A Bearwytch Guide to Pokemancy

Spookymon pt:3: Deathmask Divine

Yamask- the spirit Pokémon
Ghost Spirit
Ability: mummy
Evolves: lvl 34
Associations: Yama- Lord of the Dead, death masks, justice, twin, time, Kala, karma, šwt/sheut(Egyptian:shadow), Anubis

Yamask is a shadow-like Pokémon holding a mask that has a face from its time as a human. It has two shadowy, tendril-like arms and large, red eyes. It also has a small tail-like appendage that holds the mask.Due to being a human long ago, it has memories of being a human. If someone wears the mask Yamask carries, they will become possessed by the Yamask in question. Sometimes, it looks at this mask and cries, apparently in longing. Yamask is known to wander the ruins of ancient civilizations.

A person's shadow or silhouette, šwt, is always present. Because of this, Egyptians believed that a shadow contains something of the person it represents. Through this association, statues of people and deities were sometimes referred to as shadows.The shadow was also representative to Egyptians of a figure of death, or servant of Anubis, and was depicted graphically as a small human figure painted completely black. Sometimes people (usually pharaohs) had a shadow box in which part of their šwt was stored. The Hebrew word Sheol comes from the ancient Egyptian word Sheut (šwt), meaning shadow. The Egyptians believed that something of the dead person continues as a shadow beyond death. Small figurines called "Shabti" were painted black and placed in the graves to portray the continued existence of the deceased in shadow. Each figurine was inscribed with a prayer.
In the early part of the dynastic period, the little figurines were formed in the shape of mummies and simply carried the names of the deceased. During the Eighteenth Dynasty, however, the figurines began to carry baskets, hoes, hammers, picks, brick molds, chisels, and so forth, and thus they could serve as versatile agricultural servants and craftsmen. But not only did they replace the servants of the deceased, they also could work in the place of the deceased. The 6th chapter of the Book of the Dead touches on this.
"O ushabti, allotted to me, if I be summoned or if I be detailed to do any work which has to be done in the god's domain; if indeed obstacles are implanted for you therewith as a man at his duties, you shall detail yourself for me on every occasion of making arable the fields, of flooding the banks, or of conveying sand from east to west; 'Here am I', you shall say."

Lord Yama judges all souls when they die, and keeps records of all of the deeds of man. In the Mahabaharata he is considered the father of Dharma.

'Yamaaya dharma raajaaya
Mrutyave cha antakaaya cha
Vaivasvataaya kaalaaya
Sarva bhoota kshayaaya cha.
Audumbaraaya dadhnaaya
Neelaaya parameshtine
Vrukodaraaya chitraaya chitraguptaaaya vai namaha
chitraguptaaaya vai nama om namaha iti'
[Yama vandanam : Salutations to Yama,( Lord of Death ) who controls everything, Lord of Dharma (righteousness), who is death and who is time, who dissolves all ,who terminates everything, who is the son of Vivsvan, who is very strong, who has the name of Dadhna, who is of black complexion, who is worshipped by all, who has a large belly, who preserves all secrets scrupulously and who is a miracle himself. Prostration with On to Chitragupta.]

In the south he resides, companion to Lord Shiva. Yama is the one who decides whether the souls of the dead shall come to heaven (Svarga) or to Naraka, where the souls of the wicked humans have to wait for their sins to be burned away so they can be reborn.

Katha Upanishad: story of Nachiketa and Yama

Vajashrava, desiring a gift from the gods, started an offering to donate all his possessions. But Nachiketa his little young son noticed that his father was donating only the cows that were old, barren, blind, or lame not such as might buy the worshiper a place in Heaven.
Nachiketa wanting the best for his father's rite, asked: "I too am yours, to which god will you offer me?". After being pestered thus, vAjashrava answered in a fit of anger, "I give you to (Yama)".

So Nachiket went to yama's home, but the god was out, and he waited three days. When Yama returned, he was sorry to see that a Brahman guest had been waiting so long. He told Nachiketa, "You have waited in my house for three days without hospitality, therefore ask three boons of me". Nachiket first asked for peace for his father and himself. Yama agreed. Next, Nachiketa wished to learn the sacred fire sacrifice, which also Yama elaborated. For his third boon, Nachiketa asked to learn the mystery of what comes after death.

Yama was reluctant on this question; he said that this had been a mystery even to the gods. He asked Nachiketa to ask for some other boon, and offered many material gains.
But Nachiketa replied that material things will last only till the tomorrow(thats means for little time). He who has encountered Death personally, how can he desire wealth? No other boon would do.

Yama was secretly very pleased with this disciple, and elaborated on the nature of the true Self, which persists beyond death. The key of the realization is that this Self (within each person) is inseparable from Brahman, the supreme spirit, the vital force in the universe. Yama's explanation is a succinct explication of Hindu metaphysics, and focuses on the following points:

The sound Om! is the syllable of the supreme Brahman
The Self the holy Atman, whose symbol is Om is the same as the omnipresent Brahman. Smaller than the smallest and larger than the largest, the Self is formless and all-pervading.
The goal of the wise is to know this Self.
The Atman is like a rider; the horses are the senses, which he guides through the maze of desires.
After death, it is the Atman that remains; the Atman is immortal.
Mere reading of the scriptures or intellectual learning cannot realize Self.
One must discriminate the self from the body, which is the seat of desire.
Inability to realize Brahman results in one being enmeshed in the cycle of rebirths. Understanding the holy atman leads to moksha
Thus having learnt the wisdom of the Brahman from Yama, Nachiketa was freed from the cycle of births.

Yamask is a reminder that while our physical bodies will inevitably perish, there is more beyond the flesh. To me, Yamask is my very own poke-fied 'memento mori', if you will. 
Life and death are a constant cycle, a part of each of our lives.
I have never really been afraid of death, we are well acquainted. I have only ever worried about what would be left behind in my absence. That is enough, but not enough that I need to constantly worry about it, it has a place deep in the back of my head.
Invoke Yamask to help you sort out your perceptions of death and the afterlife, and come to terms with your particular fears on the matter. Flesh dies, the soul is eternal.