The Witch's Familiar

Part one of "Animals and their place in magick"

Animals have many places in magick, from messengers to spirit guides. One of the most memorable places of animals in magick is the Witch's familiar. The word familiar comes from the Latin famulus, which means attendant,* while the Greeks had an ideal of personal daemons, which are spiritual helpers in either human or animal form. This is a concept that is addressed in Phillip Pullman's novel The Golden Compass, where each person has their own daemon, in animal form, who is actually an extension of him or herself.

A common misconception about the witch's familiar is that it is always the stigmatic black cat. While a black cat can be a witch's familiar, other animals, in all color schemes, such as dogs, birds, hamsters, rats or guinea pigs can be familiars too. A person doesn't have to be a witch or to even know what a familiar is in order to have one. Many people have a familiar in the guise of beloved pets. While some pets are indeed familiars, not all pets are. This does not mean you should love or care for them any less. A Person does not choose their familiar, their familiar chooses them. Similarly a person does not own their familiar.

Familiars are wonderful companions and partners in crime- I mean magick. Often times familiars and their people can communicate. Sometimes it happens accidentally, other time you have to work at it. Always do this with the permission of your familiar. It varies from each person and familiar. Some people hear the thoughts of their familiar, but it is more common to see images, because that's how animals think. Witches and their familiar share energy, thus a familiar can aid a witch in magickal workings. Many times, if your familiar is not in a cage, when circle is raised, he or she will show up in the circle, because they want to be a part of the magick. They want to help. Familiars remember things that their person may forget, and take care of it on their own terms. Just ask Mama. Also, familiars can accompany their person on meditations and astral travel. Your familiar makes a wonderful guide or protector when you are doing works of this kind. They can teach you new and exciting things or lead you to new discoveries. They can also alert you if something is not right. If you wish to do this, ask you familiar's permission first. Sometimes, while meditating, your familiar will want to sit with or on you. Each familiar, like each person has their own individual personality. Personally, my familiar is very intelligent but also very scatter-brained.

If you do not yet have a familiar, or your familiar has passed on, you can take steps to find a new familiar, but do not force it. You can put out a sort of astral call for a new companion, this does not mean a companion will come. All familiars preset themselves when the time is right. Also because we are Deithean , we have the knowledge of the Deithean helpers. We can call on Messachi, the air elemental, and bringer of familiars, to help us find a new companion.

Either way, when you are ready, your familiar will present itself to you. Having a familiar is a wonderful joyous thing. They are great companion and wonderful helpers. They also can teach us many lessons. Sharing energy with your is definitely an adventure. Familiars are companions, and best friends. When you're feeling down there's someone there to talk to or to sooth you, however, if you're feeling exceptionally tired or energetic, you may want to look at you little friend and ask him or her to stop taking all your energy, or giving you too much.