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| - As all witches and warlocks know, summoning creatures from another plane of existence requires a bit of ceremony. Sacrifices and exotic materials may be required along with elaborate ceremonies, but a simple geometric figure and a few candles will often be enough. Of course, there may be a whole other price to pay if the ritual succeeds. Keeping the Trickster demons and other unworldly apparitions can take a great deal of concentration or chanting; if the protective pentagram should be disturbed... If we're talking about demons, the road to summoning is not easy. You need to learn the magic circles, the true names of various demons, every conceivable precaution against the demon once summoned (as it's a rare demon who likes doing a wizard's dirty work). All told, it takes years of serious study... and heaven help you if you decide you're ready for a real demon midway through your training. Remember, Evil Is Not a Toy! A good rule of thumb is never to call up what you cannot put down, or summon anything larger than your head. Most people seem to make the grade with just a random mortal from another plane at any rate. Mind you, even if everything goes right, you might end up summoning someone out of the shower! The classical name for a scene in which some chthonic being is summoned up is a nekyia (νέκυια), which is to be distinguished from a catabasis {κατάβασις} or descent into the underworld. Examples of Summoning Ritual include:
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