For witches: What is a familiar? And what does it do/what is it for?

Question

I've heard some witches have one, and some don't. Then of course there are misconceptions that it has to be a cat-a black cat-which is complete rubbish, so I'm told. Can anyone please advise?

Answer 1

The biggest misconception is that your familiar must be a cat, or even more stereotypically, a black cat. Not so. Any animal of any species can present itself as your familiar.
In fact, the form your familiar chooses to take may be a message in itself, and may be completely unexpected. Familiars can fill many different roles in your life, including that of teacher, friend, healer or assistant. A familiar may arrive in the form of a family pet, but they should not be treated that simply. They are independent spirits that must be respected and honoured. You will develop a strong psychic bond with your new companion, and he/she/it will likely show a clear interest in your ritual work. I can't really go into too much detail on how a familiar might become part of your life, or how it may assist you with your spiritual growth. Each person's relationship with their familiar is special, unique and individual.
Of course, your familiar might not even be a physical being. Having an astral familiar is also a possibility. Astral familiars usually take the form of regular animals, but they also may take the form of more exotic beasts (such as a dragon, perhaps). Working with astral familiars usually takes place during dreams or meditation. But working on the astral plane is a topic for another time.
Where do you find one?
Sometimes you need to search out your familiar, but other times they will find you. You can't summon a familiar, only invite one. Meditation or scrying are two methods that may help you locate your animal companion. They may arrive in your life when you call, or just when you are in need of them. And the flip side to that, is that they can also disappear from your life if you no longer need their help or guidance. I would say that most familiars stay with a person for a good many years, typically the life span of their animal hosts. But don't be surprised if they move on unexpectedly.
http://paganwiccan.about.com/cs/animals/a/familiars.htm

Answer 2

You've already been answered on the familiar spirit thing, so lets go right for the cats--or rabbits!

The witches familiar started as the witches hare, which was created by taking a ball of grey wool and keeping it nestled between her breasts. When she would go to communion, she would dribble the sacrements down upon it instead of swallowing them, and after a while the ball would start to scratch and move. At that time she would draw blood from her inner thigh and place the hare down there to nurse which resulted in the formation of a bloodred pimple knows as the witch's tit or witch's mark. She could then send the hare out into the night to do her bidding (drying up cows, making people ill, etc.) and it would always return to her to feed off her blood--cool, huh?

Answer 3

Misconception #1:
that its specific to witches. psychics can occasionally have a familiar as well.

it does NOT have to be a cat, but cats do serve the purpose well, they are well suited for it, in most ways. (naturally conductive, smart enough to house a more advanced soul, and they can be very interactive, emotive, theres good reason they are common for it)

actually I'm not sure precisely the function they can serve for witches, but for psychics and high-energy type people, they can serve as a energy sink... an overflow tank you could say. the pet can soak up excess energy, and help stabilize the person.

its not neccesarily even something thats deliberately aquired, in fact I'd say that in general its not,

so remember, psychics can have familiars too, it just works a little different!

Answer 4

A familiar is an aminal that attaches to a witch or wizard. it could be a cat, dog, reptile, bird, whatever. Each person has their own guiding animal which come and go from time to time, as needed. A familiar is a more permanent fixture in the practitioner's life. It is said, not without some truth, that a familiar can allow the witch to see through it's eyes....how cool!

Answer 5

I think that you have the best avatar. Anyway, I have pets, but i have totems, not familiars, and the totems are not my pets, just wild animals that have tough me things. I used to thing tht if I found three bluejay feathers, that I would be protected when I wandered out into the woods as a kid, i don't know where i got this idea, but now, to me, the lbuejay symbolizes protection. The mouse was my first totem, that small things are sacred. At parties when people would grab the biggest present because thay thought bigger was better, they'd end up with something lame. I always took the smallest gift and it woud turn out to be cash or something really cool. And you don't have to be a with or a shaman to do this, just listen to the animal, and you'll figure it out.

Answer 6

It doesnt have to be a cat, it is a framiliar spirit,
mine, yes it is my cat Smokey,
But it can be an ancestor comming in another form, or just a spirit sent to guide you.
It is when a witch is first comming into the religion, it is a spirit to help you through self discovery.

Sometimes a framiliar can even come in the form of a breeze, or a plant.

Hey jelly B,
We aren't satanists, you just made yourself look STUPID!!!!
Satanist is a religion all it's own ( not one I agree with)
hense why it's called SAITANISM..
Witches are wiccans.
hense why the religion is called WICCA.
two completely different beliefs, next time when you try bashing someone,
do some research. BIGOTT!!!!!!

Answer 7

A living creature can be complicated to train as a familiar, but traditionally, cats are the way to go (though birds and dogs are also listed in the Malleus Maleficarum). A 'servitor' type familiar might be easier to handle: here's a good site to check out for that. http://www.spiralnature.com/magick/chaos/servcreation.html

Answer 8

I have a cat shes absolutely beautiful, no shes not black but a pretty little tabby shes in tune with everything here, when I'm down she will jump on me and gently wash my ears and nose and purr me into calmness. she also knows instantly when something is up, when her best moggie mate was ill she cried outside his door for him and when he died she looked so sad and seemed to go into mourning, she follows me halfway to the bus stop in the mornings to say goodbye when I go to work and instantly takes a dislike to someone she thinks is bad, (one ex bf got this she hated him intently and as it turned out was a very bad egg,)

Answer 9

To most people today, a familiar is a Witch's companion, a small animal 'pet'
that helps the Witch with magick. The idea of the familiar is a very ancient
concept and is generally applied to such creatures as cats, dogs, ferrets,
toads, snakes, and some birds. Unfortunately, familiars have been given negative
connotations by those who know nothing about them and do not bother to separate
fact from propaganda.

