Spirit Guiding
"Spirit Guiding is the practice of expecting parents to attempt to "guide" a lost spirit to their home and ask them to partner with their child and become their guardian spirit as they grow, so that they may achieve their destiny."
History
Spirit guiding came about in Tabaxi culture, just as the species was evolving into its anthropomorphic form. Tabaxi are known for being especially spiritually sensitive, and according to legend, two expecting parents accidentally lured a lost spirit to their home. Rather than leave, or curse the household, the spirit instead bonded with the parents' newborn kit, who grew up to be a proud spiritual leader in their tribe. From there, the practice branched outward, from being a closed practice in Tabaxi tribes, to becoming more open with time. Though Tabaxi are more adept at seeing when the practice is working, there are bearers of guardian spirits of many kinds.
Execution
Expecting parents, in their last month of pregnancy/egg-nancy, will find a place in the household with a window that faces the moon at night. There, they will set up whatever offerings they have and leave the window uncovered for the duration of the month until the child hatches/is born.
Components and tools
The primary tool in spirit guiding is an offering of some kind - be that scraps of food, coin, or small works of art - along with incense of any kind but lavender. Lavender evokes fear in spirits, so the lost spirit will flee before bonding with the child.
Participants
There are not particularly ceremonies, but expecting parents (who are typically the ones performing the rituals and leaving the offerings) will often pray regularly at the place of offerings for a guardian spirit to arrive.
Observance
Spirit guiding typically takes place during the final month before a child is to come into this world.
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