I couldn't finish because of the author's style. While I'm sure it is useful for many, it was not for me, and I found it... weird, to say the least, that they used gender-neutral pronouns for absolutely everyone they mentioned.

Great book for all the necrophiles out there. Great at picking up the necrophilic shit. Definitely give it a read.

The Bones Fall in a Spiral by Mortellus is an excellent read on the topic of necromancy as seen and practiced through a Wiccan lens. Having already loved this author's previous work I am delighted to say their writing style and knowledge continues to be a valuable resource and I will certainly be adding a physical copy to my collection as soon as I am able.

I must admit, I do not know very much about necromancy in general, so I can’t say whether this is a good book *on necromancy* or not. However, it is a pretty good book on the author’s own necromancy practice, which I think has the potential to be very useful to others who are looking to craft a similar practice.
Right off the bat, the author of this book is a Wiccan, but unlike many Wicca-inspired books, it is not overly Wicca-centric. As in, Wicca and witchcraft are not conflated in this book, and you are not necessarily expected to believe in the Wiccan God and Goddess for the practices in this book to “work” for you. That said, it does present a somewhat Wicca-flavored take on necromancy, in that Wiccan-style circle-casting is used as an element of most of the rituals and there are suggestions for incorporating necromancy into the Wheel of the Year. While there is plenty here that does not necessarily *depend* on Wicca in order to work, those who are on a path that doesn’t incorporate the Wiccan year and ritual structure may not find it very helpful.

One strength of this book is that those elements that are based on unverified personal gnosis (UPG) are clearly labelled as such. Those who are looking to reconstruct authentic necromantic or ancestral veneration practices from their own cultures will find little to nothing in this book, and should probably look elsewhere. While the text aims to be sensitive to other cultures, I am not an expert on the topic of necromancy, so I am not certain if all of the rituals and techniques here would be considered respectful or appropriate in all practices.
Additionally, there are a lot of ethical issues around the use of human remains, graveyard dirt, and the belongings of the deceased, and while the author strongly maintains that one should ask spirits for permission before doing work and leave appropriate offerings, I believe the wishes of their living relatives are also important. Sure, if someone says they asked my paternal grandfather’s permission to take dirt or dust from his grave for his magical workings, I wouldn’t mind, especially as he was a historian and would probably be cool with that. But I know a lot of people would be bothered by that, particularly for religious and cultural reasons. Hence, I would strongly suggest that practitioners do more research into the ethics around this topic before attempting anything in the book.

The way the book is written, with theory in one half and instructions in the next and helpful symbols to connect related sections, is very nice. All the theory is easy to digest and the instructions are clear and easy to understand. Overall, I think the book is very well-written and put together.

There are a few quibbles I have with this book, but these are more personal-opinion matters:

At one point the author cites string theory as part of the basis/justification for their UPG. String theory is a controversial and unproven theory in physics. While I think your UPG can be whatever, and while I’m certainly not an expert on whether string theory is “true” or not, I really don’t think that you need any sort of physical science concepts—proven or unproven—to justify religious belief. Even if we were talking about something more solidly supported, such as, say, gravitational pull, I don’t think spiritual matters would have to be explained or justified in terms of gravitational pull, and there is a good chance that gravitational pull is not going to affect them the way that it affects physical matter. Furthermore, many ritual and religious systems are purely metaphorical models, that are not meant to literally reproduce the structures at play, whether they be physical or spiritual.

Additionally, I am not certain of the validity of all the sources cited. There are many sources cited over the course of the book, so I would encourage you to investigate any source you’re unsure about if you choose to read this book.

Overall, this book gave me an engaging and readable look into one take on modern necomancy, but I strongly encourage those using it to supplement their reading with other historical sources and spiritual perspectives in order to put the book’s information into a wider context and get a more balanced point of view.

In The Bones Fall in a Spiral, author, witch, and mortician Mortellus melds together mythologies of death and personal experiences to share their own practice while providing the reader with numerous rituals and exercises. 

Part One is a basic manual to necromancy. While there is some discussion of liminal spaces and lucid dreaming, this is not a book for beginner witches and instead focuses on practices unique to necromancy and death work. The soul, or rather the parts of the soul, is explored through the lens of Ancient Greek and Egyptian mythologies as well as classifications of the various dead and their purpose. 

Next, the author outlines instruments and materials that might be found in a necromancer’s toolkit along with ideas for use. This is followed by a guide to basic necromantic practices such as setting up an altar and making offerings. 

Part Two, which comprises almost half the book, is the author’s “Book of Shades,” which serves as a blueprint of various rituals, spells, and exercises so the reader can participate in their own necromantic practice. This includes rituals for the wheel of the year, pathworking, healing, divination, summoning, banishing, binding, protection, grief, and devotion. While many readers will be excited about the sheer number of exercises, others may be disappointed in the difficulty involved to obtain some of the recommended ritual items such as blood, coffin nails, corpse water, and various herbs. 

Readers with a serious interest in understanding necromancy and adding necromantic magic to their own personal practices will find much inspiration from The Bones Fall in a Spiral. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Crossed Crow Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is for real. While I am not following this path I must say the author has written an honest and very doable system that may appeal to many. Very well written with a touch of humor that makes it feel like the author is present and having a conversation with you. Honest and to the point book.

This comprehensive book and well. Researched book by a licensed 3rd Gsrdnerisn priestess. I'm a discussion of necromancy,Magic concerned with invoking or communicating with the dead. Outlines ethical guidelines.,Astral plan, the limitations spaces,the realms of the Underworld, the nature of the soul, tools and the wheel of the year, spells. Glossary. Index. Illustrations. References.