WalkingOak, you're right about thought forms, but to create it some experience is required. I have created one servitor, and want to create a new one and destroy the previous. My last attempt was not successful.
Late to the party and all, but I have some experience in the area.
Firstly, most people assume a familiar is an animal companion or pet, and this is entirely false. This arose from the superstitions of the religion Elite in the early modern period (1400-1900) about witches and cunning folk in Europe. This concept carried on into the 20th century when fiction and the new age movement further perpetuated the idea further.
Traditionally, familiars were helping spirits, the concept likely originated from the vestiges of animism and the shamanic roots of European witchcraft. Thus the fetch, imp, familiar, helping fairy of lore comes from animism, and similar concepts are still found in many vertiginous cultures that still practice shamanism.
In my own practice (and opinion), my familiar is a fairy (not of the tinkerbell concept romanticized in the victorian era), as a wild entity. Appearing as a large toad, or a toad-like hag, she appeared only after great distress in life, as was the reoccurring theme in regards to what we do know about British (and some continental) witches. In my opinion this entity is a fully independent being of me, and I strongly sense she may be an ancestral wight (as fairies often were associated with). She leads me, aids me in my casting, acts as a messenger and informant, and a watchdog - of her own free will of course.
Another approach is that of the Servitor, or thought-form. This school of thought sees the familiar (at at least, some familiar) as a form of a created entity, although I can't say much as this isn't my methodology.
Recommended reading:
*Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic by Emma Wilby
*The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland by Emma Wilby
Jack, you're the first one I know with a wild spirit as a familiar. I had another thought of how it could be possible, your post has clarified many things to me, thanks.
how does it work if you already have animals? I have 4 cats and a dog,how do you tell which one? they have different personalities that I love.But I don't how to go about that.Can somebody give me some tips on how to ask them which one would like to be my familiar?
Re: Creating a Familiar? By: Lark Moderator / Adept
Post # 16 Nov 30, 2015
Pets are not familiars. Familiars are something that are created by the magic user. In that sense they are like a tulpa or a fetch. They are not a living animal.
It's accturly one of the eastist things in magic all you have to do is mediate look into your self focuse carful and ask may a faimlar please step forward and you will see a animal. (in your mind at first because a faimlar can't enter this plane there astral spirts once you have one you can astral project to see one and no you can not change it into anther animal. ) rember to to respect it for you have not chosen them they have chosen you to help ask what should it be called its gender and thank it for chossing to help you then reach out with your real hand eyes closed imagen it's infront of you place your hand on its bodye(head back etc) and image your engerys conecting to make a bond.once that's done the should follow you just about any were just rember to trust them for trust and respect keeps the bond strong.
Oh ya one more thing you can't create one they are alive and have had there own story's to tell to treat them like a tool and not a living thing that has chosen to help you will make it shy away from you
Re: Creating a Familiar? By: Lark Moderator / Adept
Post # 20 Dec 04, 2015
Shadow, what you have posted is incorrect. Did you read the posts in this thread? Familiars are not living animals, they are energetic beings created by the magic user to assist them in the same manner as a servitor, tulpa, or fetch.
