Working with Anubis: Transformation & Business Transitions

Who Is Anubis?

Anubis (also known as Anpu, Inpu) is the Egyptian god of death, mummification, the afterlife, and transformation. He is the guardian of the threshold between life and death, the guide of souls, the protector of graves, and the master of sacred transitions. Depicted with a black jackal head, Anubis embodies the power of transformation, the wisdom of endings, the protection through liminal spaces, and the alchemy of death and rebirth.

Anubis represents the necessary death that precedes rebirth, the protection needed during vulnerable transitions, the wisdom found in endings, the transformation of one state into another, and the sacred work of letting go. He teaches that endings are sacred, that transformation requires death of the old, that transitions need protection, and that what appears as death is actually profound change.

Working with Anubis is a journey of navigating major life transitions, releasing what no longer serves, protecting yourself during vulnerable changes, understanding the alchemy of transformation, and recognizing that every ending contains the seed of a new beginning.

Anubis's Domains and Powers

• Death: Sacred endings, letting go, release, closure
• Transformation: Alchemical change, metamorphosis, rebirth
• Transitions: Liminal spaces, thresholds, in-between states
• Protection: Guarding during vulnerable changes, safe passage
• Mummification: Preservation, preparation, sacred ritual
• Afterlife: What comes after, new beginnings, rebirth
• Judgment: Weighing of hearts, truth assessment, worthiness
• Guidance: Leading souls, showing the way, navigation
• Embalming: Preservation of essence, honoring what was
• Thresholds: Doorways, portals, crossing over, boundaries

Anubis's Symbols and Correspondences

Sacred Symbols

• Jackal: His sacred form, guardian of cemeteries, transformation
• Black: Death, transformation, fertile soil, rebirth
• Scales: Weighing of hearts, judgment, truth, balance
• Ankh: Life after death, eternal life, transformation
• Was Scepter: Power, dominion, authority over death
• Flail: Authority, judgment, divine power
• Mummy Wrappings: Preservation, protection, sacred preparation
• Doorways: Thresholds, transitions, crossing over

Sacred Animals

• Jackal: His primary form, scavenger, guardian of dead
• Black Dog: Guardian, protector, guide through darkness
• Butterfly: Transformation, metamorphosis, rebirth
• Phoenix: Death and rebirth, resurrection, renewal

Sacred Plants

• Myrrh: Embalming, purification, sacred offering, death rites
• Frankincense: Spiritual transition, sacred smoke, purification
• Cypress: Death, mourning, eternal life, protection
• Yew: Death and rebirth, transformation, ancient wisdom
• Wormwood: Transition, spirit work, protection, boundaries

Colors

• Black: Death, transformation, void, fertile darkness, rebirth
• Gold: Divine power, eternal life, preservation, value
• Purple: Transformation, alchemy, spiritual transition, mystery
• Silver: Moon, night, reflection, liminal spaces
• Deep Red: Life force, blood, vitality, transformation

Crystals and Stones

• Black Obsidian: Protection, transformation, shadow work, grounding
• Smoky Quartz: Releasing, grounding, transformation, protection
• Jet: Protection, mourning, grounding, ancient wisdom
• Onyx: Strength during change, protection, grounding, boundaries
• Labradorite: Transformation, magic, protection, transitions
• Amethyst: Spiritual transition, protection, wisdom, transformation
• Hematite: Grounding during change, protection, strength

Numbers

• Nine: Completion, endings, transformation, transition
• Thirteen: Death and rebirth, transformation, sacred change

Why Work with Anubis?

Anubis calls to those who are:

• Going through major life transitions or business pivots
• Ending relationships, jobs, or life chapters
• Navigating grief, loss, or significant change
• Needing protection during vulnerable transitions
• Releasing old identities or outdated versions of self
• Transforming their business or career path
• Working with death, dying, or end-of-life care
• Seeking wisdom in endings and closure
• Understanding the alchemy of transformation
• Standing at thresholds and crossroads

He is especially powerful for:

• Business transitions: Pivots, closures, major changes, rebranding
• Letting go: Releasing what no longer serves, sacred endings
• Protection during change: Safe passage through vulnerable times
• Transformation work: Alchemical change, metamorphosis, rebirth
• Grief processing: Honoring loss, mourning, closure
• Threshold navigation: Crossing over, liminal spaces, in-between
• Shadow work: Facing darkness, integrating shadow, depth work

