Training Pets for Ritual Work

If you have pets, the time will come when they become curious about your rituals - sticking their noses in your ritual implements. sniffing around your feet.  Instead of fighting this curiosity, you can make use of our pets in your rituals. Training them for the rituals is the best way to make sure that noses, whiskers, and tails don't go up in flame or worse.

My Pet Rituals

My feline housemates grew up around ritual. When she was tiny, Elsa used to sleep on my altar pentacle; in fact, it ws her favorite place in the home. As she got, larger, she didn't realize that she couldn't quite fit, and was quite shocked when she knocked items off the altar. Fortunately, she's now quite good about leaving sacred objects alone.

It is important that your pets get familiar with your ritual items. Most animals are naturally curious. If they haven't seen a tool before, they will want to know all about it. Whe I bring a new item into the house. I usually leave it out, or when I unwrap it I leave it somewhere where my pets can explore it.  They sniff it, move it around a bit and perhaps rub against it, marking it. Of course, wht four cats, if one of them marks someting, the other three must folow and copy her in  quick succession.<o:p></o:p>

Once they've throughly explored an item, I can set it on my altar to charge. Since my animals are familar with everything on my altar, they leave it alone, mostly.Probably the most important ritual item to reach pets about is your candle. Anything with a flame can be hazardous not just to the pet, but to the entire house. Obviously, you do not leave candle unattended. Occasionally, I will leave jar candles burning on my stove altar while I'm in another part of the house, but only for a few minutes. While I often use tapers in small holder for riutal or short spellwork, any long-term spellwork is done with yar candles,  It's just sager all the way around.

To introduce your pets to candles, let them come near the candle. Usually they approach cautiously, and then, as they feel the heat, they back away. If ou think the pet is getting too close say "No!" and firmly push the pet out of the way. You don't want the pet to associate something negative with candles, you jus don't want themcoming too close wen the candles ae lit. In other words don't scold te pet we he or she approaches an unlit candle, Otherwise, you will find chewed up or broken candles al over the placeIn general, you should allow our pet to get comfortable with your riutual setup before you actually start a ritual. It is quire distracting to have an animal who feels uncertain in a ritual while you're trying to concentrate, and it's almost impossible to raise energy that way. I recommend setting up the altar one day when you do not plan to have a ritual.  Allow our pet to explore the ritual area in a relaxed way.

Something I always do wht a new pet is to hold a welcoming ritual specifically for the pet. This is a low -stress, cast circle wher I welcome the pet, ask blessings, and let the pet get used to the ritual circle.There are many ways a pet can participate in riutal. My cats usually sin in th ecircle and watch everything that is going on. Ofthe, they can see much more than I can.  They rarely participate in my rituals around Samhain when I tend the dead - to many unfamilar sould for them to feel comfortable. But in one of my regular ritual circles, they sit and watch or fall asleep. During meditatiion, they often sit over my heart chakra or solar plexus and purr, heightening the relaxation.  When the cats participate in circle, I always make sure that I have some treats within the spae - when the bread is passed around, the cats get a treat. We we feast, they get a snack.A friend of mine has one male cat and one female cat. Te female cat sleeps in another room, during the riutal, but comes out and joins us for the feast.  The male cat usually sits just inside the circle and watches everything that goes on. During meditations, he makes the rounds, checking on each of us. If someone takes onger htan usual to return from meditation, he gently nuzzles her along. If someone gets emotional, he is there to offer comfort. Another friend of mone has a bird who "sings" along with the chants - not only odes this add a unique kind of energy, but it promotes quite a bit of laughter.<Yet another friend of mine trained her dog to be a guardian, especally during outdoor rituals. Instead of keeping the dog within the cicle, letting him put his head in people's laps, or letting people play with him, she sets him off to one side of the circle,  just outside the boundary. He watches her cast the circle, and then watcehs what goes on within and without the circle. If someone approaches, he give a warning bark - not aggressive, just factual. If the person persists, he will gently but firmly try to guide that person away. He's a big dog - a Husky mix - and usually people will do as he asks. At the end of the circle, he comes in for the feast and gets his treats. It only took him two or three rituals to catch on that this was his job in ritual. He's quite wonderful, and I feel safer with him around.

If your pet shows no interest in joining ritual, don't force the pet. Let the animal get interested on his or her own. Let the animal decide when the time is right to join in. Show a lot of patience and alot of love.If an animal shows signs of discomfort or senses something you can't, pay

attention. The animal's senses are much  more highly tuned than yours. Double check your circle and your protection, and reinforce where necessary.

Pets add much love, joy, laughter, and focus to a ritual. If you have pets, I encourage you to let them get accustomed to your ritual work and include them in it. You will be surprised at the leaps , and tangents your magic takes.

Llewellyn's 2003 Magickal Almanac