talking
to it. Not actual conversations, mind you, but I’d always be sure to say hello
when walking past it in the morning on my “way in” to work and good
night when I left after some spellwork at the end of the night. It became as
familiar to me as my cats were. Still, I did nothing with it. Several weeks
later, I happened to receive a deer skull that someone had found on their
private property. The skull looked pretty but felt empty—quite a different
feeling from the small raccoon skull that had taken up residency on my
shelf. I placed it in a cabinet and didn’t give it much thought for quite some
time.
As luck would have it, I left my small Chicago condo for the space and
privacy of a house up in Highland Park, Illinois, about thirty minutes north
of the city and the skulls, both of them, got packed up and moved. They
were eventually unpacked and sat near my fireplace for the longest time and
I found my old habits of talking to the raccoon skull quickly resuming. As
most of my magic was done at the fireplace, the skulls were never too far
away. And as I would conjure my spells and work on shifting out of the
everyday to raise power for my spellwork, I found scenes filling my head
all involving the deer skull. I saw myself walking with the skull in
graveyards under the cloak of night, breathing deeply into it while uttering
words of power, and other actions that could only be interpreted as
channeled magical acts. I started to build a practice based on these images
and quickly found my rational mind trying to take over. Where was this
coming from? Am I making this up? I’ve always thought that measured
skepticism in the craft is a good thing—let experience serve as the
foundation for truth—and so I decided to put these magical actions to work.
The results of these efforts were unlike anything I had ever experienced
before.
They produced sensations that could be seen and experienced with
physical senses and, at times, things seemed to manifest before me as
clearly as I’d see someone walking down the street. Time and time again,
these actions have given me results and it is for this reason that I have
elected to share them here. It truly is my hope that this small book will arm
Witches of all skill levels with techniques that can lead to an intensely
strong connection with the spirit world, and as you work through these
pages, I offer up this advice: You will get out of magic exactly what you put
into it. So if you are discouraged, at times, because of the hard work that
goes into these rituals, just know that perseverance will carry you far in
dealings with the spirit world.
Blake Malliway
Highland Park, IL
Halloween 2021
Chapter One
The Magical Uses of the Skull
I have sought to outline within this small tome the results of my own
personal explorations and the methods of my own operations as they
pertain to divination via spirit communication. Although there are many
paths and countless ways one may engage the spirits who inhabit the
Otherworld, my chosen method of communion is, as the title of this work
suggests, the animal skull.
It should be of no surprise that the skull, having once contained the brain,
and thus serving as the seat of consciousness, can serve as a potent medium
through which the voices of the Other may be heard with greater ease.
While there are countless ways a Witch may divine wisdom, such as runes,
tarot, scrying, and so on, the information gained via the spirit world tends to
offer much more insight than other methods, at least for me. Afterall, we are
talking to other beings and when back and forth conversation is involved,
dialogue occurs and more details may be realized.
Necromancy, or the act of communion with the dead for the purpose of
gaining wisdom and information, has been around for thousands of years, at
least in some form. Unfortunately though, it would seem that many of these
old practices seem lost in most modern day Witch practices. (Please note
that I am not saying that it doesn’t exist, only that I find these practices to be
much rarer among the Witches I see coming in and out of our shop.)
It would seem, however, that there are a few others out there who seek to
reclaim these old necromantic ways. In her book Witches of America, Alex
Mar tells us the story of a modern day necromancer she met from New
Orleans. She refers to this practitioner as Jonathan, although we are told
that this is not his real name. In this story, Mar shares her experience
following Johnathan and a few of his fellow occultists into a cemetery late
at night for the purpose of obtaining a skull. He carries with him a bag
containing tools, both magical and mundane.
After some time wandering through the darkness and carefully navigating
the maze of graves, they find their target—an old crypt. Jonathan steps in
and takes out his ax and starts hacking away at the body, cutting off the
head. The others in attendance had made a circle of salt just outside the
crypt. A pentacle was placed therein and Johnathan set the newly severed
head thereupon. Conjurations were chanted to bind a spirit to the skull and,
just like that, he had a new skull that served as a direct connection to the
spirit world.
There is a skull in the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic in Boscastle,
Cornwall that further illustrates the necromantic nature of the Witch. The
skull is human and was said to have belonged to a Witch by the name of
Old Granny Mann who lived in the North Bovey area of England. It was
said that whenever someone would seek Old Granny out for magical help,
she’d always say, “well me dear, I don’t rightly knows what I a do—till I
have asked me friend. I’ll let thee know later.” The friend, obviously, being
the spirit who resided in the skull.
Another skull found in the Museum, simply referred to as the Coven
Skull, further illustrates the spiritual compact between the Witch and the
Otherworld. This skull, it was said, was used by a coven as a spirit house.
The coven would call up a benevolent spirit and encourage it to take up
residence in the skull. The coven could then give the spirit specific tasks to
perform on behalf of the Witches of that particular group.
The stories we’ve discussed so far have placed emphasis on the skulls of
deceased humans, however, there is a long tradition of animal skulls being
used in similar magical works. We will again turn to an artifact from the
Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, an artifact simply called Ram’s Skull.
Cecil Williamson, the museum’s founder and author of the information
panels that accompany a majority of the artifacts had this this to say about
the skull:
A couple of years ago as the picture shows this skull was in its stone inset
shrine high up on the slopes of Bodmin Moor. A strange place this Moor,
not so well known as Dartmoor and so unfrequented by strangers for the
most part. A place where prehistoric man is never far from you. A place
where Spirit contact is easier than most. The methodists found that years
ago. The last guardian of the shrine has had her day and Farmer's finsers
creep ever higher and higher up into the high moors so our friend has come
in out of the cold.
