Anubis

Culture: Ancient Egyptian   Domain: Mummification, the weighing of the heart, guidance of the dead

Anubis, shown as a jackal or jackal-headed man, oversees mummification and personally weighs the heart of the deceased against the feather of Ma'at (truth) to determine their fate in the afterlife; he was one of the most consistently and widely honored gods throughout Egyptian history, present at nearly every burial.

Associations

Honest judgment, guidance through death's transition, funerary care, protection of the dead.

Ways people honor him (modern)

• Approach a life review or self-assessment with real honesty
• Support funerary and memorial traditions with care and attention
• Keep a scale or balance image on the altar
• Read of the heart-weighing ceremony in the Egyptian Book of the Dead

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.