Hail everyone

Do we have a place for rituals on this message board? I’ve written a few myself (for myself), but I’m now in the odd position of grieving for an animal companion, family member and friend; my male cat Angel who had a congenital heart condition and had to be put down.

I was wondering if people conduct any rituals to honour the death of a person or another animal friend. Angel died on 24 April 2012 and I buried him the next day under an avocado tree. I'm very sad at the moment and it was a very hard decision to make, but I didn't want him to suffer any more. He is now in the presence of Bast – one of the deities I tend to invoke in all my rituals.

Vale Angel, my good friend. A greater and more superior being than many human animals I’ve encountered.

I would like to know what any of you in the LTTD/COS realm think about this matter. My infernal regards to each and all of you who have taken the time to read this.

Sanguinary

Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss

- It hurts so much to lose a pet. - If you are real, and your pain is real, then keep your focus on your dreams.

We can get a lot of information in our dreams. We can even create magic in our dreams, sorry, but I can't express this more clear, just do it!

I am so sorry to hear of the death of Angel.

He had all possible love and care whilst he was with you. Then you relieved him of his pain. Nothing more could have been done.

I work for an animal welfare charity; I care for unhomeable Cats, those who are so severely traumatized that they cannot fit into a normal home.

I love Bast. I remember seeing a beautiful statue of Bast and her Kittens in Leyden Museum, the Netherlands. Of course the very logical ancient Egyptians regarded the Cat as a protective goddess. Agrarian communities were dependent on Cats to prevent rodents causing famine.

I am honestly sorry about your lost. I have two cat companions living with me and I have buried few cats myself, so I can understand your feelings.

Cat is the most magnificent animal, proud, self-knowing and loyal friend and I think that any cat whom I know wins most of human beings anyday in friendliness and loyalty.

While I have never used ritual to honor an animal companion, I have used it to honor a cousin of mine who passed away after a long bout with cystic fibrosis. In the end the ritual served to alleviate all of the grief that I had been hanging onto for years. It was a very emotional experience, and allowed me walk out of the ritual chamber carrying only those happy memories I desired to hang onto.

I believe that the more emotional, perhaps even grandiose, that you make this kind of ritual, the better impact it has on your emotional well being. Ritual is the perfect medium for venting your grief, and can be use to honor any species of animal, human or otherwise, that you have an emotional attachment to.

Sanguinary...First off, I know how you feel. Been there...done that. It never gets easier. My condolences to you.

To be quite honest, there is a form in the Member's Only section devoted to rituals and such. The etiquette of this particular board is not to discuss things in the general area that have been segregated into "The Basement", as it it sometimes called. That being said, and this may sound corny...go with your heart. Whatever you need to do say goodbye.

I am sorry for your loss; the death of a familiar is heartbreaking.

My cat was susceptible to a certain genetic disorder that essentially caused her kidneys and liver to shut down without warning, in the course of a week or so. This condition, once bad enough, is irreparable: treating one problem only causes the others to worsen and the only option is to free the animal from its body. My cat was acting funny one day, so I brought her into the vet for a checkup.

One Monday, I walked into the veterinarian's office with my cat and walked out about an hour later with an empty box.

No matter how many stories you hear, you are never prepared for the gaping hole a pet leaves behind. My ritual consisted of, well, doing un-23-year-oldly things for two days straight. It took about two weeks before I got used to waking up without her in bed with me, and I never 100% recovered.

In terms of letting go, it is (in my experience) impossible to ever truly do so. Losing a loved pet is like sustaining a deep wound; it does stop bleeding but the scar never fades. Focus on the good things; Angel loved you and you loved Angel. You replaced his heart with your own; the amount of pain you feel is proportionate to the amount of relief he feels.

Hail Satan; vale Angel.

Some Satanists certainly have, myself included. There is of course the Satanic funeral rite in The Satanic Scriptures. Also, recall that the eleventh Enochian key is "a funerary call".

But as mentioned, we reserve more detailed discussion on the topic for the private section of this message board.

As everyone else has said, you have my condolences.

Perhaps you could create your own little "service" to honor and say good-bye to your beloved friend.

It is now not so much the act of grieving [though that is still a part of it] but rather its transformation into a set of feelings of fond remembrance. LightAngel and I have corresponded over a few PM’s and the last one I sent included the ritual I wrote for Angel. Perhaps others may have a need for it, one day. As I said to my insightful dear friend – LightAngel, please feel free to use, modify or improve upon. Here it is:

To you, Angel I hail

A greater and more superior being than many human animals I’ve come across.

Freed from the shackles of this earthy life, you now roam the afterlife, without constraint, hindrance or impediment.

Favour me with an occasional visit and grant that I have the capacity to recognise you; for always welcome you will be.

I commend you to Bast; you are now a consort of Bast.

Shemhamforash
Hail Satan

In grateful recognition of those who have commented on (and potentially those who are yet to comment on); my infernal and respectful regards to all.

Sanguinary

My regards to you Sanguinary. Live long and prosper!

Very nice and well worded ritual. Sorry for your loss, sadly I know what that feels like and have been through it many times.

Sorry for your loss and, indeed, fine ritual.

I also know what this feels like, since my family raised and, unfortunately, buried several generations of cats.

I try not to let this sound as an inappropriate advice for you in this moment of grief, though this is what I can say out of my own experience...

We had many cats, some of which were injured, since we picked them up from the street. We gave them our love as much as we could. I am sure this also applies to you. Out of many pets we had, only one is left. Their lives are short and this reminds us that ours are too. So, I say - pull yourself together, live on and always preserve memory.


Hail Satan.

Im sure you regard your pets as family, as most of us do, and it hurts just as much as when a human dies. Cats, however, have long been regarded as gods, amd I was lucky enough to find a reincarnation of a chilhood cat when I graduated college. It looked and acted exactly the same as the one I had as a xhild and the first second it saw me, ran and junped in my lap and purred and i was convinced it was the same cat. Whether you believe in reincarnatiin or not, if there is such a thing cats can come back.....i dont know of any rituals, but dont be surprised if someday in the future your cat comes looking for you again. Youll know him when you see him.

Sure. God will send the immortal soul back on earth, since that's how it all happens... *rolls eyes*