Finding Old Cemeteries
- Drive around, check for old churches and funeral homes with graveyards attached.
- In cities, check if there are tours or cemeteries marked as historical landmarks. In rural areas, check the side of the road for cemetery markers that note that a graveyard is off the main road and up a hill.
- Ask local historical societies, especially in areas with rich history.
Follow Rules and Respect the Guardian
Follow any mundane rules, like observing visiting hours, not littering, not disturbing others, no pets, etc.
Try to follow the magical rules as well. This takes trial and error, but as long as you show respect for the dead, you’ll be starting on the right foot.
Every cemetery has a guardian, so be sure to listen to the guardian and what they’re trying to tell you about the space and whether or not you’re welcome to work there. The guardian is a spirit who oversees the cemetery. Many believe it is the spirit of the first person buried there, while others believe it is a god or goddess of death like Oya, Queen of the Dead. Guardians expect offerings as a sign of respect, so always bring a little red wine and some pennies to leave at the gate when you introduce yourself. You can also do other things to show respect, like cleaning up trash.
Graveyard Magic
Just about everything you do in any other space can be done in a graveyard. Cemeteries have clean energy, so they’re a great place to charge tools as well as amulets and talisman. It’s also easier to connect with the dead here to work with them, as well as with gods of death or the underworld.
If you don’t have a plan, allow yourself to be drawn toward certain gravesites and be open to receiving the messages those spirits have for you. Leave offerings of flowers, liquor and tobacco, coins, and food. Use black onyx as a parting gift to ensure no spirit follows you home.
You can also collect things like branches, stones, and graveyard dirt. Select a gravesite that has meaning to you or to the purpose of your spell.
Graveyard dirt can be used for:
- Communicating with the dead through tarot
- Samhain ritual
- In a home garden
- In protection spells
- For home protection
- For crossroads magic to seal off an unchosen path
- For new beginnings
- To end a romantic relationship
- During a mourning period to keep a deceased loved one close
- In coven ritual
Graveyard Dirt Alternatives
Patchouli Leaf
Coffee Grounds
Ground Cinnamon
Additional Resources
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