The skull in question was retrieved from Bodmin Moor (a hauntingly
beautiful place), and as the description suggests, was at one point used as a
focal point for a shrine or altar for a group of Witches back in the 1960s.
The shrine was eventually dismantled, according to the information panel,
back in 1967 when the last of the Witches in that coven died.
It is interesting to note that in many of the stories previously given, the
spirit inhabiting the skull was not necessarily thought of as the spirit of the
one who the skull had belonged to while living. Instead, the skull, having
been properly cleansed, would serve as the home for any spirit who wanted
the opportunity to partake of the pleasure of life (usually by way of
offerings), in exchange for otherworldly wisdom.
But does death always translate to instant enlightenment? Well, I suppose
that depends. The ancient Greeks and Romans, for example, would not have
thought so. To them, the spirits of the dead were no more enlightened than
they would have been while living. They certainly accepted the existence of
life after death, but saw this existence as meaningless. This belief is
drastically different from the afterlife belief of the Egyptians, for example,
whose body of religious and spiritual texts are heavily focused on ensuring
the soul has a fulfilling ever after.
I suppose this is one of those truths that we may not realize until we
ourselves make that trek into the great beyond, but for the purpose of this
work I present the following question: Does enlightenment really matter? If
we subscribe to the idea that the Otherworld is free of mortal law, then it
stands to reason that the spirits who inhabit that world would also be of the
same constraints. Perhaps the greatest constraint, at least in my opinion, is
time. We generally perceive time as a linear construct—it moves in one
direction—forward. Perhaps though, the spirits of the Otherworld, being
free of other mortal laws might also find themselves free from the forward
movement of time. This means they could, in theory, see past or future
events at will. If this assumption is true, then perhaps enlightenment doesn’t
really matter and all that does is that we find a spirit who is willing to talk
and, more importantly, tell the truth.
Chapter Two
Finding the Skull
B efore you undertake this work you must obviously obtain a skull.
There are several reputable sources one may seek out for the purpose
of finding an ethically sourced skull, however, the ones that have proven to
be the best for this work are those that the Witch finds with their own
cunning from the woods and forests.
A rather large part of my personal practice involves compact and
communion with the genius loci, or the spirits (of human origin and
otherwise) who inhabit my local landscape. They manifest themselves in
the chilling winds that blow through the woods at night or the eerie
creaking of the tall trees against the midnight sky. As guardians of the
landscape, they can be most helpful in providing needed gifts unto the
Witch, such as an animal skull, should you curry their favor.
The ritual that follows may be worked to ask the spirits of place for help
in seeking out your talking skull. It makes use of the bullroarer (also
referred to as a wind roarer) to stir up the spirits residing in that particular
place. Once they are brought forth, the petition may be made for help in
finding your gift from the forest floor.
The bullroarer is a noise-making ritual instrument. It's made from a slat
of wood tied to a long length of sturdy cord. The instrument is given a
slight twist then spun over the head to produce an eerie, otherworldly
sound. These instruments have been found all over the world, including
England and America, with one of the oldest examples dating back to
17,000 BCE. Their inclusion in Witch rites should be of no surprise since
Witches tend to be drawn to older ways of doing things! While these can be
relatively easy to obtain with a little research, not having access to one does
not mean that a Witch cannot work the following ritual. A substitute for this
instrument can be found in the rhythmic tapping of a sturdy branch against
the forest floor. It is said, however, that the eerie sound of the bullroarer can
produce feelings of sorrow and fear which can heighten the senses of the
Witch, making the Otherworld so much more attainable. Therefore, let the
use of the tapping staff be used only out of need and not out of laziness in
pursuing the bullroarer.
The Call
Approach your chosen woods or forest with the goal of finding a skull
held firmly in your mind. Take with you to this place a bullroarer, a candle,
incense, a large scrap of black fabric, and a vessel of good drink. Find a
small clearing in which to work and let your ritual instruments be set upon
the ground before you. After a few deep breaths and a stilling of the mind
has been realized, the bullroarer may be spun over the head. While this is
done, focus on the landscape around you. From the depths of the shadows
far off in the distance you can see, hear, feel the otherworldly presence
drawing forth to the sounds of the bullroarer. When you feel that the spirits
of place have conjured to their peak, the bullroarer may be set down and the
candle lighted with these words:
Leave your candle and incense behind, taking care they will not set fire
to anything, and walk in search of a skull. Look under logs and leaves, and
between the delicate flora that grows from the forest floor. Take care to
walk as gently as possible so that you do not intentionally damage any of
the plantlife. A skull may manifest for you, one that has already been
cleansed by the elements. It will be free of flesh and well worn so that it
seems to blend in seamlessly with the forest floor. Once it is found, it
should be wrapped in the black cloth and taken back to your ritual site. The
drink may be taken up and poured upon the earth while saying:
Gather up your ritual supplies and carefully take the skull back home. It’s
time to prepare it for use.
Chapter Three
Purifying the Skull
Allow this continue until the water is boiling, at which point you may
carefully take up the stones using the tongs and drop them into the
cauldron, one at a time while these words are spoken:
Now, kneel before the cauldron and place the iron dagger in the flames.
