The Witch's Familiar

Familiars are not my kind of magick for one simple reason- it’s a form or servitude. Some suggest the familiar is the Witch’s companion in magick. But I have always thought of a familiar as the animal which performs whatever spell or deed is too dangerous for the Witch. A familiar can gather information, bring nightmares to an enemy, steal items, spy, or be a medium during possessions. In short, a familiar does the dirty work.

I have never had an animal as a familiar. I don’t mean to make it sound all bad because familiars can be a real boon to a Witch. A familiar can add a lot of energy to a working. A familiar is great protection. But it’s a special kind of bond and I have never felt that connection with a cat or dog. I don’t really like cats and my dogs are members of my family. I would feel bad asking them to do something I am nervous about doing myself. Also, my dogs don’t seem the least bit interested in circles drawn on the floor. Whenever I do magick they go lay down and leave me alone.

Right now I have a dragon for a familiar. I like using an astral being because I feel the dragon is in a position to say no (and he has before, turns out he was right). Because dragons are (to me) higher beings, it feels more like an equal partnership. I learn much from my dragon. I’m not a boss giving orders. I’m a student.

If you would like to have an astral familiar (no need for bedding, cages, or trips to the vet) it helps to have a focus object that will either be a 'home' or 'body'. If the object is a home, then each time you touch the object you call the familiar forth to the physical world. If the object is a body then astral being becomes/is the object. I prefer the latter so that the energy looks the same every time I work with it. Having a red dragon one time and a green one the next makes me nervous. Did the color change because the astral is more fluid or did I get a different dragon? I don’t want to question if my familiar is really my familiar.

My familiar came from a friend. He’s a little metal dragon about two inches tall. My friend told me he used to be a necklace but broke so she kept the dragon on her altar for a while. He doesn’t really look like a necklace. There are no hooks or closures where a chain could attach. He looks like a dragon- just a dragon in and of itself. He doesn’t like being tethered. I tried to make him into a key chain so he could travel everywhere with me and the chain mysteriously came loose. He’s fine in my pocket, in my purse, or in my truck, but he must be free to roam. One day he’ll probably go to someone else.

When I got my dragon, it was obvious that he had a spark of life in him. I once had a garden statue that felt alive, but not all items can house/be familiars. Some items just won’t 'take.' Some things can be enchanted but I’ve had quite a few things 'die' as in one day I could no longer feel the energy I had placed there. It would just be empty.

If you want to make a physical object a familiar, the object must be deeply appealing to you. It must be something you loved from the moment you saw it. You see it as alive. You must talk to it and really hear answers. You must be clear in what you want it to do- does it present answers, direct energy, guard and protect, or all of the above? Last, it must be fed. If you don’t feed it, it dies. After it dies, you can’t revive it again. Feeding varies. My familiar needs crystals. Yours might need your energy. Some need blood. Others need pollen or cornmeal. Your familiar will tell you what it wants and how often. The more you work with it, the more your familiar will need to be fed. If you forget about it or neglect it, the familiar will be insulted and leave. This is why it can’t be revived and if you let one die, you may find it is difficult to attract another; they are all avoiding you until you prove that you are serious and committed.

Mostly, my dragon stays on my altar. I touch him every day when I light my daily candle. Sometimes he tells me he wants to come with me when I go out. If I feel I need protection, I ask him to come with me. I always ask, I never just grab him up. Sometimes before a working, or if I am wavering on a decision, I'll ask him to show me the best way. Occasionally I'll ask his opinion on the meaning of a tarot card. He has set a few rules- 1.) I call him by the name he gave me. 2.) It's okay to blog about him, but no showing him to others. 3.) He can stay as long as he wants and he leaves when he wants. Your personal familiar will have its own rules. If you are not willing to follow them, you're not ready for a familiar.