Petitioning Cemetery Spirits

This blog post is a companion to my video on Spirit Contracts coming later this week.

Why do we petition the spirits of the dead?

Cemeteries are not the same as graveyards. Both can be utilized and their spirits worked with in magic, but oftentimes they are approached in different ways. Graveyards are defined by being within a church yard, while cemeteries are catch-all term that means a place of burial. Depending on your experience, these may be used interchangeably, however most of my experience exists within working with cemetery spirits (spirits of a burial ground not within a churchyard) and that specification is important. 

The protection in approaching cemetery spirits is different depending on culture & tradition. Certain traditions and families actually consider taking items from cemeteries to be bad luck, while others may ask that no one goes near a cemetery or works with it at all. Cemeteries are a final burial place, and a place that demands respect, protection, and understanding that like walking into a public place, not everyone within the space will be friendly or want to talk with you.

For more on cemetery etiquette, view this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asx4VUvvXtM

Some basic protection measures that I like to recommend when petitioning or working with cemetery spirits are the following;

Try not petition something or take something on your first visit. Spend time getting used to the cemetery, the spirits, and whole "vibe" of the area before deciding whether or not this cemetery is right for you. However, I have subverted this rule when I needed a working done relatively quickly - in this case, I come prepared with offerings for a spirit.

Always carry or wear protection. This can be classified as an oil, spray, a veil, a charm, or more. I tend to wear multiple layers of protection when entering a cemetery to do a petition or when entering a cemetery for the first time.

Pro tip: A protective bath or anointing with protective oils, a head covering, and several sprays or dowsings of protective water on the head and the feet work very well.

Cleanse before walking into your home after a cemetery petition to ensure nothing nasty came home with you. This can be through rue water or a quick smoke cleanse. I always was taught to spin three times after leaving and before entering the home - I have no idea where this came from, but I do it.

Pro tip: If you don't have a partner to dutifully deliver some spiritual materia to you after a cemetery trip, leave a little box or basket by your front door/outside area with all you need!

The How, What, Where

Now we can get down into the nitty gritty. I have petitioned many a cemetery spirit in my life and the best thing to keep in mind is whether or not you want this relationship to be transactional or intimate. If you want it to be intimate, prepare for a lot of time with the spirit, at the cemetery, giving offerings and treating it as you would any other spirit with an intimate relationship (like ancestors). If you want it to be transactional, always make sure you carry payment on you and that you are prepared to uphold that transaction for as long as the work persists. Three coins of the same color is traditional, and many gravestones you pass by you may actually be able to spot when someone is doing a working or petitioning a spirit there. I actually attached two photos from some of my cemetery visits where certain spirits have been petitioned.

Unknown Man, 2023 - Central City, CO. Note the coins, but also the other offerings: cigarettes, pens, bottles of alcohol, gushers. What trends do you notice? It's also important to note that while other graves may have had some offerings (one to three coins, a stuffed animal), this was the only grave that looked like this.

The grave of Alfred Packer, the "Colorado Cannibal", 2022, Littleton, Colorado. Alfred Packer is known as the "Colorado Cannibal" and it is rumored that he consumed trailmates while stranded in the Rockies during a storm. His grave is littered with various offerings and objects, including a knife and fork at the top, countless coins, plates, glasses, bottles of objects, flowers, rocks, and jars. 

Make sure you research a cemetery, some of its inhabitants, and visit before deciding to petition someone there. I have entered cemeteries where it was clear no one there had any interest in me or working with me, cemeteries where it was slightly unsettling, and cemeteries where I felt incredibly at home and knew that if I asked a spirit for assistance that day, they would assist. 

A lot of cemetery work and working with spirits is one part trusting your intuition and what the spirit tells you, respect in terms of being able to take no for an answer, and doing your due diligence on researching the spirits that exist there and the history of the cemetery.

Guardians of the Cemetery

Guardians of cemeteries are another matter. Many people pay upon entrance to the cemetery (three coins), or find the guardian spirits and always leave offerings. Guardians, in my experience, are spirits that guard the cemetery. They are protective, and like being greeted. Being on good terms with them often means it will be easier to work with the rest of the cemetery. If you are unsure of who the guardian is, look for:

• statues that have no grave, but feel similar to a grave
• large trees, gates, or landmarks
• cemetery gates
• the oldest grave in the cemetery (depending on tradition)

The Gitchigami Witch writes of the Guardians and how to offer them things, "First of all, it’s good to greet the Gatekeeper, or Guardian Spirit. It’s good to bring an offering for your gods of death and to ask them for their blessing. It’s very important to bring something for the spirit who protects the cemetery. I usually bring asemaa, or tobacco, which is a traditional offering in Ojibwe culture. And because the cemeteries I know of are mostly populated by non-natives, I explain that it’s a traditional respectful offering in case they don’t know. I figure it’s best to cover your bases" (https://gitchigamiwitch.wordpress.com/2022/10/24/making-friends-with-dead-people-cemetery-etiquette-folklore-and-witchcraft/). Her article is also wonderful for learning more about different traditions and beliefs surrounding cemeteries in different religions and cultures.

