Emporiblog - Cemetery Dirt Vs Graveyard Dirt
Up until a few months ago, I thought Graveyard and Cemetery were just different words for the same thing and were interchangeable. I was, in fact, very wrong. So, let's have a look at the difference between a Cemetery and a Graveyard and how the dirt from them differs.
What is a Graveyard?
A Graveyard is a burial ground that is within the grounds of a church
What is a Cemetery?
A Cemetery is a graveyard that is NOT within church grounds
So, a Graveyard could be classed as a type of Cemetery but a Cemetery is not technically a Graveyard. Why is that? Well, we need a bit of a history lesson....
From about the 7th century C.E onwards, burials were firmly in the hands and grounds of the church or whichever Christian organisation was the most prevalent in the area. The churchyard would have a separate part for graves, which would become a Graveyard. However, as populations grew, Graveyards were no longer sufficient for the amount of burials needed and by the 18th century, private Graveyards, not necessarily connected to the church but some still were, became the solution and these resting places were called Cemeteries.
The meaning of the words Cemetery and Graveyard is also quite interesting:
Cemetery - From the French Cimetiere, meaning "graveyard" and from the Greek word Koimeterion, meaning "a sleeping place".
Graveyard - Grave is derived from the word Graban, which is proto-Germanic for "to dig".
Properties of the Dirt
Now, depending on where the Dirt is gathered, it can have more of an affect on certain aspect (e.g Dirt from an ancestors grave can aid more in ancestor/spirit work) but, the general properties of the Dirt are:
Cemetery:
- Aids in Spirit Work
- Aids in Death Work
- Healing
- Protection
- Ancestral Work (only if taken from a relative's grave)
- Hexing/Cursing
- Offerings
- Shadow Work boost
- Warding
Graveyard:
- Banishing
- Cleansing and Charging (particularly spirit work tools)
- Ancestor/Spirit Work
- Offerings
- Boosting divination
- Warding
- Hexing/Cursing
- Boosting enchantments
When collecting Graveyard Dirt, check the history of the church in question. Holy ground and energy has it's place in the craft but, there is also a lot of negative energy that can be stored within the church grounds, specially if something negative has happened within the church itself. The type of church may also hold more power for specific things e.g Dirt from Catholic Grounds may prove better for getting people to confess
Rules and Etiquette
As with most aspects of foraging for your craft, there are rules for this specific ingredient, they are as follows:
- PROTECTION! Some malicious spirits may try to latch on to you so you need to be prepared
- GET PERMISSION. Always get permission from the spirit to take from their grave, even if it's a relative
(The only exception to this is curse work if it involves binding a nasty spirit to someone)
- DON'T DESECRATE. This one goes without saying, don't damage the grave or any other graves
- LEAVE AN OFFERING. You must acknowledge and thank the grave's resident. You can leave flowers, clean the grave, pick up litter, research the person
- DON'T WALK OVER A GRAVE. This might not always be easy due to unmarked graves or the layout of the land but do your best!
- DON'T LOOK BACK! When leaving, thank the grave and do not look back, especially if there is a Crossroads involved. When you get to the gate or sign, place your hand on it and thank the land, then go home
- CLEANSE YOURSELF. It is good to cleanse after visiting a place covered in spirits as someone might have tried to hitch a ride back with you. Cleanse your vehicle as well
Also, do not trespass if the grounds are closed and check local laws!
DISCLAIMER: During my research, I came across something called Goofer Dust, which is part of the closed practice of Voodoo. There is also a heavy link to Hoodoo (another closed practice) and Graveyard Dirt so please check your sources so you don't appropriate!
I think we'll leave that here! Please let me know if I have gotten anything wrong or if there is something you want me to add!
Blessings,
C )0(
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