necromancy

/ˌnɛkrəˈmæntsi/

Other forms: necromancies

Spooky, sneaky, powerful and strange, necromancy is the art of raising the spirits of the dead, either for their predictions about the future, or their ghostly help in making something happen.

Necromancy, also called black magic, comes from the ancient Greek word for corpse necro and prophecy mancy. If you travel to the underworld to speak to the dead, then you have the power of necromancy, not to mention geomancy, the ability to read signs from the earth to find the necropolis, or city of the dead. As you might guess, necromancy isn’t discussed much these days. But if you’re reading about old witch trials, you might find accusations of necromancy abound.

Definitions of necromancy

1. noun

   conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying
   type of:

   divination, foretelling, fortune telling, soothsaying

   the art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural means
2. noun

   the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world
   synonyms: black art, black magic, sorcery

   types:

   witchcraft, witchery

   the art of sorcery

   bewitchment, enchantment, enscorcellment, ensorcelment

   a magical spell

   Satanism, demonism, diabolism

   a belief in and reverence for devils (especially Satan)

   obiism

   belief in a kind of sorcery that originated in Africa and is practiced in the West Indies

   type of:

   magic, thaumaturgy

   any art that invokes supernatural powers