Shannon Rose

What is a familiar?

Legend has it that witches always had a familiar, an animal which was really a spirit in disguise that could be summoned to do their bidding, usually for malevolent purposes. This is still given credence in modern times even by non believers, who associate the black cat with Halloween, bad luck to those whose path it crosses, and general spookiness.


Although I do not claim to be able to summon my familiars at any time, my husband and I have both had numerous occasions of going outside to look for a certain familiar, deciding it wasn’t present, then suddenly feeling the urge to turn and look again, only to see that it was right where we had looked, sitting quietly and observing us, as if it had been there all along.


It has been my experience that any animal can be a familiar, and in general, they find us when the time is right. They seem to appear in times of stress, as a kindred spirit whose  sudden appearance frequently alleviates much psychic tension. The animal form that chooses you may or may not be an animal you previously considered attractive. However, once you have had certain animal as a familiar, chances are that species will always have a place in your heart.


I find that my familiars are a conduit between the physical and the spirit world, and thus can be given a request to take to spirit for me.


If you would like to attract a familiar, all that is necessary is to make ones self open to it, and sure enough, there it is.