Familiar Etsy Treasury

In honor of my new cat, Aleister, I made an Etsy Treasury that any Witch ready for Halloween should enjoy.

The Witch's Familiar treasury list

Includes everything from jewelry to signage to candle holders from Etsy artists

 
 

Familiar Familiars

For those of you who do not know, moving to Alaska was a very difficult process for my husband and myself. Not only did we sell almost everything we had to afford the move, uprooted and went to a place we had never been before in our lives, but on top of this we had to give away our beloved cat, Halloween.

Halloween was very special to us. Not only was she an amazing furry companion but she was also my husband's familiar.
He's been grieving her, even though she hasn't passed and is living with a friend, chasing mice and content, and has mentioned a few times that he would like another cat.

We since discussed getting a pet rabbit instead. A friend of ours has a yard overrun with rabbits, the multitudinous prodigy of 2 rabbits of a previous renter. She saved on from an owl and it has since been dubbed Owl Bait and is now a house rabbit.

However, while looking at free furniture and other things on Craigslist, my husband came across an ad
Free Cat to Good Home. He couldn't resist and took a peek. The owners were moving away the very next day and it was either find a home ASAP or poor "Kit Kat" would have to go to the shelter.
The cat came with his own litter box and feeding bowls. Is 5 months old and hasn't had his shots or been neutered yet.

I sighed, looked at the calender and nodded. It was this time three years ago that Halloween came into our lives and hearts. It seemed fated and the situation was so much like our previous one I agreed.

We are now the owners of a long haired gray and white tom cat we have renamed Aleister.

I made the mistake of giving him catnip last night, to aid with the transition and he kept me up the rest of the night with snuggles. I ended up having to hide my hands from the pettings in order to get any rest. Hubby slept the night through with no notice that anything was different.
He has also proved to be an energy sync and has since tried to tear down and snuggle the objects on my altar, my tarot cards and anything else with any residual energy from magical working.

Welcome to the family Aleister
Pictures to come as soon as I have access to a camera.

F is for Familiars

My husband once had a Familiar, a calico cat named Halloween. She was like our baby. We recently had to give her a new home with a close friend of our because we're moving. If we had been moving in the state or even to one of the surrounding states we would have kept her but, sadly, I don't think she would have faired well in a month-long road trip. Plus, I've heard that I might not be able to take her over Canadian boarder and there's no way I was gonna dumper her out of the car in North Dakota. 

So what is a Familiar?

I believe they are animals we meet in this life, on this plane, who help guide and protect us. They can be cats, birds, dogs, lizards, mice, etc. They don't even have to be pets. 

I had a crow that used to stay outside my window all winter and summer when I lived in Kentucky. I dreamt he would talk to me, tell me things, and in the morning he flew above me as I got on the bus or in a friend's car to go to school. When I got back, the crow was still there. I think it was a guide that I needed at that time. By the time I reached senior year of high school, the crow was gone. 

The Difference between Familiars and Totems or Spirit Animals?

I believe a Familiar is or once was an animal on this physical plane that connected with a person.

A Totem or Spirit animal doesn't ever have to have been on this plane nor does it have to be an animal that even exists on this plane (i.e. 'mythical' creatures like dragons and unicorns). 

Both Familiars and Spirit Animals are still very important to a witch's growth. 

Totem Animals

Alright, so this blog might be a little vague and a little lengthy...there's my warning.

The Pagan Blog Prompt was about totem animals and what they have taught you...wow, what a subject. Whole books are written about these things.
-takes a deep breath-

My main spirit guide and totem animal is a dragon. He is very hard to describe but HUGE is an understatement. When I see him in my mind's eye I feel as small as the pupil of his eye. I know that his neck is longish and slender enough for me to ride upon the nape of his neck and press my hands against the back of his head.
I do not know his name...I don't think I can pronounce it in human tongue. It starts with an Akh.

Akh came to me when I was 13 years old and needed some help physically, spiritually, emotionally. I was under attack for the first time in my life by another witch, a boy who had been studying for a couple of years longer than myself and decided to attack me when I made it very clear I had no intention of working with him or dating him.
I had no one to turn to who would not think I was crazy and I kept having dreams that he would turn into this great naga (man snake) and wrap me in his tail and crush me to death.
Then, one evening I curled up in a ball on my bed and I began to pray to whoever would listen. "Please protect me, please." The prayer slowly began to change in my head, like the words were twisting themselves without my help. Suddenly I was chanting, and I sadly never wrote this chant down nor did I ever use it after that night, so I can't share it with you but it had something about Great Dragon, wings of night then rhymed with flight and might...eh -shrugs-.

That night I had no nightmares. Instead I dreamt I was sleeping against a wall of scaled muscle, perfectly safe and warm. This went on for a week and slowly I noticed the guy who was attacking me looking very, very tired. I never asked him about what happened, but he did call me one night when a mutual friend of ours was in a car accident and in the hospital. We talked for a bit but it was very strained and unnaturally polite on his part.

As for me and Akh. I saw him more and more. Soon I was able to make out the coloring of his great body (all grey and blue and black and purple). His astral realm is dark mostly and when he shows me things its like water reflecting images.

Akh was there for me when I went to the Coptic Conference and Dick Sutfen lead us to meditate and foresee the year 2012. He protected me and assured me that I was safe even though some of the things I saw were frightening.

Something I noticed about dragons, talking to others who have them as guides, is that they sleep for long periods of time. Sometimes months, sometimes years. I always know when he's sleeping and when he is awake. When he is awake I only have to close my eyes and he's there. Even though he is large its like I can feel him inside of me, wrapped around my spine, resting in my heart, throat and third eye chakras.

Damon has met my dragon before. He was astral projecting while I slept and he said it was like a great wall of scales and then it moved and looked at him. He told Damon his name...but he too only received an Akh sound, leaving me to believe we cannot pronounce it. He said that even though the Dragon know he wouldn't hurt me, he was still protective of me while I slept and wouldn't let Damon peek in on me while unconscious.

The only other person to talk to me about my dragon was a man I worked with for a little while named Michael. He said he knew a few others with Dragon guides but few that were as big and strong as Akh. That he had once had a vision about dragons and the relaying message was that come 2012 there will be 9 and 1. Not 10 but 9 and 1. He said he normally didn't tell people about that because he didn't really know what it meant but felt that I should know and that it should mean something to me.
Strangely enough I didn't think about pagan things when I heard it but was reminded of a verse from the Bible,  Revelations about the 10 horns on the head of the beast with the little horn in the middle. It was the first thing that came to mind and still makes me curious. I'd love to know if anyone else has any clue about this from a prophetic or intellectual (and non-evangelical) standpoint.

Other than that, Akh is always with me. I feel him now even as I type. He doesn't seem to care much that I talk about him, heh.