Cast the willow bundle into the fire and deeply breathe in its burning scent
before exhaling your breath into the cauldron. Repeat this process a total of
nine times, then carefully take up the knife and plunge it into the cauldron
while saying:
Look up at the moon and take a deep breath drawing in the moon’s power
and exhaling into the cauldron, repeating this nine times. Once done, the
fire may be either allowed to burn itself out or extinguished and the
cauldron allowed to cool. Once cool, it may be poured off into an earthen
jug or glass bottle and stored for future use. It may see the light moon at any
time, but care must be taken to hide it from direct sunlight less its powers
weaken.
Offertory Incense
When you are ready to begin, light the candle and charcoal disk. Let a
bit of the incense be cast onto the charcoal. Take up the water and pour a
small amount onto the skull. Carefully rub the water into the skull while
allowing these words to be recited at length, over and over again:
Keep rubbing the skull while chanting these words until you feel the
skull has been adequately washed. Cast more incense onto the charcoal, if
needed, then hold the skull in the rising smoke. Allow it to pass through
every open orifice while these words are recited:
Let the skull rest among the candle’s light and incense until you feel
compelled to put it away. Afterwards, the skull should be wrapped in the
black cloth and kept hidden from prying eyes. After the last night of the
cleansing, the rite of imbuing the skull with a spirit may commence.
Chapter Four
Seeking the Spirit
Begin the ritual under the cloak of night and let the work be carried out in
a darkened chamber free of clutter and debris. The skull is set in the center
of the working area, either on an altar table or directly on the ground, if you
prefer, and the cemetery dirt poured out into a circle around it. The vessel
containing the charcoal is set behind the skull, within the circle of dirt. The
two candles are positioned in their holders and set to the left and right of the
skull.
Begin the ritual by lighting the candles and splashing the face with a
palmful of the remaining water. As this is done, let these words be uttered
three times in all:
Next shall follow the rite of laying the compass. If you have your own
method of doing this, feel free to use it. Otherwise, the one I have given
here will work just fine. Starting either in the North or the East, walk three
times in a circle counterclockwise around your working ground while
dragging your foot across the ground with your body facing inwards
towards the ritual instruments. As you do this, feel your foot sinking into
the ground and see it carving out a trench as you walk. Recite this
conjuration as you do this:
Now, walk to the four compass points and kneel on the ground before
each one. Close your eyes and knock three times upon the ground while the
appropriate conjuration is given, starting in whichever direction you started
in for the compass laying. Please note: this is not the same as the standard
‘invocation of the watchtowers’ commonly seen in typical circle castings.
Rather, the knocking symbolizes the opening of that appropriate road or
path of power. With this approach, we symbolically create another access
point for the spirit world to converge upon our place.
Place the incense back down before the skull, adding more to the burner,
if needed. Then take up the skull and hold it up over your head while
saying:
Set the skull back down and take a moment to once again connect with
the spirit presence in your space. When the feeling is right, begin pacing
around the working ground. Let your movement be fluidic and natural and
keep your gaze focused on the skull while you tread. As you move, let the
mind focus on connection—a connection with one spirit who seeks to take
up residence in the skull. Each breath you take in strengthens that
connection with the spirit. Pay attention to how you feel and make a note of
any impressions you receive.
When you feel as if you’ve taken on all that you can of the spirit
presence, stop pacing and return to the skull. Cast more incense onto the
charcoal and then take the skull up into your hands. Take a deep breath and
raise the skull to your lips. Exhale this breath into the skull’s mouth and as
you do this, feel the spirit presence leaving your body and filling the skull.
Repeat this process as many times as it takes to fully exhale the spirit into
the skull. Eventually, you will feel the skull radiate with potency. Once the
spirit is fully given unto the skull, the bloodletting device may be used to
prick your left thumb. Anoint the top of the skull with the blood while
allowing the following words to be spoken:
After the skull has been sealed with blood, the remaining spirits may be
released. Take up the bell and sound it three times then say:
Before dismantling the ritual, you must perform the Hallowed Meal with
the newfound spirit. This is the act of ritual feasting that will work to
solidify your relationship with the spirit.
Chapter Five
The Hallowed Meal
F or the Witch who has either just established a new connection with the
spirit who now inhabits the skull, or would seek to show appropriate
gratitude for a job well done, the rite of the Hallowed Meal will serve you
well. You will indeed find yourself coming back to this working, or one of a
similar nature, time and time again.
The theme of ritual feasting can be seen in several examples of Witch
folklore. A bit of folklore I have always been fond of comes from England
and it calls for the communion bread or wafer to be taken away from the
Church mass, after it has been blessed, by hiding it under the tongue. The
would-be Witch then returns under the cloak of night with the bread and
walks nine times counterclockwise around the outside of the church. Once
this has been completed, folklore asserts that a black toad will appear near
the gate to the churchyard. The Witch would then feed the bread or wafer to
the toad and then present his or her hand so the toad could breathe upon it,
thereby activating their powers.
Charles Godfrey Leland gives an example of ritual feasting in his book
Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches.
You shall make cakes of meal, wine, salt, and honey in the shape of a
crescent moon, and then put them to bake, and say: “I do not bake the
bread, nor with it salt, nor do I cook the honey with the wine, I bake the
body and the blood and soul, the soul of great Diana, that she shall know
neither rest nor peace, and ever be in cruel suffering till she will grant what
I request, what I do most desire, I beg it of her from my very heart! And if
the grace be granted, O Diana! In honour of thee I will hold this feast,
Feast and drain the goblet deep, we, will dance and wildly leap, and if thou
grant'st the grace which I require, then when the dance is wildest, all the
lamps shall be extinguished and we'll freely love!” And thus shall it be
done: all shall sit down to the supper all naked, men and women, and, the
feast over, they shall dance, sing, make music, and then love in the
darkness, with all the lights extinguished: for it is the Spirit of Diana who
extinguishes them, and so they will dance and make music in her praise.
