Chthonic

“Would you like to know the secret to healthy rose bushes,” I asked, knowing that she would not like the answer. 

“Do tell!”

Grin. “Blood.”

The customer paused, waiting for me to say that I was kidding. But I wasn’t so it never came. She became nervous. 

And before I could explain that blood meal is a common soil fixer and fertilizer, she put her hands up, spun around and said-

“Bye.”

.

Evidently, you’re supposed to plant garlic in the same places as your roses because the garlic will repel a rose-specific aphid.

So what I’m saying is that between the romantic symbolism of the rose, the bloodmeal in the soil, and the fresh garlic all over the place-

How did I accomplish this?

Do not sprinkle banana peel on your windowsill garden, you will have fruit flies and A Smell. Definitely do not bury small chunks of raw meat just under the soil of your windowsill garden, you will have Much Worse Flies and A Very Smell. 

A simple ritual to help someone who’s passed find peace.

Ingredients:

A small candle (white or black is good, or a color you associate with the deceased)

A small piece of paper and pen/pencil

Rosemary oil or leaves

Thyme

Violet, marigold, or rose petals

Ground clove

A pinch of sugar (any kind)

A small candle-safe bowl/holder (needs to be a bit larger than the candle itself so herbs can be placed around)

1.) Write the name of the person on the piece of paper. Write what you wish for them (peace, rest, happiness, love, reunions, etc.).

2.) Place the paper under the candle. If you have rosemary oil, rub the candle with it lightly. If you have the leaves, you can stick them into the candle in a ring around the outer edge.

3.) Create a ring around the candle with the herbs and petals. Sprinkle the sugar around on top last.

4.) Light the candle and say the person’s name and the things you wished for them.

5.) Leave the candle burning as long as you are able, but it’s okay if that’s a short amount of time.

Collecting fallen pinecones, leaves, seeds, weird rocks, sun bleached sticks/branches. Vulture culture of animal remains is a lovely aesthetic but it can get costly!

Visiting memorials and graveyards for walks and meditation.

Watching death positive and education YouTube and docs on streaming services.

Reading local obituaries or local headstones and keeping a memento mori journal.

Creating an ancestor shrine with objects you already have and pictures/artwork printed from a computer. Add a couple items from a thrift shop or dollar store if you are able but not required.

Spirit work! That is always free!

Volunteer at a hospice or nursing home.

Light candles for souls that have passed; whether you know them or heard about them in the news.

Read up on your local Wills & Probate procedures or see if there is a local group offering a free workshop.

Visit natural history museums or art museums and practice energy sensing or just absorb the history and stories of the pieces.

Create a simple decorated candle/painted craft/box/space for The Forgotten Dead. Give regular simple offerings (water is a good one).

Talk to (trusted) friends and family about death and end of life desires.

Write a story or poem relating to death.

Visiting natural history and art museum. Not only for the spirit work (museums are surprisingly rife with spirits) but also the reflection on the objects themselves that are imbued with death energy due to their age.

Kitchen witchcraft with fermentation. I’m talking both home starters/yeasts and drink based fermenting! The process of encouraging fermentation is literally a controlled necromancy if you think about it! Also your own fermented product will be excellent to use in spellwork!

Upcycle crafting! The process of reusing items in a new way that you already had or seeking out items to use instead of letting them become trash is also working with death energy!

Playing death related games or watching movies with friends and family. Death witchcraft tasks and energy work doesn’t have to look witchy! If you have a weekly or monthly hangout where you play tabletops like Betrayal at House on the Hill or even online games. Or watch documentaries or movies with loved ones that related that totally counts! Especially as a lower spoon option.

Drawing or photographing abandoned buildings/architecture. So often people forgot that the decay of manmade objects and places do hold death energy and weight. Tapping into this side of death witchcraft can be an interesting experience.

Visiting a 24 hour store or restaurant in the middle of the night. This is a personal experience of mine but that quiet low level liminal space energy is such a similar transitional energy as to help you grow your experience and sensing of death energy. Also walking through a store at 3am is a good time to practice a walking meditation or some simple spirit communication without too much trouble. Just have your headphones in for an excuse!

Learning to maintain your own compost! I’m hopeless with the green thumb side of things myself but I still have composting I do for my yard in general. My wildflowers and natural growth is lovely because of it! The cycle of your kitchen supplies life and decay is such a simple and deep way to access that death energy and maybe even work your way up to having that green thumb! Also using this compost in spellwork will pack a punch!