Signs Anubis Is Calling You

You may be called by Anubis if you experience:

• Going through major life or business transitions
• Seeing jackals, black dogs, or death imagery repeatedly
• Dreams of doorways, thresholds, or crossing over
• Feeling called to release or let go of something major
• Experiencing significant endings or closures
• Being drawn to transformation and alchemy
• Needing protection during vulnerable changes
• Working with grief, death, or loss
• The number 9 or 13 appearing repeatedly
• Sensing a protective, guiding, powerful presence

Learn more about deity signs: How to Know Which Deity Is Calling You

Anubis's Personality and Energy

Anubis is:

• Protective and guardian-like: Fierce protector during transitions
• Wise about endings: Understands the necessity of death
• Calm and steady: Unshaken by death or transformation
• Guiding: Shows the way through darkness and change
• Alchemical: Master of transformation and metamorphosis
• Respectful of process: Honors the sacred work of transition
• Boundary-keeper: Guards thresholds and liminal spaces
• Compassionate: Gentle with those in grief or transition

Important: Anubis teaches that endings are sacred, that transformation requires death of the old, that you are protected during vulnerable changes, and that what appears as death is actually profound rebirth.

How to Build an Anubis Altar

Essential Items

• Statue or image: Anubis with jackal head, guardian pose
• Black candles: Death, transformation, void, rebirth
• Offering bowl: For water, beer, or offerings
• Crystals: Black obsidian, smoky quartz, jet, onyx
• Altar cloth: Black, gold, or deep purple
• Doorway symbol: Threshold, portal, crossing imagery
• Scales: Judgment, balance, weighing symbolism
• Ankh: Life after death, transformation

Optional Items

• Jackal or black dog imagery
• Butterfly or phoenix symbols (transformation)
• Myrrh and frankincense incense
• Mummy wrapping imagery
• Keys (threshold crossing)
• Your transformation journal
• Items representing what you're releasing
• Purple or gold candles

Altar Placement

• Near a doorway or threshold
• In a quiet, private space for deep work
• Where you do shadow work or transformation rituals
• Facing west (sunset, endings, death, transformation)

Complete altar guide: How to Build a Deity Altar

Offerings for Anubis

Traditional Offerings

• Water: Purity, cleansing, essential offering
• Beer: Ancient Egyptian sacred drink, celebration
• Bread: Sustenance, nourishment, daily offering
• Meat: Jackal's food, sustenance, life force
• Myrrh and frankincense: Sacred incense, purification, death rites

Modern Offerings

• Releasing work: Letting go of what no longer serves
• Transformation: Actively changing, metamorphosing, evolving
• Shadow work: Facing darkness, integrating shadow
• Honoring endings: Sacred closure, respectful completion
• Protecting transitions: Guarding others through change
• Grief work: Processing loss, mourning, healing
• Threshold crossing: Moving through liminal spaces consciously

Acts of Devotion

• Consciously releasing what no longer serves
• Honoring endings with ritual and respect
• Protecting yourself and others during transitions
• Doing shadow work and transformation practices
• Processing grief and loss with intention
• Crossing thresholds mindfully
• Guiding others through difficult changes
• Embracing necessary deaths and rebirths

Full offerings guide: Deity Offerings Guide: What You Need to Know

How to Work with Anubis

Step 1: Approach with Respect for Transformation

Anubis values those who understand that death and endings are sacred and necessary.

Step 2: Set Up Your Altar

Create a powerful, protected space with black, gold, doorway symbols, and transformation imagery.

Step 3: Make Your Introduction

Light black candles, offer water, and speak:

"Anubis, Guardian of Thresholds, Master of Transformation, Guide Through Death—I come to you seeking protection during transition, wisdom in endings, and the courage to transform. Guide me through this change, protect me in liminal space, and help me release what must die. Anubis, I honor you."

Step 4: Listen for His Response

Pay attention to:

• Feeling more protected during vulnerable changes
• Clarity about what needs to end or be released
• Dreams of doorways, crossings, or transformations
• Opportunities to let go or close chapters
• Increased ability to navigate transitions
• Sensing a protective, guiding, steady presence

Step 5: Do the Work of Transformation

Actively engage with endings, releases, and metamorphosis.

