The Odyssey book 11 notes

this is the book where Odysseus follows the orders of Circe and performs a ritual to reach the dead to do this he first digs a hole "About a cubit either way- and round it's edges [Odyseus] poured an offering to all the dead." This offering consisted of first a honey and milk mixture, then wine and thirdly water. Then over the top of it all he pours barley meal. Having completed that much he then promises to sacrifice his best heifer when he gets home to Ithica. Then he finds the best black sheep from the flock and cut it's throat, letting the blood spill into the pit.
He then gets the opportunity to speak to the dead. one person that he talks to is Elpinor. Elpinore is the young man who got drunk, fell off the roof of Circe's house, broke his neck and promptly died. He begs Odysseus to return and burn his body in his armor so that his soul may have peace.
another person he talks to is his mother. She tells him how she died of greif after he left and updates him on the goings on of his house, tells him that Penelope is waiting for him to return and that he will be king once again when he gets home.
A last person who Odysseus speaks to is Tiresian the Thebian. He promises Odysseus that he will return home safely if he does no touch the sun god's animals alone (which he doesn't) when he gets to Thrinacia. He tells him that if he doesn't he will not make it home without enduring more grief and the loss of more men. Finally Odysseus becomes overwhelmed by all the dead asking him questions, that he becomes frightened and runs away.