Psychopomp One of the definitions of the word Psycho (soul) and pomp (conductor of souls) is: ‘the figure which guides the soul at times of initiation and transition’. A mediator between unconscious and conscious realms. It is symbolically personified in dreams as a wise man or women or sometimes as a helpful beast. My helpful beast is my dog, Bodie. I know what you are thinking, how can a lovely (but sometimes rather neurotic) cockerpoo take on the great mantle of Hermes himself and guide me anywhere other than the next lamppost. Its not what Bodie does, rather what he does not do, he just is. Everyone who owns a dog, walks the dog. Or at least should. Countless individuals every day, walking their dogs. I have come to treasure our time walking together, I use this time to sink into the imaginal, the liminal space of unconscious and conscious realms, collecting and recollecting images, living narratives, and exploring myth. A modern interpretation of this practice would be called ‘meditation’. Throughout it all Bodie is there with me, just present, no demands, no expectations. He just is. Because we share this precious space together, he has also made regular appearances in my dreamworld, showing me he is as present in my unconscious, as he is in my conscious existence. The bonds with our animals are more than what we know. We are after all, at base level, primal.