As we can see from the excerpt given, the theme of oneness, communion,
and of unity with the divine, is the end goal of such a ritualized feast.
Interestingly though, are the apparent curses to the Goddess Diana should
she not give what her seekers require.
Breaking bread is a relatively common expression but few may have
stopped to consider the origin of this phrase. To break bread with someone
is to ensure everyone is fed and that no one will go hungry. It is the ultimate
gesture of hospitality and friendship. The expression itself dates back to
biblical times (and thus has a plethora of biblical symbolism attached to it)
when bread was much harder to come by and sharing it actually required it
to be broken. Quite different from the hundreds of varieties that come pre-
sliced at the local market today. Today the gesture symbolizes people
coming together in peace and shows the significance of the meal, any meal,
in our modern culture, a theme that will be seen to carry through the
following ritual.
The last bit of folklore I will leave you with as it pertains to feasting is
the soul cake. You may recognize this tradition, at least in part, as it has
since evolved into modern day trick or treating on Halloween. In old
England, however, soul cakes had a much darker tradition. While the distant
origin of the soul cakes is often up for debate, the most widely recognized
use of these was to pay the soulers for their prayers. The soulers were
people who would travel from door to door on Halloween night offering
prayers for the dead. If they were lucky, they would find a warm plate of
soul cakes waiting for them. An old Souling Song dating back to 1893 of
unknown origin goes:
I share all of this to illustrate the immense amount of work that went into
the preparation of food, of meals, for the preservation of folklore and
tradition. Even today, in our age of modern conveniences and instant
gratification, a warm meal always slows us down and gives us the
opportunity to find peace among the chaos and strengthen bonds between
those who break bread together.
This ritual is offertory in nature. We are extending unto the spirit the gift
of a meal and from this gift we may continue to garner information and
wisdom. Early in my craft studies, I struggled with the idea of offerings.
Afterall, what benefit could the spirit world possibly gain by me giving
them food, incense, or whatever else whatever book I happened to be
reading told me to offer? The answer, at least from my perspective, is life.
The one thing spirits can’t get without our interaction is the pleasures of
life. It keeps them going and frankly gives them the motivation to help us.
We are not enslaving any spirits in these workings or compelling them to do
our bidding. We are inviting them in and asking for their help, which means
it’s only reasonable to expect that we will have to repay. This repayment
comes in the form of offerings so they can once again experience life.
Raise the cup over your head and say the following:
Next, take up the biscuit and touch it to the ground while saying:
Set the biscuit back down next to the chalice and take up the blade. Begin
tracing circles in the air over the biscuit and drink while saying:
S o much work has been done thus far to get your skull ready for its
actual use as both spirit vessel and instrument for communication, and
if you have made it this far, you are now ready for your first formal
communication exercise with the spirit who dwells within. The bond with
the new spirit must be nurtured and the act of opening yourself up to
communing with it is a good first step. Therefore, the expectation of
receiving anything from this working should be set aside and instead the
focus should be placed on learning more about the unique personality of the
spirit who has chosen to take up residence in the vessel.
By now you should know the spirit’s name and have a relatively frequent
practice established using the skull for communication. Now the more
active acts of magic and Witchery may commence. If you haven’t already
done so, I highly recommend keeping a written record of your experiences
with the skull, especially as you proceed with the rituals that follow.
The skull, still wrapped in its black cloth, should be set upon the working
table. Behind the skull to the left and right set two red candles, red
symbolizing the blood of life, and between these set a vessel of charcoal
and a suitable incense, such as the offertory incense given earlier. When you
are ready to begin, slow the mind and breathe in and out deeply. You will
now begin a series of knocks to call the spirit forth from the vessel. Knock
once on the table to the the immediate left of the skull, then knock once
before the skull, then knock to the immediate right of the skull as you allow
the following conjuration to be given:
Slowly and carefully unwrap the skull and set it back down on the work
table. Knock in the same pattern again while allowing the same words to be
spoken:
Take up the incense and let this be gently fanned into the skull’s face
while these words are said:
Keep this gentle rocking and swaying going for as long as you feel
inclined. Eventually, the feeling of some otherworldly presence will cause
your senses to come to full attention. You may notice the hair on the back of
your neck standing up or feel a chill that reaches down into your very
bones. Just leave yourself open to the experience and you will know when
the spirit is ready to speak.
Once the spirit can be felt to dwell with potency, take up the skull and
hold the mouth to your ear. Keep your eyes closed and allow the mind to
focus just on the feeling of the skull up against the ear. You may also notice
the sound of static—almost like the sound of a seashell pressed up against
the ear—that’s all fine, just let the senses catch up to this newfound
experience. Eventually, the sounds will clear and may begin to hear the
voice of the spirit. Do not be intimidated. Stay steadfast and ask these
questions, either aloud or two yourself, giving the spirit enough time to
respond between each question.
If you have any other questions you feel would be appropriate, feel free
to ask, but if you are able to get these questions answered at a minimum
then you should consider this exercise a success. After you have finished
with this session, you may find it beneficial to perform the Hallowed Meal.
