Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
Of Light & Shadow: Connecting with Anubis at Samhain

Of Light & Shadow: Connecting with Anubis at Samhain

Last updated on: October 13, 2019 at 5:16 pm by Charlie Larson

Of Light & Shadow: Connecting with Anubis at Samhain 2019-10-13T17:16:00+00:00 Charlie Larson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

With Samhain approaching in just a couple of weeks (wow, already?), many pagans and witches are already well into their preparations for the celebration. I often find that I am scrambling rather last-minute to get my preparations in order, as I get wrapped up in so many other things going on in the fall season and my own personal life. The next few months of the year seem to be the busiest for some, and I am not any different. But with a couple of weeks left, it’s not too late to prepare our celebrations and magickal workings.

It’s not too late to prepare our celebrations and magickal workings. Image by loulou Nash via Pixabay.

Before I jump into the content of what the name of this article suggests, I’ll back up a minute. Samhain is not an Egyptian-originated holiday. The name ‘Samhain’ is of Celtic origin, it originates with the Old Irish word meaning “summer’s end” and was celebrated throughout all of the Celtic isles and northwestern Europe. There are other celebrations around the world at this time of the year with similar themes of spirit and ancestral reverence, such as Día de los Muertos in central America and All Saints Day in Christianity.

There really isn’t an equivalent holiday in Egypt celebrated around the same time of year; there is, however, written record that suggests Osiris’ resurrection (with the help of Isis, Anubis, Nephthys, and others) happened around this time of the year, but that’s a story for another day.

But if you take a look – and believe me, you don’t have to look far – at the religion of the ancient world of Egypt, it’s rife with themes of death, the dead, the afterlife, spirits of the dead, ancestral reverence, etc. It was a central piece of their everyday life. They built giant pyramids and elaborate tombs just to ensure that the dead had the best experience they could in the afterlife. You can literally Google “Egypt” and get immediate proof.

There’s no need to try to rationalize connections for someone like me, who is an eclectic witch and pagan. It’s not as much the origin of the celebration as the celebration itself. Regardless of the name you give it – I choose to use the name Samhain, mind you, but you can choose the name you prefer – it’s still a time of the year to honor and celebrate the spirits of the dead and the growing darkness of the year. Magickally speaking, it’s a time to do spells associated with transformation and the shadow self.

It’s a time to do spells associated with transformation and the shadow self. Image by Pete Linforth via Pixabay.

Anubis is Khenty-Amentiu, Lord of the Dead. His worship as prominent god of death predates that of Osiris and many other deities in Egypt. He was so widely important in Egypt that there were many necropoli and catacombs dedicated to him. At a place in modern Egypt called Saqqara, just south of the capital of Cairo, 8 million mummified animals, mostly dogs, were found placed at the catacombs there. Egyptologists and professors believe that, rather than being sacrificed as it might be presumed, people would make a pilgrimage to the catacombs at Saqqara to have the mummified remains of their beloved dogs placed there as a gift to Anubis.

Guardian

Anubis is Tepy-Dju-ef, Guardian and Protector. Many, if not most, people in ancient Egypt would pray to Anubis throughout their lifetime for protection and that they may be guided to the afterlife upon death. Anubis’ image and name were painted and etched in tombs and upon sarcophagi and coffins for protection and guidance, and statues were placed within the tombs themselves.

He is the Obsidian Lord that watches quietly in the dark, offering a strong, solid presence. Carry a stone such as obsidian or black tourmaline. In times where you feel that you need protection, you can call to Anubis and ask for his protection:

Dua Anpu!

Walk with me.

Guard me on my path.

Shroud me in your dark cloak of protection.

Quick relevant lesson – Anubis is the name given to him by the Greeks and the most frequently used name. Anpu is the closest estimate of how his name would be transliterated into modern language. I honestly use the two interchangeably, depending on where my intuition takes me.

The In-Between Spaces

As Liminal Lord, Anubis rests in the spaces between the Earth, the Underworld, and the Stars. The Earth and the Underworld are his realms as he walks with the spirits of the living and the dead and guides them towards the afterlife. He is the shadow that exists between the physical and the light. Black and Gold are his colors, and he rests in and between both. There are also loose associations between Anubis and the Sirius star, connecting him to the astral realm and to the mysteries and secrets hidden there. As Samhain is (roughly) the halfway point between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice, it’s a liminal time in itself.

Divination is a good way to connect with Hery-Sesheta and ask for messages and guidance. Photo by the author.

Connecting with Anubis on Samhain

Samhain is a night of liminality, of mystery and of secrets. Connect with Anubis as Hery-Sesheta, Master of Secrets. He holds the keys to the secrets and mysteries of the universe. For me, I find that I can connect with him using a symbol of some sort. Personally, the key is often symbolically represented in the Ankh, the Utchat, the infinity loop, scales, or a key – it depends on what intuitively calls to me.

