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The Mighty Dead
The Mighty Dead, the Hidden Company, the Secret Chiefs, the Withdrawn Order, the Inner Plane Adepts, the Masters, the Bodhisattva and the Saints - all names for the enlightened dead who guide the spiritual traditions and evolution of humanity through the mysteries. They are found in traditions across the world, east and west, old and new. They were the guiding force of the occult revival at the turn of the 20th century, and continue to aid us today. Often overlooked in the traditions of the Witch, yet ever present in the form of the Mighty Dead, first written about publicly in the works of Gerald Gardner. These are the elder spirits who gather by the edges of our circle to witness our magick, and if asked, can enter into relationship with us. They are the true teachers of the mysteries, and the true initiators. The Mighty Dead help us regenerate our own lost traditions, awakening our spiritual roots to deeper truths. By forging connections with them, collectively or individually, we too can learn how to evolve and pass through the cycles of reincarnation to become one with these sanctified masters. Hand in hand we shall ecstatically dance together at the eternal Sabbat of the Witch.
338 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2013
32 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Penczak
98 books439 followersChristopher Penczak is a Witch, teacher, writer and healing practitioner. His practice draws upon the foundation of both modern and traditional Witchcraft blended with the wisdom of mystical traditions from across the globe as a practitioner and teacher of shamanism, tarot, Reiki healing, herbalism, astrology and Qabalah. He is the founder of the Temple of Witchcraft tradition and system of magickal training based upon the material of his books and classes. He is an ordained minister primarily serving the New Hampshire and Massachusetts pagan and metaphysical communities through public rituals, private counsel and teaching, though he travels extensively teaching throughout the United States.
Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on May 10, 1973, Christopher was raised in an Italian/Polish family while living in Salem, NH. After twelve years of Catholic school and becoming an avowed agnostic, he initially pursued an interest in chemistry, stemming from a childhood fascination with alchemy and herbalism. As a youth, he had an out of body experience, passing out in a fourth grade science class, but observing the whole scene in spirit, from above the room. While in high school, he was visited by an apparition of his recently deceased great aunt. These two experiences made him question his dedication to science and pursue a study of the mystical and occult, as well as his artistic pursuits. He attended the University of Massachusetts as a vocal major, earning a Bachelor of Music Performance/Music Business in 1995 and set his sights on becoming a full time performer. While studying classical voice, he founded a band called Doctor Soulshine that fused mystical imagery and shamanic concepts to traditional heavy rock music.
While in college, a long time friend and teacher introduced Christopher to the principles of witchcraft, meditation, tarot and spell work. At first he was skeptical, but his experience with a healing spell at a full Moon ritual was enough to convince him that there was truth to these ideas and he sought to understand more. He took classes with Laurie Cabot, in her Cabot Tradition with an emphasis on Witchcraft As A Science. He was fascinated with the science and philosophy of her teaching, grounding witchcraft in sound thinking and personal experience. A psychic healing experience left him with a sense of empowerment and spiritual connection. After this initial training, he studied with an assortment of witches, shamans, yogis, psychic readers and healers in the New England area, developing an eclectic path of personal witchcraft. He later focused on the healing arts, completing training as a Reiki Master (Teacher) in the Usui-Tibetan and Shamballa traditions and certification as a flower essence consultant and herbalist.
After graduation from college, Christopher began work at the A&R department of Fort Apache, a recording studio and record label in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He soon found himself leading meditations and ritual groups for friends seeking to know more about the Craft. During his time in the Boston area, Christopher experimented with the ideas he later wrote about in his book City Magick: Urban Rituals, Spells and Shamanism. The initial ritual group formed the nucleus of the first Temple of Witchcraft series.
