Witchcraft A Beginner's Guide

Familiars

In witchcraft a common term is familiar. We often think of black cats, crows, and other animals assisting in the work of magic. A familiar will reveal itself to you when you need them, or when summoned. A familiar cannot be made from any animal of your choosing. Animals have their own free will. A familiar will present itself in the way that a pet will not. There will be a different feeling about this particular animal. They carry a stronger presence with them. They may present themselves in dreams, in a physical form, even appearing as human, in the astral realm, or in signs. You can speak with your higher power or spirit guides about this to see what information you can obtain. Remember, you may not always be ready to receive this yet, you may still be growing in your path. You will meet when you are meant to. A familiar aids in the craft, acts as a companion, and holds a high place in the household. Familiars are loyal only to their masters, for which they protect, serve, and follow. They are said to appear when the practitioner requires their assistance, when one goes through difficulty they will begin to send signs, before manifesting themselves. Sometimes the rough patch would be loss, financial strife, or sickness. Once they have shown themselves to you, they can be summoned at will. The relationship with your familiar will be different person to person. Everyone's familiar is not the same, the way they can be contacted will vary, and their appearance can change at will. It's said that some witches would kneel, and breathe a certain way to summon the spirit out of themselves. This sounds particularly similar to meditation. Many people believe in using meditation to summon your familiar. There are many guided meditations that help you do this through visualization. Familiars are their own entity and with that comes the same risk as with meeting any person. This person cannot be controlled in minute detail, so do not expect them to serve your every whim. A familiar must find your relationship mutually beneficial. They are spirits to assist your craft, and guide you to what you cannot always see. They are able to walk between the world of man and spirits, they are to guide you between the worlds while maintaining your physical presence, thus you have the term 'familiar'. Familiar as being, in both the spirit and body. Often termed gatekeepers, your familiar will be able to assist in your craft, such as allowing the familiar to witness your work, and sometimes smell the ingredients. The familiars reaction will often determine the outcome of the spell. If the familiar shows they are displeased with it, try an alternative approach. Your familiar can also read the intentions of others, and any ill-intent they may carry. When you are ready to summon your familiar keep in mind they may not be ready to be received by you yet. When the time is meant to be your familiar will come. 

How do you summon a familiar?
Accounts of this vary through time, the most common method is through meditation.   You can manifest or petition your familiar to present itself, there are many spells on how to do this. You can use the candle or crystal correspondences with psychic energy to bring the spirits forward. You can use bay leaf manifestation practices to summon them, by writing your intent on a bay leaf and burning it. Summoning is very similar to manifesting. Witches who have practiced for a very long time may be able to manifest their intentions at will, while others may spend hours focusing their energy on a single spell. Magic is a process of growth. When manifesting, or summoning, be clear about your intentions. There will always be ground work with what you will receive. A black cat may not physically show up on your doorstep. Maybe you start manifesting with candles, spells, crystals, and it seems like nothing's quite taking shape yet. Then after a time you start dreaming about a stray animal that holds a strong presence in your mind. One day you're scrolling through the internet and there's the animal. Up for adoption in a town near you. Maybe you have to adjust your living space to accommodate the animal, maybe you have to take a day off work to go get it. Maybe you manifest your familiar and feel like you're getting no results, but notice you seem to have an infestation of butterflies, moths, or ladybugs. You start seeing them everywhere, and they just won't let up. You begin your spirit work and your higher power shows you the meaning of the bugs around you. Perhaps in the astral they reveal themselves in another physical form of their choice, and show you how they work around you. Not every familiar is an animal, and not every animal is a familiar. Trust the process, and trust your intuition. Let yourself be open to receive what knowledge your familiar has to offer, and be open to receive them in any form. Some believe that by calling out for your familiar and ringing a bell they may hear your call. You draw out a pentacle, place your blessings within it, ring the bell and call for it. Some believe in going out into the wild, or a forest to manifest your familiar. A familiar can commonly be summoned on the full moon. If you want a full ritual spell you can try this;

Cleanse yourself with sea salt

Cleanse your craft space

Light a blue, purple, or white candle and carve your intent into it or burn cleansing incense

Call out to your familiar in your own words or incantation, works better outside, but either one works

There are books entirely based around the conjuring and care of a familiar. I encourage you to read up about familiars, and prepare your surroundings to take on a familiar. A familiar will become as much a part of your life as a family member. Some call it the 'nesting' process, as when someone takes on a child. Prepare yourself physically, mentally, spiritually, and they will come.