“Anubis, Sovereign of Death,
Master Healer and Lord of Night
Take my hand and guide me through the darkness
With your eyes that pierce the blackness.
Though afraid, I walk by your side
To face my shadows,
To find balance,
To empower.
Light my path through the darkness.
Through the path, I am transformed.”
Anubis is somewhat mysterious to many people as the ancient Egyptian God of the death rites and mummification and some may wonder how this is relevant to their modern needs. Others are fascinated by the old ways but may be asking how do I worship in a system that required temple priests and elaborate ritual settings? Author Charlie Larson is a devotee of Anubis. He makes the case for Anubis being far more than just the God overseeing mummification and explores the multifaceted roles he performs: psychopomp, Master of the Keys, Healer, Protector, to name a few epithets.
Part One: Discovering Anubis, lays the groundwork by introducing the mythology of Anubis. The role of Anubis evolved and changed over millennia and even at times merged with other deities such as Hermanubis. The myths are contradictory sometimes but the variations on the myths and what these different ways to see the story may mean are approached undogmatically. The myths may seem a bit confusing but the presentation in the book does a nice job of walking through them. This section describes funerary and embalming practices and the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians about the journey of the soul after death. The book includes a number of black and white images of Anubis statues and paintings performing his various roles.
As a modern practitioner, the author is interested in showing the reader how to establish a practice of worship. Larson discusses how he came to know Anubis, personal visions of the God, and why he feels that Anubis is relevant here and now. Part Two: Working with Anubis is a long section that covers a lot of ground. How do you approach Anubis if you have not before? What should you not do when establishing this relationship? What are appropriate offerings? How do you set up an altar and sacred space? Spells for protection and blessing, using divination, shadow work and initiation round out this section.
For people who are solo practitioners, this work can help establish a personal daily practice. If you come from a background of working with the Egyptian pantheon on in its entirety, this last section can offer some more narrowly defined ways to honor Anubis specifically and entreat him for your requests. I felt that this section was intended more for people who may be trying to begin this spiritual path as it really covers the basics of ritual and devotion but some of these will be welcome additions. For instance, the spell to protect a deceased pet, is not found everywhere.
Recommended.
review by Larissa Carlson
Author: Charlie Larson
Red Wheel Weiser, 2024
206 pages. $18.95
