The Search for Signs of the Human Soul
Death and the Afterlife
Reincarnation
The Ancestors
The Ancestral Shrine
Ghosts and Spirits
Hunting Ghost: A Basic Guide
Communication with the Dead
How to Conduct a Seance
Talking Boards
Rituals to Contact the Dead
A Graveyard Rite to Petition the Dead
Spirit Traps
The existence of the soul has yet to be proven, yet every religion is based on the idea that there is life after death. In our search for the existence of the soul, we will consider the concept of Cosmic Consciousness. This refers to the idea that there is but one soul in all the universe, which we are all apart of and apart from. This one souls is what many call "God". If we liken God to the ocean, then all conscious beings would be represented by the trillions and trillions of molecules that comprise the ocean. When we consider that one water molecule (the individual) is comprised of one atom of hydrogen, and two of oxygen for a total of three atoms, we see that man is comprised of three parts: Physical, Mental, and Emotional.
Even if we accept this as true, the question becomes how to reconcile this with the concept of individuality. We recognize that the individual is present in the form of a person's consciousness and personality. To extend the analogy above, a water molecule can be extracted from the ocean, it's atoms separated and/or united with other atoms to produce a variety of effects. It has been said that whether ice, cloud, or stream---water is always water.
As stated above, man exists in three dimensions. They are Physical, Mental, and Spiritual. A man's body is a reflection of his soul in the physical, or material world. We experience the physical world via the impressions we receive through our five sense, and therefore its existence cannot be denied. Man also exists in the mental realm. This is the realm of thought and ideas. There is an entire school of thought which states that "I think, therefore I am." It is man's ability to think which has helped to establish him as the dominant species on Earth.
Finally, man exists in the Spiritual World. The spiritual would can seem distant and unknowable. However, we perceive the spiritual world with our sixth, or psychic sense, The spiritual world co-exists with the physical one. We can illustrate the relationship between these two worlds by comparing them analogously to oil and water in a single glass. Both the oil and water co-exists separately within the same space. Unless you shake the glass, they will remain separated, but when you stop shaking the glass, the oil and water will slowly separate again.
Death is not the end of life, but rather life in another form. What has been referred to as an afterlife doesn’t exist to punish us but rather to teach us. Reincarnation is the process by which our souls grow and involve over successive lifetimes. In accordance with the law that you create your own reality, upon physical death, the soul journeys to a place of its own choosing. There will be no god to condemn you to hell, and no Satan to punish you for your perceived sins, unless that is what you truly believe that you deserve. You are your own judge, and the architect of your own afterlife and therefore what you truly believe you will manifest.
Some individuals choose not to incarnate again, however, this does not mean that they have attained a state of ultimate enlightenment, but that they are choosing to continue the process of soul evolvement on the spiritual plane rather than the physical one. These individuals may become spirit guides to other souls or enter into a special communion with the Godhead. Conversely, there are those who have attained a high level of enlightenment and because of this no longer needs to incarnate and yet they do so for the highest good.
Reincarnation is the process by which our souls grow and evolve over successive lifetimes. Most witches believe that upon physical death our souls journey to the Summerland, a place of rest and peace where all our needs are met. Here, with the assistance of our spirit guide, we evaluate our most recent life, our experiences, and the lessons that we learned in that incarnation.
In modern Wicca, as in other religions such as Buddhism, Shinto, Native American Spirituality, and Vodun, one’s Ancestors are revered and honored. It is believed that they dead don’t die, but rather ascend to higher states of being, from which they can look on and assist us. In this state, the Ancestors exists outside of time and therefore have knowledge of the past and future, and can guide us toward the best possible future. In addition, they can intercede with the Godhead on our behalf and protect us in times of need.
However, in today’s world with its hate and prejudice, many gay people find themselves cast out from the families into which they were born. For this reason, to many gay people family isn’t always defined by blood. To us, our families are those people of any race, orientation, and/or gender who love us, accept us, and protect us. Therefore, such people who have since died can be considered our collective Ancestors. They are the activist who fought for our freedom, artists, philosophers, and scientists, who contributed to society, those who lived openly, and those whose death moved us to fight on.

Although most Wiccans are familiar with the concept of honoring the ancestors during the Sabbat of Samhain, the concept of devoting a shrine to one’s Ancestors and giving them due honor on a daily basis is a concept not commonly encountered in the practice of Wicca. However, as information about different cultures and alternative spiritual paths has become more available to the average person, many Wiccans are adopting practices such as creating an Ancestral Shrine that, in the past, were more common to those practices found in African, Latino, and Asian folk traditions.
See also Devotion to the Ancestors
At the core of the world's major religions is the belief in the continuing existence of the soul following the physical body. However, what happens to that soul afterwards is where many religions disagree, and that is the subject of another topic of discussion. Although the terms have become interchangeable, a ghost and a spirit is not the same. A Ghost is the soul of a human being that for any number of reasons remains Earth bound. These reasons commonly include.
