"O friend & companion of night
Thou who rejoicest in the baying of hounds & spilt blood.." *
Necromancy is many things to many people. I will not
get to involved in its explanations at this time, but I will
relate an approximate idea of what it’s all about.
Necromancers deal with the dead, death and the
Underworld. This path focuses on the ancestors, of which
pre christian myth and legend tells us are the spirits of this
world .
There is a fine line in defining who the ancestors
are, they are the Otherworld beings which Celtic mythology
describes as the faery race, they are also the Demons, angels
and the human dead, all of which keep the lore, traditions
and knowledge that have been lost to us.
The rites,
attitudes, observances, etc. that most people usually reserve
for Samhain are the ways of the necromancer (and Vampire consequently) on a daily
basis. Such as: a time to celebrate and honor the spirit of
Darkness, Chaos and Death; a time of 'in-between', of
returning to the ancient Chaos; access to and from the
Otherworlds; communicating with night, death and the
spirits of the realm.
The grave/yard is a portal to the Underworld, and this is
the place where we can access the secrets of North. North
is the place of power, awe ,magic, enchantment, Chaos, Darkness, death and the place
where we can reconnect with them, or eventually become
one of them. (most of the time a warning is given before its
to late - to return) This is the goal, however one can
practice necromancy without these things happening, but if
your serious you may be granted entrance into their world
at some point. However, entrance does not come easy or
without a price.
I classify necromancy into two separate paths, although one
can prepare the way for the other. Some of the concepts do
not divide but the major goal of each is what distinguishes
one from the other.
The first and most common is
traditional necromancy, the other is something I refer to as
Underworld necromancy and Vampiric Spirituality. Underworld
necromancy is the place where we access the ancestors,
guardians and secrets of death while living. This is a long,
hard and treacherous journey.
Necromancers are also divided into two groups, the
living and the living dead, i.e., Vampire. The later follows closely to the
other system initially but is reserved for those who seek and
acquire actual death and transformation within the
Underworld while still living.
Impossible you say? If it did
not happen to me, I would say the same thing. This journey
requires a lot of consideration, dedication and sincerity, for
the consequences are irreversible and non negotiable.
If you
do not persevere once you have gained access, you will
become trapped and lost within the Underworld. The
Darkness will suffocate and claim you in a not so
pleasant way...
A common mistake for those approaching traditional
necromancy is to confuse summoning spirits with corpse
reanimation, where in they have been lead to believe that
the corpse will actually rise. This is not so, instead its spirit
may appear.
Traditional necromancy is where we form our
first connections with death. It's not about summoning
spirits for material treasure or demanding things from
them. However we can contact the ancestors for other
relevant information or guidance.
The Celts and Norse
would consult the ancestors, in this case the spirits of the
dead for divination purposes, such as the out come of
battles.
A necromancer gains his strength and knowledge of
death from his association with its guardians. This is
achieved by consistent invocation, ritual and
communication with the gods and guides of the realm.
Dedication, respect and sincerity will as always yield the
most information and the best results.
Traditional
necromancy is not limited to ritual alone. It is forming a
connection with death, which if pursued (much) further
will lead to a state of living death (no picnic I assure you).
This means the information, ordeals and state of existence
of those who have already physically died is also given to
those who yet live...
Certain rites are practiced to gain complete access to the
ancestors who reside in the Underworld. In order for this
knowledge to pass freely you must get intimately acquainted
with death. You can not cross the threshold of Hell/ the
Underworld unless you are in some manner dead.
This is
done by constantly working with the death essence and
absorbing it. This journey as well as the process and
encounters are not achieved by or the result of meditating
or meditation type journeying. This sordid business is for
the most part a huge crock of shit! Beware of the pile of new
age and Wicca books that will only lead you on a useless
meditative journey !
The black arts have been deemed and are in fact secretive
and are kept in the shadows because there are not many
people who can handle what it brings them, or are even
worthy of having such secrets revealed to them because of
inflated egos, malice and overall stupidity.
Death encompasses so much more than physical death..
Azrael: the -very misunderstood- angel of death.
Azrael is a guardian and in my opinion the best guide
into the realm of death/ the Underworld.
He is kind and a
loyal companion although he can be stern with us when we
are reluctant to move on.
The best way to become familiar with death, its
deities and guardians is to invoke them for yourself.
No amount of reading will make up for actual work. I
think one of the most feared guardians is Azrael, the
angel of death. As with any energy, you become what
you repeatedly invoke, and by becoming immersed in
death you will learn the secrets of the Underworld.
Death encompasses so much more than physical death.
Death
is another side of life and there is much to learn here.
If you have any reservations about working with death then
I recommend that you start off slow when
beginning the practice of traditional necromancy and
ease yourself into it until you are comfortable to start
communicating with the inhabitants of the realm.
Its
only a matter of mental programming, once you lose
your initial fear things will change. What was once
unknown and frightening becomes familiar and
welcome, fear is replaced by understanding.
...
I learned about the general nature of Azrael on my own,
through rituals, solitude and endless nights spent in
graveyards. I searched my soul as I began to know him.
I
remember one night while I was outside, not thinking about
anything in particular, I felt an overwhelming presence behind
me. And then I saw him.
He did not appear as the skeletal
figure I had always envisioned him as. Rather he was
beautiful. He had thick long black hair and he held a
resemblance to all of the other angels of special stature.
That is not to say that he hasn’t appeared in his other
forms as well over the years. Legend has painted him out to be as
monstrous as they view death itself. They fear it and so,
they assume the messenger and guardian of such a position
as his must be fearful and loathsome.
But fear it turns out is
the only tormentor here...
Azrael turned out to be my greatest friend, and my best guide.
The grave/yard is a portal to the Underworld, and this is
the place where we can access the secrets of North. North
is the place of power, awe ,magic, enchantment, Chaos, Darkness, death and the place
where we can reconnect with them, or eventually become
one of them. (most of the time a warning is given before its
to late - to return) This is the goal, however one can
practice necromancy without these things happening, but if
your serious you may be granted entrance into their world
at some point. 
A necromancer gains his strength and knowledge of
death from his association with its guardians. This is
achieved by consistent invocation, ritual and
communication with the gods and guides of the realm.
Dedication, respect and sincerity will as always yield the
most information and the best results. 
Everyday is Halloween for us..
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