You may proceed with more in depth conversations, and thus more
specific asks, once you have the spirit's name. If after you perform this
ritual you find the spirit answering all your questions but still doesn’t give
you its name, it could be interpreted as a sign that the spirit isn’t quite sure
if it can trust you yet. When I prepared my skull using the methods
provided here, I found the dialogue came quite naturally early on but it took
a good three or four sessions of active communication before the spirit felt
comfortable enough giving me his name.
I have also discovered that the more one is actively involved in talking to
the spirit the less need there is for formalities in the ritual process. Think
back to Old Granny in chapter one. She referred to her spirit as a friend, and
while friendships certainly require work and effort to maintain and develop,
they do not require the formalities many would normally associate with
working with the spirit world. To summarize this point: always be
respectful but chill out a bit.
At this point in the process, we will assume you have been successful in
learning the name of your spirit and the time feels right for a more in depth
dialogue. In the following pages, I retell the ritual procedures and
experiences from one of my first conversations that took place after I had
been given the privilege of knowing the spirit’s name.
My First Conversation
I began the ritual close to midnight. All of my ritual tools were arranged
neatly on the floor of my magic room. The skull was wrapped in black and
two red taper candles were placed to the back left and back right of the
skull. The incense was placed between the candles. I began to slow my
breathing to focus myself for the task at hand. I began knocking upon the
ground to the left of the skull, in front of the skull, then to the right of the
skull while saying:
NoticeI carefully unwrapped the skull and folded the black cloth into a
small pillow that the skull could rest upon. I knocked again:
I took up the incense and began fanning it towards the skull’s mouth
while saying:
I let the last line grow into a chant while I rocked back and forth:
Once I found myself in a light trance, I carefully lifted the skull to my ear
and listened to the words the spirit had to say in response to my question.
“What am I searching for?” I asked.
I immediately heard the response as clear as day flowing out of the skull
and occupying my head, sending chills down my spine in the process. “You
know you are searching for yourself.”
“Yes, I suppose that is correct, but that seems like such a generic
answer.”
“It is a generic answer, but you asked a generic question,” replied the
skull.
The short back and forth we had thus far seemed to validate so much for
me. You see, I had so many preconceived ideas of what I expected the skull
to say going into the ritual and the actual results were not like anything I
had previously considered. The fact that the dialogue flowed like a natural
conversation any two living people would have, reinforced the idea that this
was an authentic experience. Afterall, one lesson I learned early in my
Witch studies is never to take anything at face value! This solidified the
experience a lot for me. The skull carried on.
“You know,” said the skull. “So many people spend so much time
claiming that they’re just searching for themselves but the real problem
with that is they don’t know what the hell they are looking for.”
I definitely hadn’t piece these words together on my own. The spirit in
the skull was engaging in active dialogue and no matter how hard I tried to
rationalize the experience, I just couldn’t.
“How do I know what to look for then?” I asked.
“You need to look so deep inside yourself, so deep that you end up
looking without, and when you have figured out how to do this, you will
have figured yourself out in the process.”
The conversation carried on for quite some time longer and covered a
great deal of personal issues. Everything the skull said, however, were
things I needed to hear. Such is the nature of a Witch-Spirit relationship like
this. Sometimes the conversations are rough, but they’re always honest.
Once we have both said all that we need to say, I lower the skull back
down and let it rest again up the fabric. I then perform the Hallowed Meal
as a gesture of appreciation. Afterwards, the skull is wrapped back up in the
black cloth and kept away from prying eyes until the next session. As I
wrap the skull back cup, I like to add some closing words. You may use the
words that follow or create one of your own.
T his potent ritual will bring all of your senses to full attention. It’s
eerie, thought provoking, and can be downright terrifying for those
who lack the mental clarity to carry out the rite in a peaceful state of mind.
The purpose of this ritual is to give a visual manifestation of the spirit in the
skull. It gives a face to the voice, so to speak, and lets you see who you are
talking to.
You must do a bit of preparatory work before performing the ritual.
During the daylight hours, find a cemetery that just feels old—the grave
markers have eroded over the years and there the graves are largely
forgotten, the trees are tall and cast chilling ominous shadows on ground
below. The air seems to crackle with the voice of the spirits. Find within
this place an old grave, long forgotten far enough away from the road as not
to draw attention to yourself. The headstone should be at least waist height
and you should have enough space on either side of the grave to walk
around without anything obstructing your path. Once you have found the
perfect place to work, make a mental note of the site and leave to prepare.
You will be returning under the cloak of night.
Seeing the Spirit
First, prepare to transport the skull by placing it in a sturdy wooden box.
This is simply to ensure its safety while you travel to the cemetery. Also
have with you a candle in a glass lantern or some other container to protect
it from the wind, an incense of your own choosing, and the Hallowed Meal
instruments.
Return to the cemetery and make your way back to the grave you
selected earlier. The skull is placed at the base of the headstone, the candle
to the left, and the incense to the right. Light the candle and incense. The
light from the candle should gently illuminate the skull and the incense
should provide an otherworldly scent that lingers in the air. Begin by
rubbing the palms of your hand together vigorously until they can be felt to
tingle. Kneel down and press the palms of your hands firmly into the earth,
right in front of the skull. The tips of the thumbs should be touching and the
hands flanked to form a ‘W’ with the skull at the center point. The tingling
sensation you just conjured up should pulse forth from your hands and into
the earth where it can be seen and felt to awaken the skull. These words
may be spoken:
Now, rise up and begin pacing around the headstone, taking care not to
step on the skull. As you pace, place your hand on the headstone and do not
take it off. Begin chanting:
Raise the spirit from the shell,
Raise the spirit, whence it dwells,
Raise the spirit, life anew,
Raise the spirit let it through.
