From ioqayin:
“The familiar spirit is a spirit from the Other that comes to the witch to impart knowledge from the spirits. It is a being that is familiar (sometimes, and most often, in the Biblical sense) to the witch, and imparts the wisdom via trance, possession, dreams, or sexual congress. This is why it -is- possible to have numerous familiars, any one of which can be a spirit lover.
Why did I change my mind? Simply because I reevaluated the history of the familiar spirit. The witches often referred to various creatures as their familiar spirit, whether these were faeries, the ancestral dead, animals, or even gods (ie the Devil). Our ancestors believed it is possible to have numerous familiar spirits, so why shouldn’t we as well? However, I still believe there to be a personal, true familiar that is unique to every sorcerer, but I shan’t talk about that at this time. A witch may have one, or all of these familiars (though more does not necessarily equal more power, usually quite the opposite!), but (at least traditionally) witch must have at least one of these. In order to work magic effectively we -must- have that connection the Other. Or else it is just wishful thinking.
The deity is the first, and most often first sought, of the familiar spectrum. Often this is referred to as one’s “patron god” or “patron goddess”. This is a god that either comes to the sorcerer in waking or slumbering vision, and a pact is struck. The sorcerer will serve this god, and in return the god will get offerings and allow part of their power to flow through the sorcerer.
For witches of the traditional stream, this deity is the Devil, or perhaps even the Faery Queen. And there are many ways of getting His attention, or perhaps He will come to you. He is a lecherous fellow, and often preys on young women with long, beautiful hair on His nightly Wanderings. Or, perhaps you will go out into the woods to find Him, or upon a shore at night for Him to take you away, or perhaps within a church with a stolen wafer in your shaking hands.
Once the relationship is started, it will forever cloud your mind. Turn back all who desire this path, I say. The relationship is now Familiar, and the deity may yet send you more familiar spirits as Their messengers.
The animal familiar is the first thing people think of when it comes to familiars. This is a creature that may be either corporeal, or incorporeal. The Living Beast is, essentially, a creature that is made familiar to the witch over time. It is a magical creature fed with the witch’s own lifeblood to make it so. The Spirit Beast may be born of the witch’s own spirit in a similar manner, or granted unto the witch from the Wilds.
The Beast Familiar must be birthed into the world by the witch’s own hands, and cared for, and reared by the witch. The sorcerous connection is built over time by offerings of blood, so that beast and man become as one being. Then the Imp can be sent on various tasks for the witch, or the witch may possess the beast with her own spirit, and the animal may yet teach the witch a thing or two about its own, beastial magic.
The Fetch Beast is born from the witch’s own spirit, or it may come to them in the Wild. Such a spirit is usually housed within a vessel suitable to the shape and form of the animal (Spirit fills Shape), and offerings are made to the familiar to feed it, and sustain it’s presence in this world. As with the Living Beast, the witch may take on the Spirit Animal’s shape as she travels in the Otherworld.
This is another familiar created by the magician, usually in the form of the Mandrake root. Or it may yet be a tree spirit that assists the magician, or a spirit of a shrub, or some poisonous plant. The plant spirit will teach the magician about poisons, balms, potions, salves, how to kill, how to heal, how to confuse, how to arouse the senses. They are dangerous, and strange spirits, but still very much kin.
There is not much to say on these familiars from me, as I don’t personally have one in my home. I work with their bodies briefly, and call out their spirits to bind part of their power to charms, or my meads (though I haven’t made mead in a long while…college), but have yet to be called to make an Alraun.
Some traditions may refer to this as a fetiche.
The Dead Familiar is that of a spirit of the dead who comes to the witch to offer them aid. This may be an ancestral spirit of the witch’s kin, or a witch ancestor that chooses to guide the witch. The witch may also certainly go out and just find a suitable spirit to aid them.
This familiar is traditionally used for rites of divination and oracular work, such as that performed by the Witch of Endor. The spirit of the dead is usually housed within an altar/shrine, or within a bowl, or within a skull, whether human or some other material.
Historically, there was little difference between the dead familiar, and that of the faery, indeed there are of the same making.
The Faery Familiar is what I have spoken of most, and is regards to the Faery Lover, or even Demon lover. This familiar is most popular within Scottish tales, usually between a king and his faery wife. The witches of Isobel Gowdie’s coven also claimed to have devil or faery lovers who assisted them in their magic.
This faery lover may come to you, or you may call to it, or perhaps its a little of both. The longing for, the desire for the relationship sparks it into existence. The relationship is erotic, and sexual congress is frequently made to feed the presence of the faery lover in this world.
Sometimes the faery lover will take you away, and give you unique powers, such as those of Thomas the Rhymer. Or they may stalk you, and rape you in order to give you their power. But that is a controversial topic, and may be saved for a later time.
Maintaining the Relationship
In essence, the stories are true. The familiar is fed milk, blood, wine, and other trinkets to ignite their presence in the sorcerer’s life. With some, this becomes a sexual union between the spirit and the witch. Oh, yes, even with the beastial spirits! Nothing is taboo in the Devil’s kingdom.
Now, I’m not saying to go out and fuck your horse helper, but! if you should have dreams of having sex with your horse familiar, and even transforming into a horse, do not be shocked–it is a part of the process. The feed on the foison of sexual energy, on the living fire within, and in return give you the living fire as well.
As a parting remark, I give this little poem for your contemplation. Within it is a, rather modern, interpretation for obtaining a spirit familiar.
There was a crooked man, he walked a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse.
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.”
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