Here’s an example of something I’ve done to connect with him on Samhain in past years. I love to go on a nice stroll in the chill night air. Doesn’t have to be anywhere in particular, but perhaps somewhere quieter where you can really connect with his spirit. This is my time to mentally commune with Anubis – my walking meditation where I simply let my mind explore the deeper mysteries. I may be speaking directly to him, sometimes, too.

When I return home, I will usually do some sort of ritual bath. Afterwards, I will sit down in front of a black candle (or sometimes black and gold to represent he who is between worlds), often anointed with sandalwood or frankincense with images of one of the symbolic keys drawn or etched on it. There is always incense on hand to be lit as both an offering and a means of getting into the right headspace to connect with Anubis.

Smoky quartz & mugwort help me connect with Anubis as Liminal Lord & Hery-Sesheta. Photo by Devanath via Pixabay.

I like to have smoky quartz and mugwort on hand, as these help me to connect with him as Liminal Lord and Hery-Sesheta. A nice, steady rhythmic drum beat, or something that will get me into the rhythm and magick, helps, too. If the mood strikes, I will say or chant Dua Anpu, or perhaps simply mentally repeat his name or one of his epithets.

Divination is a good way to connect with Hery-Sesheta and ask for messages and guidance. In tarot, He often appears to me as the Death card, Judgement, King of Swords, or sometimes something else entirely. It varies depending on the message he has for me. A simple question of ‘what message do you have for me, Anubis?’ will do.

Magickally speaking, shadow workings or any kind of shamanic journeying are good to do with Anubis and on Samhain, too. I’ve used him as a guide to connect with parts of me that need healing. I’d recommend taking time to read my article Transformation & Anubis for starters, and then continuing with Beginning Emotional Healing with Anubis.

As you step out into the dark, chill, starlit Samhain night air, call to Anpu. He is Khenty-Amentiu, the Lord of the Dead. He is Tepy-Dju-ef, Guardian and Protector. He is Hery-Sesheta, Master of Secrets. Seek Him. Walk with Him.

(Note: descriptions of epithets used here are not literal translations, but translations of meaning/intention as I’ve interpreted them in my own practice).

About Charlie Larson

Charlie Larson has been a practicing eclectic pagan and witch for nearly two decades. Though devoted to Anubis, he also works with a number of other deities. He is a linguist, a teacher, and a teacher trainer in the field of higher education, and he holds a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics. He has been a writer of poetry and fiction for most of his life and is currently working on non-fictional works under the umbrella of paganism and witchcraft. He is a Reiki II practitioner and is currently learning Sekhem Heka. His practice is highly devotional, incorporating deities, ancestors, and other spirits into his practice. Charlie currently resides in San Francisco, California, and he enjoys reading, writing, hiking, gaming, enjoying art, and learning languages. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

October 9, 2019

Magick IRL: Book Review - True Magic by Cyndi Brannen

Next Post

October 16, 2019 The DruWitch Way: Think Twice, Banish Once

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Lakeside Hearth Adventures in Wortcunning Alone In Her Presence Arts, Crafts & Cooking Birthing Hereditary Witchcraft Book of Blackbirds Book Reviews Born-Again Witch Cauldron, Sword, Spear, & Stone Cermony and Liturgy Columns Community Dandelion Seeds Dear Jasmine Druid Thoughts Editor's Picks Everyday Pagan Family & Household Practice Family Traditions Full Frontal Magic Gateway Goddess Guest Articles Happily Heathen Health and Wellness Hearth of Hellenism Heathen Woman Hills of the Horizon History Holidays Horse Goddesses Interfaith Interviews Irish-American Witchcraft Jewish Witch Lamp & Labyrinth Letters from Midgard Literature, Media, Film, Music Loop of Brighid Love, Sex & Relationships Magic or Magick Making Light Naturalistic Traditions Nature News Outside The Circle Pantheisticon Politics Prayers, Poems, Blessings & Stories Queer Femme Mystic Queer of Swords Recipes Ritual and Practice Science and Research Seekers and Guides Seeking the Grail Socially Responsible Magic Spear of Athena Star Made Witch Syncretic Electric Technology The Blooming Staff The Busy Witch The Cartomancer The Crow's Nest The Dance of Pagan Recovery The Hearth of Hellenism The Lady's Quill The Other Side of the Hedge The Path of She The Rantin' Raven The Witches Next Door The Zen Pagan Theology, Ethics, Philosophy Tree City Witch Urban Earthwitch Wayfaring Woman Witch on Fire Wyrd Words

Select a Month January 2026 March 2025 December 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 August 2023 July 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many books in the Bible are classified as poetry?

Select your answer to see how you score.

5 7 6 4