Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

Like much of traditional magick, the subject of familiars is one that has been distorted and virtually destroyed throughout the years due to propaganda. Along with working with the energy of the earth, honoring the wisdom of old women and following the patterns of the seasons, the concepts of familiars was demonized during the Inquisition and subsequent witch trials. Fortunately, for us, we can still retain the power of familiars to aid us in our magickal workings.

If you’ve ever considered yourself a “cat person” or a “dog person,” you’re more comfortable with the concept of familiars than you realize. If you’ve found yourself attracted to a certain type of animal, like a wolf or a frog, and began collecting images of that animal, you’ve started to develop a relationship with an astral familiar.

Familiars come in many different shapes, sizes and forms. Many people think of them merely as an animal helper that contributes to magickal workings. For example, the stereotypical image of a witch includes a black cat. According to legend from the “other” side of Inquisition, cats were demons trapped in feline bodies! This myth has perpetuated to this day in the superstitious fear of black cats.

In truth, physical animals like cats are only one type of familiars. And they are not demons in the slightest. Familiars of all sorts (the differences of which I’ll explain in a moment), are attendants in magick and in life. They are creatures, physical or not, who have a special rapport and sometimes psychic connection with humans.

I’ve always been attracted to animals and cats in particular. In times during my life where I’ve found myself without a feline companion, one has dropped into my lap unexpectedly. For example, my sister had to give up a cat that kept clawing her furniture. In my care, Sheba has done nothing of the sort. Of course before I took her into my home, I looked the cat square in the eyes and sent her a mental picture of what would happen if she did that to my nice couch.

If you desire to work with a familiar, you’ll need to understand that while you can have some influence over its behavior (like I have with Sheba) they are truly their own creatures. This is even more so if you’re working with an astral familiar.

But first, let’s dive into a few definitions. There are two basic types of familiars. There are physical animals that take the form of pets or creatures that show up in your life consistently. Pets aren’t to be owned, contrary to conventional belief. They allow you to care for their physical bodies but their mental and spiritual components are all their own. Keep this in mind when you start to work with them. With these familiars, you’ll find that you are able to communicate with them without using words.

The second type of familiar is an astral familiar. Astral familiars are most commonly animals that cannot possibly be owned as pets. I have a friend who has been drawn to polar bears for nearly her entire life. As a child, she drew them constantly and began collecting polar bear artwork in her teens. Once she discovered this path, she instantly knew that a polar bear is her familiar.

With an astral familiar, you are feeling a connection with the spirit of an animal, rather than it’s physical being. The animal energy attaches itself to a person and shows up in their collections, their dreams and their attractions as a result of their subconscious trying to voice this connection.

When it comes to working with familiars, nothing beats astrals for help in magickal workings. As much as I care for and love my “furry” children, they simply aren’t predictable. They walk out in the middle of a ritual, or decide to take a nap halfway through. I consider myself honored when they choose to enter my circle, but I don’t rely on it. If they feel dawn to add their energy to my magickal working, all the better. But I also call upon astral familiars when I need to add extra power to my spellcraft.

In order to get in touch with your astral familiars, it’s important that you spend some time meditating. Spending time in meditation will help you get a clear picture of your familiar and how best to contact them. As with other meditations, start your astral familiar meditation by grounding and centering yourself. Relax your entire body and feel your body expand and connect with the universe. Once you’ve reached a state of relaxation, clearly state in your mind that you wish to see and connect with your familiar.

Take note of the scenery that you begin to see. Notice what type of terrain you are in. Then take note of the types of noises you hear, what you smell and then what you see. Within a short period of time and attention, your animal familiar will present itself to you.

In the next message, I’ll tell you exactly what to do with your animal familiar once it presents itself to you, and how you can use it in your magickal practice.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”