Personally I think there are a lot of interesting theories about familiars today

Your pet cat might be adorable and you might have a real connection, but that doesn't mean your cat wants to be your familiar.

by some in the Craft.  Let’s start with a little history, then a bit about the different types of spirit and animal helpers we might work with in our lives and magick, and then look at why your cat, dog, or other family pet may not really be your familiar no matter how much you want them to be.

The concept of the familiar spirit in history can differ greatly from the way many modern day practitioners see them.  Historically it was believed that the familiar of a witch, typically who took the form of an animal of some kind, was thought to basically be a vehicle for the spirit of the witch at night.  During the evening the witch’s spirit would take over the animal and be able to sneak around, undetected, to cast spells and cause havoc.  Another idea was that the familiar animal would guard the witch while they were sleeping or working spells to ensure their safety.  Today familiars are seen more as partners by thoughts who work with them.

Familiars, especially black cats, have long been associated with witches in history.  This is the familiar that we know and think of the most when talking about witches and their animals.  The view of familiars was that they were lower level demons or imps that where either given to the witch by the Devil upon making their pact of service, or they were passed on from another witch.  They were often though to take the form of cats but also as toads, mice, owls, and dogs.  It was also thought that some familiars could come in the form of insects and it was thought that during a trail for the crime of witchcraft, if a fly suddenly came buzzing into the court room through a window it was believed that it was the familiar of the person on trial.

Another view that may have developed later was that there were two different types of familiars who varied based on who they worked with.  Witches, still seen as evil sorcerers and people hell bent on doing harm,  were still believed to partner with malevolent spirits but cunning-folk and healers were thought to be more benign and who were helpful, helping to diagnose disease and points of illness in and on the body.  These familiars and helpers were seen as helpful and doing something that would be “good” while the work of the witch was seen as harmful therefore making their familiars somewhat “evil” or “bad”.   This may have been the source of an idea that the cunning-folk had faery familiars while witches had demons as familiars.

Another interesting idea was that familiars may have been sent to guard and watch after new witches as they began to come into their powers and learned to work with their abilities in order to protect them, not to work magick for them.

Because of the long held idea that all witches had familiars who worked spells and carried magick to its intended target may be why many modern day Witches have adopted and somewhat adapted this practice, even though in all likelihood it was more a idea imposed on magickal people of the past.   While the traditional Christian view may have been to see the witches familiar as a demon many modern day Witches see their familiar as a sort of guardian spirit.   Because of the commonality for cats to be seen as a witches familiar many modern day Witches and Pagans also have their cats and other household pets assume the role of familiar in their lives.  But it’s important to remember that it was Christians and those outside of the magickal world that imposed this idea in a widespread fashion.  It wasn’t uncommon for Witches and other magickal people to have familiar spirits in other forms, sometimes completely in spirit form.

So if we see that a familiar is a helper, a companion or magickal assistant who we work closely with in a magickal sense, we can definitely have familiars in other forms outside of the family pet.  Spirit familiars like power animals and spirit guides can also be familiars.  If you have a deep connection, if you have a sense of feeling “familiar” with them, and they are willing to help guide you and aid you in your magickal work, then they can be a familiar.

Does this mean that your cat who you has been with you for years, even before you came to the Craft, suddenly your familiar because you’re working magick?  No.  Is the pet that you went out and got when you decided that you wanted a familiar absolutely without a doubt your magickal helper?  No.  You can’t impose this sort of role on a pet, or on anyone or anything for that matter, just because you want one.

How do you know your pet may be a potential familiar then?  Just because you have a feeling of being connected or somewhat in tune with your pet on a psychic level, that doesn’t make this pet a familiar. There are signs that you can look for to see if a pet may be a possible familiar.  If you find that when you do magickal work, hold rituals, or do meditations or journeys that the pet is always present, of its own free will, not because you bring them with you and try and make them stay with you, and you feel that they are attentive and lending energy to the work.  You may feel that when the pet is present with you in these situations that they send you a directed stream of energy to you.  You may also notice that they do something to show they are protecting you during your work like sitting at the edge of the ritual space, watching and observing the energy moving around the room.