Step 6: Honor the Process

Anubis expects you to:

• Respect endings as sacred
• Release what no longer serves
• Protect yourself during transitions
• Face shadow and darkness
• Honor grief and loss
• Cross thresholds consciously

Anubis's Sacred Times

• Dark Moon: Endings, release, void, transformation
• Samhain/Halloween: Thinning veil, death, ancestors, transitions
• Sunset: Daily death, endings, threshold time
• When ending something: Closures, completions, releases
• During transitions: Major changes, liminal periods, crossings
• Night time: Darkness, shadow work, transformation

Magic and Rituals with Anubis

Release and Letting Go Ritual

1. On a dark moon or when ready to release
2. Light black candles
3. Hold black obsidian or smoky quartz
4. Invoke Anubis as master of sacred endings
5. Write what you're releasing on paper
6. Speak: "I release this. It is done. I am free."
7. Burn the paper safely
8. Offer myrrh incense

Business Transition Protection

1. When pivoting, closing, or majorly changing business
2. Light black and gold candles
3. Hold onyx or hematite
4. Invoke Anubis as guardian of transitions
5. Ask for protection during vulnerable change
6. Visualize his protective presence around your business
7. Speak: "I am protected. I am guided. I am safe."
8. Offer water and beer

Transformation Alchemy Ritual

1. When actively transforming or metamorphosing
2. Light purple and black candles
3. Hold labradorite or amethyst
4. Invoke Anubis as alchemist of change
5. Declare what is dying and what is being born
6. Visualize the transformation process
7. Speak: "I die. I transform. I am reborn."
8. Offer frankincense

Threshold Crossing Ritual

1. When standing at a major crossroads or threshold
2. Light black candles at a doorway
3. Hold jet or smoky quartz
4. Invoke Anubis as guide through thresholds
5. Ask for guidance and protection
6. Physically cross the threshold with intention
7. Speak: "I cross over. I am guided. I am protected."
8. Offer bread and water

Working with Anubis: Tips and Insights

• Honor endings: Treat closures as sacred, not failures
• Release consciously: Let go with intention and ritual
• Protect transitions: Guard yourself during vulnerable changes
• Face shadow: Darkness is part of transformation
• Process grief: Loss is sacred and deserves honoring
• Cross thresholds mindfully: Liminal spaces are powerful
• Trust the process: Death precedes rebirth
• Work with Osiris and Isis: His family, death and resurrection

Anubis in Egyptian Mythology

Key Myths

• Mummification of Osiris: First mummy, sacred embalming ritual
• Weighing of Hearts: Judges souls with Ma'at's feather
• Guardian of Tombs: Protects the dead and their graves
• Guide of Souls: Leads the deceased through the afterlife
• Son of Osiris: In some versions, son of Osiris and Nephthys
• Protector of Isis: Guarded Isis and infant Horus

Names and Titles

• Anpu (original Egyptian name)
• Guardian of the Scales
• He Who Is Upon His Mountain
• Lord of the Sacred Land
• Foremost of the Westerners
• Master of Secrets

Crystals for Anubis Work

• Black Obsidian: Protection, transformation, shadow work, grounding, truth
• Smoky Quartz: Releasing, grounding, transformation, protection, clarity
• Jet: Protection, mourning, grounding, ancient wisdom, boundaries
• Onyx: Strength during change, protection, grounding, boundaries, resilience
• Labradorite: Transformation, magic, protection, transitions, mysticism
• Amethyst: Spiritual transition, protection, wisdom, transformation, peace
• Hematite: Grounding during change, protection, strength, stability, focus

Final Thoughts

Anubis is the god of death, transformation, and sacred transitions. He teaches that endings are necessary and sacred, that transformation requires death of the old, that you are protected during vulnerable changes, and that every death contains the seed of rebirth.

Working with Anubis means:

• Honoring endings and closures as sacred
• Releasing what no longer serves with intention
• Protecting yourself during major transitions
• Embracing transformation and metamorphosis
• Processing grief and loss with ritual
• Crossing thresholds consciously and safely

If you hear his call—if you're in transition, if you're releasing, if you're transforming—answer it. Anubis is offering you protection, guidance, and the wisdom to navigate sacred change.

You are protected. You are guided. You are transforming.

Explore more Egyptian deities: Egyptian Deities Magic: Complete Guide

New to deity work? Start here: Deity Work Basics: What You Need to Know