Although having no real interest in teaching formally, Christopher received a message during a meditation in 1998 to start teaching more and begin writing. Thinking it was his imagination, Christopher ignored it, saying to himself and the universe, “I’m too busy with my music career. If you want me to teach, give me the time.” The next week he was laid off from his job and had plenty of time. Although with a booming economy and many job opportunities, Christopher had no luck finding a position in the music industry, or a more traditional office job. When he posted a few flyers about meditation and witchcraft classes at a local shop, the response was immediate and he began teaching cla
Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on May 10, 1973, Christopher was raised in an Italian/Polish family while living in Salem, NH. After twelve years of Catholic school and becoming an avowed agnostic, he initially pursued an interest in chemistry, stemming from a childhood fascination with alchemy and herbalism. As a youth, he had an out of body experience, passing out in a fourth grade science class, but observing the whole scene in spirit, from above the room. While in high school, he was visited by an apparition of his recently deceased great aunt. These two experiences made him question his dedication to science and pursue a study of the mystical and occult, as well as his artistic pursuits. He attended the University of Massachusetts as a vocal major, earning a Bachelor of Music Performance/Music Business in 1995 and set his sights on becoming a full time performer. While studying classical voice, he founded a band called Doctor Soulshine that fused mystical imagery and shamanic concepts to traditional heavy rock music.
While in college, a long time friend and teacher introduced Christopher to the principles of witchcraft, meditation, tarot and spell work. At first he was skeptical, but his experience with a healing spell at a full Moon ritual was enough to convince him that there was truth to these ideas and he sought to understand more. He took classes with Laurie Cabot, in her Cabot Tradition with an emphasis on Witchcraft As A Science. He was fascinated with the science and philosophy of her teaching, grounding witchcraft in sound thinking and personal experience. A psychic healing experience left him with a sense of empowerment and spiritual connection. After this initial training, he studied with an assortment of witches, shamans, yogis, psychic readers and healers in the New England area, developing an eclectic path of personal witchcraft. He later focused on the healing arts, completing training as a Reiki Master (Teacher) in the Usui-Tibetan and Shamballa traditions and certification as a flower essence consultant and herbalist.
After graduation from college, Christopher began work at the A&R department of Fort Apache, a recording studio and record label in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He soon found himself leading meditations and ritual groups for friends seeking to know more about the Craft. During his time in the Boston area, Christopher experimented with the ideas he later wrote about in his book City Magick: Urban Rituals, Spells and Shamanism. The initial ritual group formed the nucleus of the first Temple of Witchcraft series.
Although having no real interest in teaching formally, Christopher received a message during a meditation in 1998 to start teaching more and begin writing. Thinking it was his imagination, Christopher ignored it, saying to himself and the universe, “I’m too busy with my music career. If you want me to teach, give me the time.” The next week he was laid off from his job and had plenty of time. Although with a booming economy and many job opportunities, Christopher had no luck finding a position in the music industry, or a more traditional office job. When he posted a few flyers about meditation and witchcraft classes at a local shop, the response was immediate and he began teaching cla
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 3, 2019
A great deal of useful information and tips on the dead makes this book worth purchasing. The book is also annotated with sources, which is greatly appreciated. It was also very well edited. I didn't much care for the bits relating to the ascended masters and such, but that's just me. If you are interested in Death Witchcraft, this is as good a book to begin with as I have thus far read, and I'd definitely encourage you to read it.
May 7, 2020
This was kind of like three books, two of which I was interested in reading. Much of what was presented here was like Ascension Magick 2, which was not a particular favorite of mine. It dealt often with channeled material and ascended masters, which is not really an interest for me. Those ideas were central to the kind of saint/bodhisattva/ascension theme of the book of joining the three souls while alive to have some different sort of afterlife. While that was an interesting synthesis of various world traditions, I was really here for necromancy. There was a bit of information on that, stemming back to some early mentions in books on Wicca, though not a ton to go on. I did appreciate the list portions of the book, covering various groupings of honored dead from around the world, and particular historic figures of interest. Overall, I found some things to enjoy with this book, but if I had known about it beforehand, I might have passed on it.
October 6, 2013
Working with the Mighty Dead
Many of today’s witches are Wiccan or at least eclectic pagan who work with man y God’s , Goddesses and thought forms. The witches of old most likely did not work with deities strictly but with the spirits of the dead. My first reference to the mighty dead came through the teaching of CED witchcraft which taught that the dead have their spirits sent to the cauldron of Ceridwen where in it dissolved into a big soup. When another soul was born it was born deaf,mute and no memories. The mighty dead got to hold on to their identity.
