This book is one of my favourite possessions as Leilah Wendell is one of my favourite Occultists. I own all of her books including her biography Our Name Is Melancholy, Necromance Art Book and Encounters with Death. I also own and have framed her collection of wondrous art works, and have been a member of her Obitchuaries Forum since April 2003. Many years before Katrina devastated New Orleans, Leilah bought an old dilapitated house on Magazine St and transformed it into the Black and Purple House Of Death (photos). From here she wrote many Necromantic works under her Westgate Press company including this ritual book(1991), and it became HQ for Necromantics around the world.
At 50 pages this book is short and sweet, but details quite thoroughly the means to become a Necromantic, practise its beautiful rites and in doing so become Death's Empath. Firstly the distinction between Necromantics and Necromancers must be explained, as it is done with Leilah at the start of the book.
Where Necromancers were magicians who would raise (read: force) the spirits of the dead to rise up from their graves to reveals wordly and otherwordly secrets, the Necromantics purpose is more sublime. Necromantics aim to communicate and become one with Azrael, the Angel of Death, bask in his Amythest light and use Death Energy for magical purposes, astral walk through Earth and Stargates, and become comfortable with their own Death before the event occurs.
Most NecRomantics are in love with Cemetery culture, adorning themselves with crucifixes, crosses and skulls, are taphophiles and are comfortable in the presence of Death. They enjoy a long walk through a cemetery, and it's common for Necromantics to first learn this Twilyte Art when someone close to them passes, but it's not a pre-requisite.
Here is a brief summary of Leilah's chapters within this Ritual Book:
1. Preface - Leilah describes "Death Energy" and its purpose, along with a Necromantics relationship to Azrael.
2. Terminology - The difference between Necromancers and Necromantics.
3. Amortean Credo - The vow a Necromantic makes to Azrael and to herself.
4. Getting To Know You - The beginning steps for a Necromantic to become accustomed to Death Energy and revere Azrael.
5. Connecting With The Death Energy - The next stage in connecting with Azrael. How to walk through the Stargate, the tools and emotional state necessary. Also how one can Astral Travel.
6. Ritual for Opening the West Gate - How to walk to the Other Side with Azrael.
7. The Summoning of Shadows - To summon shadows, one must become a shadow, this explains how.
8. Ritual Sculpting - How to create a Golem, similar to the one Leilah constructed in the House of Death.
9. High Necromancy - The ultimate rite of a Necromantic. Not for the faint-hearted or uncertain. How to connect with Azrael like never before. The rite will change your life and you will never be the same again (you will be better!).
10. Necrophilia in the Necromantic Rite - Leilah's disdain for Necrophilia and how it is forbidden to Necromantics, how it is an affront to Azrael, and why.
11. Doing Battle on The Spiritual Front - When one needs strength, the way to call upon Azrael's brother Mikael, the first Angel of Death, whose sword slays, while Azrael's scythe harvests.
Necromantics is a beautiful art, and in the world of the occult is quite unique. Necromantics is more spiritual in its workings then physical. It doesn't revel in the pleasures of the flesh, but requires the practitioner to harness the strength of their spirit to connect to the Death Energy, and to walk with Azrael in his Melancholy Path. He has no desire to be worshipped, only understood, deeply loved and never feared. One only needs to drive past a cemetery and sigh at its monuments, crypts and tombs to glimpse an understanding of the beauty and fascination of Necromantics.
You can peruse and order Leilah's Necromantic works here. Leilah's main Westgate site is here and her famous Obitchuaries Forum is here.
