#death worker

[psychopomps-recital]

“Death comes, and sometimes it is kind, and often it is cruel, and very rarely it is welcome. But it comes all the same.”

― V.E. Schwab, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

[gothyween]

𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖈𝖍𝖈𝖗𝖆𝖋𝖙; 𝖓𝖊𝖈𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖞 & 𝖒𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖚𝖒𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖕⚰️🕯️

[please reblog or like if you saved]

cr. nonalimmen

[thesorceresstemple]

[death-witch-speaks]

Cemetery Etiquette

As someone who has been in more cemeteries than I can count just about since the day I was born and has transitioned into death work, I have a list of rules/etiquette that I personally use in cemeteries- and I've finally gotten around to typing it up!

These are just some of the rules I follow, and they aren't in any particular order of importance. I might even add more in the future, but for now, here's a few!

1) Respect everything around you- even the stuff that doesn't seem important

2) NEVER lean/stand on headstones, no matter how stable they look- they aren't half as steady as they look and it's a good way to get hurt

3) DO NOT take any money, trinkets, flowers, stones/rocks, or anything else you might find on/around headstones or grave sites- you can't know what's important to the residents of the cemetery, or what holds cultural significance for those that are buried there

4) Respect the cultural practices of the cemetery you're in!

5) Listen to your intuition- if one area of the cemetery feels better/worse than another spot, listen to yourself! Either stay in that area (if it feels like a good place to be) or stay away from that area (if it feels like a bad place to be)

6) Clean up after yourself/others! Trash/debris aren't nice to look at, and they aren't nice to live around, so clean up what you can

7) If you meet any child spirits, play with them! As a death witch who mostly works with child spirits, they want to play more than you know- even something so simple as rolling a ball around or telling a cheesy dad joke goes way further than you'd ever expect

8) Honestly, play/laugh/tell jokes/have fun within the walls of the cemetery! Spirits are lonely more often than not- acting like a normal, regular, human person (while still being respectful) makes them feel better than you could imagine

9) Don't speak ill of the dead, regardless of if they're buried in that cemetery.

10) When you enter, greet the cemetery as a whole and say hi to the spirits within. Similarly, when you exit, say goodbye to the cemetery and the spirits- especially the ones you've talked to

11) Put your phone on silent and don't use it if you don't have to!

Hades/Persephone Discord || Asks

[path-of-grass-and-leaves]

Honoring Deceased Pets

Disclaimer: Personal post coming - Everything written here is taken from my own practice and will not apply to everyone.

So part of my practice involves working with the dead, particularly dead animals. Recently I stumbled upon an ask to another blog where the person questioned how to honor pets who have passed away (what kind of offerings to leave, etc.). I didn't know this was something people had questions about so I decided to make a post of my own. Here are some ways to honor lost companions:

Creating an Altar

An altar, in this case, is a sacred space used for the purpose of remembering and honoring the deceased. It can be large or small, and can be placed anywhere where it won't be disturbed, such as a bookshelf, mantle, dresser, or a small table. For multiple pets, you can have a single altar or individual spaces. This is completely up to you.

What to put on your pet's altar

Ashes, pawprints, whiskers, and fur

This will depend on the species of your pet and what remains you have saved. My late cat was buried so I don't have her ashes, but I do have a pawprint pressed in clay on her altar.

Candles

Candles can be lit to "light the way" for spirits during offerings or communication, or simply to honor them.

An offering bowl

This can be any bowl, including an ornate offering dish, your pets food bowl, or just a bowl from the kitchen cabinet.

Objects that remind you of your pet

This can be anything, but some suggestions are: photos, paintings, and drawings of your pet, statues, stones, etc.

Toys and objects that your pet loved

If you have any of your pets favorite toys, feel free to leave one or two on their altar. Additionally, if there are any objects that your pet liked when they were alive, you can add those too. For example, I have one of those plastic galaxy roses that my cat loved to try and chew on. It was always kept out of her reach in life, but now it sits on her altar.

Leaving Offerings

This was mentioned above where we talked about offering dishes as an addition to an altar. Offerings can be given daily, weekly, monthly, or at random. They can be left at an altar or burial ground. Whatever works for you personally. Leave things that your pet loved in life. Your pet doesn't suddenly want things like honey and wine just because they're a spirit now.

Examples of offerings:

Food

Treats

Catnip, bones and chews, etc.

Fresh water

Your own energy

These are just a few suggestions. Offerings will depend on personal choice and should be species appropriate.

Dispose of your offerings however you see fit. I like to leave mine in the backyard. If you are disposing of offerings outside or leaving them at a grave, make sure they are animal-safe and biodegradable.

Memorial Art

This is one of my favorite ways to honor a lost pet. I have made memorial art for several family members and for myself. If you so choose, you can add a hidden sigil for safe passing, peace, or whatever you want. Place your art piece on your altar or in your pets favorite place in the house.

Suggested mediums for memorial art:

Paintings

Drawings

Wood carvings

Clay sculptures

Cross Stitch

Collages

Jewelry

Communication and Divination

Before getting into this one, I want to make it clear that not everyone is comfortable with trying to communicate with dead loved ones, and that's okay. I took a break from spirit work completely after suffering my first loss, and I'm still getting back into the swing of things. If you are still grieving heavily, it is 100% okay to wait before attempting communication.

Forms of divination that I recommend:

Scrying

Tassomancy (tea leaf reading)

Carromancy (candle wax reading)

Tarot and Oracle

Asking for signs

Shufflemancy

Forms of divination that I do not recommend:

Pendulums

Talking boards, ouija boards, spirit boards

Automatic writing

Bibliomancy

This is just a list of divination forms that I'm familiar with. You'll notice that everything under the recommended list almost strictly uses imagery, while everything under the not recommended list uses verbal communication. This is because it is my belief that animal spirits speak through images, sounds, and sensations, and are not capable of having full-on conversations with us.

Use your discretion. If asking for signs, ask for something specific. If a reading feels sinister or off, it probably isn't your pet. It's most likely just your own anxiety or grief. Take a break and try again later.

Thanks for reading and for those of you who are suffering a loss, hang in there. It gets easier.

[kissing-the-abyss]

Even a death worker needs a bit of guidance from time to time to work through grief.

[torque-witch]

New mini Hel Mary has been added to the shop! She stands 5 inches tall by 3 inches wide and is available for 90 + 📦. There are also a handful of made-to-orders and other finished pieces to choose from.

To find the shop, just visit my website at the top of the page and click on the side bar button for more options. While you’re there you can also sign up for newsletters! Lots of my previous work is available there to browse through as well if you don’t want to scroll through Insta 🤍

Death’s Head Divination

[thedreamlessdead]

The last time I opened a space to meditate and try to contact Anpu, I reached out and could not find his energy anywhere. This has been this way for a couple of months now, and it’s got me feeling pretty abandoned spiritually, even though I know that’s not the case. I have never been able to connect to spirit guides. But at this moment I became very aware of a spirit next to me, sitting on his knees with me. He was old, he looked around 80 years old. He had a long, hooded, layered beige cloak on. His face was pretty sunken, and I went from seeing only his skull to seeing his actually face a couple of times. He radiates a very calm energy, almost meditative. He has a peaceful smile and only opened his eyes for very short periods of time. He’s been on my mind lately so I did a spread for him.

I think at the moment he is simply here for my comfort. I don’t know what’s going on in the spiritual realm right now and feel very cut off from my source. I don’t know if Anpu sent him my way, or what. But he’s a comforting guide.