Gerald Gardner made a scant reference to the mighty dead as did Doreen Valiente, the idea really never took hold in Modern Witchcraft. That is changing, with the recent surge of interest in Traditional British witchcraft people are becoming more aware of the Mighty Dead. But who are the mighty dead.
Theosophy which has played a major role in the formation of Wicca and ceremonial Magic. Often spoke of Secret Adepts, The Great White Brother Hood and the Secret Council. Some believe that these inner plane adepts , or ascended masters were once people who evolved to a point where they become masters who over see the running of the planet. Different tradition have different name and functions for these ascended masters. Some believe they are human incarnate but hidden somewhere on this planet while others believe that they are alive only in spirit form.
The Mighty Dead can also be ancestor who we came from. There are many types of ancestor the most well known is that of the blood and family. There are other types of ancestors. Milk and Honey Ancestors are those adopted just us into their family line. There are ancestors who came before us in certain occupation, ancestors of the coven or spiritual tradition and finally ancestors of the land or the bone.
The ancestors were important to spiritual working as they often had our best interests at heart. Their bodies were often buried on family property . The Mesopotamians buried them underneath their house while standing up straight. In Egypt Pharoahs and soon nobility were mummified and preserved so they could venture to the afterlife in tact. Wicca believes in reincarnation how can the soul hang around. That is easy because the soul has three parts.
The higher self or our holy guardian angel is heavenly and uses the life on earth to aquire heavenly knowledge in order to evolve. It goes to it’s own place after death. The Middle Part is our personality or identity. The lower soul which is earth bound corresponds to the ancestors or tribe. The lower soul houses our drive and instinct and we get much knowledge from our DNA. People buried in the land can become guardian spirits of the land. They too are our ancestors from where we live.
The book has several exercise and rituals which help us to ascend and contact these masters. I di not plan on using this book extensively but I pulled several good things from it.
Perhaps a new prayer for making offerings
“ A Libation to the Ancient ones. Ishi Baha”
There are references to some real good books. For example “The Dream Assembly” by Howard Shwartz. This book talks about ascended Hassidic masters called literally the Dream assembly which thye run the world and guide the affair of man.
“Kali’s Odiyya: A Shaman’s True Story of Initiation” talks about Hindu sorcerers who escape the clutches of time and space Through mystical practices.
A great recipe for a cleansing spirit flames would involve the use of 4 oz of 90 proof rubbing alcohol, 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt, 5 drops of Lavender Oil, 5 drops of Lemon Oil and 3 drops of Rosemary Oil. Great for cleansing an outside ritual of negative spirits. Spirits could also be appeased by leaving offering so they will not be tempted to disturb you. There are also banishing rituals to clear the area of unwanted spirits and ways of helping discarnate souls traverse to other side. The forgotten dead can be troublesome or helpful always remember them in your rituals.
If the review piques your interest let me suggest that you get the book for there is a whole lot more contained with in it’s pages. The material covers ceremonial magic, Wicca, Traditional British Witchcraft and Theosophy.
Perhaps a couple of recipes before I go
Vinum Sabbati: Take 1 full bottle of red Wine, Teaspoon of Mugwort, teaspoon of Wormwood, teaspoon of dandelion root, teaspoon of poppy seeds and one table spoon of honey. Put them together and let simmer for thirteen minutes. Cool it then strain it.
Mighty Dead Incense
3 parts Myrrh, 2 parts Dragon Blood, 1 part worm wood, 1 part mullein leaf,1/2 part tobacco, ½ part thyme, 3 parts red wine, 1 part brandy, ½ part brandy.
Many of today’s witches are Wiccan or at least eclectic pagan who work with man y God’s , Goddesses and thought forms. The witches of old most likely did not work with deities strictly but with the spirits of the dead. My first reference to the mighty dead came through the teaching of CED witchcraft which taught that the dead have their spirits sent to the cauldron of Ceridwen where in it dissolved into a big soup. When another soul was born it was born deaf,mute and no memories. The mighty dead got to hold on to their identity.
