A Ritual to Honor Your Animal Companions in Spirit

This simple, customizable ritual is for anyone who is grieving a beloved animal companion—during the holidays or any time—as a way to honor your relationship and tend to your grief.

I created a ritual based on what many animal companions in spirit have suggested to their people during our communication sessions. It’s a beautiful way to honor your past memories of them while continuing your relationship in spirit without bypassing your grief and sadness over losing them in physical form.

You can do this ritual any time, but it can be a wonderful way to anchor yourself during times that feel particularly difficult, such as holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries of meaningful events in your lives together.

This ritual has three parts. Please feel free to adapt or change any part of it and tailor it to you and your animal companion in spirit. You can even stop at parts one or two if they feel like enough for you. There’s no right or wrong way of doing any of this; your ritual can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be.

Part 1: Create a spot dedicated to your animal companion.

Choose a spot in your home or property that is dedicated to your animal companion in spirit: It can be on a shelf, a table, in your garden, or another spot that was special to them. Then, try decorating this spot in any way that feels right.

If you’re not sure where to start, try choosing and printing a picture of the animal you want to honor. And if you’re artistic, you might even try embellishing the frame or even painting or drawing your own picture of them. Or instead, you can just write their name on a piece of paper and decorate that.

Then, add anything to the area that reminds you of your beloved companion. You can include their collar, some of their favorite toys, pieces of blankets or beds, pieces of fur, nail clippings, scales, paw prints, or any other items you may have. And you can beautify the spot with crystals, flowers, candles, lights, signs they send you, and whatever makes you smile.

You can make the ritual spot as simple or complex as you’d like it to be, and you can even set it up like an altar or shrine if that’s part of your practice. And you can always change it up when you feel like it.

If you don’t want to this ritual on your own, then you can invite your family, friends, or partner to do it with you.

Part 2: Dedicate time to visit this special spot.

Try committing to spending a bit of time each day or week at the spot you set up. Pick a frequency and duration that feels doable. You can spend five minutes a day, 20 minutes a week—or whatever feels right to you. (And if you’re like me, you might want to create a reminder on your phone).

If committing to a routine is not your thing at all, then just visit the spot whenever you feel called to it or when you’re especially missing your companion.

You can do anything you want during this dedicated time: Talk to your animal companion aloud or in your head, meditate with their spirit, read a letter you wrote them, ask them for signs or messages, let yourself cry and miss them, reminisce about your favorite memories, a combination of these things—or something else!

If you’d like more direction on where to start, you can try beginning exactly where you are. Notice what you’re feeling, without judgment, and name it. Tell your animal companion how you feel, and remember that your feelings of grief and sadness aren’t bad; they’re a natural part of loving them. Let yourself cry if you need to.

Or, you might just want to make it as simple as looking at their picture and saying good morning or good night to them as a way of continuing your relationship with them.

Part 3: Make offerings to your animal in spirit.

You can view this special spot or altar as a living, breathing tribute to your animal companion.

Some people like to make a daily offering by leaving some of their favorite treats or food, filling up a bowl with fresh water, or even leaving them little love notes or sketches. You can even write about your difficult feelings and leave the pages there.

You might also find things that remind you of them and leave them there, too, such as pieces of their for or old treats you find in your pocket.

If you liked to spend time in nature together, you might leave them flowers, sticks, rocks, leaves, sand, or seashells.

Again, there’s no requirement beyond doing what feels good and authentic to you.

And remember you don’t have to go through any of this alone.

If you want some additional grief support from someone who understands and help communicating with your animal companions in spirit, then you can always book an animal communication session with me and keep an eye out for my grief workshops.