Egyptian Pantheon: Anubis

Anubis (Greek form of the Egyptian Inpu or Anpu, meaning “to decay” or “the royal child”) is the Egyptian God of the Dead, Embalming, and Afterlife Transition. With the head of a black jackal and the body of a man, he embodies both death and divine protection — ensuring that every soul finds its rightful place in eternity.

Anubis is the psychopomp — the divine guide who walks with the departed through the shadowed halls of the Duat, ensuring safe passage and fair judgment. His presence is solemn yet merciful, a reminder that death is not an ending, but a sacred journey of truth.

Mythology & Lore

Anubis is among Egypt’s most ancient deities, his worship predating even the Old Kingdom (circa 3100 BCE). He was originally the supreme god of the dead before Osiris rose to prominence, after which Anubis became his devoted guardian and servant — the one who tends to the bodies of the fallen and ensures their resurrection through ritual.

He is said to have embalmed and wrapped the body of Osiris, creating the first mummification and teaching humans the sacred art of preserving the soul’s vessel. Thus, he became patron of embalmers, priests, and all who work with the dead.

Anubis presides over the “Weighing of the Heart” in the Hall of Ma’at. There, each soul’s heart is placed upon the scales opposite the feather of Truth. If the heart is light and pure, the soul journeys onward into eternal life; if heavy with falsehood, it is devoured by Ammit. Through this act, Anubis ensures divine justice — compassion balanced with truth.

He walks beside Nephthys, his mother, in guiding and protecting the souls of the departed. In many depictions, he is shown holding the ankh (life), flail (discipline), and was scepter (power) — symbols of sovereignty over both life and death.

Aspects & Domains

✦ Anubis the Psychopomp (Guide of Souls)

Leads the departed through the Duat and guards them from deception and danger.
Keywords: Death, transition, guidance, protection, spiritual passage.

✦ Anubis the Embalmer (Preserver of Form)

Patron of funerary rites and the sanctity of the body; teacher of sacred preparation.
Keywords: Ritual, purification, respect, sacred preservation.

✦ Anubis the Judge’s Guardian

Keeper of balance and truth, ensuring justice is served in divine measure.
Keywords: Truth, fairness, moral clarity, integrity.

✦ Anubis the Protector of Graves

Watches over the resting places of the dead, warding off desecration and corruption.
Keywords: Protection, guardianship, sanctity, purity.

Symbols & Colors

• Colors: Black (fertility of the Nile and renewal through death), gold (divinity), silver (moonlight and truth), white (purity), deep indigo (mystery and protection)

• Symbols: Scales, heart and feather, jackal, ankh, flail, mummy wrappings, tomb, scepter, crescent moon

• Animals: Jackal, dog, wolf — all representing guardianship, loyalty, and liminal power

• Plants/Herbs: Cypress, frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, aloe, lotus, rosemary

• Sacred Associations: Death and rebirth, embalming, truth, protection, ritual purity, lunar cycles, passage between realms

Crystals & Stones

Anubis’s energy is grounding, clarifying, and powerfully protective — ideal for spiritual journeying and transformation:

• Obsidian – protection, truth, shadow integration

• Jet – ancestral connection, grief healing, defense

• Onyx – grounding, focus, stability in transition

• Smoky Quartz – release, purification, safe passage

• Labradorite – guidance between realms, transformation

• Amethyst – spiritual insight, purification, connection to higher realms

Rituals & Offerings

• Shadow Candle Rite: Light a black or deep blue candle and ask Anubis to guide you through fear, grief, or spiritual transformation.

• Truth Offering: Write a truth you must face or release; place it beneath an obsidian stone overnight, then burn or bury it as an act of cleansing.

• Offerings: Bread, beer, incense (frankincense, myrrh), honey, milk, water, flowers, dark chocolate, or statues of jackals.

• Acts of Devotion: Care for ancestors, protect cemeteries, or help others through times of loss and transition.

• Funerary Prayer: Speak his name before sleep or mourning, asking him to guard the souls of the departed.

Metaphysical Work with Anubis

• Death & Rebirth: Guides transformation and release of old energies.

• Protection: Creates strong spiritual shields during psychic work or grief.

• Truth & Integrity: Encourages honest self-reflection and moral strength.

• Shadow & Ancestral Work: Illuminates fears, grief, and inherited pain for transmutation.

• Spiritual Guidance: Helps navigate the unseen realms safely.

• Calm & Peace: Brings stability in times of mourning, fear, or change.

Invocation Example

"Anubis, Lord of Sacred Rest,
Guide of hearts through final test.
With torch of truth and shadow’s grace,
Lead me through the veiled place."

Modern Worship & Practice

Anubis remains one of the most honored Egyptian deities among modern practitioners of Kemetic, pagan, and witchcraft traditions. He is invoked not only in funerary rites but also in spiritual transformation, shadow work, and ritual purification.

• Altars: Black or gold cloth, candle flame, jackal statue or image, ankh, incense, water, stones.

• Chants: “Dua Anpu! Guardian of the Dead!” or “Anubis, Keeper of the Veil, protect and guide.”

• Ritual Timing: New or dark moon, funerary rites, Samhain, or periods of grief and spiritual transition.

• Daily Practice: Light a candle for ancestors, speak truth without fear, and practice mindfulness in endings and beginnings alike.

To walk with Anubis is to walk with dignity through the shadows — to see death as sacred renewal and truth as the only path through darkness. He is the silent guardian at every threshold, reminding us that all endings are but transformations in disguise.