How important are dogs in our lives?
Well, in our house, our dog has been the glue that holds the home and each of us together in so many ways. He is the one that loves you when you come home upset and depressed after a terrible workday and makes you feel instantly better. He is the one that gives love and comfort and help whenever needed, without asking for anything in return. Okay, maybe he’ll request (insistently) some doggie treats and a hug or two.
If you have a dog, you know what I mean. The bond we have with our furry familiars is deep and far-reaching. A day doesn’t go by without reading an article about some dog saving a child or a dog helping someone with special needs. We spend hours watching cute puppies on YouTube because it makes us feel good.
Dogs, simply said, make us happy. They also do many other things for us because they love us and we love them. Our dog, Thor, not only loved and made us howl with laughter but he also protected us, guided us, helped us find our son when he got lost, warned us of dangers, chased away vermin, and provided healing and love when we needed it most. Dogs always give us unconditional love. No matter how they are treated, dogs almost always respond with devotion. What an awesome being to do so much for so little.
We Love Our Dogs
We have traveled to dozens of countries together, and everywhere we went we saw dogs doing what they have done for thousands of years—everything I’ve mentioned and more. Our relationship with our amazing dog and our doggish encounters all over the world led us to seriously consider the powerful and important relationship we, as people, have with our dogs.
As we researched, we were astounded to find the same myths, stories, ideas, and symbols as well as both practical and magical connections between our two species reflected in most every culture. The traditional and current benefits and aspects that magical dogs bring to our world are embodied in myth, magic, religion, and shared cultural wisdom.
Dogs are a subset of what are called canines. The term canine (originally meaning “pointed tooth”) comes from the Latin caninus. Eventually, it was used interchangeably with “dog.” In this book, we consider all canines dogs.
How did dogs become part of our lives to such an extent? The current theory is that some 40,000 years ago some of the wolves that followed human tribes began to change their relationship with these strange bipedal beings. This symbiotic relationship between canines and primitive humans has evolved and grown in the tens of thousands of years that followed. Canines are both carnivores and scavengers, and it is likely wolves and other canines followed primitive human tribes—first as predators, but over time because they could scavenge food scraps left behind. Their fear and mistrust of people shifted toward a view of us being a constant source of food, thus helping them survive.
It is likely these wild canines began getting closer to the fires of the tribes to get warmth and food. As people began to make friends with them, these wild dogs became a great help in tracking game and emerged as the watchdogs of the tribe, alerting tribal members to potential danger. Archaeological evidence shows that domesticated canines fought off wild wolves, bears, and other threatening creatures. As the relationship developed, humans learned to breed dogs to bring out the most desirable domesticated qualities. Eventually wolves evolved into dogs that became more than wary friends; they became family.
Evidence shows dogs helped ancient man hunt from the earliest days, and their ability to find animals by tracking was likely seen as magical and divine. Dogs are depicted in cave paintings as helping to bring down huge game and also as companions. Some argue that we might literally owe our survival as a species to the help that dogs provided as we were struggling with hunger, disease, lack of fur and fang, ice ages, and an altogether inhospitable world. It must have been wonderful discovering an ally, and things remain the same today.
We experienced this primitive interconnection between people and canines when we traveled the western desert of Egypt and camped with Bedouins. At night, we saw the glowing eyes of the fennecs, small foxlike canines, waiting patiently for the scraps of our meals, which our Bedouin guide took out and left in the dunes. He informed us that this relationship existed as far back as his tribe could remember. In turn, the fennecs watched out for the few harmful creatures that might be about, such as snakes.
Magical Dogs Around the World
Every news day brings a story of a dog rescuing a family or finding a survivor in rubble or whose steadfast protection saves a small child. As companions or service animals, they help people with PTSD, dementia, diabetes, autism, depression, anxiety, and a myriad of other issues. Dogs are a source of joy and solace to those who are alone. In our family, the love and support of our dog helped us survive real tragedies and traumas.
Most people recognize that there is something magical about dogs. Over a third of households in the United States now own dogs, and a 2013 article in Psychology Today estimated there were 525 million pet dogs in the world at that time. This may make dogs the most popular pet of all.
Dogs are not just beloved members of the family but also serve as work dogs and sometimes act as spiritual as well as physical guardians. Dog spirit is seen this way in Aboriginal culture and the dingo was both totemic ancestor and beloved member of the family in Australian Aboriginal societies.
In many places, dogs are part of the family, unlike most other animals. In Mongolia, dogs are adopted just like children. In Egypt, dogs were mummified and buried, often next to their people, under the auspices of the canine-headed god of the dead, Anubis. Similar practices are common in many ancient and current cultures. One of the most ornate and beautiful places we visited in Japan was a pet cemetery next to a human one. Inside were shrines filled with photos and mementos. A small central Buddhist temple was dedicated to the souls of these beloved pets whose owners often resided next door.
