Page "Necromancy" Paragraph 7

Practices such as these, varying from the mundane to the grotesque, were commonly associated with necromancy.

Rituals could be quite elaborate, involving magic circles, wands, talismans, and incantations.

The necromancer might also surround himself with morbid aspects of death, which often included wearing the deceased's clothing and consuming foods that symbolized lifelessness and decay such as unleavened black bread and unfermented grape juice.

Some necromancers even went so far as to take part in the mutilation and consumption of corpses.

These ceremonies could carry on for hours, days, or even weeks, leading up the eventual summoning of spirits.

Frequently they were performed in places of interment or other melancholy venues that suited specific guidelines of the necromancer.

Additionally, necromancers preferred to summon the recently departed based on the premise that their revelations were spoken more clearly.

This timeframe was usually limited to the twelve months following the death of the physical body ; once this period elapsed, necromancers would evoke the deceased ’ s ghostly spirit instead.