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This post was last updated on April 1, 2026
Elden Ring is not an easy game, and the Lands Between are dangerous without help from your allies. But if you aren’t playing online, you might find on occasion that you require help to take on some of the tougher enemies in the game. Thankfully, spirit summons are available to help.
Like many of the mechanics in Elden Ring, you do need to unlock the ability to summon spirits, in case you are wondering why you can’t just summon them. There are also some other factors that you need to take into consideration to get your spirit summons to work.
Read on as we look at how to use spirit summons as well as some reasons why you can’t summon spirits in Elden Ring.
Why Can’t I Summon Spirit Ashes?
If you’re having trouble summoning your spirit ashes, here are five things you should look into:
1. Does the area have the white gravestone mark?
As mentioned before, you can only use the bell to summon spirits in areas with a gravestone icon on the left side of your screen. You will find this in practically all boss rooms, the one exception is the Radahn battle, but that fight has its own summons.
The icon will also appear on occasion while you are in the open world, usually in areas with difficult bosses such as dragons or Tibia Mariner. It will also show in some areas with a lot of enemies, like Mogh’s blood fields or the various enemy encampments dotted around.
2. Do you have a spirit ashes equipped?
If there is a grave symbol, then it is also worth making sure that you have a spirit ashes equipped. You can check the spirit ashes you have picked up while playing in the inventory screen. If you collected the bell from Renna, then you will already have one. But there are multiple ways to get more, either by clearing dungeons, killing bosses, or buying them.
3. Do you have enough FP?
All but one of the spirit ashes have a FP requirement. If you notice a line through your ashes and the other requirements are met, then you might not have enough. If you are not playing a magic or faith build, you might not have been levelling your FP. Fortunately, there are plenty of items you can equip to increase FP.
For the mimic tear ashes, you need to make sure you have over 660HP, as you can not summon it if it means it will kill you.
4. Are you in Multiplayer?
If you have either gone to the aid of other players or had a friend’s character join your game, you will find that you lose the ability to summon. This is due to the fact that you already have a summon to assist you in dealing with the difficult boss fight.
5. Have you already summoned spirit ashes?
If you are in combat and your spirit summons disappear, you have either left the area or it’s dead. You will not be able to summon them in the same area again until you have died or rest at a site of grace.
How to Get Spirit Calling Bell
In order to summon spirits, you need to first get the Spirit Calling Bell. This is an easy item to pick up, as you can collect it as soon as you have been given the Spectral Steed Torrent by Melina. This will happen after you rest at your second site of grace within the tutorial zone in Limgrave.
Once you have Torrent, you just need to visit the Church of Elleh site of grace in Limgrave, at night, where you’ll find the new NPC snow witch Renna sitting on the broken wall. If you speak to her, she will give you the Spirit Calling Bell for free, along with the Lone Wolves Ashes.
If you have progressed through the game to the point of meeting Ranni first, the calling bell and the ashes will both become available at the Twin Maiden Husks store in the Roundtable Hold.
How to Use Summon Spirits in Elden Ring
Once you have the spirit summoning bell you must equip the spirit ashes you want to summon to your pouch slots before you can use the bell. You don’t need to worry about equipping the bell, as it will automatically ring when you use the ashes summon.
It will only work when you are near rebirth monuments, indicated by a white gravestone icon on the left hand side of your screen. This generally appears in boss areas or places where there are lots of enemies.
The other requirement to summon spirits is that you need enough focus points (FP). With the lower level spirits, the amount of FP that you start with should be adequate. However, some of the stronger spirits, such as Black Knife Tiche, need a certain amount of FP to summon.
The mimic tear is the only exception, as it takes away your health to get summoned.
Early Spirits
As you explore Elden Ring, you are sure to find plenty of summoning spirits. At the start of the game, the one that most players are sure to get is the Lone wolf ashes. If you want to get some more, the next one you can find is Jellyfish Spirit ashes. These can be found in the shack on the path near Stormvale simply talk to Roderika to get them.
The fanged imp spirit ash is another simple one to obtain. You can select it as one of the Keepsakes during Character Creation.
Final Thoughts
Spirit ashes are a lot of fun in Elden Ring whether you are fighting a tough boss or raiding a camp of enemies. If you are having trouble, just remember to make sure you have the spirit calling bell, spirit ashes, enough FP, and are in a zone near rebirth monuments.
