A Dalliance with the Departed is a ritual that calls spirits from the world of the dead into the world of the living. There is an entry on this séance in the recreated Vera Book of Shadows. It is a type of summoning spell.
Overview[]
To use this spell, it calls for a "Candle of Life," which serves as a conduit that'll allow the desired spirit to travel between the two realms, and the flame will burn red when the spirit is present. Also, a cherished item of the spirit intended to be summoned is needed.
The Candle of Life can be created using an all-beeswax candle mixed in angelica, germander, and hyssop in cottonwood seed oil for a quarter-hour. Lay a red circle of salt with enough room for an altar that can hold the Candle of Life and the cherished item.
If uninvited spirits appear, the user must help them cross back over before the candle burns or they will be stuck in the chosen vessel forever.
Incantation[]
- Death and Darkness,
- Life and Light,
- Raise the Dead
- and Spirits right.
- Burn, Burn.
- Come to the Light.
- Burn, Burn.
- Come to the Light.
History[]
In "Spectral Healing", Macy Vaughn and Maggie Vera attempted to use this spell to summon the spirit of their deceased mother, Marisol Vera, in order to learn what one of her letters was about. Instead, the spell brought Daisy and Roger, the ghosts of a deceased father and daughter, who both possessed Maggie. While trying to work out what went wrong, Macy looked over the Book of Shadows and found, to her disbelief, that a footnote stated the cherished item required for the spell needed to have originally belonged to the spirit that was intended to be summoned; otherwise, uninvited spirits would come forth and require help crossing back over before the candle burnt out, or they would remain in the chosen vessel forever.
Although it took a while, Macy was able to help Roger and Daisy resolve their issues, and both spirits returned to the afterlife, freeing Maggie. Shortly after, Marisol came, possessing Maggie, and explained she had to wait for Roger and Daisy to move on before she could arrive. She then talked with Macy, stating she never foresaw the allergy nor did she know how to cure it, but she did give Macy some advice on how to handle her situation with Harry Greenwood, and some advice for her to relay to Maggie, before returning to the afterlife.
Trivia[]
- When the ritual is performed by Macy and Maggie, there is a feathered hoop hanging above the altar that seems to act as a portal between the realm of the dead and the world of the living. However, the entry in the book never mentions the need to create such a hoop for this ritual.
Gallery[]
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