Dogs and healing have been entwined in magical and practical concepts from the dawn of history. The healing power of dogs is now well documented. In our family, whenever we were stressed or sick, our dog was right there to comfort and help heal us. I remember many times when I had the flu or my partner was quite ill and our dog quietly lay with us, maybe he would lick us, but often just be with us. He made us feel better, and in a powerful, mystical way actually appeared to help heal us with dog-love energy.
Those of us with dogs are not surprised, but this moves the healing power of dogs into the realm of demonstrable reality when before it used to be part of faith. There are several healing gods and goddesses represented by dogs or who have them as symbols. A dog often represented Aesculapius, the healer god of ancient Greece, whose snake-entwined staff is still a symbol of medicine. Dogs were common at Aesculapius’s temples, which were ancient hospitals. A dog symbolized the Sumerian goddess Gula, and her temples were also centers of healing.
Service dogs help people recover from many physical and mental problems. A book called Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs by Sharon Saks contains astounding data that seems almost mystical. For example, one Japanese study cited in this book found pet owners made 30 percent fewer visits to doctors. An Australian study of six thousand people showed that owners of dogs have lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart attack risk compared with people who do not have a dog.
It is said in many cultures that when we pass on dog spirits and dog gods guide us through the perils of the afterlife so we can reach paradise or rebirth. Even today in Japan, Iran, and many other places, the idea that dog spirits can help guide us “on the other side” is part of many funerary traditions. I think all of us dog owners, in our hearts, hope to see our faithful dogs waiting for us when we pass on.
We have clearly been letting dogs guide us for thousands of years, in this world and the next. How many dog owners have gotten lost somewhere and had their dogs guide them home or back to a place they knew? We have gotten turned around in a local state park and simply followed our dog back to the entrance.
Things have not changed very much. Long ago, when finding a safe path for the tribe and successful hunting kept starvation at bay, it was dogs that helped to keep us safe and well fed. They guided us, physically and spiritually, and so it is even today.
As a child, I hunted ducks with my father, and it was always a marvel to see the dogs take over once we were in the marsh, mysteriously following an invisible scent right to the prey and then flushing the ducks and pointing to them. Once we were in the fields, it was all up to the dogs. It was obvious as a kid that this was some kind of amazing magic.
As a child, my dog barked at things that we could not see, occasionally chasing unseen “visitors” out of our very old home. Later, as a married grown-up interested in the spiritual world, I noticed that my dog would often appear to see things that I could not see or follow things with his eyes that were not part of my reality. It is claimed dogs see things we can’t see, whether they are ghosts or strange energies of some sort. We trust them in this way, though we might not like to admit it. Our dog once showed great agitation for no apparent reason right before we received a phone call about an accident and again, years later, before we learned about the death of a family member. Coincidence? Many dog owners have similar stories.
Even now, if our dog balks at going someplace spooky or odd, we are likely going to pay attention to his superior senses and go where he says to go. What would we do without guidance from our dogs?
No one is more loyal than a dog and watching the news recently, this has been very evident. There was the dog that protected a lost autistic boy from danger. Then there was the story of the terrier that became lost when a family moved and tracked the family across country successfully. Reports of rescue dogs finding victims in a recent Nepalese earthquake and photos of a dog that died with his master rather than flee the Fukushima Tsunami in Japan that trapped many victims are recent stories that come to mind.
It has been said that dogs are the only pets that will readily die for you, and it is common for dogs to pass on shortly after their human companion has died. I recently read a story about an elderly woman passing on after her dog died, so we see that this deep love and devotion goes both ways. Dogs are not just heroes; they are powerful symbols of love and devotion.
Dogs in Folklore & Mythology
Canines are the most referenced animals in mythology, and we know this because we spent over a year researching them. Many other wild animals and pets have divine stories, rituals, and symbolism attached to them, but dogs are so universally loved for their loyalty, healing, and companionship that they occupy a very special place in almost all religions, faiths, and myth cycles all over the world.
Canines protected humanity from the beginning, but they continue protecting us spiritually as tradition and folklore tell us. Shi, or Lion-Dogs, are often called Foo Dogs or “magic dogs”. They have protected temples, homes, and people across Asia for thousands of years. Almost every temple in China has Foo Dog statues out front, driving away evil of all kinds. Paper charms with sacred symbols and Foo Dogs on them are burned in rituals to drive away evil spirits.
The dog-headed god Anubis was an ancient Egyptian guardian of the spirits of the dead and the living. It was a divine golden dog that protected baby Zeus and whose image represented such protection in ancient Greece. In Nordic countries, the runic symbols called “wolf hook” and “eye of the wolf” can still be seen, banishing evil and protecting places and people. For most of human history and even today, dogs and dog magic have protected our homes, our physical bodies, and also our spiritual world.
