Trample on the dust of the Dead lightly...This sentiment, held by old-time Hoodoos and traditional Rootworkers, is a subtle reminder of the importance of observing certain behaviors while in a graveyard. Knock before entering. Be careful where you walk. Don’t step on graves or sit on tombstones. Always ask before taking anything—even stones, flowers, sticks and leaves. Never leave trash, always greet the gatekeeper and always come prepared with a pocket full of pennies, silver dimes and a bottle of rum or whiskey. The important thing to remember is that you never just walk in and take something. You must always treat the spirits with respect; both the spirits of the deceased, as well as the guardians of the cemeteries and the psychopomps. Workin’ in da Boneyard is a primer for conjurers seeking a tangible connection to their past, their ancestors and the Spirit World by working with graveyards and graveyard dirt. From practical issues of safety, choosing a cemetery, locating ancestral graves, reading gravestone signs and symbols, avoiding haints and hauntings, to gathering graveyard dirt and making goofer dust, Workin’ in da Boneyard has the information needed for working effective graveyard conjure, as well as words of caution for the ill-prepared.
