Necromancy

The picture shows John Dee and Edward Kelley practicing Necromancy.

The blackest of all the black arts is undoubtedly necromancy,
the ancient method of communication with the dead.
The art of raising the dead and controlling their spirits takes its name from
Greek words meaning "dead" and "divination".
Necromancy can be divided into two main branches:
Divination by means of ghosts, and divination from corpses.
The second method leads to the disinterment of corpses and rifling of graves
for grisly charms which magicians and witches consider necessary for the effective
performance of the magical arts.
Necromancy is a  universal practice of great antiquity, only the profoundly initiated,
brave and single-minded magician has any chance of success in such a venture,
always considered to be extremely dangerous, for not only is a pact with the
Devil necessary, but it is thought that the "astral corpse" has an intense desire
to live again and could, by absorbing life-energy from living creatures, prolong its
life indefinitely, thus, unless he has taken adequate precautions,
the magician might be in great danger.
To evoke the dead the magician needs to obtain the help of powerful spirits,
both for his own protection and to compel the corpse or ghost to submit to his will.
A spell from ancient Greece calls upon the powers of the mighty
Kore, Persephone, Ereshkigal, Adonis, Hermes and Thoth,
to bind the dead. According to a ritual described by Seneca,
the Roman dramatist, the summoning of the dead involves not only a burnt sacrifice
but a blood-drenched altar.
Scent and odours must be carefully produced from
burning substances for their powerful influences.
Elaborate preparations include careful study of the positions of the planets,
and especially of the moon and the influence of Saturn.

The site for the operation has to be chosen with care, the most favorable is
some lonely crossroads, a vault, a ruin, an unfrequented forest,
or a blasted heath.

Once a time is decided upon for the operation, a series of concentric circles
of power must be drawn on the ground within which are inscribed crosses
and other symbols, together with holy names of God.
The circle must be blessed and consecrated, with the magician and his assistant
standing at its centre, protected by the holy names from all danger. Then, wand in hand, the magician summons the dead to rise, using names of power.

Eliphas Levi and other magicians have suggested the need for some attempt
at identification between the living and the dead, as for example the presence
of a portrait, and a portion of bread which the ghost would be invited to consume.
In his evocation, the magician summons the dead by name and, if he is successful,
he has to face the frightening ordeal of a phantom screaming and gibbering with
rage at having been compelled against its will to return to the realms of the living.
Sometimes the dead appears in the shapes of furious beasts raging about
the circle and threatening to tear the sorcerer to pieces.

When the dead finally decides to submit to the magician's will he often
becomes transformed into a naked men who is willing to answer the questions put to him.

After the operation it is necessary to dismiss the dead, who usually vanishes amid
clouds of sulphur. Under no circumstances the magician should leave the protection
of the magic circle before this. He also has to remove all flowers from the place and after burning them, to bury the ashes deeply in the earth.

The whole operation is fraught with terrible dangers, for the slightest departure
from the rites could involve the destruction of the operator and even
inflict injuries upon his soul.

Definition:
Necromancy is the act of conjuring the dead for divination.
Necromancy is not to be confused with conjuring devils or demons for help.
Necromancy (nekros, "dead", and manteia, "divination").
Necromancy is a special mode of divination by the evocation of the dead.
This e-book provides general information about Necromancy.
The classic case of necromancy is the witch of Endor, described in the Bible (1 Samuel 28),
who summoned the spirit of Samuel in the presence of Saul.
Necromancy is divination by raising the spirits of the dead.
Necromancy in history. Methods of Necromancy.
Necromancy has had a long and very disparate history between cultures and generations.
The practice of consulting the dead.

Jews and Christians are both forbidden from practicing necromancy.
As long as man has believed in the spirits of the dead, he has believed that
there is some way to summon them. Or divination by means of the spirits of the dead,
from the Greek work `nekos', dead; and `manteria', divination.
It is through its Italian form nigromancia that it came to be known as the "Black Art".
Contact with the Dead. Necromancy is a dark and dangerous practice so
make sure that you stand in your magic circle to protect yourself from evil spirits
this form of spiritism was popular in the late 1880's to the early 1900's.

The name for this form of spiritism is necromancy.
Necromancy is divination by raising the spirits of the dead.
The word derives from... Talking to the Dead.
Necromancy is communication with the dead and is absolutely forbidden by Holy Scripture.
Necromancy - The practice of supposedly communicating with the
spirits of the dead in order to predict the future. The media is full of mediums!
from beyond the grave.
The rituals of Necromancy are a part of magic that few modern Witches have tried to execute.