How do you get an animal to be your familiar?

Question

How do you get an animal to be your familiar?

Answer 1

The history of familiars, who they are, what they mean, etc. is so full of rumour and myth and perspective-stealing that its really difficult to seperate the wheat from the chaff.

A close reading of the Bible suggests that Eve had a familiar, the snake in the garden, but such a relationship is often a twisted version of what a familiar is, or can be.

A familiar is just that, a guide, something 'familiar' to the person, who acts as an extra set of senses when living in this world, or the next. A familiar can be physical, spiritual, or even pass from one state to the next. It can originate primarily as spiritual guide, only to incarnate on the earthly plane to provide a more personal and close example of guidance, die, and continue to provide assistance to the person from the other side. Or it can exist only as a spirit guide and never enter the Earthly realm, pass into incarnation.

One might think of a familiar as an inside tour guide to the realm of the natural world, which is why so many are animals. Animals are much closer or more in tune with the rythms, patterns, and thus consequences, of nature than humans (a product of our having free will is a lessening of our insticts.) Thus, the familiar, by their example, instructs the person in natural patterns of behavior that might be beneficial and/or applicable in their life, and beneficial to life in general.

Most familiars are 'found,' in other words, when you are a newly created spirit being from the ether, you usually come upon a creature of a similar age who will take on the role of being your familiar. That creature then becomes your primary familiar (think of it as being like your personal guardian angel.) However, since one cannot learn everything about the natural world by simply learning from one animal, many people graduate to other familiars. These often serve in an adivsory/instructive capacity only, meaning they will remain with you until you have learned what they can teach you, and then they will move on. Also, it is possible (and often occurs) for someone's primary familiar to become someone's secondary familiar, meaning they are your friend, but they become someone else's teacher. The more knowledgeable your familiar is, the more likely they are to have alot of students, or a steady supply of students.

There is no such a thing as a familiar being 'better' than any other familiar. A swarm of dragonflies can make even the angriest bear turn on its heels and run for the mountains, so the familiar one bonds with is no more or less strong than any other. Anyone who has ever messed with someone whose familiar (primary or secondary) is a fire ant knows this lesson all too well, and having a wolf familiar will only mean that your legs will carry you just as swift away from danger as it carried you into it.

Familiars lost alot of their currency when the spiritual direction of the world was shifted to a monotheistic, and thus a much more spiritual, inclination. The values of the natural world fell into a spiritual 'winter', so to speak, and are only now beginning to reemerge. Since much of the natural world, and thus the initial cycle of rule, was given over to the female, much of what the female took value in became 'devalued' in the male ascendency (which is partly why the snake became a symbol of evil and temptation.) Since the cycle of male ascendency is slowly ebbing and giving way to neutrality again, much of the lessons of the natural world, and the value of sponsorship by familiars, is returning.

Back to your question, after the rant: you don't pick your familiar, you sorta pick each other. A relationship with one's familiar is often mutual, although many powerful familiars are very good at making one feel like the lesser one in their presence (a lesson of humility and bowing before/acknowldeding that which is greater than oneself, a hard lesson indeed) but that feeling is part of the lesson they impart.

When you are ready, the familiar will come.

Answer 2

Unfortunatly familiars aren't actually animals.  They are lesser deman in service of a witch/worlock for making a pact with the devil.

Answer 3

On most cases it's kinda like love at first sight, but you can try these tips, to make them like you more!

-give them just the right amount of attention (not too much)



when their alone, and doing nothing, is the perfect time!

take your dog for a walk, or hug your cat

--food is their main atraction! (if your the feeder, you know

   they love you)

  give them treats! it makes them feel speacial, and they will

  know that you care!

~Child of Ra

Answer 4

warm sympathy to it

Answer 5

I dont think you can "make" an animal be your familiar, I think u instintly are close to them. Like my mom and her cat Nekos. It was love at first site. I beleive a few years ago my bird was my familiar. I loved that bird but sadly there was an accident and he passed away :{. Good luck wih finding your familiar they will be your bestfriend for life.

Answer 6

You be the person said animal wants to guide.  No amount of pleading, bribing, pretend, or spell craft gibberish will convince an animal to care.  You actually have to be worthy, if you are not, they will simply pass you by.

Answer 7

I don't know about familiars, but I have many cats and three dogs. One dog and one cat out of the whole lot are my favorite, and I'm their favorite human. That may be because I raised them. The cat, sadly, died. He was an orange tabby.

My youngest brother is only three and the other two dogs are drawn to him. The female dog won't take treats from anybody, but my brother! I think he's been  hanging out with them too much though. He growls when he is mad and licks you instead of giving kisses. . .

And then, we have a squirrel that loves my dad. The squirrel fell out of his tree when he was a baby and we raised him. He follows my dad everywhere.

But, familiars, I have no idea. Just love your animals and they will follow you around like familiars.

Answer 8

I find they pick you. Or at least that is how it worked for me.