Necromancy

This term is derived from the Greek word nekros, meaning dead, and from manteia, divination. In italy the word became nigromancia, or black art, which is why the term is usually aquated with black magic.

In reality, true necromancy is nothing more than the conjuration or summoning of the dead to converse with them. Many medieval magicians such as, Dr.Dee and Edward Kelley, used to disinter bodies to use in necromatic ceremonies where the dead person was believed to revive temporarily and answer questions put to them.

This practice, sadly still survives, there are many cases I have heard of in Europe and the United States of desecrated tombs, not to mention the latin american countries where voodoo and dahomean magic is actively practiced.

Because necromancy openly admits its interest in getting in contact with the spirits, works of conjuration and evocation are normally classes as necromancy, however not always the case as I work with both of the above, and in no way do I desecrated dead bodies, never the less...........

In cases of a compact existing between the conjurer and the devil no ceremony is required, as the casters familiar is always at hand to carry out any requests of its masters, sadly a familiar is to protect and guide, but where the above is concerned it can also be used as a slave.

The person that evokes the spirit, wither it be dead or a demon, should not be alone during the invocation, there should always be an assistant there, also aware of the rules of magic. The old grimore threatens that the lone conjurer with the most terrible fates should they evoke a spirit, especially a demonic one on there own, as happened to a friend of Crowley, the great magician, I have placed here for your reading a passage that I came across on studying this great man, who was said to be the great beast himself, all the same, I found it quite and interesting story................

Crowley was very fond of demons as he was well a black magician so to speak.

Crowley enjoyed misguiding the weary magician by lying in his teachings quite often, although he was very skilled in his arts none the less, one of those most famous exploits was his invocation of the demon Chorozon in the deserts of Algiers.

Crowley was accompanied by a student of his, Victor Neuburg, during this invocation. Chorozon was said to be the dweller in the abyss. who has not to be confused with an individual force but as all the unmanifested energies of the unconscious mind. What actually happened was that Crowley and Neuburg drew a circle in the sand with the proper magical inscriptions and outside it drew a triangle where the demon was to manifest itself.

With his usual contempt for consequences Crowley entered the triangle with the intention to be possessed by Chorozon when he became manifested. Neuburg in turn took his place within the circle and started the invocation. Almost immediately Chorozon took possession of Crowley, who started raving like a wild animal and using his wills to try and convince Neuburg to leave the circle, as this was Neuburgs only protection from the demon. When this failed he started to discourse loftily on occult matters. Neuburg fell for this trick and started to make notes of the demons ravings, not realising that while he was diong so, and not paying attention Chorozon was throwing sand on the rim of the circle to break it, blocking out a good part of it. Need I say that the demon rapidly then left the triangle and charged at Neuburg, entering the circle through the break that it had created.

Overpowered Neuburg fell to the floor while Chorozon dug at his throat, Neuburg whilst in this struggle had the intelligence to draw out his dagger somehow and vanquish the demon from the circle, sending him back to the outside triangle. Neuburg then swiftly redone the circle until Chrozone was subdued and back in his dark abode. This experiment was not without unpleasant consequences as Neuburg fell ill some time after this encounter, where as Crowleys powers increased ten fold, but sadly these mistakes by Crowley eventually cost him all his magical powers as you and I know the four rules are To know, To dare, To will, and the main being To keep silent, Crowley of course could not keep silent, yet in all his magical powers he forgot one important thing, he was still human and that is the magicians limitation, being humanity.

Click the banner to return to page listings!