Why I don't work with the dead

For those who do, I am not attacking you for doing this. Necromancy is a beautiful type of magick. However, the idea of communing with the dead and gaining their wisdom to me just seems to look good on paper. In practice, I’d see some difficulties.

I do not believe the dead necessarily change who they are. A person who is good natured in life, in my opinion, is not likely to become evil or vengeful in death. However, with that being said, I can’t see someone who was originally apart of the majority who would’ve seen this practice as evil would change that opinion once they transition. It’s only natural times change. The younger generations become more and more open minded on things and with them so does society itself. As you go through older and older generations, you’ll find that there were certain things that were considered normal back then that today would be considered abhorrent, and vice versa.

In games, necromancy is portrayed as this dark edgy thing. Though realistically, it’s like a historian’s practice, granted its very gloomy. By calling upon those who lived in long ago ages, it seems that necromancy is an act of turning to the past.

I do not believe the dead “become enlightened”. They don’t suddenly change what they believe just because they go to some other world. And like I posted earlier, my few sojourns to the world of dead seem to show it as a gloomy but calm place for the dead to sleep and dream. A man who dies as a Christian will remain as a Christian in death. And thus, while they will not likely lash out at us for calling them, they may certainly disapprove of our practices. Or we may find several disagreements on various things. I prefer to deal with non-human spirits who either encourage our paths away from the human conventional if not never disagreed at all.

I’ve always had trouble dealing with people of severely different beliefs and values. I get enough of that in real life and I don’t care for the discomfort. If I were to practice necromancy (which I’m not saying I wouldn’t) I’d be specifically calling on spirits of those who, like many of us, strove to seek their own way in life outside what is considered conventional. Dealing with the dead would be like dealing with the living. You follow the same rules. As someone with a social disability, I’ve found these rules to be frustrating and confusing, and so I’d prefer to interact with others where the rules are far more lenient. Again, this is not an attack or criticism towards necromancers. I admire what you do. I’m simply sharing my own take. Above all, this is more of an autism thing than any thing else.

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I completely understand why you wouldn’t want to work with the dead. Your criticisms are much better than those of others. You always hear “Ew I don’t want to work with dead people they’ll make me sick and they’re creepy”, while the same people will evoke demons and work with them. I have no problem with either but c’mon be consistent.

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:roll_eyes:
Do they even know they’re gonna die one day as well?

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Oh man I agree 100%. I’ve never benefited from speaking to the dead; it’s usually disappointing. I once conjured up two dogs I had, and that was a great reunion, but that was it.

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I don’t want to work with the Dead.

Meanwhile, I’m doing this. Don’t mind the creepy mask,

I understand that the guy said he wasn’t attacking necromancy, this is just too much of a good place for me to jump in and be me.

Also,

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It’s more like “Id rather avoid the drama of dealing with someone who comes from a more conservative time period.” Demons are okay because I believe they seek change away from what’s conventional.

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But does that apply to dead lands, planets, stars, and so forth, OP?

Dead people aren’t the only thing that’s dead. And if you go back down far enough, well history certainly gets interesting. A lot of the pre-human people were more like us.

Perhaps that’s why everybody thinks the world is dying?

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That is true of my own opinion too. And I do understand that it is not an attack, just to clarify, this isn´t an attack either. I just understand where you come from with that statement. Though I do have to say that the form of necromancy of which you speak of is too lack luster in terms of knowledge. Take for example saturnian necromancy. It´s full of knowledge but the amount of knowledge that you get depends on how much you immerse yourself into it. I´ve realise that saturnian necromancy isn´t enough for me anymore and that I need figure out ways to immerse myself into all aspect of necromancy and also figure out ways to incorporate necromancy into different currents(which I have tried before, Even incorporated that with workings with Belial and Azazel). The dead themselves offer pathways and methods that they had in life. Even their energies work as tools. The dead themselves don´t change or offer crusial pieces of information but it´s the energy that they harbour that are important for necromancer. Not to mention the practical methods, pathways and maybe with a slim chanse of new perspectives to things. Other than that I think that you hit the nail on the coffin with the critical point of view.

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Cuz they are already dead???!!! :confused:

Edit : Oh , forgot this was a magicians forum.

I’ve never summoned the dead, they just show up in my dreams. I can tell in my dreams the difference between the dead and the spirits. The dead have an odd smell, something heavy. Like musk. And I’ve learned not to eat or drink from them. Their food burns.

People that i knew in real life showed up in my dreams when they passed and we walked together.
My ancestors regularly visit. They haven’t changed in appearance or energy.

You have no idea how some are transformed, they are taken to these places. Like given a new job, a new shape.
And this is good, because there is an end and once your souls reaches that, there is no coming back.

I’d like to know how those who summon the dead choose the spirit. Do they see what i see?

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I have been fascinated with necromancy my entire life, and after reading a few books, watching videos, and reading post on the subject I feel there is a few ways to see it some of the others I have yet to really research. But these are the few I have seen the most time put into it.

1: the classic scary or sinister way of creeping in a graveyard, raising the dead, turning into a litch, gaining lost information, and killing people. See “Necromantic Soceries” and “Charnel Whispers”.

2: A way of change, look at the “Death” tarot card it does not soly mean “you are going to die” but “change”. In “Honoring the dead” or “Necromantic Sacraments” it brought this idea up.

3: remembering those who have passed and honoring them.

I’m not judging anyone for their practice. It’s not an attack nor am I saying I know it all, because I’m limited on my experience and knowledge. But I at least wanted to throw my hat into the ring and see what others may think.
I hope this helps.:slight_smile:

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I have some cool ideas now… Thanks Qayos, you’re cool!

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The only dead folk i work with on a regular basis are my own ancestors. I’ll tell you why. I was gathering some graveyard dust from a very old Norman churchyard down in Cornwall. This was shortly followed by two chronic illnesses and root canal work. The former illnesses took months to get rid of and only after I had reburied the dust in consecrated ground with a Christian service followed by quite intensive “'get rid of” sea magic. Since then I have not attempted to gather graveyard dust, and always steer clear of that particular graveyard.

What you’ve written is fine Dave. Be gentle with yourself. Working with young folk you have autistic spectrum disorder I know how angst ridden communication can be! Heavens knows how that would be magnified in a necromantic context! :laughing:

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I can make a list of ways living with autism can be Hell. Example: Having to learn lessons in social etiquette as to not make others feel offended while not being so sensitive as so I do not feel offended.

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