{"id":322,"date":"2019-12-30T01:04:14","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T01:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dunsgathan.net\/sgathan\/?page_id=322"},"modified":"2022-03-25T22:22:21","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T22:22:21","slug":"ritual-hounds","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dunsgathan.net\/sgathan\/essays\/ritual-hounds\/","title":{"rendered":"Ritual Hounds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ritual Hounds v. 2<\/i><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n
In memory of\u00a0Irony<\/a>, Bran<\/a>, Scolaigh<\/a>e, C\u00f9<\/a>, \u00d2rlaith<\/a>, Sachairi<\/a>, and Gr\u00e1inne<\/a>… and Gleann<\/a>, the greatest Ritual Dog of all<\/i><\/h5>\n
by Saigh Kym Lambert (copyright<\/a> 1999, 2004, 2012 \u00a9 Saigh Kym Lambert, all rights reserved do not republish anywhere)<\/h6>\n

\"Buy<\/a>If you find this article helpful, please considering helping us feed and vet The Beasts<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Dogs don’t care if you\u00a0use<\/i> them in ritual.” \u00a0(quoted from an email from a banner exchange owner on why my site wasn’t “Pagan”, name withheld to protect the ignorant)*<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That this was sent by someone from the Pagan Community was shocking. \u00a0Why? \u00a0Because I figured that the connotations of the word “use” in such a context to be something that would flung by the most blatant anti-Pagan fundamentalist Christian. \u00a0To be accused of somehow “using” an animal companion from another “Pagan” was very upsetting. The context of this exchange was that I my site, which was at the time only this Hound section, was being rejected from a Pagan banner exchange (remember those) due to it not being Pagan. At the same time several cat sites were already on the exchange.*<\/a><\/p>\n

We don’t\u00a0use<\/i>\u00a0our dogs in ritual we\u00a0include<\/i>\u00a0them.\u00a0 They are, after all, a part of our family. And if they did not want to be there, they certainly would not be ( in fact, if we’re doing a cold, wet Samhuinn our Greyhounds may well wait at home while we do the offerings outside with our fuzzier dogs, but will happily accept the blessing when we get to the house and cuddle us while we feast) for trying to run a ritual with unhappy animals \u00a0present is not going to work. \u00a0But what role do they play? \u00a0And how aware are they?<\/p>\n

One of the classic ideas of animals in Pagan ritual or magical work is, of course, the “familiar.”\u00a0 Well, then I guess we can see where the idea of “using comes in, if any modern Pagans had familiars.\u00a0 Classically, familiars ran errands for a witch, or even let the witch use their body to travel in. \u00a0And during the Witch Trials\u00a0 familiars were not thought to be animals at all but demons in animals form. \u00a0The idea of the ”familiar” does seem to be a production of the Witch Trials to begin with, it is difficult to say how much it was rooted in reality and how much it was a \"Twoway to get rid of a lonely and inconvenient person who, due to the loneliness, might be the most likely to have a pet. \u00a0Beyond the historical possibilities, the modern usage of the term “familiar” indicates an animal companion that in some way aids with magical workings, offering energy, or grounding the modern Witch. \u00a0An animal that might also communicate on a different level than most do with the Witch, who might “find things out” (that running errands thing), or such. \u00a0And this has never been the relationship I have felt for all the years my animals have shared ritual or magical work with me.<\/p>\n

With my cats and ferrets there might have seemed more of a familiar relationship in some ways, but not completely even in the most modern interpretation of the word. \u00a0My cats actually seldom had anything to do with ritual at all. \u00a0Some would meditate with me however and help me ground out. \u00a0One, Mojo, however never let me go into trance when he was around, there was a reason for this, I believe, for he came into my life when another magic user was trying to attack me in my dreams and at first he would never let me even sleep through the night, later just freaking every time I started to get into a deep trance. \u00a0 My ferret, Mugwort, did seem to have a natural love for herbs (hence the name) and we usually did have him running about during ritual and at Imbolc when our “wine” (I was still Wiccan at the time) was milk, we would let him “bless” it by drinking a bit, as we had found some obscure reference to such a milk blessing. (It seems this was actually\u00a0a cure for whooping cough<\/a>\u00a0in Ireland and Britain)<\/p>\n

The dogs however, always had a clear purpose in ritual. \u00a0Guardian. \u00a0With the Doberman it was a bit overly obvious, as he was a guard dog. \u00a0But even a Toy Poodle was more than able to determine Otherworldly or this worldly interference. \u00a0Gabe<\/a>, my first dog of my own, would lie at the edge of the circle and keep an eye on things. \u00a0As\u00a0Gaelic Heathens, this role is even more defined.<\/p>\n

