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Familiars: Your Magical Partners, by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

In August 2002, news broke that a New Caledonian crow named Betty, in a laboratory in Oxford, demonstrated intentional problem-solving ability by repeatedly bending a straight piece of wire into a hook so that she could snag food. Scientists marveled at Betty's intelligence, noting that not even chimpanzees had shown such ability to reason. Surely this was evidence of the thinking power of animals!

Of course, this wasn't news to many. Anyone who has had a close relationship with an animal knows their intelligence and their ability to understand people and respond accordingly. Therein lies the basis of the familiar: an animal who forms an intelligent psychic and magical bond with a person, creating a rewarding personal relationship and a working partnership.

Familiar Traditions
The familiar is found in magical and shamanic traditions around the world. It is an animal, perhaps a shapeshifted spirit, who assists a magical practitioner in the performance of spellcasting and rituals. The familiar offers advantages of being able to do things and go places that humans cannot but animals can. Depending on tradition, the familiar may be a helper acquired at the completion of initiation rites, or may present itself at other times. It may have the ability to shapeshift into different animal forms. It serves only the person to whom it is bonded.

In Western lore, the familiar gained unfortunate notoriety as a supposedly evil, demonic entity during the anti-witch hysteria that began in the Middle Ages. Witches were said to use their cats, a common household resident, as well as dogs, toads, farm animals, and wild creatures to carry out their alleged evil intents.

The Malleus Maleficarum, the Dominican inquisitor's handbook written in Germany in 1486, offers no instructions concerning familiars in the interrogation and trial of witches, but does acknowledge that an animal familiar "always works with her [the witch] in everything." The familiar hysteria was greater in England and Scotland than in Europe. In England, the Witchcraft Act of 1604 made it a felony to "consult, covenant with, entertain, employ, feed, or reward any evil and wicked spirit to or for any intent or purpose." In witch trials, animals alleged to be familiars were cited as evidence against accused witches, and sometimes even put on trial and executed themselves. Familiars were less significant in witch trials in the American colonies.

Today Witches, Pagans and other magical practitioners enjoy beneficial and positive relationships with their animal partners. Familiars have a special psychic attunement and rapport that makes them valuable participants in raising power, setting and clearing space, spellcasting, scrying, healing, and other rituals and magical activities.

The cat remains the all-time favorite familiar. Cats have a long history in magical lore for their reputed psychic sensitivities and abilities. Any animal, however, can serve as a familiar.

Thought Pictures
While we do not know for certain exactly how animals think, we do know from our own experience how their consciousness responds to ours. They telepathically pick up "thought pictures." If you've had a pet, you know how this works. You start thinking about feeding a dog, for example, and this spontaneously creates mental images of getting food out and giving it to the dog. As soon as the thought picture is formed, you find the dog excited and going to its bowl.

When I had dogs, all I had to do was think about taking them for a walk, and they would come to wherever I was in the house, sit, and look happy and expectant. I didn't even have to say the magic word, "Walk." Timing didn't matter. The same phenomenon happened concerning car rides except when the trip was to the veterinarian or to the kennel, and then they knew, and they did not want to get in the car. They could read my intent in thought pictures.

The skeptics argue that one probably feeds a pet at the same time every day, or gives other body language signals that tip off animals to what's about to happen. Thus, the animal becomes conditioned in a Pavlovian sort of way. That argument, however, is effectively countered by the scientific research of Rupert Sheldrake as reported in his book Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home And Other Unexplained Powers of Animals. The book describes, among other things, dogs who reliably know when their owners make the decision to return home at unpredictable times.

Once I had a powerful demonstration of the effect of thought pictures on a budgie. One day, I saw a fluorescent green and yellow budgie flitting about the trees outside my home. It evidently had escaped its owner, or had been released—the equivalent of being dumped in the woods. It was late autumn, and I knew the bird would never survive the harsh New York winter, and so I worried about how to rescue it.

Whenever I spied the budgie outside, I opened the front door to our house and sat in the middle of the parlor. I envisioned the bird flying into the house on a path of light, and sent the intent that inside it would be safe, protected, and fed.

Much to my disappointment, nothing happened. The bird simply sat outside in the trees and then flew off. This pattern was repeated over and over again with no results. Sometimes I just left the front door open and got out of sight, though I sent the thought pictures.

After a couple of weeks, I stopped leaving the door open. The only things coming in were flies.

Then one day I sat in another room meditating, thinking about the little budgie. Suddenly I heard a strange scratching sound coming from the living room. I got up and investigated, and discovered the sound was coming from the fireplace. I opened the flue and out flew the budgie, sooty and a bit banged up from dropping down the chimney. Evidently he had decided to take me up on the invitation!

