*jumps for joy* Halloween is almost here !!! but i have a samhain question!

[nevermore_2008]

I'm am so stoked , its awsome being wiccan cuz you get to celebrate two holidays in one day ! the only problem is i need some wormswart (grave dirt) for my samhain ceremony and i wont be visiting any cemetary's anytime soon. Will dirt from a pets grave in your backyard work ???

[IvyWitch]

...graveyard dirt? Ok, a few things just to clear this up....it's wormwort, and wormwort is a medicinal herb, used commonly in Egypt for medicine and also for rituals to Isis, and not in fact graveyard dirt. Graveyard dirt really doesn't have any practical use in spell or ritual save for necromancy, or protecting against the dead, as far as I know.

I don't know what kind of Samhain ritual you've got, but you might want to check this out...http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/samhainlore.htm

[Aidron]

...graveyard dirt? Ok, a few things just to clear this up....it's wormwort, and wormwort is a medicinal herb, used commonly in Egypt for medicine and also for rituals to Isis, and not in fact graveyard dirt. Graveyard dirt really doesn't have any practical use in spell or ritual save for necromancy, or protecting against the dead, as far as I know.



Actually, I use it a great deal and it is great for use in:

-Communion with the dead, though in cases such as this it is best to take the dirt from the resting place of the person you wish to contact (Please, let's not go cause Jim Morrison's grave to cave in people).
-Bindings, hexes, curses, and banishings.
-Neutralizing magic, especially harmful magics aimed by or at you.

However, to answer the question, if your pet is buried in a cemetary, then yes it will work. If it is not in a graveyard though, it's not really graveyard dirt now is it? You may take dirt from your pet's grave if you wish, which would be best for working with the pet's spirit, but it is not authentic graveyard dirt unless you go and get it from a graveyard, ya know. In cases where you are using the dirt for purposes where it is not to work with an individual spirit such as a Samhain ritual, it is best to take it not from a grave, but merely from within the cemtary.

[IvyWitch]

Actually, I use it a great deal and it is great for use in:

-Communion with the dead, though in cases such as this it is best to take the dirt from the resting place of the person you wish to contact (Please, let's not go cause Jim Morrison's grave to cave in people).
-Bindings, hexes, curses, and banishings.
-Neutralizing magic, especially harmful magics aimed by or at you.

Learn something new every day ^_^

[Lunacie]

Hmmm, I've always understood that wormwort was a plant.
http://www.hole.gs.rl.no/engl/garden/frame.htm

[misschief]

i've used graveyard dirt alot, but it doesn't really have to be from a graveyard. it's all in what you do with it.

[Aidron]

i've used graveyard dirt alot, but it doesn't really have to be from a graveyard. it's all in what you do with it.


It does if you want to call it graveyard dirt. Otherwise you're just mislabeling it and serving to create confusion. However, the point you are trying to make which I believe is that you can gain the same effect from another component is quite true. Dirt from the scene of a homocide or where a great tragedy took place would be saturated in negativity, perhaps even hate, perfect for working vengeance magic.

[StephanieAine]

I'm lost... I was told that people were *against* things like vengeance magic, because of the threefold law and another law (which I forget!) about harming others.

I'm not a Wiccan, witch, pagan, etc... I'm Christian... so maybe I've made a mistake or misunderstood the tenets somewhere....?

[sandra_the_green]

from what i know its more a personal choice how you work magic

[Mau]

I'm lost... I was told that people were *against* things like vengeance magic, because of the threefold law and another law (which I forget!) about harming others.

I'm not a Wiccan, witch, pagan, etc... I'm Christian... so maybe I've made a mistake or misunderstood the tenets somewhere....?

Depends on the person or people you're talkin to :)
The other law you're thinking of is probably the Wiccan Rede. But not all witches are Wiccan, so they don't follow that one. And not all withes even follow the threefold law. Witchcraft isn't a religion. It's a craft, a practice. And there are different kinds of witches who follow different rules...or none at all.

[Aidron]

I'm lost... I was told that people were *against* things like vengeance magic, because of the threefold law and another law (which I forget!) about harming others.

I'm not a Wiccan, witch, pagan, etc... I'm Christian... so maybe I've made a mistake or misunderstood the tenets somewhere....?


It truly depends on the individual. I am not Wiccan, so I do not ascribe to the Threefold Law or the idea of karma promoted by Wiccans. As such, I do as I wish with my magic and use my own judgement (and other resources such as divination) as to the best course of action.

