Magical Uses for Cemetery Water and Snow

In February, my husband and I drove seven miles north of the tiny mountain town Lee Vining. We were heading toward an isolated cemetery on the ridge of Mono Lake. Mono Lake is three times saltier than the ocean, and salt deposits stick out of the lake like rocks. While driving, we played a game called “Is that snow, or is it salt?”

Mono Lake Cemetery was massive and freezing. The northern wind slapped my face and left stinging handprints. As we walked around, we saw overturn benches and wooden crosses leaning from the wind. Snow somehow snuck into my boots.

​By the time we were leaving, I felt hot and sticky under my coat but raw in the face. But I suddenly remembered that an Instagram follower had asked me about cemetery snow. I decided to gather some and test its uses.

​I asked my husband to toss me the empty water bottle in my car. Then, at the front gates, I shoveled snow into the water bottle barehanded. Sure, it felt like my skin was melting, but I live in Southern California; we rarely see snow.

Since I got that cemetery snow, it has melted. But I have studied and tested cemetery water for its uses in death witchcraft. These are my findings.

What Do We Know About Ghosts and Water?

12/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images

I’ve read a few posts about cemetery water, and most authors give it the traditional associations with water. For instance, they would say that cemetery water can purify, cleanse, etc.

This is a perfectly valid way to analyze cemetery water. But I want to explore the relationship between ghosts and water in folklore.

In some cultures, ghosts inhabit water. In Slavic folklore, the realm of the dead and realm of the living are divided by water, namely the sea. Navia, or souls of the dead, are said to live in water.

In Thailand, ghosts called Phi Phrai are said to inhabit water. These ghosts are usually women, and they might have died with a child in the womb. If you are familiar with the Ghost Festival, you might have heard something similar. Residents of China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore call the seventh month of the lunar calendar Ghost Month, when the deceased rise from the lower realm. On Ghost Day, many people will avoid water in fear that a ghost will drag them down. Shui gui, or water ghosts, are said to have died by drowning.
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Depending on the culture and religion, water might have connections to the Underworld. I discussed wells, rivers, and caves in this post: Real-Life Locations That Connect to the Underworld.

But in other cultures, ghosts avoid water. In Scotland, spirits of the dead cannot cross bodies of water. When funeral processions carried a coffin to a cemetery, they would cross a bridge or walk on river rocks along the way. They believed that ghosts and malicious spirits could not follow the body that way.

The concept of ghosts avoiding water also exists in the United States. If you’ve ever been to the South, you’ve probably noticed that many porches and houses are a light bluish-green. This color is called haint blue, and it had special significance to the Gullah, African Americans who lived in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. Because haint blue resembles water, it is said to protect houses from spirits of the dead.

Depending on your Craft and where you live, water can have different associations in death witchcraft. I’ve narrowed it down to two uses: connecting to the dead and protection.

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Connecting to the Dead with Cemetery Water

Scrying with cemetery water.

The first use for cemetery water is to connect with the dead. Because this water is infused with death energy, its function is similar to graveyard dirt.

Put cemetery water into death witch or necromancy-related spells. I used some in my spirit work oil and necromancy ink. You can also add it to salves, oils, or baths. Dipping a candle in it (not the wick!) and letting it dry might enhance a candle spell. Add a tiny bit to dampen your herbal smoking blend should you want to go hedgecrossing or divine.

To simplify, view cemetery water as a spirit work booster. Anything you add it to should help you connect with the dead. 

Another use for cemetery water is lecanomancy, otherwise known as water scrying. Since ancient Rome, necromancers have peered into water to receive messages from the dead. 

To practice water scrying, grab a clear bowl (glass is ideal) and pour cemetery water into it. Make sure that the bowl is not too dark; you want to see the water. Light a candle and keep it nearby to illuminate the space. Some people put a bit of olive oil into the water, but that is not necessary. Breathe evenly, clear your mind, and peer into the water. See what the dead wish to show you.

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Protection with Cemetery Water

Another potential use for cemetery water is protection. Depending on the folklore, even imitating water can protect you from spirits.

Rub cemetery water onto your windows and doors to ward your home. While leaving a cemetery, toss some water behind you so that spirits don’t follow you home. Painting certain objects in the color of water might dissuade spirits from touching them.

Cemetery water can also consecrate and cleanse. Use it to anoint magical tools and keep them safe from harm. If you feel like spirits are clinging to you or following you, pour a drop onto your clothes.

How to Get Cemetery Water

If you are interested in working with cemetery water, there are several ways you can get it. If it rains at a cemetery, collect some of the drops. You can also collect some water from puddles or sprinklers in a graveyard.

You can also do it how I did: by collecting cemetery snow. Snow and water have similar correspondences, and you can use snow in the same ways as listed above. If it snows in your area, head to a local cemetery and get it there.

While gathering cemetery water or snow, try to avoid specific graves. Water is a common offering for the dead, and you don’t want to disturb the soul that lives there. When I gathered snow, I did it near the front gate. The entrance of the cemetery belongs to the gatekeeper, a deceased soul that guards the graveyard. If you get this spirit’s permission, you can grab snow or water from there.

Can You Do the Same Spells with Regular Water?

While I was researching cemetery water, I kept asking myself: Can we do the same spells with cemetery water? Historically, few spells require cemetery water, specifically. When necromancers scried with water, they got it from a river or spring, not a graveyard. At least, that’s what we know from the Greek Magical Papyri.

The closest thing I found to cemetery water was a form of divination from the Native American tribe, Catawba. They would place a bowl of water next to a corpse’s head. After three days, people could peer into the water and receive messages from the deceased.

I hold my cemetery water in this thrifted glass vial.

In short, you don’t need cemetery water to practice lecanomancy. Plenty of death witchcraft spells require regular water. However, if you want a “spirit work boost,” using cemetery water will only work in your favor.

Conclusion

In short, cemetery water and snow have two main uses: connecting to the dead and protection. Lecanomancy, which is scrying with a bowl of water, is a common necromancy method.

You can get cemetery water from rain, sprinkles, puddles, or snow that is not on a specific grave.

View cemetery water as a spirit work booster; it’s not required for spirit work, but it will increase your chances of connecting with the deceased.

Would you use cemetery water or snow? Have you used either in the past? Let me know in the comments below!