Ajoite - overcome sorrow, emotional healing

Amethyst - eases grief and sadness

Andalusite - crossing over into the afterlife

Apophyllite - spirit communication

Bixbite (Red Beryl) - eases grief

Black Tourmaline - eases grief

Bloodstone - to strengthen ties with ancestors or loved ones who have passed on

Blue Lace Agate - connection to the spirit world, eases passage into the afterlife

Calcite - emotional healing, peace

Carnelian - eases sorrow, protection in the afterlife

Celestite - spirit communication

Charoite - eases passage into the afterlife

Cuprite - spirit communication

Halite - dispelling negativity, protection

Hematite - grounding, peace, transforming negativity 

Jade - protection in the afterlife

Jasper - safe passage into the afterlife

Jet - eases grief and mourning

Kunzite - eases heartbreak

Labradorite - spirit communication

Lapis Lazuli - spiritual connection

Obsidian - healing, deflecting negativity, grounding, protection

Onyx - grounding, protection

Pink Tourmaline - emotional healing

Quantum Quattro Silica - eases grief

Quartz - safe passage into the afterlife

Selenite - spirit communication, eases passage into the afterlife

Sunstone - spirit communication

Tanzan Aura Quartz - spirit communication

Tsavorite - connection to the spirit world

Turquoise - spiritual attunement

Part 1 begins here.

Last time, we talked about trees’ associations with funerals and symbolism for being planted in graveyards. Now, I want to get more complicated and talk about how the tree’s spirits can relate to death work.

Most of us know that ‘tree spirits’ exist in several cultures. Here are just a few:

Dryads, shy tree spirits in Greek mythology

Nang Mai, ghosts in Thailand that haunt the local trees (most notable being Nang Ta-khian) 

Anito spirits, more specifically diwata (non-human), spirits inhabiting trees and other aspects of nature in Filipino folklore

Kodoma are kind spirits who inhabit trees in Japanese mythology

Penghou, dog/pig hybrid tree spirits in Chinese mythology

This said, most cultures are not as simple as ‘trees = specific spirit’ in this manner. Many cultures had different spirits inhabiting different kinds of trees. Some folklore describes other spirits inhabiting trees, even spirits of the dead. With all these varying accounts, how do we approach trees in cemeteries?

Based on my research, I have found that tree spirits can relate to the dead or afterlife in one of four specific ways:

The trees inhabit the afterlife. According to the Egyptian Book of the Dead, sycamores grew in a soul’s blissful afterlife. In Greek mythology, asphodel grew in the underworld, although the Romans asserted it was cypress instead. 

The trees link the souls to the afterlife, or help them travel there. The most popular example of this is the Norse tree Yggdrasil, which branches into the heavens and roots into the underworld. (Some sources say this tree is the ash, though this cannot be confirmed.) The Maya believed that celiba trees were direct portals into the afterlife. 

The trees contain souls of the dead, either to send them to the afterlife or simply as an afterlife. This can overlap with #2 depending on the folklore. In Celtic mythology, for example, elm trees contain spirits that guard graves and help souls travel to the afterlife. Lithuanian and Latvian folklore has accounts listing trees said to contain souls of the dead. These are either oak, apple or birch, depending on the source. 

The trees originate from chthonic spirits. This one is less common, and but still a possibility. The best example I can give is that when Kerberus was brought up to the earth by Heracles, his spittle is said to give birth to the Aconite. Trees directly resulting from death, as listed in Part 1, can be placed in this category and in #3.

Looking through this information, it’s clear that trees in cemeteries should not be overlooked in spirit work. The spirit within the tree can guard the dead, contain the dead, or link the dead to the afterlife, depending on the tree and its role in the cemetery. 

This also broadens the use for tree bark and leaves as tools in death work. An amulet made of elm, for example, can help the magician cross over into the afterlife. Asphodel can be given as an offering to the dead, or an aid to communicate with them. 

To work with a tree spirit inside a cemetery, you may approach it similarly to how one approaches a grave: give offerings, connect to its energy, and listen. The tree may give you information about the cemetery, or aid you in your magic. I had one tree guard my tools when I accidentally left them near there, and there were still there when I returned. That actually sparked my interest in working with trees in cemeteries. 

Offerings for Trees in Cemeteries:

You may use similar offerings as those for the dead, or ones catered towards tree spirits.

coins

berries

fresh water

ground eggshells (good for the soil)

coffee grounds

herbs such as sage, lavender, and mugwort

breads or cakes

singing or other music

To Work with the Tree:

meditate beneath the tree

connect with the tree’s energy

speak to the tree, and listen

as with graveyard dirt, do not take any piece of the tree without permission

Much has been written on trees in magical folklore and Paganism. This post will concern these trees in relation to cemeteries, souls of the dead, and their uses in death witchcraft and necromancy. 

Many of these trees are used for wands and talismans in death magic. A branch can be picked up from the ground of a cemetery and polished into a powerful tool. If you understand the associations, you may grind their bark for protection powders, give their dried leaves as offerings, and include them in talismans.

These particular trees are common in North America where I live, though you can find many more online. Along with their mythological symbolism, many of these trees are planted in cemeteries because they require little upkeep to survive. However, this only highlights their association with endurance, hardiness, immortality and rebirth. 

Note that these trees have many more associations and folklore attached to them. I am focusing on what I can find that connects to death, resurrection, and the afterlife.

Acacia - The ancient Egyptians made coffins from acacia due to its association with Osiris. In some versions, after Seth killed Osiris, Osiris’ coffer washed up in Byblos, where an acacia grew around it. Because some Egyptian Gods were also born under the acacia, the tree shelters the Gods who decide upon life and death. Hence, the acacia was put to much use honoring the dead: Egyptians would use its gum to coat mummies and burn wreaths for the dead; and Hebrews planted these trees near graves.