In our ritual, at least ideally, there are many more participants than just priestly. \u00a0As Tuath nan Sg\u00e0than was rather small even at its largest incarnation, members often wear more than one hat in the ritual. \u00a0But one of those “hats” is that of\u00a0warrior<\/a>. \u00a0The warrior’s role in the ritual is multiple in its own, and preferably there would be more than one. \u00a0On one hand we watch out for Otherworldly interference, on another we watch out for this worldly interference. \u00a0We are the ones that, without any ritual weapons we might have in the ritual area, would leave the ritual to extend a friendly hand to anyone passing by who is a bit too curious or looks like they might cause trouble if the ritual was in a public place. \u00a0And if trouble starts we’re the ones that try to deflect it, working with any needed law enforcement (who would be in charge at that point, of course). \u00a0 The hounds would be with the warriors (again that is if things were perfect and the warrior didn’t have to sometimes pass them to another person while s\/he did something else) watching. \u00a0In Celtic cultures dogs have always been known for seeing into the Otherworld better than we, actually this is probably pretty universal. And, of course, they are and always have been guardians of the World we are in as well.<\/p>\n

Warriors are also the ones that are likely, along with any healers\u00a0and counseling clergy, to be watching how folks in the ritual are doing. \u00a0Likely we would be the first to notice if someone is having a problem, whether a physical illness or a spiritual crisis. \u00a0And part of our training in crisis intervention is to help talk people down when they are in crisis, as well as helping someone out of the ritual area, getting them a chair or a drink of water, or whatever is needed. Healers and some clergy would be involved to if they are present in that Tribe. \u00a0And the hounds are part of this. \u00a0 Most dogs, as well as being very keyed into the energies of the environment, are very sensitive to people’s state of well being. \u00a0 And dogs are very comforting to those in crisis. \u00a0 \u00a0They can help someone ground out, give comfort to someone feeling ill. \u00a0This is of course contingent on the person being comfortable with the dogs, something that should be known about all in the ritual before it starts.<\/p>\n

Of course involving any dog in a ritual creates certain problems. \u00a0One that has often plagued us before moving to the country is where to have the ritual. \"TheWe held public rituals for several years, so we had to have space comfortable to strangers. \u00a0 As we share a back yard with our neighbors, and there were, um some issues with them about who is responsible and has usage of the yard (which meant it was often disgusting and dangerously filthy), that was not our favorite choice. \u00a0Parks often do not allow dogs; for Imbolc, which we do indoors, we were faced with the fact that most UU churches aren’t going to smile on them in their building either. \u00a0So, finding a place was difficult until we got our own land.<\/p>\n

And there is the fact that dogs, like young children, often do not understand that the offerings are off limits.\u00a0 Keeping our hounds who are walking stomachs from eating the offerings is often a challenge. \u00a0In our outdoor rituals it’s not that difficult, we keep them leashed and most offerings go into the fire. \u00a0But for Imbolc and our regular devotional offerings, we have to keep an eye on them. \u00a0Our house altar was raised, as it had been a coffee table which was just too easy for them to surf, now it is two coffee table height and that means they have to reach up.\u00a0 So while the offerings are on the altars, the hounds are not out of somebody’s sight. \u00a0And when they are later deposited outside, it is away from where they can get to them.<\/p>\n

When we do our rituals after our offerings and the omen, we share a food or drink as a symbol of Blessing in return. \u00a0 This is something that all \u00a0present must partake, so along with trying to always be careful to check for any humans’ food sensitivities, we also make sure it’s dog safe. \u00a0Even though it often is not something most folks would consider feeding dogs. However, ours eat everything, so they have joined us with berries, apples, cakes, and a lick of milk. \u00a0When I was practicing Wicca and had Gabe, who was a tad fussier, she always had her own “cakes and wine” which was a dog biscuit and water (which I’d rub on her lips as you can’t exactly convince a dog to drink just because it’s “time”). \u00a0So there are alternatives, but I do think it is important, no matter the tradition, that any such ritual sharing of food or drink involve the non-humans as well even if it means they have something different than the humans.\"Gleann\"<\/p>\n

And in answer to the “wise sage” quoted at the top, our hounds obviously love to be involved in ritual. \u00a0And why not? \u00a0It means they are with us, it means they have something to do and dogs need to have jobs or they get bored. And of course, they love the blessing\/treat. \u00a0Do they understand the spiritual aspect of it? \u00a0That would take someone better at communicating with them than I am to know for sure. \u00a0But there is often an obvious awareness that there is more Otherworld activity around us than there might otherwise be. \u00a0 But I don’t think that animals are ever in “mundane space” and perhaps that is their biggest role in ritual, to help us see that what we humans often feel we need to make things “sacred” is just our own lacking, that we should be able to connect with our Gods and the Otherworld at all times, like they can. That everything we do is magical and sacred.<\/p>\n

I hope that this page grows as we do more and more ritual with our hounds and we may include some stories as they happen (or I think of them).\u00a0\u00a0 For more on how I’ve found canines to be important on my own path and some stuff on deity connections please go to\u00a0Canines on my Path<\/a>. \u00a0For how hounds played an important role in Celtic culture with a bit of their connection to deity and heroes please check out\u00a0The Celtic Hound<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I further explore the canine nature of the Irish warrior on Sc\u00e1th na Feann\u00f3ige<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n