Anyone can have a familiar. You may already have an actual physical familiar
living in your home in the guise of a pet. You can also attract an astral-bodied
animal familiar. This can be a particular creature that is impossible to have as
a 'pet' in the physical.

Most people have at least a little knowledge about the power of animals of the
Native American traditions. However, the Native American's were not the only
ones who knew of and used the powers of familiars, which is what power animals
are. For centuries, European cultures called upon animals allies in shamanistic
rites. European shamanism eventually evolved into Wicca and Paganism.

*Types of Familiars*
There are different types of familiars. The first king is an actual physical
creature who lives with and has a rapport with a human. These familiars are the
ones who establish a psychic link with the human of their choice. They can
communicate their needs without vocalizing and are usually very good at
telepathy.

The second kind of familiar is an astral creature of animal form that attaches
itself to a human for the purpose of aiding the human. This type of familiar can
be a creature that cannot be kept in the house, and cane be drawn to the human
by the person's intense rapport with it. It may also appear because of specific
need within the human's life. Deceased pets sometimes return in this capacity.

The third category of familiars are elemental spirits or other world entities.
Although ceremonial magicians sometimes call upon such an elemental to inhabit
an object, such as a talisman, statue, crystal, magick mirror, or peace of
jewelry, most magicians do not command or imprison such beings. The mythical,
fantastic beasts such and such entities as faeries and brownies often work as
familiars and co-magicians in magick. Even if your circumstances prohibit you
from having a physical 'pet', you are never barred from having an astral
familiar. Common sense should tell you that having a panther or bear in the
house is impossible, if not illegal. Allergies may prohibit you from sharing
your life with an animal, but you can enjoy the companionship of an astral
creature safely and completely. The only restrictions are your own desires to be
friends with such a familiar, to learn from them, and to grow spiritually and
magically.

'Benefits of Familiars'
The familiar {physical, astral, or elemental} can help you by strengthening you
magickal power. Some physical creatures do this by actually being in the room
whenever you work a ritual.

Familiars can improve your life by warning you of danger, or defending you when
danger arises. Animals, such as cats and dogs, can warn you when danger is
present by hissing, growling, and even refusing to enter a room if someone they
consider questionable is there. They will also awaken their owners during the
night to alert them to fires, intruders, or other potential disaster. Quite
often they, will refuse to enter an area that has a malicious, troublesome
ghost.

An example of subtle warning is when a cat or dog leaves the room when a
particular person enters, or when the animal avoids a person altogether. The
animal may also sit and stare at the questionable person. If you listen to these
warnings, and are truthful to yourself about the person in question, you will
find in some way that the person is not compatible with or healthy for you.

Animals are also good healers. They seem to know when someone they care about is
sick. It does not matter to them whether the illness is emotional or physical.
They get as close as they can and send comforting, healing vibrations. When it
comes to strengthening the magickal power during a ritual or spell working,
there is nothing better than familiar. Some physical creatures simply cannot be
kept out of the room when magickal happenings are in progress. The buildup of
energy draws them like a magnet. You can tell if your 'pet' is a true familiar
if the power builds up even more with his or her presence. A very few pets, like
some people, siphon off energy, but this is rarer in the animal kingdom that it
is among humans.

A good familiar can also let you know by telepathy and subtle actions whether or
not you are using the appropriate type of magickal procedure. If you are not,
they sometimes become disruptive until you listen to them. Usually, only an
adjustment in viewpoint of the desired result is necessary to bring back their
help.

Another benefit of familiars is learning certain techniques from them. By
studying a creature a magician can learn how to temporarily adopt some of their
traits which may be necessary to cope with a situation. For example, you may
find yourself wanting to make a stealthy exit from a crowded room. By
concentrating on the quietness of a mouse or the cunning of a fox, it is
possible to leave the room without being noticed. In a way, this is becoming
'invisible.'

Physical or astral familiars are frequent companions during astral travels or
meditations. They are protectors and guides in otherworld realms. Often, by
following them, you are led to new sources of information and understanding,
particularly those of a spiritual nature. There is nothing evil about having a
familiar, whether they are creatures of the earth plane or the astral plane.

Non-pagans sometimes do not understand the companionships and working
relationship between Pagans and their familiars, and sometimes fear the very
idea of familiars. However, having a familiar makes one more aware of the
connection between humans and all other creatures, and the more intricate
connection between all creatures {humans and otherwise} and the universal source
of spiritual power.(http://www.ladyoftheearth.com/animals/familiars-3.txt)

Answer 10

familiar spirit
These are demon spirits that they have personally recieved in their lives and the spirits do the magic and give them power to do their witchcraft.
Your familiar spirit can work through an animal like a cat or owl ect..or can be inside of the witch living with them.
Act 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
Act 19:13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
Act 19:14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
Act 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
Act 19:16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

All of this of course will lead you to hell, but you didn't ask that.