One reason we got our dog so many years ago was to help protect our home. I’m sure most people getting dogs have the same idea. What surprised us was how deeply and personally our dog took this instinctual duty. When our dog was only a few months old, a stranger approached and this little fur ball jumped in front of my wife and growled a tiny, not very scary growl with every fiber of his little body. Many years later, when a mentally unstable man came to our door with the clear intention of harming us, our normally calm and super-friendly dog transformed into a frightening, snarling, barking wolf in front of me, scaring the hostile thug away. My brother Scott, another dog lover and ex-canine corps officer, once told us that alarms can be rigged but a dog is by far the best security anyone can possess, and I agree. Good dogs!
Philosophers from Plato and Pliny to Saint Augustine viewed dogs as a paramount symbol of spiritual and physical guidance. In myth, a dog (Anubis) even helped guide the sun as it traversed through the Egyptian underworld. In Aztec mythology, it is the dog god Xolotl who does the same thing, guiding the sun through the underworld and thus saving us each day. The Celtic Herne the hunter, the Norse Odin, and or the Welsh Arawn are guided by spirit dogs as they fly through the sky in the “Wild Hunt,” a spiritual whirlwind of gods, faerie, and supernatural beings said to fly about signaling the beginning of winter. Artemis hunted with her sacred dogs as did the many other gods and goddesses, and they all relied on their dogs for success.
Mythically dogs represent clan or family love. For millennia canines also represented sexual love in myths and beliefs. When in heat or looking for love, nothing matches the sexual adventurousness of a dog. The ease with which dogs conceive and give birth made them common magical symbols for fertility. In myths, dogs accompany gods and goddesses of fertility such as Diana, Innana, and Pan. “Coyote” spirit has many stories of his sexual adventures still told today among Native American tribes. Even in our most primal emotions, dogs are front and center.
Canines and dogs have also been mythic symbols and magical manifestations of the power of loyalty, devotion, and fidelity since time immemorial. The symbolic image of fidelity drawn in the Middle Ages depicts a female muse with a dog. Similar divine heroes such as Odysseus and King Arthur had mystically inspired divine dogs that epitomized loyalty and devotion. The Hindu gods Bhairav Shiva and Vishnu, the Chinese god Erlang, and the Norse god Odin have canines that accompany them with deep devotion and loyalty.
In India, there is a story of devotion going both ways. The god Indra offered to take the hero Yudhisthira to heaven in his chariot as a reward. When Yudhishtira asked for his dog to join him, Indra refused. Yudhisthira declined to enter heaven without his dog, who had saved him in battle many times. Indra relented and not only did the dog enter heaven, but it was transformed into the god Dharma.
A loyal dog also was said to protect the Buddha, and so dogs are an important symbol in Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhist saints and even monks are said to magically appear as dogs. Some Buddhists refer to dogs as excellent teachers of loyalty and devotion.
Dogs served as mystical guides, as protectors, as “familiars,” and as givers of omens for as long as magical things have been noted. Such mythic dog beings, including the Celtic Cu Sith, giant green faerie dogs, or the infamous Black Dog spirit of Scotland and England, foretold dramatic and personal events for centuries.
Dog magic was an important part of the healing magic of the Middle Eastern goddess Belit-ili, the powerful magic of the African god Legba, and of the sorcery of Hecate and Artemis. A canine’s breath is said to banish evil, the skin can make spells manifest, and the saliva can heal, or so the old tales tell us. Dogs are themselves considered magic makers and various gods, goddesses, and spirits manifest as dogs. Odin and Legba appear as dogs, and Old Man Coyote of Native American fame will show up as a human or his namesake to trick or to help. Dog spirits act as special otherworldly messengers for Hermes, Hecate, and many others.
Dog talismans are used in sending prayers to the gods, guarding graves, and banishing evil. Siberian shamans rely on their dog spirit for guidance during their out-of-body travels, and special dogs, just by their very presence, act as magical beings and living amulets.
Dogs help those of us who are psychic balance energies, connect with our powers, describe the unseen world, give us good energy, and help with what Native American shamans call “dog medicine.” If you work with magic, energies, or the psychic world, it is always a good idea to have positive “dog medicine.”
Dogs are our loyal companions, comforters, healers, and friends in life and, according to thousands of years of lore, they continue to guide, help, and protect us even in death. And when we pass on, the ancient Egyptians believed we become stars in the sky. This is where the great Dog Spirit resides, shining forth upon us as Canis Major, whose heart is the “Dog Star” Sirius. Much lore surrounds this great Dog Spirit that, the Greeks tell us, Zeus placed in the heavens for a job well done. The ancient Egyptian year began with the rising of Sopdet (Sirius) also signaling the beginning of the cycle of life and death. Sothis cast its power across the Greek and Roman worlds as well.