Let your pacing build in intensity as the last two lines are chanted over
and over again:
Eventually, you will feel the inclination to place both hands on the
headstone. As you do this, the sensation that you are actually spinning the
headstone will become more prominent. You will feel the weight and
pressure in your upper body as you spin the headstone faster and faster as
the chanting continues:
When you are beside yourself, when you are so entranced by the pacing,
chanting, and the physical effort of spinning the grave, stop. Sit down
before the skull and place both hands on it. Close your eyes and let your
mind catch up. You will instantly see in your mind’s eye images unfold. As
the images clear, you will see the manifestation of the spirit. Spend some
time dwelling in this experience.
When you have seen all that you need to, open your eyes and stand up.
Back away from the skull and turn around so that the skull is directly
behind you. Close your eyes and recite these words:
Open your eyes and walk in silence around the cemetery, allowing the
eyes to adjust to the darkness. Know that as they adjust, you are seeing with
more than just your mortal eyes—you are seeing with the eyes of the spirit.
Walk and listen to what it has to say. Do this for as long as you feel so
inclined. Let the feeling of some otherworldly presence build behind you
but whatever you do, do not turn around. Do not look no matter how
tempting it may be, and do not back track. Walk in a circle to get back to
the ritual site then sit back down before the skull and place your hands back
on it. Close your eyes and bow your head. Feel the spirit's presence once
more behind you. As you breathe in, you feel the spirit merging with your
body, then as you exhale, you feel it passing through your hands and back
into the skull where it may safely reside. Allow these words to be spoken:
Shape and form,
So be revoked,
Back into the
Hallowed skull.
In peace we’ve met,
In peace we shall remain.
The last action is to perform the Hallowed Meal with the spirit. Then
deconstruct the ritual and head back out of the cemetery. As soon as you are
able to, write down your experiences from this working.
Chapter Eight
A Task Ful lled
A Generative Working
The wrapped skull is placed in a wooden box again for safety and carried
away during an hour of twilight to some wild place in the woods. Carry
with you to this place a candle lantern to guide you through the murkiness
of twilight, a generative incense such as the recipe given below, a staff of
oak, and your blade of power.
Seek out a place deep within the woods and far removed from the
intrusion of prying eyes. Lay the skull upon the ground and use the blade to
inscribe a circle in the earth around the skull. The lantern is set to the skull’s
left and the incense to the right, both outside the circle’s rim. Take up the
staff and chant the following words:
Lay your hand upon the skull and feel the spirit presence drawing forth,
answering unto your call. Begin tapping the staff rhythmically against the
forest floor while allowing the following words are recited at length to raise
the spirit:
(Spirit’s Name)
I call you by your hidden name,
Come unto the smoke and flame,
The crooked path of old made clear,
By these words may you appear.
(Spirit’s Name)
The rhythmic tapping of the stuff shall continue until the spirit can be felt
to manifest from deep within the skull. If the mood fits, you may elect to
continue reciting the above conjuration until manifestation occurs.
Once the spirit’s presence can be felt, tell it what it is you seek. Be as
clear and concise as possible and leave no room for error. As you speak,
hold a clear image of that which is sought in your mind’s eye and once you
feel like you cannot hold this image any longer, lay the staff down between
you and the spirit. Say these words:
(Spirit’s Name)
I have spoken to you of my desires,
And humbly ask that
you go forth and bring this.
Let the conjuring be done,
Let the path be clear,
(Spirit’s Name)
Bring this!
Bring this.
Bring this.
The rite of the Hallowed Meal shall commence here, but the purpose is
slightly different from the reasons provided previously. The goal is to give
the spirit the energy required to create the needed change upon the mortal
world. Before proceeding with the actual ritual, allow this declaration to be
made:
Carry on with the Hallowed Meal as you usually would, and once you
have realized the desire, you must take care to uphold your end of the
bargain and offer the meal again.
A Destructive Working
There are many out there, even those within our ranks, who say time and
time again that “witches do not curse.” They turn their nose up and hold this
belief with every ounce of their being but fail to recognize that they are
applying a very generic statement over a rather large group of people. I
have cursed before, I know other Witches who have cursed before, therefore
I know that indeed, witches do curse. The philosophy that I teach is one of
doing what must be done as opposed to doing no harm. If you find yourself
in a situation where the thing that must be done is a curse, then the spirit
and this working will aid you well. Be warned though—cursing should not
be done without a true, justified reason.
Once you have decided with every ounce of your being that you will be
working a curse, prepare a representation of your victim. Let a poppet be
prepared from whatever natural materials you can find. As you fashion this
poppet, instill it with the essence of your victim. His face shall flow from
within your mind into the poppet as you fashion it. Your breath becomes his
breath and your heartbeat becomes his heartbeat. Once the poppet is made
to your satisfaction and once you can look upon it and become instantly
filled with that same fury that the poppet’s other brings out of you, you will
know that it is done.
Take the poppet, the skull, an iron knife, a candle in a glass lantern to
protect it from wind, an offering of raw meat, a container for burning
charcoal, and an incense of destructive virtue, such as the one given, to an
abandoned grave after midnight.
