To Summon an Unnamed Spirit

This is a rite to summon an unnamed spirit. It can be used when seeking guidance, insight, magical aid, etc. When summoning a spirit, some may prefer to work within the format of a full ritual while others may simply use the ritual elements that they feel are truly necessary to the working, such as creating liminal space and casting a summoning circle. Begin the working in the way that feels best to you.

Prepare your space with a candle, a scrap of paper with a symbol related to the spirit you are trying to summon written or drawn on it[1], a simple offering, a bell and a bowl of clean water, and an iron key, adder’s stone or a small piece of wood (or other symbol of the spirit world). (Note: You will also want to have a fireproof vessel (such as a cast iron cauldron or a bowl lined with sand) handy for burning the slip of paper.)

Light the candle. Place the offering near the flame. Place the bowl of water before you and keep the key, stone or wood nearby. When you are ready to begin, hold the bit a of paper with the spirit’s symbol to the candle’s flame, carefully burning it as you say:

Since your name is lost to me,
Or else not mine to know or see,
I give you name, both sign and sound,
A cord to call, a word to bound.

 In this work and in this space,
By breath and will, by time and place,
I name you now, and thus shall stay,
Until you speak or walk away.

[State your chosen name/title of the spirit and ring the bell once. Repeat a total of three times.]

Allow the paper to finish burning before continuing, affirming to yourself that you no longer have a need for the symbol since you have given the spirit a title or name. Once the paper is burned, you can proceed with the rite using the title/name you have assigned to the spirit as if it is their own. Close your eyes, saying:

Newly named and newly known,
I rouse thee, spirit, from thy home.
I call thee forth, in peace and pact,
To speak, to show, to guide, to act.

 
By salt and key, by fire and breath,
I call thee up from sleep, from death.
By bell and book and given name,
Come forth now, through smoke and flame.

Place the key, iron item or wood into the bowl of water (using these tools to represent the spirit world and the water to facilitate the spirit’s travel and function as a vehicle for communication). Say:

By key/stone/root bound, by salt/water made clear,
I call thee now, O spirit, hear.
Come if willing, by no force tied,
In truth, in peace, let paths collide.

Sit quietly. Watch the candle and bowl of water. Listen to the space around you. Pay attention to shifts in air, sensation, or thought. When you feel the spirit has arrived, speak your intent aloud. Be simple and clear. Use this time to explain why you’ve summoned the spirit to you (to pass a message, to seek assistance, to ask a question, etc.)

When the work is finished, bow your head or raise your hands and say:

Spirit named and summoned here,
I thank thee now for drawing near.
By pact and peace, return in grace,
And may no ill remain in place.

 
By flame and breath, the gate is sealed.
By salt and iron, the bond is healed.
Go now, in peace, from whence you came,
Unbound, unnamed, by witch’s flame.

Blow out the candle. Pour the water outside. Leave the offering at the base of a tree, at a crossroads, or other liminal space as a final gesture of thanks.

[1] This can be any symbol, such as a picture, a rune, a description of a spirit you encountered in a dream, etc. It could also be a symbol of the nature of the spirit you wish to summon; for example a Spirit of Wisdom, a Guardian, etc.