Across continents we see myriad other celestial dog myths, including the wild star dog of China, which can emit positive “Yang” powers, or which can manifest baneful energies to cause disasters. In Asia, the animal zodiac heaps praises upon those born in the Year of the Dog, saying they are loyal and giving. The ancient myths mention the star power of dogs in many other ways. No matter how you view it, dogs seem to know they are stars, though they are strongly connected to the moon and the sun. It is safe to say every dog is the star of its own story and this is how we honor and treat them.
Well, now you know a few of the myths and stories about magical dogs, and we have more to tell you, but all the magic is really in how you and your dog live and love and enter the spirit world together. What will help you do that are dog spells.
Dog Spells & You
Dog image charms, canine runes and amulets, and even hair, skin, and teeth from canines were components of spells and rituals in many cultures. The earliest shamans, witches, sorcerers, and magic makers called upon dog spirits, constructed canine talismans, and, of course, possessed their own dog familiars to help in their magic making. And now you can as well.
You will find each section that follows begins with a passage describing folklore, myths, and mystical tidbits to open your mind to what a rich and numinous spiritual history dogs possess. The spells, charms, and meditations in this book are for both the practicing dog-loving magic maker and for the dog lover who has never cast a spell or even thought of dog magic before. Never fear, these spells, charms, and meditations are for everyone!
For those not so familiar with “real” magic, let’s chat about spells in general and dog spells in particular. Spells, charms, and meditations are magical practices to accomplish something on a spiritual or energetic level. Often they include ritual actions, simple ingredients, and some special words of power. Spells and charms are traditionally used to cause change in the physical world in accordance with the will of the magic maker by focusing spiritual power.
Do you believe in mind over matter? Do you think prayer or meditation can change aspects of your world? If you do, then this is what spells are. Think of them as guided prayers or spiritual recipes for using energy to make things happen in a positive way on many levels.
Dogs have a long, deep connection to magic and to spiritual practices. There are many gods and goddesses who have been associated with dogs for thousands of years and you will encounter many of them in this book. Most, like Hermes, will be familiar to the reader. Some, however, are more unusual and can all be found in a Glossary near the end of this book. Their names are used in the spells in each section to help unlock the mythic and archetypal powers of your inner mind in order to help your dog and you.
Many of the spells also include words of power in a variety of other languages, such as ancient Greek, Sanskrit, and Latin. At the end of each spell, a translation of these phrases can be found.
The various words of power in the spells may seem odd, and the question arises, why use Greek, Sanskrit, or Latin at all when English translations might just as easily suffice? The answer in most cases is to retain the power behind what the words represent in each spell—to help you both understand and intuit the essence behind the concepts presented in the vibrations of the original language.
According to the philosophy of magic, the names of gods, spirits, and sacred forces are bound into the sounds and vibrations of communication within each cultural reality. For example, a major word of power in Greek is Io Evoe, which cannot be exactly translated, just like amen in a Christian prayer. Io Evoe, by itself, (roughly meaning “yea!”) has special power and helps focus the energy of that spell.
There is also something to the power of what is called twilight language—language that affects the unconscious mind at a deeper spiritual level, though it may not be understandable to the conscious mind. Consider the power of the Latin Catholic Mass, remembering that most do not understand the Latin spoken during the ritual. Thus the twilight languages of Greek, Latin, and Egyptian used in these spells are to help move your focus and energies into the spiritual realm.
The best part of these spells is that they are practical and they have been used with success. So much that happens between you and your dog is subtle, unspoken, and, we think, psychic. Dogs know when you need them and when you are happy or scared. There is a deep and powerful unconscious magical link between humans and dogs. These spells just tap into this in a way that anyone can use to help their dog and themself. Do you need to open your life for a new dog or bond with your new dog or help heal, protect, or encourage your dog? There are spells in this book that do these things and much more.
We want to stress that anyone can do these spells! They use simple, easy-to-get materials and will benefit everyone who uses them in a positive manner when done with focus, belief, and sincerity. The key is, of course, your deep and evolving bond with your dog. These spells were written to add a deeper spiritual dimension to your relationship with your wonderful dog. How magical is that?
We know that you will infuse every bit of dog magic and each spell experience with a love for our canine companions without whom we would not be the humans we are. The heart of this book is that each dog is a hero, a friend, and a spiritual teacher and guide. Each dog embodies:
Beauty without Vanity
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity,
and all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.
—Lord Byron (dedication to his dog, Boatswain)