Seek out some old grave and let the skull be set at the base of the
headstone and the other materials set nearby. The candle is lighted and
carried three times counterclockwise around the entire grave while the
following words are recited:
Walk three more times around, this time while holding your breath. Then
walk carefully three more times around while holding your breath and
closing your eyes. When you open your eyes after the last pass, gaze at the
skull and blow out the candle. As you do this and the darkness sets in once
more, see the spirit rising forth to stand before you—a dark shadow that
appears to merge with the night while somehow still displaying some of the
familiar elements you have come to know from the spirit. Set the container
of charcoal before the spirit and cast some incense therein. As the smoke
rises, hold the poppet in the smoke and continue to address the spirit:
Keep dancing about and chanting these words until you shift away from
time and place and a more wild, animalistic instinct takes over. Let the rage
build and keep chanting as you destroy the poppet and work yourself up
into a frenzy. Keep stomping on it, tear it to shreds, rip its head up, all while
allowing those barbaric words to keep flowing from your mouth. You will
notice the spirit will start to move with you, fueling your rage and fury so
that it burns with greater intensity.
When exhaustion sets in and you can no longer push yourself to move
and chant, sit down upon the grave and take up the meat while saying:
Set the meat down on the headstone and clean up your ritual instruments,
leaving the meat and skull behind to sit on the grave overnight. Just after
sunrise, the dawn of a new day and when the insidious workings of the past
are behind us now, return to the grave and take with you a small hand
shovel, some twine, the skull’s black cloth, and the supplies to perform the
Hallowed Meal. First, observe the meat offering. You may notice that it has
either vanished or else is covered in slugs, insects, maggots, or some other
grotesque bugs, symbolizing a curse well delivered.
The poppet remains are gathered up, as many as you can find, and taken
to some forgotten corner of the cemetery. Dig a small hole and bury the
remains therein. The twine shall be used to bind two small sticks together in
the shape of a cross or perhaps something more to your liking. This is
plunged into the earth to serve as a grave marker. Once this is done, the
Hallowed Meal is offered to the spirit and the skull wrapped up in the black
cloth before taking it back home.
Chapter Nine
The Skull Guardian
A s you continue to work with the skull, you may find yourself
instinctually working to protect it from danger as you would any
other living, breathing creature. I have found this to be a natural progression
of forming a working relationship with the spirit as it truly does become
something living for you. It has come to rely on you for sustenance by way
of your offerings, and fully expects that you will keep its skull vessel in
good working order. It stands to reason, then, that the spirit would also seek
to guard and protect you from harm, however it can.
This thought process led to the creation of a ritual that was similar to the
one I have provided here. Last fall, our area came under a severe storm
warning. The skies were pitch black at just past noon, and the winds were
severe enough to knock the unsuspecting victim clear off their feet. The
news stations were warning that wind gusts upwards of eighty miles per
hour would most certainly take down power lines and tree branches, while
the impending golf ball sized hail would damage cars and windows. I
wasted no time and got to work on conjuring protection for my home.
I knew I wanted something a bit more potent than the forms of simple
protection I had used before, so I decided to give this task to the spirit in the
skull. I had finished my ritual right before the storm had officially started,
but the most incredible thing happened after the storm passed, just a few
moments later. The sky cleared and the sun shone down again, and as I
stepped out of the house I noticed that all of my neighbors had fallen tree
branches scattered all over their yards, but nothing, not one branch, had
made it to my yard. It was almost as if there was an invisible barrier that
kept the storm off my property. If the ground hadn’t been wet from the rain,
I truthfully would not have even known that it stormed.
Now, full transparency here, this is not the exact ritual that I had
performed with the skull. In the heat of the moment, when danger was
imminent, I did not have the luxury of sitting down and fully planning out
my ritual. I grabbed my tools, sat down at the fireplace, and just started
working. I did, however, write out as much as I could remember from the
steps of my ritual in the hopes that others may put it to good use. Although
it was specifically used to protect my home from severe storms, its use
could certainly be expanded upon. Whenever the feeling of impending
danger takes over, you can send out the spirit to help guard and protect you.
Breathe in and out deeply. With each breath in, feel the spirit's presence
rising up from the skull and standing strong beside you. When the spirit’s
presence can be felt with great potency, take the incense and the blade to the
front door of your home. Walk slowly, and in your own words, ask the spirit
to follow you. Open the door and set the incense down on the threshold.
Point your blade outside through the smoke, and send the spirit forth with
these words:
Danger approaches,
Let darkness be withstood!
Walk the grounds, guard the home.
Let all within be safe from harm.
Spirit, protect me.
Spirit, protect me!
Spirit, protect me!
Withdraw the blade and take a deep breath in. Exhale with force through the
smoke, and as you do this, see and feel the spirit going forth to guard your
property. The skull can be set by the door with the eyes facing the door as if
to scare off any lingering danger. Once the danger has passed and all is
well, the hallowed meal may be performed as a gesture of gratitude for the
work done.
Chapter Ten
Two are One
After these words are recited, begin taking slow, deep breaths. The goal
is to take a hundred deep breaths in succession. Each breath you take in,
feel the spirit from the skull flowing forth to fill your body. Each breath you
take in causes the spirit’s presence to grow even stronger. With each breath
in, its voice becomes more prominent, more present. Slow and steady,
focusing only on the spirit filling you.
Once you have taken in all of the spirit and your body felt to resonate
with its otherworldly presence, you may carefully set the skull down and
out of the way and stand up, keeping the blindfold on. Walk forward with
arms outstretched and see, hear, and feel your surroundings using the
spirit’s senses. Allow these other senses to rise to prominence within you.