And English legend says that the oldest grave in the cemetery becomes the guardian, looking over the souls there and embodying the role. Grove and Grotto doesn't buy into this belief, and says they can't definitively say what guardians are. They may be emissaries or gods of Death, psychopomps, regional spirits, or even random thoughtforms that take shape from societal norms. (https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/graveyard-magick-a-witchs-guide).

Chris Allaun through Spiral Nature Magazine cites lore of different cemetery gatekeepers throughout different traditions, writing, "In my workings with the dead, I have not found this to always be the case. I have found that the gate keeper is the spirit of the person who feels a great responsibility to become the caretaker of other spirits. Sometimes that person was a doctor or leader of some sort during their life, and after death, they kept the same characteristics they had in life. Those who are called to help the living in life are often also called to take care of the dead after their own death" (https://www.spiralnature.com/magick/cemetery-gate-keepers/).

In my experience, guardians can be human or inhuman. I have found guardians that are spirits of soldiers and guardians who are spirits of lawmakers. I have found multiple guardians in larger cemeteries, while smaller ones only contain one. I have always found a guardian spirit, no matter which cemetery I visit. In my local cemetery, the guardian is not human - it is a statue with no associated grave that sits near an outdoor service center. It is only one of the guardians, and I have yet to meet the others. In certain cemeteries, I have found that guardians exist at the gates and within, and may be actual landmarks like bodies of water, large monuments, or even large rocks or trees. Take time to learn about your cemetery and become familiar with it to find your guardians. 

Pro tip: If you're unsure of the exact location of the guardian spirit of your cemetery, leave offerings at the gates of the cemetery for them!

Which spirit is right?

When determining what spirit to petition, we first have to decide what spirit is best based off our petition. Do we need protection? Communication? Do we need to reflect energy and bring bane to someone's life in a justified way? We also need to think about how long this petition may take - is this a long term project, a short project, something that you will be working over time or something that may only take a couple days? From there, we can begin deciding what kind of spirit may be best for the task.

Cemetery choice is another matter - I tend to frequent Catholic or Christian non-denominational cemeteries due to my practice with folk Catholicism. I can easily find spirits of my same background (Italian-American) within this, and I find that having a shared identity often assists in creating an easier time with petitioning a spirit. Spirits or graves of your ancestors are also an incredibly potent place to visit - this can easily be an act of veneration or a request for protection. Who better to ask to fulfill a petition than the spirits you are related to? 

Try to avoid cemeteries of those who may be of a different religious or spiritual affiliation than you who may have entirely different customs (such as Jewish cemeteries) for petitioning. It's important to respect the fact that a non-Jewish individual coming into a Jewish place of rest, not knowing anything about the etiquette of Jewish places of rest, then asking for assistance may be considered disrespectful. If you are Jewish, Jewish places of rest may be a fantastic place for you to sit with, honor, and petition spirits.

For deciding on a spirit, there are a few ways to go about it. In the past, I have entered cemeteries and asked the spirits to guide me to what I needed, including seeing signs (hawks or eagles flying low, other animal allies running by the gravestone or plant allies growing nearby) to confirm that where I was feeling pulled to was correct. The other way is more research based - it includes familiarizing yourself with different spirits and who they were in their life to decide on how to approach them. 

Dorothy Morrison in "Utterly Wicked" goes over a few possible options for spirits and what they can be petitioned for and how to use dirt from their graves:

Adolescent (11-19): to cause irresponsible behavior and inattentiveness or romantic attraction.

Adulterer/Adulteress: to cause a love triangle, bring about urges to cheat.

Child (2-10): to assist in new friendships or assist with creating the appearance of childlike innocence.

Doctor: dirt to cause or heal illness.

Executed or Murdered: powerful when it comes to the elements of wrongdoing or justice, this dirt can be utilized for revenge or to cause harm to others.

Gambler: if the gambler was good at gambling, this is the best dirt for luck or winning favors. If not, use it to force someone to take unnecessary risks. 

Infant: to cast a blind eye, to make someone dependent on you, to appear indispensable. Frankie's Note: I have heard of a few cases where the dirt of a sick person or especially a child can cause sickness where it is placed, or conversations surrounding how spirits of children are easier to work with than children of adults. This is not something I have been taught formally, but overhead and seen, as well as recommended in a few situations. For payment for children, especially babies, try honey, stuffed animals, or candy.

Those who died due to mental illness: to cause this strife in another.

Lawyer/Judge: winning a court case, receiving a settlement. 

Magical practitioner: used for virtually anything.

Nun/priest: spiritual protection, portraying "goodness".

Pet, especially of a former pet: protection, loyalty, matters of the heart.

