necromancy

Conjuring up the dead for divination or other purposes. In ancient times this was believed to be possible among many peoples. In Homer's Odyssey the shade of Tiresias is brought up and consulted by Odysseus; in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible, Saul consults the witch, or medium, of Endor in order to speak to the spirit of Samuel. Numerous accounts of necromancy were written during the Middle Ages and later. The modern equivalent is spiritualism.

The sorcerer would stand in a magic circle, a small area marked out as a place of refuge. It commonly consisted of two or more concentric circles with a magical sign or shape in the middle. It was believed that to stand or sit within the centre of the circle was a protection against being carried away by demons while communicating with them.