E. A. Koetting - staticfly.net

CHAPTER TEN
SPIRITS OF THE DEAD
LINKS TO THE OTHER SIDE
Summoning the dead to visible appearance, whether such a
manifestation takes place in a mirror or scrying device, or within the
Triangle of Manifestation itself, differs only slightly from Demonic
Evocation. Since demons have existed in a form that has endured from
their absence of a beginning and will continue to exist as such until
their absence of an end, it is relatively easy to make a strong connection
with one particular demon through his name or sigi!. The dead have
no such automatic connections, no sigils or words of power that will
summon them, and only them, to the Temple. Also unlike demons, the
shadows of the dead are usually not actively watching the human race,
waiting to be called by those that possess the motive and the means.
The dead exist as a reflection that does not move from the water's surface
once the living walk away. Their spontaneous interaction with those
that remain in life are for the most part coincidental; the fact that they
are seen by those that love them is due to the love held by the living,
allowing them to see that which they miss so much, rather than the
notion that the dead have great concern for what the living are doing.
The necessary connection to the deceased is much easier to
establish when the Necromancer had a personal relationship with him
or her in life. In such a case, the Practitioner needs to gather items
owned and beloved by the deceased: a favorite piece of jewelry, a picture
of her that was hung in her home, anything that was personal to her
that can be used as a catalyst for the memories of the dead. These
items, often called rivets or fetish items, create and sustain the link
between the Necromancer and the spirit of the dead.
In the instance that the Black Magician has never met or known
the deceased in life, and has access to no items once belonging to the
deceased, a bit more homework and personal involvement is needed in
creating a link with the subtle impressions made by the person in life.
Libraries, genealogy research centers, internet family history sites,
and newspaper obituaries are places that the search can begin. As
much personal information about the dead should be collected as
possible, as well as any photographs that can be photocopied or printed
from a computer. A trip to the cemetery where the body of the deceased
is interred may also be in order. While many Necromancers prefer to
perform their rituals over the graves themselves, which you may do if
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