Skulls in Death Witchcraft

Skull-shaped spoon and candle, along with iron coffin nails and a burning candle.

I want to correct a statement I made on my blog earlier. I don’t remember when I made it, but I’m positive that I did. I said that skulls work simply as other bones and connecting to death energy in death witchcraft and necromancy, which is blatantly not true. I’m sorry about that. Please allow me to correct this by sharing what I’ve learned about some uses of skulls in death magic:

• A skull may house a conjured ghost, and allow that spirit to speak through the body of the skull. Some sources will offer incense upon the skull to help this take effect.
• Related to the first point, a sealing spell may be cast upon the skull to prevent it from lying or deceiving. This spell involves sealing the mouth with graveyard dirt and drawing an engraving on it with iron. 
• Skulls may be used to dispel or scare off ghosts. A libation poured from the skull of a black dog is used in one such banishing ritual. 
• Many rituals include using a skull to prevent one from grinding their teeth during sleep. Some believed that this happened because a dead family member tried to communicate through their relative in sleep. The sufferer may either kiss it seven and seven times, or kiss it seven times and lick it seven times, over the span of four nights.
• Skulls are used as summoning ingredients and basis for the conjurer’s power. Sometimes, an incantation will be spoken over a skull. Other times, a libation or conjuring oil will be spilt over the skull.

The vague “skull” is used in most of these spells, implying that any skull may work. Few specify which skull is needed.
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