#ghost spells

For the ancient Greeks, a fire made from privet [Ligustrum vulgare] opened the gates to the afterlife. To summon and speak with ghosts, burn wormwood on a bed of privet fire.

This incense blend allegedly allows you to contact those who have gone on ahead in your dreams.

Burn dried powdered acacia, althea, and star anise before bedtime. Permeate the room with the aroma. As you go to sleep, visualize the dream that you need. Try to “begin” the dream before you fall asleep and see what happens.

An ancient Greek method to lay a ghost to rest is especially beneficial if not only the identity but also the gender of the ghost is unknown.

Make distinctly male and female dolls from wood or true earthen clay (not synthetic substitutes as typically found among art supplies). It’s crucial to the success of this spell that the dolls be formed from biodegradable materials, so that they can decompose entirely without leaving traces.

Give the dolls a feast, a party in their honor. Have real food and drink, real fun.

When the party’s over, explain that their wanderings are over, too. Bury them in uncultivated land, where they are unlikely to be disturbed for a long time.

Plant aloe vera on the gravesite in order to soothe the deceased, ease any sense of loneliness or abandonment, and prevent their longing for the living.

Samhain, the Celtic roots of Halloween, marks the beginning of the dark, incubatory half of the year. It’s also the moment when the veils between the realms of living and dead are sheerest. Thus it’s the time around the world to contact one’s ancestors, pay tribute and honor to them, and engage in necromantic practices of various kinds. Hungry ghosts are also believed to abound—those without family or friends to feed and remember them. Place offerings of milk and barley outside under the stars to ease the ghosts’ hunger, prevent their mischief, and to accrue their blessings.

Desires may be complex. Although you may wish to consult with a ghost, you don’t necessarily want that desire to be misinterpreted as an invitation to follow you home. Mugwort both facilitates communication with the dead and protects you from them.

Burn an offering of mugwort: this enhances your psychic senses, enhancing your powers powers of reception with other realms.

Keep the mugwort burning following the ghost’s apparent departure.

When you depart, step over the burning mugwort; this allegedly stops a ghost from following you.

Mistletoe allegedly works as a key to unlock the doors between the realms of the living and the dead. Hold a branch of mistletoe, “the golden bough,” in your hand during necromancy for inspiration, protection, and success.

Tiger lilies planted near doors and windows allegedly prevent the entry of ghosts.