Cedar - A common tree in American cemeteries, the cedar has roots in Chinese folklore. According to one story, a king jailed an innocent man to pursue his wife. The man died in jail, and his wife committed suicide. Even though their graves were buried far apart, cedars grew upon the graves, and eventually their branches touched. Cedar is also a symbol of Hades Lord of the Dead, and its oil was used in Egyptian mummification.

Cypress - With strong connections to the Furies, Fates and several chthonic deities, cypress has a long history in Greek and Roman funeral rites. According to myth, Apollo gave a man Cyparissus a white stag, which was accidentally killed. Cyparissus asked the Gods to let him mourn forever, and, eventually tired of his weeping, the Gods turned him into a cypress tree. Mourners would carry cypress branches, and eventually lay the corpse down on a bed of cypress leaves before burial. Cypresses were planted by graves, or by a home to warn that the plot was occupied by a corpse. This period, a nine day period after being buried or cremated, was considered to have corrupted energy that the cypress (along with yew) guarded others from. 

Holly - Holly is sacred to Thor, and its use was said to protect one from lightning strikes. It is planted in cemeteries to protect the dead and mourners. The tree is used in celebrations around the winter solstice, being a symbol of the popularized NeoPagan Holly King, who ruled the year from summer to the winter solstice. 

Mulberry - Throughout the Middle East, India, Europe and Asia, mulberry leaf was traded and sold for its medicinal benefits. The mulberry quickly became associated with life and restoration, and the weeping mulberry is planted in cemeteries to represent healing grief and eternal life after life. 

Myrtle - When Venus washed up on the Isle of Cytheraea, it is said that she hid her nakedness behind a myrtle tree. She then labeled the tree as Hers, and it became associated with eternal love. It is planted in cemeteries for this same purpose. 

Oak - Often planted within military and children’s cemeteries, oak signifies strength, authority and protection. Its associations with thunder deities such as Thor and Zeus come from its remarkable hardiness in withstanding destructive weather. Oaks are also sprinkled throughout the Bible, with some naming it as the wood used for Jesus’s cross, although some sources say it was yew. The oak is planted to protect the souls of the dead, protect headstones from rough weather, and protect mourners from sun rays.  

Olive - A recognized symbol of Athena, the olive tree highlights deep symbolism of hope, peace, and protection. According to one story, King Xerxes once set Acropolis ablaze, which contained rows of olive trees. But the trees re-sprouted the same day that the fire went one. This and other stories make the olive a powerful symbol of rebirth. 

Palm - In Christianity, palm trees represent martyrs who triumph with soul over body. In Islam, the palms symbolize Paradise, giving this tree strong links to a spiritual afterlife. Although natives of Malaysia and India referred to the palm as “The Tree of Life” due its medicinal properties and resilience, it is said that Portuguese explorers found the coconut similar to a ghost in their folklore called the coco. 

Pine - As an evergreen tree slow to decay, the pine symbolizes immortality and the eternal life after death. Ancient Egyptians would sometimes bury carvings of Osiris out of pine with the deceased. In the Scottish Highlands, pine marked the graves of honored warriors and chieftains. Druids burned pine on the winter solstice to mark the end of long nights and coming of divine light. In Roman mythology, the consort of the earth Goddess Cybele, Attis, was transformed into a pine tree after being killed by a boar. The pine protects mourners from some of the darkest moments of their life, and connects the dead to the Gods.

Weeping Willow - This tree is a picturesque analogy for human mourning–hunched, drooping, dragging–that it’s no wonder the ancient Greeks called it “the mourning tree”. It is a symbol of Hecate, a chthonic deity. Orpheus carried willow branches on his journey to the underworld. In China, the willow depicts rebirth and immortality, due to its ability to quickly regrow after being damaged or chopped. To no one’s surprise, by the nineteenth century, willows were commonly seen on gravestones and mourning cards in Britain and America. The willow highlights more of the mourner’s struggle than the deceased’s, and it is a reminder that we too enter the graves of those we’re mourning for. 

Yew - One of the oldest trees recorded, yew stands as a reincarnation symbol for the Druids, a symbol of immortality for Christians, and a reminder of the otherworld for Irish Pagans. In Irish folklore, the yew is one of five sacred trees brought up from the otherworld to divide the land. A sister of birch, the tree of eternal life, yew is the opposite as the tree of eternal death. Its reputation stems from how it grows down to form new stems which looks like freshly sprouted trunks. Yew governs both death and rebirth, and is a perfect symbol for the afterlife. Early Christians buried corpses with yew shoots. The ancient Romans used yew to warn onlookers of the nine day libation period mentioned before. 

In the best case scenario, a magician will learn to recognize these trees on sight. Otherwise, they may recognize some of these trees in a cemetery, and gain a better understanding of the conditions of the souls beneath the canopy. They can also use these trees for their own magical purposes. 

Part 2 is here.