I'm not going to tell you that all Wiccans shun vengeance magics and the like, but I am willing to say that 99% most likely do. In the end it's all in the religious doctrine (if any) you choose to follow, and since I don't believe in following one that's why I tend to stick out like a sore thumb.

[Lunacie]

Here is a discussion about whether the Wiccan Rede is a law or not: http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=69547 The thing is, many people shorten it to say "harm none" when the original wording means something quite different.

The Law of Three or the Law of Ten or the Law of Returns isn't a moral law that all Wiccans must obey. It's more of a natural law, saying that what goes around comes back around. The things that you do to and for others are what you can logically expect to have others do to and for you.

So basically, Wiccans believe that when there is need for doing some "dark magic", they should seriously consider that need and what the results of doing it are most likely to be, and whether they are willing to accept the responsibility of doing it. Sometimes what looks like "dark magic" such a binding someone, is really just preventing a bigger harm to a larger group of people.

[charmedkisses1]

Actually, I use it a great deal and it is great for use in:

-Communion with the dead, though in cases such as this it is best to take the dirt from the resting place of the person you wish to contact (Please, let's not go cause Jim Morrison's grave to cave in people).
-Bindings, hexes, curses, and banishings.
-Neutralizing magic, especially harmful magics aimed by or at you.

However, to answer the question, if your pet is buried in a cemetary, then yes it will work. If it is not in a graveyard though, it's not really graveyard dirt now is it? You may take dirt from your pet's grave if you wish, which would be best for working with the pet's spirit, but it is not authentic graveyard dirt unless you go and get it from a graveyard, ya know. In cases where you are using the dirt for purposes where it is not to work with an individual spirit such as a Samhain ritual, it is best to take it not from a grave, but merely from within the cemtary.
WEll, technically, it's a dog graveyard.... over fifteen years we have buried 6 or 7 dogs in what we call a pet cemetary (they all died of old age, dont worry) so ..... is that not a graveyard?

[nevermore_2008]

ok, thanks for the 411 , i was always told that wormwort was graveyard dirt
i learn somthing new every day too!

[Mab]

durn it! My SO made a spontaneous trip to 2 cemetaries yesterday with me in tow! I told him "Well, hell, if I'd known we were going to visit Vi & your grandma, I'd have brought a specimen jar or something to collect some graveyard dirt"! lol

And, yes, I've heard wormswort is a plant, too, and I've heard that graveyard dirt can be especially helpful in communication with those who have passed and in neutralizing some types of magic & negativity.

I'd think if you have a parcel of your yard reserved for "pet cemetary", that would work...but I don't know how well.....haven't done anything w/graveyard dirt myself

[Mindflayer]

I'm lost... I was told that people were *against* things like vengeance magic, because of the threefold law and another law (which I forget!) about harming others.

I'm not a Wiccan, witch, pagan, etc... I'm Christian... so maybe I've made a mistake or misunderstood the tenets somewhere....?

The 3-Fold law and the Wiccan Rede don't stop you from doing harm, they just say that you should accept the consequences of whatever you do.

At least, that's how I always viewed it.

[Aidron]

WEll, technically, it's a dog graveyard.... over fifteen years we have buried 6 or 7 dogs in what we call a pet cemetary (they all died of old age, dont worry) so ..... is that not a graveyard?


That's really a judgement call, but I wouldn't use it. We have dead animals buried all over our backyard, but I still go and collect my graveyard dirt from an actual graveyard. That's no doubt my vodou influences coming through, however.

Edited to add because I foolishly hit "Submit Reply" too soon: As a general way to end any debate over whether you should or shouldn't (to help you decide in the future if need be) go by what you call the area. If the area is indeed referred to as pet cemetary or pet graveyard by those who know about it, then there you go. In my case where animals are just buried in our backyard, it would simply be dirt from our yard. The label has has an impact here because it is what we conciously and more importantly unconciously reference it as.

[Theres]

graveyard dirt is dirt collected from consecrated ground. if your pet cemetary is consecrated, it will work fine.
but modern witches generally sudstitute mullein instead.

[Aidron]

graveyard dirt is dirt collected from consecrated ground. if your pet cemetary is consecrated, it will work fine.
but modern witches generally sudstitute mullein instead.


Probably most of the time, yes, but this also depends on what denotes consecrated or hallowed ground to you. I've heard people claim different things over the years, from an official blessing by a practioner of their faith (High Priest if you're Wiccan, Priest if you're Catholic, so forth) to... well, some very strange stuff.