They have unfinished business, something that they feel needs to be completed before they can move on.
They don't know that they are dead, from their perspective they are simply going about their business.
They are Earth bound by a grieving loves one who refuses to let them move on.
Ghosts manifest in various forms. They may appear as balls or streaks of light, shadows, mist, and they sometimes, but not often, appear in full of partial human form. Those gifted with extrasensory abilities have reported being able to see, hear, and even feel the presence of ghosts. Other individual have reported being physically touched by ghosts.
Ghosts can be classified as Nurturer, Trickster, Abuser, and Echo. The Nurturer is the 'friendly-ghost'. They are always harmless, even protective of those in thier enviroment and those who reside within it. Many people find it comforting to share their space with these entities.
The Trickster may or may not be harmless, due to your temperament. Normally, the Trickster will not perform pranks which are deadly, just inconvenient, such as hiding your car keys or diabling your alarm clock, making you late for work. Some people are easily disturbed by these events, while others think it makes life more interesting and could not be bothered.
The Abuser is always harmful, often violently so. They will often leave marks of their attack on their victim, such as claw or bite marks, bruises, etc... Abusers represent the worst kind of ghostly encounter, and they have been known to commit murder.
While not considered a true ghost, an Echo occurs when a person' death is so traumatic that the event imprints itself onto the environment, much like recording a song from the radio onto a tape. When triggered by certain events or emotions, usually those similar to the original event, the Echo then replays itself, similar to a time loop.
Many spiritual traditions have their own methods of helping a Ghost to move on, or of banishing a negative entity. Some of these methods include:
Acknowledging its presence, talking to it from within the Magick Circle and convincing it to move on.
Religious Blessing/Banishing: A blessing is performed by religous clergy gently sending the ghost off the Earth plane; however, if this does not occur, then it is forcibly sent off the Earth plane with a banishing ritual or a series of rituals.
A grieving person must be convinced that they are doing their loved one more harm than good by holding on too tightly, and that only be allowing the loved on to move on will each of them find peace.
A relatively new method of banishing a ghost within the realm of Parapsychology, involves electron displacement. This school of thought theorizes that an electron flow is needed to keep a ghost on this plane and that by reversing the polarity of electrons in a given area, a resident ghost will lose its foothold on this plane of existence.
Step One: Assemble your equipment.
Dowsing rod, compass, Video-Camera, Still-Camera, Tape Recorder, Pendulum, pen and paper.
Step Two: Choose your Location
Old graveyards, battlefields, historic sites, murder sites, etc...
Step Three: Visit the Location
Keep the number of visitors to a minimum. Dowse for "hot spots" and record all activity on video, photo, and tape.
Step Four: Diagram the Location
This can be placed on a grid and a pendulum used to dowse for potential "hot spots" and mark active areas.
Step Five: Research the Location
Verify or disprove any and all information gathered during your investigation. This is done afterward so as not to unduly influence the investigation at that scene.
Note: Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) is the process by which disembodied voices are captured on tape. These voices are believed to be that of the dead, who are attempting to communicate with the living. To experience EVP simply place a tape recorder to record in an empty room. Later, go back and play the tape and listen closely for short phrases and single words. It may take several attempts before you achieve any results.
As long as there has been religion, there has been a belief in the existence of life after death. However, exactly what the afterlife entails has differed among various religions. Early man envisioned an afterlife similar to the present one. In order to provide for them, the dead would be buried with those items which it was believed they would need in the next life.
Later, the belief developed that the dead could watch over the living and influence their lives. This line of thinking possibly lead to the practice of Ancestor Worship. There are many reasons that one would wish to contact the dead. For some it gives them a sense of closure after the death of a loved one to know that their spirit lives on after death and that the departed is at peace. For some unscrupulous individuals the practice of contacting the dead has become a very profitable business.
Other reasons some may wish to contact the dead is to obtain undeniable proof for theirselves that there is life after death. For some this may bring relief, for others it may bring a sense of dread. For if there is life after death, then surely they would have to atone for misdeeds in this life.
While some people seek to contact the dead to strengthen and build ties, others seek to contact the dead to severe them. Many people who feel that their homes are haunted by ghosts often seek to peacefully send the ghost into the afterlife by communicating with the ghost and convincing it to move on.
In addition, rituals and practices were developed to honor the dead and request their assistance, or to protect oneself, home, and family from any evil influences associated with the dead.
Some of these practices include:

A séance is an attempt to communicate with the dead. The séance, or sitting, is led by a person known as a medium who will usually go into a trance that theoretically allows the dead to communicate through him or her.
The word séance comes from the French word for 'seat', 'session', from Old French seoir, 'to sit.' In English, the word came to be used specifically for a meeting of people to receive spiritualistic messages.
