Witches know that diverse life forms along with their simplicity and complexity can be learned from by observation. They may be heeded as oracles for predicting future events as well assisting in other forms of magic.

While propaganda perpetuates the myth that Witches hurt or even kill animals to use their body parts as magical ingredients, this is rare. Most olde grimoires that list horrific requirements such as “the tears of a Hamadryas baboon” are but common names for plants or stones. In this case, “tears of a Hamadryas baboon” is simply dill juice.

Indeed it is because Witches revere all life forms’ inherent sanctity that we don’t “tame” our Craft companions so much as nurture their unique talents and encourage them to work the kinds of magic for which they are renown and historically known to have an affinity for.

Anyone wishing to have a familiar should first weigh each animal’s magical attributes versus its potential detriments. Like Life itself, each familiar has an up and a down side, so select with due foresight. For example, dogs can guard circle and detect ghosts, but their mystic repertoire is limited compared to that of cats, which can predict the weather, divine the future and love to actively participate in spell work.

On the other hand, neighbors may consider your dog’s barking to be noise pollution and be irate if your cat decimates the wildlife in their backyard habitat.

I recently headlined a gathering and discovered the entire hosting Craft Community to be enthralled with keeping parrots, macaws, and cockatoos. I fell for their majesty, too — until they screeched incessantly all weekend. The birds fought with each other, with invisible fairies, with their handlers — sounding much like a continual murder! I quickly concluded that for me, big birds might be a bit of a magical buzzkill.

While many may be tempted to believe that the maxim “the more, the merrier” encourages them to house pets galore, my experience proves that only one at a time works best. Total human dotage without competition from another animal maximizes a familiar’s security and undivided attention. The younger a familiar, the better to start with, preferably even one born in your hand!
Once you’ve settled on a species or particular pet, consider that to know a thing’s name is to master it. So honor it with one.

How to Train Your Magical Familiar
Treat your pet as you would a God or Goddess in your midst. Think latitude, not boundaries; reciprocity, not usury. Send mental messages to your familiar to establish and strengthen your psychic bond. Talk to your familiar in low, soothing tones. All familiars appreciate calm, save ferrets, ocelots, and seals! Use consistent direction and repetition during attempts, and affection, praise, and other rewards for all successes.

If your familiar fails a task they’re supposed to be good at over several weeks’ training time, try the skill a different way. Adapting how you set things up may help your familiar succeed. For instance, if your a cat isn’t interested in playing with dice on the floor, throw a pair across the room and see if they bat it back to you with their paw. Changing your tactics in this way can help you train a cat to predict the future with dice (i.e., astralgomancy). Use visual, audio, and scent cues to demarcate between playtime and training time. To alert your familiar when magic is afoot and it’s time to focus, do the same thing each time you set up to train your pet: Don a special robe, light candles, ring a bell, or burn a particular type of incense. With your familiar, try out the magical things you think they may excel at, and others as well.

Your pet may well surprise you with their hidden mystical prowess!

Lady Passion is co-author of The Goodly Spellbook: Olde Spells For Modern Problems and High Priestess of Coven Oldenwilde in Asheville, NC. She may be reached via: www.oldenwilde.org