Burial Grounds

· B U R I A L   G R O U N D S ·

Honouring The Dead / Gravestone Rubbing / Graveyard Dirt 

· HEXENLORE  ·

Old Burying Point Cemetery in Salem, a beautiful cemetery where I felt very honoured to pay my respects

⛤ HONOURING THE DEAD ⛤

The terms “cemetery” and “graveyard” are used interchangeably these days, but to clarify, a graveyard is a Burial Ground near a church. Burial Grounds can be quite beautiful and bittersweet, a place of those sometimes long forgotten. Overgrown gardens and pieces of history, ancestor altars and museums of the dead. It is no wonder some of us enjoy visiting Burial Grounds to pay our respects and honour the dead.

As we all know, the veil between our world and the spirit world was at its thinnest at Beltane and Samhain. Samhain is a time when we celebrate death as a part of life by honouring and remembering our loved ones and those who have passed over. During Samhain, people like to visit Burial Grounds (whether they have relatives there or not) for a headstone clean-up, to make an altar with offerings (flowers, ribbons), ancestor suppers and dumb suppers (offerings to ancestors) or just sit and enjoy the peace

⛤ GRAVESTONE RUBBING ⛤

Gravestone Rubbings are used to pay respects to ancestors, to preserve a tombstone’s inscription, or just as a Samhain activity. Basically, a Graveyard Rubbing is using paper or fabric and rubbing wax, charcoal, crayon or chalk over the markings and inscriptions.

Considerations: Always check if the Burial Ground has rules against rubbings, be respectful of the tombstone, give thanks, clean up after yourself and don’t take a rubbing if the grave is fragile

⛤ GRAVEYARD DIRT ⛤

Graveyard Dirt is an ingredient in many kinds of spell work (both malevolent and benevolent) including love, protection, success, and remembrance of ancestors.

Not to be confused with “Graveyard Dust” which might be referring to Valerian, which has a scent so foul it is said to make you sleep like the dead; or even Patchouli which is referred to as “Graveyard Dirt” because it smells like wet earth, or Mullein (although some people prefer to use these powdered botanicals instead of real dirt).

Graveyard Dirt / Dust in this case is actually dirt dug up from a Burial Ground – it can be a just a handful of surface dirt from anywhere within the Burial Ground walls, actual grave dirt, or dust from a tombstone.

Considerations: 

• It is common practice to use Graveyard Dirt from the dirt of an ancestor or someone known to you; to leave flowers and some coins to appease any spirits disturbed (think of it as you are “buying” the dirt rather than taking).
• Give thanks, be discreet and respectful and clean up after yourself.

Some other considerations are: 

• Time that the dirt is taken (e.g. midnight is said to be good or luck and success)
• The type of grave you take the dirt from (e.g.  sunken, older) 
• The type of person who is in the grave (e.g. occupation, religious) 

⛤ GRAVEYARD DIRT SUCCESS SPELL ⛤

• Mix Graveyard Dirt with sulphur, salt and pepper
• Sprinkle a little bit on charcoal and burn it
• Visualise success coming to you, repeat whenever you need success