Resurrection is the power to bring the deceased back to life.
Methods of Resurrection[]
Necromancy[]
Necromancers are magical beings with the ability to perform necromancy, a branch of divination centered on the dead. These beings are thought to have existed since the beginning of time. Most, if not all, Necromancers have the ability to resurrect the deceased through a ritual. However, these beings have to call upon forces both light and dark to resurrect the dead. Because of this, some might not properly make the transition and are consumed by the powers invoked. Resurrection has a steep price as unknown and mysterious otherworldly entities (also known as just "spirits") always need something just after the ritual is completed.
To Raise the Dead[]
In "You're Dead to Me", a Necromancer by the name of Knansie used a spell in Macy Vaughn's resurrection ritual. She spoke the incantation in broken Russian. It also seemingly required the use of demonic blood, which would eventually mutate the resurrected and turn them into a demon.
This spell was used in "Truth or Cares", by Maggie Vera, who found it in the recreated Book of Shadows, to make an animated Trunksie become an ordinary stuffed animal again. As the magic around them began to work backward since Dexter Vaughn, a spirit, was accidentally brought out of the Veil, Trunksie was brought to life when a highly deadly potion was accidentally spilled on him and subsequently started trying to kill Maggie, Ray Vera and the already deceased Dexter. The spell was successful in deanimating the psychopathic stuffed elephant but also sent Dexter back to the Veil. This time the spell is spoken in English.
Incantation[]
- Ангелы смерти, Лорды подземного мира,
- Услышьте мою просьбу.
- Верните этого ребёнка обратно к жизни!
- Translation
- Angels of Death, the Lords of the Underworld,
- Hear my request.
- Bring this baby back to life! (Bring the dead back to life! - in the English reworded incantation)
The Sacred Flame/The Source of All Evil[]
A being that has taken on the power of the Source has the ability to resurrect the dead. After Macy Vaughn took on the power of the Source in "Red Rain", she was able to bring Galvin Burdette back to life, simply by placing a hand on him.
However, in "The Source Awakens", there was shown to be side effects to Galvin's resurrection. Several of the innocents that he had sacrificed himself to save began to die, while Galvin felt as if he didn't belong. As stated by Harry Greenwood, this was simply death reasserting itself.
Whitelighter Resurrection Ritual[]
The Whitelighter Resurrection Ritual is a ritual that can be used to resurrect deceased humans and convert them into Whitelighters. The formula for the spell was invented by Celeste during the Salem witch trials to create magical guides and protectors for witches. While the ritual has worked most of the time, there has been known failures.
For a human to become a Whitelighter, they need to be killed by mortal means, such as being murdered by a fellow human. However, they can also be poisoned by magical poisons as long as it is administered by a human. The targeted humans stand their best chance at returning to life if their body is as mildly damaged as possible, thus their tissues must be as preserved as possible.
Ritual[]
Form a circle of salt around the body of the deceased mortal, draw the symbol of infinity on the mortal's chest using black amber and then chant as follows:
- All mortal debts are paid,
- In the reaper's endless night.
- By the goddess, be remade,
- Arise, reborn in light.
A burst of magical energies will erupt from the sky and imbue the body with powers and immortality. Once the ritual is completed, the tree sap will vanish into the body.
Blindaje Dolls[]
Blindaje Dolls are enchanted burlap dolls that can be used once to resurrect someone. To be used, the person must know the name, birthdate, and species of the one they wish to protect from death. Then, the doll must be activated with an incantation.
Reanimation[]
Reanimation is the ability to revive a dead body through magic, but not actually resurrect someone in the traditional sense. While it does have the power to seemingly heal a corpse and restore its biological functions, where it differs from resurrection, is that it doesn't bring the deceased's former self back, rather a mindless, zombie-like creature.
So far, reanimation has been achieved by the Faction, by using science to exploit the magical properties of black amber and the Darklighter poison, and have managed to turn those reanimated people into monsters.
In "Curse Words", after Ray Vera gave a black market dealer a vial of black amber to prevent her from shooting him, she and a group of scientists are later shown experimenting with the substance and able to use it to revive a dead rabbit.
In "Dance Like No One is Witching", at a private event hosted by an organization of individuals that know of the existence of magic, a shaman was able to perform a ritual with his staff to absorb the life forces of nearly all of the patrons, after they were zombified by a special drug made from Darklighter poison, to revive the corpse of an unknown man loaded with black amber. The process was interrupted by Maggie Vera, however, it was successful enough to revive the corpse in a weakened state.
Known Users[]
- Original power
- Artifacts
- Through spell, artifact, power stealing, etc.
- Necromancers (through the use of a ritual)
- The Charmed Ones
- Macy Vaughn (merged with the Source; relinquished)
- Mel Vera (through the use of a Blindaje Doll and the Lost One Resurrection Brew)
- Maggie Vera (through the use of a ritual and the Lost One Resurrection Brew)
- Kaela Danso (through The Lost One Resurrection Brew)
- Nadia and the Faction (Reanimation - through the use of black amber and Darklighter Poison)
- Shaman (through the use of a ritual involving black amber and Life Force Absorption via Darklighter Poison)
- The Elders (through the Whitelighter Resurrection Ritual)
- Ruby Malone (through the use of a Blindaje Doll)
Trivia[]
- It can be assumed that resurrection is achieved by pulling the soul or spirit of the deceased individual from the Veil and placing their soul back into their physical body, whereas reanimation revives the physical body but does not reincorporate the deceased individual's spirit into the body, thus leaving the reanimated individual as a mindless, monstrous being.
- In "Truth or Cares", Maggie Vera utilized a spell from the recreated Book of Shadows that was a rephrased English translation of Knansie's resurrection ritual, as seen in "You're Dead to Me". The incorporation of this spell into the recreated book raises perplexing questions regarding its origins and inclusion. Specifically, it prompts speculation about why Mel Vera or Joséfina Reyes would have included a resurrection spell, given that such a spell was seemingly absent from the original book. Also, before this, resurrection was perceived to be achievable solely through means like Necromancy, obtaining potent magic like the Source, or specific rituals such as the Whitelighter Resurrection Ritual. The presence of a reworded version of a Necromancy ritual in the recreated book begs the question of how Mel or Joséfina came to know of such a spell in the first place to add it to the book. Additionally, considering the existence of an effective resurrection spell, one might wonder why the sisters didn't attempt to use it to bring back the recently deceased Macy Vaughn.
- Although black amber plays a crucial role in the Whitelighter Resurrection Ritual, it's important to note that its presence alone doesn't bring about the resurrection of the deceased. Instead, it functions as one component within the broader ritual and serves as a catalyst for the overall process, which includes the invocation of a deity.
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