Soldier: nearly anything, but be sure to be clear on their ethics, morals, and beliefs before gathering to ensure the spirit will not attempt to thwart your efforts.

Frankie's Notes:

Guardian Spirits: immensely helpful for spirit communication. Guardians are the gatekeepers and they can assist in allowing you or another through the veil or thinning the veil to assist in divination, oracle reading, or more. 

Spirits of similar background, religion, ethnicity or identity: These spirits may be more friendly or easier to work with than others. A shared cultural background or identity can easily assist in the spirit and you forming a bond or recognition and creating friendliness. Spirits of a shared identity are often those that I ask for protective measures.

Spirits who died in specific ways: Pay attention not only to how the spirit lived, but how they died. Many graves are dedicated to miners who died in collapses in Colorado, and many are petitioned not necessarily for mine collapses, but perhaps from protection from it, to "suffocate" an enemy, or to collapse something. Certain graves of those who died of fever could inflict fever or protect from it. When we know how a spirit died, we know what they may have experienced and therefore how they can help us.

Offerings

Okay, so you've done your research, you've decided on a gravestone, a cemetery, a spirit to assist you. What's next? I always approach the spirit with one of the following:

• coins, three of one color
• flowers, if I feel it necessary
• a liquor like brandy, wine, rum, or whiskey
• coffee
  

When you enter the cemetery, be clear about your intentions and pay your dues. Put three coins at the front entrance or with the guardian and make it clear why you are there. When you reach the spirit, ask before doing anything.

Take a moment, sit with the grave, and ask if they will help you with this working or petition. Tell them what you will give them in return, and do not overcompensate. Be realistic with what you can give them. Some spirits may ask for more later on, depending on how long the petition/working continues, while some may be pleased with one payment.

For longer workings, ask the spirit when they would like you to visit and what you should bring. I began a working with a guardian with only coins and taking dirt, but they requested that I visit every seven weeks and bring brandy, flowers, and coins each time.

For a working that continues for months, this is a low price. Some spirits may demand more depending on the petition, and when you petition you are creating a pact with this spirit that you need to uphold. For my working, forgetting to visit this spirit just caused lower sales for my business for a month - for a different or more serious working, it may cause backfires or thwarting of the spell itself. Never promise what you can not give, and always be realistic with yourself when petitioning. 

Cemetery spirits represent those that are like us, have had human experiences, and can assist us in certain petitions, workings, or elements of our practice. However, there is a reason that we always warn about cemetery etiquette or why we list out protection upon protection against them - walking into a cemetery and doing or leaving a working can attract spirits that do not have your best interests at heart.

It can result in unexpected consequences if you do not hold up your end of the bargain, or it can lead to things going so awry that you wish you never asked. Be honest with yourself about whether working with the dead is a mantle you wish to take on. Do your research, take your time, and be patient as you create relationships with the spirits of the cemetery. 

Works Cited:

"Utterly Wicked" by Dorothy Morrison

https://www.spiralnature.com/magick/cemetery-gate-keepers/

https://gitchigamiwitch.wordpress.com/2022/10/24/making-friends-with-dead-people-cemetery-etiquette-folklore-and-witchcraft/

https://www.crystalcrushmagazine.com/magick/1-7-2021/ibphmpcgcpdi30dip54e1e5sifbcgw

& my own experiences as a spirit worker.

Extra Reading:

Understanding Cemetery Symbols: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/understanding-cemetery-symbols-a-field-guide-for-historic-graveyards-messages-from-the-dead_tui-snider/18665985/item/30769775/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_scarce_%2410_%2450_17400876848&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAtsa9BhAKEiwAUZAszTLGHr5uiPX5d3iYIUZmeeTN_uuwT93ijIJPx01Zt47it593LfHwkBoCXsAQAvD_BwE#idiq=30769775&edition=19888623

Your Guide to Cemetery Research: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/your-guide-to-cemetery-research_sharon-debartolo-carmack/282773/item/4572583/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=us_shopping_zombies_hvs_21811042479&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=717415192734&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAtsa9BhAKEiwAUZAszSS-Cro7HCcDl0veMfckWGJxgRy9P2GL2Ie_OznY6O8pUPef5V-jcxoCgRkQAvD_BwE#idiq=4572583&edition=3564693

Crystal Crush Magazine: https://www.crystalcrushmagazine.com/magick/1-7-2021/ibphmpcgcpdi30dip54e1e5sifbcgw

Written by an outsider to traditions, but brings up more about petitioning the dead as a custom in reference to the grave of Marie Lauveau: https://www.bayoubrief.com/2021/10/12/corpus-precori-the-peculiar-custom-of-petitioning-the-dead/

Interested in receiving early access to blogs, a ritual walkthrough on Petitioning Cemetery Spirits, and weekly collective readings? My Patreon receives access to all these posts up to six months early, plus more!