When this happens, you may remove the blindfold and look around
yourself. Take in the landscape and see with the eyes of the spirit. You will
see signs, symbols, omens, or other portents which may have been
previously unnoticed manifest with greater ease before you and these shall
serve as the inspiration for whatever otherworldly wisdom you need to be
made aware of at this particular milestone of your life.
Eventually, you will naturally feel the spirit’s presence within you start to
fade. When this starts to happen, take up the skull, burn more incense, and
begin breathing the spirit back into the skull. Each deep breath in draws up
the spirit and each breath out sends it back into the skull. Repeat this
process until you feel the spirit’s presence has faded from within and the
skull can once again be felt to radiate. Allow these words to be spoken:
Io Evo Hay
(Ee-Oh Eh-Voy Hay)
Io Evo Hay
We call you, (Spirit’s Name)
Io Evo Hay
Io Evo Hay
We call you, (Spirit’s Name)
When the Witch aspecting the spirit rises for the walk forward, the coven
shall stand aside while he gets his bearings on the landscape. Then all shall
form a circle around the aspecting Witch, hands linked while the words of
wisdom or prophecy are spoken unto the company.
Afterwards, the Hallowed Meal may be worked by another member of
the company with the spirit still residing in the chosen Witch. Once the
meal has been shared, the coven may assist in directing the spirit back out
of the Witch. As the Witch breaths the spirit back into the skull, the rest of
group may recite:
We conjure you,
To leave your host,
Back into the vessel home,
Back to your place of rest.
In peace you came,
In peace you shall go.
The last two lines shall be recited until the Witch finishes breathing the
spirit back into the vessel.
Chapter Eleven
The Haunted Mirror
Vision Incense
The mirror should be set towards the back of your working table with the
skull in front of it, propped up so that you can look into it while sitting in
front of the table. Allow enough space between the skull and the mirror so
you can gaze into the mirror while looking just over the top of the skull.
The incense should be set to burn between the mirror and the skull. The
candles are set to either side of the mirror, far enough away so that their
light illuminates the area but not so close that the flames themselves can be
seen to reflect in the mirror. When you are ready to begin, gently caress the
top of the skull and call to the spirit within:
Breathe in deeply of the spirit while gazing into your reflection. Every
breath you take in you draw in the spirit’s essence. Stare into your eyes
while you exhale the spirit essence into the mirror. Keep repeating this
process until you see your reflection fade and the face of the spirit appear in
its place. You may ask the spirit to tell you whatever you seek. Need to
figure out the best way to face a problem? You may find the spirit to lend an
eager ear. Need clarity on a particular situation? The spirit may have just
the answer. Allow yourself the benefit of conversing for as long as you both
see fit before performing the Hallowed Meal.
Chapter Twelve
Last Rites
The frankincense and myrrh are cast upon the charcoal and the skull
passed through the rising smoke:
The hand shovel is used to dig a small hole in the earth and the skull
carefully set within. Anoint the skull’s forehead with a bit of the oil then
anoint your own forehead while saying:
The salt is sprinkled over the skull’s burial as the word release is chanted
over and over again until you feel the connection dissolved. Leave the skull
there overnight, then retrieve it the next day. It is now empty and may be
used again, however, it should be kept vacant for a full lunar cycle before
attempting to put another spirit within.
The Museum of Witchcraft & Magic
T hroughout the body of this book, I made reference to stories and items
retrieved from the archives of the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic.
This museum, founded by a man by the name of Cecil Williamson, sits in
the picturesque village of Boscastle in Cornwall, England. They are an
incredible organization dedicated to the preservation of magical knowledge.
The items referenced from their archives are noted below and additional
information about the museum and their initiatives can be found by visiting
their website at www.museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk.
Within this book, I have referenced:
The Skull Belonging to Granny Mann, Item 198
The Coven Skull, Item 292
A Coven's Ram Skull, Item 73
The Toad House, Item 1922
For additional reading on the museum and its founder, I recommend
reading Cecil Williamson's Book of Witchcraft written by Steve Patterson
and published by Troy Books.
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simplified. Llewellyn Publications.
Coleman, M. (2005). Communing with the spirits: The magical practice
of necromancy. Xlibris.
Gary, G. (2015). The devil's dozen: Thirteen craft rites of the old one.
Troy Books.
Gary, G. (2018). Traditional witchcraft: A Cornish book of ways. Troy
Books.
Guiley, R. E. (2016). Art of black mirror scrying. Visionary Living.
Horne, R. J. (2019). Folk witchcraft: A guide to lore, land, & the familiar
spirit for the solitary practitioner. Moon Over Mountain Press.
Horne, R. J. (2021). A Broom at Midnight. Have Over the Mountain
Press.
Huson, P. (1970). Mastering witchcraft. Putnam.
Leland, C. G. (1999). Aradia, or, the gospel of the witches. Phoenix.
Lupa. (2015). Skull scrying: Animal skulls in divinatory trance work.
Lupa.
Mar, A. (2016). Witches of america. Sarah Crichton Books- Farrar, Straus
and Giroux.
Morgan, L. (2013). A deed without a name: Unearthing the legacy of
traditional witchcraft. Moon Books.
Pearson, N. G. (2017). Treading the mill: Workings in traditional
witchcraft. Troy Books.
Runyon, C. (1996). The book of solomon's magick: How to invoke angels
into the crystal and evoke spirits to visible appearance in the dark mirror.
C.H.S.
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