I whisked him off to our veterinarian, who pronounced him healthy and uninjured. But when I told her the story of "meditating" the bird into the house, she grew uncomfortable and shrugged, noting that birds come down chimneys all the time. Nonetheless, I knew differently. Had I not sent the thought pictures, I do believe little Merlin, as I named him, would have perished outdoors.

Emotions
Besides thought pictures, animals respond to our emotions. They pick up on our moods, and they know what to do in response. If we are sad, they comfort us with impeccable timing and action. They share our happiness. They can sense when we need to be alone.

Wild Animals
Our most likely familiars will be domestic animals, especially those whose species have a long history of living with people. These animals are born with a genetic predisposition to forming a bond with us. However, one can also have familiars in the wild, who can be equally rewarding and valuable. It is very useful to have friends in the wild who can come to your assistance.

The research with the crow Betty shows that it's probably no accident that one of the wild familiars of choice for magical work is the Corvus family—crows, ravens, and jackdaws. These keen, crafty, and sharp-eyed birds are renowned as intelligent messengers. Odin, for example, received the news of the world every day from his two crows or ravens (accounts give both types). There's a legend about a saint, Meinrad of Swabia, whose murder by thieves in 861 was witnessed by two crows (or ravens) whom he fed daily, and who pursued the murderers cawing away until the scoundrels were caught. Sibyl Leek had a jackdaw who attended all her coven meetings with her.

For several years now, my husband and I have had a close relationship with wild crows. It started when a pair began coming to our backyard bird feeder. Over time, we discovered that the crows were very aware of us and the fact that we were the benefactors of food. We began putting out choice tidbits just for them and their clan, and talking to them and sending thought pictures. Soon they responded to us, giving us certain signals when they wanted special treats such as peanuts, and entertaining us with their antics. We found ourselves inducted into the "Crow Fraternity," and discovered that when we traveled, crows in far-flung places were responsive to us.

Recently, my husband was out on a golf course and lost his ball. Spying two crows, he asked them if they'd seen it. One flew into the woods and led him to where the ball had fallen.

I believe that when we demonstrate an act of great kindness to creatures, we become imprinted with something in our aura or energy field that identifies us as friends to other creatures, especially of that species. It is no accident that lost and injured animals always seem to find themselves to the doorsteps of certain individuals. Those persons send out an invisible beacon.

Years ago, I believe I was imprinted for robins because I rescued one from certain death. I was driving along one summer day near my home in Rye, New York, and spied a bird up ahead in the middle of the road. I was surprised when it did not fly off as I neared, or even as I passed it. I turned around and went back to investigate. It was a fledgling robin, huddled and frightened. It evidently was injured, for it made no move to escape me. I carefully picked it up and drove it to a wild animal rescue shelter. They told me it had a broken wing, and they thought it would mend so that the bird could be released back into the wild. If I had not rescued it, it surely would have been run over.

Ever since then, I have had an unusual frequency of robins who choose to nest very close to my house, and even underneath my deck, despite the fact that I have moved several times since the rescue incident and now live far from where that took place.

Working with Familiars
I believe that one should allow animals to make the choice of serving as familiars. We can send out a psychic call of thought pictures and emotions; those animals who wish to respond will do so, be they domestic or wild. If a pet does not wish to take up the call, its decision should be respected. Be open and without preconceived expectation or bias; the right animals will respond.

Familiars change throughout life. If your cat passes, for example, your next familiar may be of another species. Sometimes familiars reincarnate quickly. Or you may be joined by a completely new creature. You may have more than one familiar, each of whom has its special role.

Pay attention to your dreams, for often familiars will announce themselves first there. Dreams transcend space and time. Animals can communicate with us clearly in our dreams. In turn, we can send them messages through dreams, and can send them as dream messengers to other people. In my book on soulmates, Heart & Soul, I tell the story of a woman who had an affinity with ravens, and instructed one in a meditation to help her find her soulmate. The answer was provided in a dream (interestingly, it was another bird-down-the-chimney story!).

Once a familiar comes forward, allow your intuition and signals from the animal to guide you in shaping the working relationship. Like regular pets, familiars will respond to voice and body commands, and will learn recognition of words, phrases, and gestures. They will respond best to inner communication. Vivid thought pictures and feelings should be conveyed along with words. Ideally, your familiars should be able to respond entirely to silent messages.