Gerald Gardner made a scant reference to the mighty dead as did Doreen Valiente, the idea really never took hold in Modern Witchcraft. That is changing, with the recent surge of interest in Traditional British witchcraft people are becoming more aware of the Mighty Dead. But who are the mighty dead.
Theosophy which has played a major role in the formation of Wicca and ceremonial Magic. Often spoke of Secret Adepts, The Great White Brother Hood and the Secret Council. Some believe that these inner plane adepts , or ascended masters were once people who evolved to a point where they become masters who over see the running of the planet. Different tradition have different name and functions for these ascended masters. Some believe they are human incarnate but hidden somewhere on this planet while others believe that they are alive only in spirit form.
The Mighty Dead can also be ancestor who we came from. There are many types of ancestor the most well known is that of the blood and family. There are other types of ancestors. Milk and Honey Ancestors are those adopted just us into their family line. There are ancestors who came before us in certain occupation, ancestors of the coven or spiritual tradition and finally ancestors of the land or the bone.
The ancestors were important to spiritual working as they often had our best interests at heart. Their bodies were often buried on family property . The Mesopotamians buried them underneath their house while standing up straight. In Egypt Pharoahs and soon nobility were mummified and preserved so they could venture to the afterlife in tact. Wicca believes in reincarnation how can the soul hang around. That is easy because the soul has three parts.
The higher self or our holy guardian angel is heavenly and uses the life on earth to aquire heavenly knowledge in order to evolve. It goes to it’s own place after death. The Middle Part is our personality or identity. The lower soul which is earth bound corresponds to the ancestors or tribe. The lower soul houses our drive and instinct and we get much knowledge from our DNA. People buried in the land can become guardian spirits of the land. They too are our ancestors from where we live.
The book has several exercise and rituals which help us to ascend and contact these masters. I di not plan on using this book extensively but I pulled several good things from it.
Perhaps a new prayer for making offerings
“ A Libation to the Ancient ones. Ishi Baha”
There are references to some real good books. For example “The Dream Assembly” by Howard Shwartz. This book talks about ascended Hassidic masters called literally the Dream assembly which thye run the world and guide the affair of man.
“Kali’s Odiyya: A Shaman’s True Story of Initiation” talks about Hindu sorcerers who escape the clutches of time and space Through mystical practices.
A great recipe for a cleansing spirit flames would involve the use of 4 oz of 90 proof rubbing alcohol, 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt, 5 drops of Lavender Oil, 5 drops of Lemon Oil and 3 drops of Rosemary Oil. Great for cleansing an outside ritual of negative spirits. Spirits could also be appeased by leaving offering so they will not be tempted to disturb you. There are also banishing rituals to clear the area of unwanted spirits and ways of helping discarnate souls traverse to other side. The forgotten dead can be troublesome or helpful always remember them in your rituals.
If the review piques your interest let me suggest that you get the book for there is a whole lot more contained with in it’s pages. The material covers ceremonial magic, Wicca, Traditional British Witchcraft and Theosophy.
Perhaps a couple of recipes before I go
Vinum Sabbati: Take 1 full bottle of red Wine, Teaspoon of Mugwort, teaspoon of Wormwood, teaspoon of dandelion root, teaspoon of poppy seeds and one table spoon of honey. Put them together and let simmer for thirteen minutes. Cool it then strain it.
Mighty Dead Incense
3 parts Myrrh, 2 parts Dragon Blood, 1 part worm wood, 1 part mullein leaf,1/2 part tobacco, ½ part thyme, 3 parts red wine, 1 part brandy, ½ part brandy.
November 4, 2025
Oh, boy, that was a bummer! Which was a surprise, actually, since I've been reading Penczak's books for years, and I usually finish them looking forward to the next one and also with a very nice sensation of growth, development. This wasn't the case here, though.
I think the main reason for this is pretty much the fact that I don't share the same core beliefs as the author, in the sense that he draws a lot from New Age and other systems/perspectives which I don't really agree with. The whole idea of the Ascended Masters, for instance.
This goes hand in hand with the propositions, which are repeated all through the book, that:
1 - we should aim to become a Mighty Dead;
2 - there's some "worthiness" in it, you gotta do some sort of "work" in order to achieve this.
