Using Animal Parts In Ritual

Some Pagans use animal parts in ritual. While this may seem
a bit unsavory to some folks, it's really not that uncommon.

and so forth.
Naturally Dropped Items

A good guideline to follow is as follows:

These are the items that animals discard on their own as

* if your tradition doesn't forbid the use of animal
parts, AND

part of the natural cycle. Snakes shed their skin regularly.
Deer shed antlers after the fall mating season has ended,

* the parts are gathered humanely and ethically

typically around January through April. A bird may lose
feathers as it flies overhead. These are all items that drop

then there's no reason you can't use them. Let's look at
some of the different parts you might want to use.

on their own naturally, and there is nothing wrong with
picking them up and using them.

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors performed rituals and

Items from a Dead Animal

ceremonies. They didn’t have tools ordered from an online
catalog or purchased at the Local Wytchy Shoppe. They made

Animals die. It's part of the natural cycle of things. After
they've died, sometimes you may find pieces of carcasses

do with what they had. For the ancients, many of their tools
-- both magical and mundane -- came from the animal kingdom.

lying around. Bones, fur and other parts can be gathered
from animal that has died on its own. If you happen to be a

Few things went to waste. Bones could be turned into
anything from a knife to a sewing needle. An antler could be

Pagan who hunts for food, you may wish to use some of the
parts of the animal you've killed. This prevents waste, and

used as a weapon or a farming tool. A horse's bladder might
become a pouch to carry herbs. Anything was usable.

allows you to maintain some connection with the animal after
death. If you are the one who has made the kill, be sure you

In some shamanic traditions, animal parts can be used to

have done so in a humane and ethical manner. It's never okay
to kill an animal just to use its parts in ritual.

connect the practitioner to the animal. One might wear a
necklace made of bear claws, a headdress of antlers, or use

Purifying Animal Parts

a fetish of bone and feathers. Some traditions still use
these today. Someone wishing to celebrate fertility might

It's generally a good idea to offer some sort of thanks to
the animal before using the item in ritual. As part of this

use the antlers of a stag, for example. An individual hoping
for transformation could perhaps powder a bit of snakeskin

process, you might want to cleanse or purify the object --
you can use smudging, asperging, or any other method of

for use in a spell. A person who wants to develop their
inspiration and creativity might use feathers in a working,

ritually purifying the item. You can also consecrate it as
you would any other magical tool.