The Care and Feeding of Spirits
By Egret ap Ced

Like any creature you would welcome into your home, animal spirits like to be fed. While it’s not essential, it’s courteous, at the very least. But there is a greater purpose to feeding your animal spirits. It will strengthen your bond, empower them to work for you in this world and others, and draw them closer to their memory of life.

What first drew wolves to the campfires of humans? Food. It is a memory every living creature on earth shares. Food is sacred to biological life, and to the manifest world. Everything feeds, and everything craves sustenance. Spirits that have lived in this world carry a memory of food.

But don’t think of the feeding as transactional. Think of it as sharing a meal at the aforementioned campfire. You and your pack, each with something to offer, nourishing yourselves and each other. Taking glorious part in one of the oldest and simplest acts in all of existence.

As the saying goes: you are what you eat. We take in life to create life. We are an endless exchange of matter and energy, cycling through existence, falling through each other cell by cell. All spirits who have lived in this reality carry the memory of eating. Just as we all also carry the memory of being eaten. More on the absorption of animal traits through eating in a different article.

We feed to grow, to thrive. We are made stronger by nourishing ourselves. The same is true of your animal spirits. While they no longer have flesh to sustain, nor cells to feed, the memory remains. The base memory of becoming fed and healthy. And you, as the flesh gateway, also carry an association of strength through nourishment. When you feed them, you are telling them, “I care about you, acknowledge you in this life, and want you to be healthy.”

Strong allies make for good working partners. Whether your animal has a job or simply lives on your altar, feeding them will give them greater presence to work on your behalf. It’s good practice to check in on them at least once in a while. After all, if our ancestors had stopped feeding the wolves, they likely would have left the campfire.

So what do they eat? This can vary widely from spirit to spirit. And ultimately, it is up to you as the magical practitioner to both figure out and dictate. My Lynx is perfectly content with incense smoke. My Mammoth rarely eats at all, and is still plenty present. When I make my nightly spirit plate, I try to include some meats and greens so everyone gets options. Mind you, these are tiny amounts of food. This is a textbook example of, “It’s the thought that counts.” Feeding is feeding, and amount is much less important than the act of feeding your spirits.

Do not let this act become a burden. It is meant to be an act of love and gratitude, and something you share with your spirits. If it becomes something you feel beholden to do for fear your animals might leave, consider skipping it. Chances are, your animals will stay put for a good while because of what you’ve built with them. Animal spirits understand much more of humans once they’re free of the flesh, like perhaps you’re fatigued or depressed or just need to withdraw for a while. They’re your allies and love you. Offering them food is not transactional; it’s relational. Once the act of feeding them becomes a chore, the magic and love are gone.

I encourage you to find your own meaning when it comes to feeding. Animal spirits are delightfully fluid and flexible. Build your language of offering together, like you would anything else. Having animal allies is a co-creative process. Sit with them near the campfire and learn each other.