Be alert for opportunities to show kindness and love to animals, even in small ways. They will not forget. Your kindness will be returned magnified more than thrice over.

One must be pure of intent when working with animals. They are quick to detect ill thought and deceptive intent. You cannot wear masks with animals. They see your true self.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2003. All rights reserved.

Greetings to you all from the United Kingdom! I hope this message finds you all in the best of health and spirits. My question is: Are there any meditations and/or affirmations that can help me end a negative cycle of events and open up new beginnings in every area of my life? I feel that I need to manifest all these things, and most important, be able to share all of these good things with others. What do you suggest to get things moving in this direction for me? Thank you and God Bless!

Jessica

Astrea:

By recognizing that you've been negative, you are already on track with manifesting and sharing the blessings you desire. The Universe presents all of us with possibilities and opportunities, and WE are the ones who choose negative or positive outcomes in our lives.

About a year ago, I began a training program to rebuild old lady muscles. My trainer was so upbeat and positive that I accused her of cheerleading, but that's how they get us to do more than we think we can - by encouraging us.

By contrast, I grew up doing ballet and it was almost the opposite. For the most part, my ballet teachers picked on us and treated us like dirt. This experience set me up for years of not seeing the Light but the Darkness in every situation, relationship and career move.

The point is that it takes a while to shift from what we've known to a new way of being. Don't be impatient with yourself; instead, try to just relax into happiness.

Begin slowly by getting the excess clutter out of your life. You can start with organizing your home, cleaning out your desk at work and adding more fun physical activities to your routine. Take it easy at first. Add good things to replace the clutter and the people around you who aren't helping you realize your goals.

Sometimes it's hard to let go of things. Often getting the negative people in our lives to either be happy with us or go away hurts at first, but it is so worth it to surround yourself with positive influences both physically and spiritually speaking. Cleaning and cleansing are important steps toward change and growth. They aren't always pleasant or rewarding, but as you keep going, those little changes add up and up until at last you only experience the GOOD.

Achieving positive thinking that leads to nothing but positive results may be easier than you think. You might use your Libra skills to become a great actress and begin to ACT the way a positive person (such as yourself) would act. Act like you're happy. Act like the challenges you face are opportunities. Turn lemons into lemonade. People who act happy achieve happiness!

Once you achieve this in little ways for yourself, you can begin to show others by your example how they can manifest the same positive outcomes in their own lives. Sharing your new life with others will be easy, because your energy will draw all sorts of positive things into your life by the hour. You'll be surrounded by true friends who share your happiness because those people are happy too, and will enjoy deep and meaningful relationships with people who reach for their goals just like you do.

*****

Susyn:

When we find ourselves stuck in cycles of negativity, the key to breaking them can be found in shifting our focus away from our troubles and beginning to affirm the benevolent forces at work in the Universe. You are definitely on the right track!

For starters, it is a good idea to surround yourself with positive people and spirits. You will want to immerse yourself in a group of like-minded spiritual people who are working towards the same powers of manifestation and growth you are interested in.

On your own, there are a number of ways to restore balance to your aura and energy. I recommend creating a special altar in your home where you can pray, meditate and recharge.

Select an area free of noise and foot traffic where you can set up a small altar that won't be disturbed. You can use fabric, stones, candles and objects of a spiritual nature to create something of a spiritual shrine. You may want to incorporate a small fountain, chimes or a stereo to add calming sounds to your altar. Then devote a special time each day to meditate in this special place.

I recommend you include a God or Universe box on your altar. This is a container in which to place written requests to the Universe or turn troubles over to Spirit for resolution. You can purchase a decorative box for this purpose or create one of your own, just make sure that the box has a lid.

You might choose a jewelry box, a colorful teapot, or an antique purse or bag with a closure or drawstring. Once you find the perfect box, bless it with a stick of sage incense. Next, write down your concerns or requests on a small piece of paper. Fold it twice and place it in the container to display your willingness to turn it over to the Universe for resolution.

There are many wonderful affirmations to choose from in books or on the internet, but you can also create your own. I recommend that you write down your affirmations on a piece of parchment or linen paper and then roll it up like a scroll and tie it with a ribbon.

Each day you can then unroll the scroll and read the affirmations, one by one. A few examples might be, I am the architect of my own destiny, and am now manifesting abundance, love and power or I am loved and cherished by the Universe or I have all the money I need and more.

As you create these affirmations, state them as if what you desire is already true. By writing them yourself, you can create affirmations that specifically address the things in your life you'd like to change.

Embracing these practices should break you out of the difficult cycle you've been in and empower you to bring your dreams to life.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.