Meeting Your Animal Familiar

For those of us who are drawn to the practice of witchcraft, there is a deep need to be able to connect to the unseen world. In this world we can find allyship and fulfillment in the opportunity we have to develop meaningful relationships with a host of spirits: those of the plants, landscapes, waters, places, and animals with which we share this earth. Of all of these potential allies, it is animals that are most like us. Animals share our environments; they share many of our same features (eyes, mouths, limbs, hearts, lungs); and they also are born, reproduce, and die in ways with which we can readily identify. Wild creatures are our non-human neighbours and domesticated ones are our farm animals, pets, and even our magical companions. When they join us from the realm of spirit, they are our animal familiars.

The joining of a witch with an animal has inspired some of the most classic imagery in witchcraft (think of a witch with their black cat, pet toad, or flying monkeys), and this has influenced both how the world views our communities and also how we see ourselves. We are linked intimately with our relationships with animals, and this is worth taking a closer look at through a modern, practical lens. How do you define the relationship you have with the animals in your life? Are they, or can they be, a part of your own magical practice? When you do invite an animal into your life it comes with responsibility. That animal will need you to pay attention and respond to its needs; whether in the physical world or in the spirit world, the demands will be similar.

Terms of Reference
Let's start with the animals with whom you share your home. Does your dog or cat, for example, have a natural disposition or aptitude for magic? Are they drawn to your activities when you are doing a ritual or spell? Does it appear that they are joining you in your magical efforts, or do they seem totally oblivious or disinterested? Many practitioners report that they have an animal in their lives that somehow have an uncanny ability to become an active participant in magical work. For the purposes of this article, and for my book, A Witch's Ally, I define those animals who display a noticeable interest in magical activity as an animal companion. Animals you share space with who do not seem to be drawn to witchcraft activity would be defined as pets. (Though it is important to note that there is no such thing as "just a pet," and calling them this does in no way diminish the joy and solid companionship they bring to your life.) Just like with humans, not everyone is interested in the practice of witchcraft and magic; why should it be any different for the animals in your life?

This brings us to the word we are likely most used to hearing when we talk about animals and witchcraft: familiar. What is that, anyway? Historically this word was used to refer to an entity from the spirit world that guides, advises, or informs the witch in some way. These spirits could take any form, and in the earliest recorded accounts it was a humanlike shape, much the way we think of angels now. As the persecution of people accused of witchcraft built to a frenzy in the medieval period, trial records recorded the accusation that spirits, imps, or devils would take on the bodies of animals, often the common animals found around a home or farm, and act as agents for the accused witch. This led not only to the condemnation of the accused witch, but of the animal as well. This persecution has locked the image of the witch and their familiar into popular culture for centuries now, with no sign of that changing.

For the sake of clarity, I use the term "animal familiar" to distinguish between spirits in animal form that witches work with and any other spirit entity.

Making Contact
The prospect of working with an animal familiar is enticing, but how do you connect with one? Historic accounts tell of witches being given familiars by the Devil in exchange for their loyalty or soul. Other lore states that a witch may inherit a familiar from a deceased witch or that the familiar would approach the witch and offer their services in exchange for food (most often the witch's blood), and a place to live. While I won't rule any of these possibilities out, there are other ways to take matters into your own hands and go about finding an animal familiar:

• Keep a journal. Make notes about the animals you encounter every day. Are there patterns you detect?
• Analyze your witchcraft practice. Does a particular animal come up in relation to deities with which you work? Do you have tools, decorations, or art with a particular animal theme in your ritual space?
• Take a look at yourself. Do you have clothing, jewelry, or tattoos depicting a certain animal?
• Get opinions. Do your friends or family associate you with an animal? Do they give you items that depict a particular animal?

If you are answering yes to these questions, you may have an animal familiar already. Pay attention to these signs and investigate where they may lead you. An animal familiar may be reaching out to you, trying to get your attention. Don't let your own preconceived notions about the type of animal get in the way. The animals you are usually interested in may not be the ones that you want your animal familiar; don't let it interfere with this process. So often, in life and in magic, we get what we need, not what we think we want.

If you have worked through the questions above and still don't have a lead on an animal familiar, there are still ways to reach out and connect with one. There is a detailed spell included in A Witch's Ally entitled Drawing an Animal Familiar that may help you in your search. You can also spend some time doing research into the animals that naturally appear in your area. Taking the time to become fluent in the fauna of your local bioregion demonstrates a genuine interest in the well-being of all things, visible and invisible, in your landscape. If local animals don't resonate with you, use your resources to learn everything you can about a more exotic or far-away animal and the landscape it is native to. Dive deep in this learning: are you still drawn to this creature when you know exactly how they live, eat, hunt, breed, and relate to other animals?

Building the Relationship
Once you have established a connection with an animal familiar, you will need to develop that relationship and create a bond with it. Like any healthy relationship, it will need to be one of give and take, with a sense of commitment and healthy boundaries. It is important to be pragmatic here; do not let yourself become deluded about what is and is not possible in a relationship with a creature in spirit form. Their job is to offer guidance, inspiration, magical support, and allyship, not mundane, physical-world labor.

Historic record shows that familiars would teach and inform the witch and in return the witch would feed, shelter, and make offerings to the familiar. Here are some ways to apply this history to the reality of modern times:

• Ask for information. Use whatever forms of divination with which you are comfortable, dream analysis, and journeying techniques to reach out to your animal familiar and ask questions. Be open to unconventional answers.
• Be discreet. The relationship you are building is a private one. As tempting as it may be to tell the world about your new, not-of-this-world animal familiar, it may not serve your purposes to share this information too widely. In the quiet of privacy and discretion we can better hear the soft sounds and quiet signals from the world of spirit.
• Return the favor. Set aside time to commune with your animal familiar, through meditation or prayer. Invite them to be a part of your witchcraft practice and rituals. Lay out offerings or volunteer your time or resources to an animal-related cause in their honor.

Building relationships with animal familiars enables the witch you see beyond the limits of our physical world and extend our vision not only into the spirit world, but into the unique world of the type of animal involved. As with any situation, you get what you give. Your animal familiar will be with you as long as there is need and reciprocity.

To learn more about building magical relationships with animal familiars and companions, check out A Witch's Ally.