I honestly feel this as a very Christian idea. I don't believe, for instance, Scott Cunningham did any of these things Penczak mentions, but hey, I consider him to be one of my ancestors, since he was a magickal practitioner when living, whose work has influenced me a lot. I also believe, in the future, Penczak will also become one of these for me, and working with him it'll equally be much more a matter of both of us being willing to do so.
I think the first initial chapters are great. Straightforward, practical. As they unravel, on the other hand, it just gets more and more complex. And I think one of the core things about Ancestorship practice is: It is simple. Or... it could be. You can make it as complex as you want it to, but my feeling is that the relationship with our Ancestor spirits is really something we make it daily, through our choices, actions, perspectives, etc etc. It is like: Living your best life is the best offering you can give them, being true to your choices and yourself. That's how you become a good spirit to work with in the future. To quote Lon Millo Duquette's Low Magick (now, that's a 5-star), "and experience is (or at least can be) the breeding ground of wisdom.". As I said, a matter of core beliefs.
Even though it can provide people a sense of direction, of being "in a path" towards something, which I can totally understand that plateau sensation of "what should I do now that I've learned these things, developed these abilities and etc etc?", I'd like to finish this review with some insight I acquired meditating with the Goddess Demeter once.
I went to her to reflect upon exactly this matter: Where to grow now? How to continously develop myself magickally? Her answer, in broad terms, was something like: "No tree grows forever. There's a limit to each of them. Its value, however, might not reside in it, but in what it can provide for those in need.". It's stuck to me ever since.
I think the main reason for this is pretty much the fact that I don't share the same core beliefs as the author, in the sense that he draws a lot from New Age and other systems/perspectives which I don't really agree with. The whole idea of the Ascended Masters, for instance.
This goes hand in hand with the propositions, which are repeated all through the book, that:
1 - we should aim to become a Mighty Dead;
2 - there's some "worthiness" in it, you gotta do some sort of "work" in order to achieve this.
I honestly feel this as a very Christian idea. I don't believe, for instance, Scott Cunningham did any of these things Penczak mentions, but hey, I consider him to be one of my ancestors, since he was a magickal practitioner when living, whose work has influenced me a lot. I also believe, in the future, Penczak will also become one of these for me, and working with him it'll equally be much more a matter of both of us being willing to do so.
I think the first initial chapters are great. Straightforward, practical. As they unravel, on the other hand, it just gets more and more complex. And I think one of the core things about Ancestorship practice is: It is simple. Or... it could be. You can make it as complex as you want it to, but my feeling is that the relationship with our Ancestor spirits is really something we make it daily, through our choices, actions, perspectives, etc etc. It is like: Living your best life is the best offering you can give them, being true to your choices and yourself. That's how you become a good spirit to work with in the future. To quote Lon Millo Duquette's Low Magick (now, that's a 5-star), "and experience is (or at least can be) the breeding ground of wisdom.". As I said, a matter of core beliefs.
Even though it can provide people a sense of direction, of being "in a path" towards something, which I can totally understand that plateau sensation of "what should I do now that I've learned these things, developed these abilities and etc etc?", I'd like to finish this review with some insight I acquired meditating with the Goddess Demeter once.
I went to her to reflect upon exactly this matter: Where to grow now? How to continously develop myself magickally? Her answer, in broad terms, was something like: "No tree grows forever. There's a limit to each of them. Its value, however, might not reside in it, but in what it can provide for those in need.". It's stuck to me ever since.
October 25, 2022
I had hoped for something different than what this book was. Perhaps the cover and the title lured me into thinking it was something else. Having read it, it is technically fitting but definitely not something I would’ve picked up.
The majority of this book is referencing traditions and beliefs I don’t care to explore. Qabalah and ascended masters from various cultures takes up the majority of this book. If that’s your interest, you’ll find a lot. I don’t. He also focuses on the beginnings of Wicca and Witchcraft opposed to more recent players so to speak. Gardner has some points but the main focus is Dion Fortune and Doreen Valiente. Of course, there’s a large portion for Aleister Crowley as well. Knowing their past and what they contributed is good, but I have very little interest in them. The world they lived in has passed. Society at large has changed drastically since them. There were very brief mentions of those who’ve contributed over the last century (Sybil Leek and Scott Cunningham for instance). When this was published, Buckland was still alive for a few more years. I’m far more interested personally in the advancement to the Craft from last 70 years than clinging to the occultists from the turn of the previous century.