To conduct a séance, follow these simple guidelines.

Although more commonly known as Ouija Boards or Spirit Board and made of cardboard and plastic, Talking Boards where once made of natural wood, and inscribed with numbers, letters, and basic greetings. With the growing number of people interested in spiritual matters, and the popularity of the now canceled television series Charmed , there are now some beautiful Talking Boards on the market created by talented craftsmen.
Talking Boards can be used within a protective circle by either a single individual (although this is not advised) or a small group in order to contact the dead, or other disembodied spirits. They place their hands on the planchette (which acts as a pointer to indicate the letters and numbers) and call forth a spirit who uses them to spell out their message. It is also helpful if one individual sits nearby with pen and paper to write down the messages for later as the information given is not always coherent. However, with continued use and practice the message usually become more coherent.
Talking Boards are surrounded with an aura of mystery and there are many misconceptions regarding them. However, they are not the innocent toys that Parker Brothers would have you believe. In fact, in the wrong hands they can be very dangerous. When using a Talking Board it is important to treat the process seriously and never show disrespect to either the board or any spirit which may attempt to communicate with you. However, should a spirit becomes abusive or disruptive, end the session immediately.
Users should never breach the circle or remove their hands from the plancette without proper words of closure. This may include thanking the spirit for their attention and interest and purposefully moving the pointer to the words goodbye. It is always a good idea to follow the same opening and closing procedure each time you use the board, as the repetition of these words and actions will develop power over time and lead to a greater chance of achieving satisfactory results.
In addition, to use the Talking Board you must be in good health mentally, physically, and emotionally. The information given by spirits should never be taken at face value and should be researched as far as possible. In my own practices as a Tarot reader, I once had a client who began experimenting with a Talking Board after the death of her husband. She claimed that her husband made contact with her through the board and blamed her for his death, which led her to contemplate suicide. This is why is it important to use the board with others, as the group can monitor each other for signs of unhealthy obsession with the process and to ensure that events such as this do not take place.
Links:
A Method to Contact the Dead
Mediums have claimed to produce message from famous deceased individuals through the use of Automatic Writing. Some have even claimed that the products of their experiments with automatic writing are a continuation of the work of these famous individuals. Mediums often used pens, but many also used slates and typewriters to maintain the flow of information. Additional experiments with Automatic Writing also took the form of mediums taking up painting in the style of the old masters, and composing music.
The most gigantic single volume of channeled material in print, the Urantia Book consists of 2100 pages and was published by the Urantia Foundation in
For Conversation with the Dead
Draw the symbol at left upon a round mirror. Lay the mirror on a flat surface and place candles around it marking the points of the triangle. If you have something which belonged to the deceased, lay this upon the sigil as this will tie the spirit to this world. When you are ready, light the candles and focusing on the individual that you wish to contact, chant the spell below.
“Departed Spirit, this call hear
I ask that you now draw near;
Come to me and do not hide,
Cross now the great divide!”
Continue chanting until either the spirit makes its presence known or it becomes obvious that it will not appear. If and when the spirit makes contact, ask it to communicate to you in a manner in which you can understand. This can occur in several ways including the rapping method mentioned in the section on How to Conduct a Séance, or you may hear whispers, or information may inexplicably come to mind.
When you are satisfied with the session, thank the spirit for its assistance and bid them farewell. Blow out the candles and clean up your ritual area.
Preliminary: Some Wiccan author's have claimed that graveyard dirt is a euphemism for certain herbs (see Herbal Code); however, the truth of the matter is that graveyard dirt is exactly what you think. It is dirt that you have purchased from the Spirit of the grave from which it was taken (and only with said Spirit's blessing.)
The utilization of graveyard dirt is a common practice in the folk magic tradition known as Hoodoo. Rootworkers have developed many beliefs concerning how to obtain the dirt, from whom, and how it is to be used. For this reason, methods will often vary from person to person.
However there is one thing on which all Rootworkers will agree. Graveyard dirt, MUST be purchased and NEVER simply taken. To collect graveryard dirt, the spirit of the grave must be respectfully petitioned. Once you feel that the spirit is willing to sell you the graveyard dirt, then payment must be rendered. Beyond these general principles, there is an abundance of lore relating to the criteria used to determine from which grave to gather your dirt. These criteria include, but are not limited to the following:
You will need:
A Silver Dime
A Paper Bag and a Spoon (optional)
A Piece of Chalk

Almost all cultures have methods for trapping or tangling spirits and spells. In
Devil Traps were used by the ancient Hebrews in some parts of
Even though Jewish Law did not allow such devices Babylonian Devil Traps were in use for at least three centuries, which must be a testament to their effectiveness.
Triangles are generally a shape that is believed to trap spirits. There is some evidence to show that the three-sided shape of the modern tent stake has its origins in Sumerian stakes that were used to nail down spirits. This tradition survived in
EXERCISES