5Occult history and the Black Arts reveals that man has always attempted to marshal the powerful forces to his Will. Spirits of the dead have been called upon in recorded history in a great many ancient books, from Ulysses to the Bible when The Witch of Endor was consulted by King Saul to predict the outcome of a great battle. As mankind has sought answers to what life is about, he has feared what lies afterwards and sought answers from those passing over the veil for solace. Sometimes they disturbed spirits to divine for arcane knowledge, to find treasure or any number of questions. Of course disturbing these souls was a highly risky thought and so protection was used to make sure the summoner was protected. Crossroads were places that people meet their fate, often held up by highwaymen, bandits looking for easy prey. These foul people were tried and hung in the very same location. A crossroad was symbolic as well, for it implicated that both the living and dead alike were used to passing by way of them, and the choice to make the correct path clearly was a paralleled. Of course, old abandoned churches made a good place, but graveyards were the best. The Necromancer wore clothing from corpses and ate tasteless foods, avoided women, all in an attempt to connect with the dead and their energies, so deep was their determination to carry out their plans. People from Franciscan friar Roger Bacon to Dr. John Dee, advisor to Queen Elizabeth sought out such spirits, as did Eliphas Levi in the 1800's.Freemasons and members of the Golden Dawn mentioned its use, and many modern writers have touched upon this taboo and misunderstood subject. Now, the publishers of Dark Moon Press are pleased to bring you Lucien Rofocale's work, Necromancy: The forbidden art as he dives deep into the history, tools and rituals of this fascinating form of magic. I hope you enjoy this little tome as much as I have. It will excite you, and reveal secrets long shadowed in mystery over the ages that until recently most people were not able to discover. From the introduction by Corvis Nocturnum