There’s lots and lots of ways to summon spirits. This one is for communication rather than working with a spirit in spells.

You’ll need:

• Frankincense incense
• Myrrh incense
• Sandalwood incense
• Basil
• Parsley
• Lavender
• Rose petals
• Wine or clear alcohol
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Salt or sea salt
• Holy water, sacred water, or purified water
• 2 Charcoal tablets
• 3 Fire-safe dishes or bowls for burning incense
• Divination tools or communication methods
• Chocolate (optional)
• Tobacco (optional)

Before you begin, boil sage, rosemary, salt, thyme, and salt in some of the water for 15 or so minutes. You don’t need much but enough to cleanse the space afterwards. Leave some of the herbs and water for the ritual.

An hour or so before midnight, set the ritual space. Make sure that you have somewhere comfortable to see and work. Don’t cramp your space if possible. Prepare yourself with whatever ritual methods you use – cleansing, purification, creating a magical circle, ritual robes, entheogens, whatever. Make sure to prepare both incense bowls with herbs before you start. One should have basil, parsley, lavender, and rose petals. The other should have sage, rosemary, and thyme in it. Pour the holy water in a fire-safe bowl and keep within reach.

Lay out your offerings. You can add other offerings if you’re summoning someone specifically but you’ll want to start with what’s listened. Place your basil, parsley, lavender, and rose petals in an offering dish or dishes. Add in the tobacco and chocolate if you have it. Pour out the wine or clear alcohol and put it in the offering area.

Light your incense and say the following,

 

“Spirits, I offer you sustenance in exchange for communion until the midnight hour.

If you bring me and mine no ill will,

Come to me and speak

And I will listen.”

 

You can use a meditation or a trance to listen for the spirits to speak. Or you can use technology. Or you can use your divination tool. You can use automatic writing, scrying, pendulum, or tarot. Anything, really.

After midnight, thank the spirits that appeared and dunk any remaining incense in the prepared holy water to smother it. Light the second bowl of incense and cleanse the room with the herb infused holy water. When the second incense bowl is burned up (or you’re sick of standing around), dump that in with the rest of the incense and throw it all away or bury it in your yard.

Dispose of the offerings by burying them if possible. If not, leave out until morning and throw away in the garbage.

Notes:

• Put the cleansing and spirit banishing water in a spray bottle. The misting will cleanse the room without leaving water everywhere.
• While tobacco is a traditional offering, chocolate isn’t in many places. Chocolate might not be appropriate for your summoning and I’d only use tobacco for spirits from a certain era or people I know who smoked.
• You can buy incense to summon spirits or cleanse rooms in exchange for the herbs here.
• You could also sprinkle the herbs in white candles and burn those instead of creating incense. Pick unscented candles or candles of frankincense, myrrh, or sandalwood. It can be mixed scented like vanilla-sandalwood.

Happy casting!