Take time for yourself.  Your grief may flood through you, it may come and go in waves. Allow yourself space for the process. Each grief and each death are unique. Be gentle with yourself.​

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Find a quiet corner of your garden or home, somewhere as natural as possible to honour the animal you are creating ceremony for. You may choose to light a candle - an LED candle is fine as light is lit to honour the soul of the one departed and to keep the flame of life going. 

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With your feet on this earth, your hands also if you feel to, begin to feel into this natural world we are all part of. Maybe you are able to completely lie on the ground, even to just touch soil in a plant pot can ground you. Whatever works for you, just know that Mother Earth unconditionally receives all you feel in this moment.

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Breathe easy, no rush.

Maybe sprinkle some drops of water into the air or onto the ground as a gratitude blessing to nature.

Be aware of your feet touching earth below you, the flow of earth's energy holding you steady.

Be aware of the sky above you and all the starlight flowing down to embrace you with love.

Breath into your heart and relax.

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Prayers and Blessings can gather our emotions into a positive bag of intention. We are all made of the elements – earth, water, air, fire – through the minerals, fluids, breath, and energy of our body. Ceremony allows us to ask for the honourable release of the elements of our departed loved ones back into the universal cycle of nature. Many cultures have prayers for this. For example there are (sometimes lengthy) Buddhist prayers for this, and the Christian funeral simple has ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust’.

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Choose from the blessings and prayers below or choose your own. 

Just standing or sitting in silence and being in your heart for the animal that you are honouring is enough, as it is an act of love.

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When you are finished give thanks and look after yourself - drink water or a cup of tea or chocolate with plant milk. These little things can bring you joy, even through sadness. 

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Prayers and Blessings:

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Deep peace of the running wave to you.

 

Deep peace of the flowing air to you.

 

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.

 

Deep peace of the shining stars to you.

 

May the road rise to meet you.

 

May the wind always be at your back.

 

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

 

May the rains fall softly upon your fields.

 

Until we meet again,

 

May Love (God/Great Spirit/Creator…whatever works for you) hold you in the hollow of their hands.

 

Anonymous Celtic Blessing

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Dear One,

 

Thank you for walking this Earth with me.

 

Thank you for your unconditional love, your time, your play, your friendship.

 

You are always in my heart;

 

Your pawprint is always in the palm of my hand.

 

As I release you to the heart of life

 

May you shine down to me from your star in the dead of night.

 

Sue Penrose-Gould

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For an animal caught in human conflict, greed or mis-deed:

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Dear One,

 

I am sorry for the hurt you have suffered.

 

You are loved.

 

You open our hearts.

 

We see your beauty.

 

We ask that you are honoured by all.

 

May Beings of Light guide you and guard you

 

as you are released from all suffering.

 

We treasure you as a beacon

 

leading us to live within a

 

Heart of harmony and respect for all Life on Earth.

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Thank you.

 

Sue Penrose-Gould

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Other words of comfort:

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‘If you would indeed behold the spirit of death,

 

Open your heart wide unto the spirit of life.

 

For life and death are one, even as a river and the sea are one….

 

And what is to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered.

 

Only when you  drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.

 

And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.

 

And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.’

 

Khalil Gibram​

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As I steady myself on these rocky waters of grief

 

May gentle winds enter the sails of my being so that

 

Peace may be in the rise and fall of my breath,

 

Knowing my course through these days is guided by love.

 

Sue Penrose-Gould