It takes time to determine if your pet is a familiar for you.  It’s not something that I can just decide, you need to respect the animal, be it physical or in spirit, and let it tell you what role it wants to take in your magickal and spiritual life.  If you find that your pet really doesn’t fill this role and you wish to seek out a magickal familiar, seek one through meditation and journey work or put the call out there to the Universe and ask for the right one to come to you.  Then it’s up to you to be open to what comes.  You might find that it’s a spider or a lizard and not a cuddly puppy.  Just know that the right magickal helper for you at this point on your path will come when the time is right and when you’re ready to receive.

I have had one Magpie over my house for the last 9 weeks what does this mean? I have never had any luck so is my life always going to be so bad?

- Susan

Hi Susan!

First, let’s look at the situation with what a magpie could be representing for you.  You might find it particularly interesting to note that many of our ancestors actually saw magpies as a sign of good luck and abundance!  Magpies are very resourceful birds that scavenge and collect items that they perceive as being valuable.  Anyone that’s ever had magpie families living around their property will be able to attest that any sort of decoration or baubles, especially things that are gold, silver or otherwise shiny in their yards or on their porches, will quickly find their way around the nests and homes of the magpies.  The rule of thumb with magpies is that if it isn’t nailed down, it’s fair game for the magpies.  Because of the fact that the magpies often had many gold and often valuable items with them, it was though by many people of old that when a magpie or a family of magpies started to show up at your home, especially if they were making nests of their own and looking to share space with you, that you were in for good fortune and abundance and that the magpie was the one that would bring it to you.

Magickally magpies are thought to be able to connect to the realm of faery.  It is thought that they can guide those that wish to explore the faery worlds into that part of the spirit world.  They are seen as openers of doorways and gateways to change and transformation.  Magpies are also seen as symbols of knowledge, especially occult knowledge.  Their distinct black heads look almost like a hat or helmet of some sort and it’s thought by some that this draws attention to the knowledge held within.  Magpies are also very vocal birds, especially when in a group of other magpies, and it’s thought that one of their teachings when they come to someone is that they are trying to help you learn to use your voice to get attention and to be able to vocalize your thoughts and desires.

It’s interesting that you talk about feeling like you never have any luck but yet a magpie has been in your space for nine weeks.  I felt compelled to draw a few cards from my Gaia Oracle for you as part of this process.  I do feel that the magpie is around you trying to help open the gate for you but you aren’t working with it.  I drew three cards for you; one card for looking to see what the message that Magpie has for you and two to see how you can use that and work with that.

What is the message that Magpie has for you: Intuitive Communication
The message with magpie for you isn’t one of the speaking your voice so much as listening to your inner voice and accessing the knowledge that you hold within.  With regard to your issue of not feeling like you ever have any luck, there is a need for clearing away and making room for change, luck and abundance to come through for you.  This comes from listening to your intuition and listening to how you communicate with the Universe around you.  Many of us are our own worse critics and are very good at negative self talk, but this often keeps us in these negative patterns or patters of “bad luck”.  Thoughts are like actions or deeds and are a form of intuitive communication.  So if you want good things you need to communicate positive thoughts and positive desires to the Universe and it will listen.

The two cards that help lend some other thoughts on how to work with this message: Yin Yang and Sacred Earth Mother
Harmony and peace are best found when we are in a place of feeling like we have balance around us.  If you’re feeling out of balance and feeling like everything that is going on around you is either keeping you held back from having the things that you desire, it’s time to find the things that make you feel this way and start releasing them and letting them go.  I feel as thought taking some time out of your daily routine, having some quite time for reflection and meditation can be helpful to clear out the clutter and the things that may be adding to this lack of balance.  There is a lot of love that wants to come through for you I feel, love from those around you and the Universe as a whole, but you have become stuck it feels.  You have allowed the “bad luck” patterns to have a certain amount of power of you that you have slipped into this belief that this is just what your life is and how things are, and that’s just not true.  Again, taking time out to clear your head and your space will be most helpful in really discovering your true self and the light that you have within that, when it shines bright, draws all the good and positive things you desire to you.

In the end I would saw that the magpie is there to remind you that you need to listen to your inner voice, follow your inner light and guidance and let that light shine through.  Since magpies love things that are bright and shiny they must see that light around you and are just waiting for you to see it too. 

On the somewhat practical side, if you haven’t ever read “The Secret” I would definitely recommend picking it up and giving it a read.  If you have read it, give it another read as it may help to open up some doors for you with some positive visualization and affirmation techniques to get you to where you want to be.