There’s a very small section towards the end covering funeral rites (though plural is pretty giving). He covers briefly what The Pagan Book of Living and Dying discussed (the “witch” way to handle death such as washing a body, meditations on your own death, and so on). Which may be helpful to some.
Overall, the huge emphasis on the Qabalah, “Masters”, and the previous turn of the century writers (Crowley, Fortune) wasn’t for me. This didn’t have any of the usual charm Penczak’s books typically have but was well researched from what little I know on the topic.
The majority of this book is referencing traditions and beliefs I don’t care to explore. Qabalah and ascended masters from various cultures takes up the majority of this book. If that’s your interest, you’ll find a lot. I don’t. He also focuses on the beginnings of Wicca and Witchcraft opposed to more recent players so to speak. Gardner has some points but the main focus is Dion Fortune and Doreen Valiente. Of course, there’s a large portion for Aleister Crowley as well. Knowing their past and what they contributed is good, but I have very little interest in them. The world they lived in has passed. Society at large has changed drastically since them. There were very brief mentions of those who’ve contributed over the last century (Sybil Leek and Scott Cunningham for instance). When this was published, Buckland was still alive for a few more years. I’m far more interested personally in the advancement to the Craft from last 70 years than clinging to the occultists from the turn of the previous century.
There’s a very small section towards the end covering funeral rites (though plural is pretty giving). He covers briefly what The Pagan Book of Living and Dying discussed (the “witch” way to handle death such as washing a body, meditations on your own death, and so on). Which may be helpful to some.
Overall, the huge emphasis on the Qabalah, “Masters”, and the previous turn of the century writers (Crowley, Fortune) wasn’t for me. This didn’t have any of the usual charm Penczak’s books typically have but was well researched from what little I know on the topic.
December 29, 2021
Pros: This book had a lot of interesting information regarding the mighty dead, different types of ancestors and ranks of the dead. There was some good history in there, along with specific entities to work with. However, I was looking for more of a how-to than this provided, and it incorporated a lot of Eastern concepts that are not relevant to my practice. Towards the end, I found it very difficult to follow, because the sentences were more stream-of-consciousness. There's definitely good information to glean from it, but it's probably best to skim for the parts you want to know about.
March 24, 2021
5 stars because it does what it says on the cover and a little more. Discusses working with different types of ancestor spirits and tutelary-dead within a framework of Witchcraft and also gives a little information about other Western traditions as well. Accessible language. Would be a worthwhile read for anyone curious about ancestral or spirit work.
December 18, 2021
So far, by far, this is the most 'witchy' book I have. The information feels very real, like you can imagine all the experiences the author had to become so vastly knowledgeable.
It might be too much for a newbie to the idea of witchcraft, but get it anyway, you will find yourself needing to take it off your shelf for an answer someday 😉
It might be too much for a newbie to the idea of witchcraft, but get it anyway, you will find yourself needing to take it off your shelf for an answer someday 😉
May 4, 2023
Great book! Not only does Christopher introduce you to what the concept of The Mighty Dead is, but he tells you who they are and how to work with them. I especially appreciated the final chapters that go into death rituals and preparation and connecting with the One Witch.
October 18, 2024
Penzeck, with his usual thoroughness & readability tackles dealing with the ancestors, not only our genetic ones but our spiritual ones. My only complaint is that he has not created as many exercises as in his previous books.
December 21, 2018
Wow! An incredible start for a beginner. I would be cautious with this book though, and ponder when and where these practices are getting ideas from indigenous traditions.
March 8, 2023
Absolutely love this book!!
March 5, 2014
Great book, best book on working with the Dead and other helpful Guides I have found so far.
August 2, 2017
Nice concept, but many factual errors, most of which could be easily corrected with an internet search and an email or two.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews