Question About Familiars

[thatguy]

Sorry to be asking about this in this forum but I'm unable to post in a more appropriate one yet. (NOTE: please read the whole question, sorry it's so long).

I was reading some of the posts in the section dealing with familiars and I was curious about some things and was hoping some people could provide me with their opinions.

Since I'm not a witch myself (I suppose if I were to classify myself the term 'poet' would probably be the most appropriate) I'm unfamiliar with the concept of a familiar (no pun intended).

From what I've read on the forums (mainly people discussing their familiars etc.) I'm under the impression that a witch's familiar is commonly one of those non-physical creatures which either is drawn to the witch or has been hanging around the witch maybe unnoticed for some time, maybe since birth etc. (I'm sorry if there's a proper name for these things, I could best describe them as kind-of-pully-electrical-or-cold-or-black-or-some-kind-of-sensation-feely blobs which can get better resolved by paying them closer attention but this description has probably more to do with one's own mode of perception) .

I suppose a more correct term might be an 'astral creature' but I generally don't like to categorize things based on writings as opposed to my own experience. Is this a correct assumption?

If this is the case, I was wondering if anyone could relate their experiences with getting to know their familiars (the next bit runs on and is full of badly formed prose but it's important to my question).

When I used to be a little more diligent about practicing my skills and was able to perceive these 'creatures' (I'm sorry if this term is offensive I just don't know what other term to apply). I generally just left them alone and never attempted to communicate. In general such creatures that I've encountered have been generally benign and seemingly just doing their own thing and left me with the impression of 'just some animal hanging around' and have paid me absolutely no attention.

On a few very rare occasions I've encountered creatures made of roughly the same stuff who were vicious (in the sense that they attacked me) and left an impression of pseudo-human intelligence (as opposed to a more animal like intelligence) but nothing that I'd classify as 'very intelligent' in the sense of maybe the manager of a finance company (I'm sorry my metaphors are a bit odd); more like a person who was blind with rage minus the ambient depth of personality that a real person has even when they're very angry. This sort also left me with the sense of something doing a bad job at faking some kind of human-ness.

On one occasion when I was very young (teenager) I awoke to find a perfect sphere 'observing me' this startled me and I attacked it on reflex and it shot off. I assume this was an artificial construct of some magically (I don't even like the term magic but have lack of a better one) inclined person watching me for whatever reason. This thing gave me no kind of impression whatsoever, it was just there when I woke up.

OK, back to my question and the reason I'm asking. I was curious about other people's opinions on their familiars. How did they get to know them? Are their familiars intelligent in the human way at all? I've always avoided interacting with such things solely based on a trust issue and I'm sort of testing the waters to see if I'm not simply being prejudiced against an entire group of species much like some people don't like animals. I would also like to avoid accidently injuring such creatures out of ignorance, I have regrettably 'swatted' such things out of the way on occasion sort of like: "what the hell are you doing hanging around in my personal space unseen, I don't even know you".

I doubt I would ever make a bonding relationship to such a creature like what I'm assuming witches do (mainly because I assume such a bond changes both the witch's and familiar's mode of perception to some kind of middle ground between the norm for the two respectively), but I wouldn't mind being friendly to those I encounter from time to time like one would be friendly with a neighbor's dog.

I realize that I've probably put forth a number of misconceptions and I don't mind being corrected. Mainly I'd like to hear others' personal stories about their relationships with their familiars rather than be referred to "Mrs. X's guide to the species of the astral plane". It's not that such things don't have great merit but it's not what I'm looking for. As a poet (NOTE: I don't claim to be a good one) I find that personal accounts are more enriching and lead faster to the kind of understanding I'm looking for. In essence, the personal experience of others is more important to me than empirical facts or knowledge.

For those who take a more pragmatic psychological view on witch-craft (that centered on the workings of the the human mind against the background of the physical world and the common human experience) but who still use familiars in their work, I would love to hear your opinions and stories as well, I make no distinctions between these types of viewpoints in the arena of merit.

I'm sorry for the long winded and badly written question. It's been difficult for me to phrase what I'd like to know in a fluid and clear way. Please share with me and with others your stories and opinions.

Thank-you.

[Gossamer Maiden]

Well, first of all. A familiar does not have to be an astral creature a familiar can Be your neighbor’s dog. In fact the most common kind of familiar is a family pet. I have two familiars. But neither one belongs to me. My husband’s cat and my sons dog. It's crazy. I do have an astral familiar as well, another cat. He was my childhood pet. We bonded on a level that I could talk to him as if he were human and he would respond. I could sense his emotions and feel his thoughts. Animals don't think they way humans do.

One of the largest purposes for a familiar is for help in spell casting, protection, and companionship. Most practioners (not all of us can or do claim the name witch) seem to feel an affinity toward some animal. If for instance, you collected statues and pictures of eagles; your drawn to this creature, this creature is drawn to you. Then this creature would be a perfect familiar for you, and neither would have to change one bit. Those who go for a more mythical creature as a familiar usually need the energy type that creature provides added to their spell casting, or need it's strength or protection in their lives. It’s not really good for someone who practices a natural craft to take creature from nature. Thus astral animals; for those drawn to Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Bears, ect.

Now there are other things that are not familiars. There are spirits who follow people around. I have a very mischievous faery imp who follows me around along with a nightingale who sings when I'm very upset. They are not my familiars they just seem to like being near me, or maybe they like the taste of my magic I'm not sure. Well, that's all I can think of now. I hope it helps.

[thatguy]

Actually it helps a lot, I've been eagerly waiting a response to this post.

I think you've helped to make clearer some large misconceptions I've
held and I'm glad to have been able to expand my understanding. In
fact if you can think of anything more to add I'd be glad to receive it.

The sort of witch-familiar bond I was imagining is utterly different from
what you're describing. The sort of work I've done in the past is mainly
healing and has never involved more than myself (and on a couple
of more extreme occasions the universal source of energy).

Although on one occasion I was in a car with some of my friends and
one of them was coming down with a cold. I didn't feel like I had enough
energy at that moment to do her any good but I noticed that there was
some raw forest on either side of the highway. To my perception there
didn't seem to have been any humans involved with this bit of forest for
quite some time and the idea struck me that the trees just sitting
untouched there probably had plenty of extra energy. I sort of just
reached out my mind until I felt I was in contact, explained about my
friend and asked if they wouldn't mind helping me. Instantly, the only
response I got was what hit my mind as a green rainy mist of little
energy droplets rushing into my friend and just fixing her.
Her cold was gone in half an hour; better than I could have done.

Sorry to digress with this story, but this is the only time I'd ever worked
with another living creature (well creatures) and it was such a positive
experience (the immediate no questions asked response despite how
immature it was to be asking for help like that just to cure a cold).
And yes I have always had an affinity for trees (as you can probably
guess from my new avatar), I love them, that's the best way I can put it.
My Grandfather was exactly the same.

OK, digression over, just wanted to share that, it's an experience I'll
always remember. My own instruction never involved working with or
communicating with non-human entities although as my practice
continued these entities could be perceived.

I'm sorry but I'm still very ignorant of some of the details of
witch-craft and witches, particularly, the sorts of things they do,
and the sorts of things they do not do.

I feel the best way to remedy that is to ask
questions even if it makes me look stupid.

Thanks again for responding.

T. Guy.