Curious how can you tell.?

Question

I read a question someone post on here about her cat being a familiar. What is a familiar? and how can you tell if your cat or dog is one?

Answer 1

a familiar is like a demon posing as an animal.

thats all i got.

Answer 2

I tend to use the term familiar to refer to a pet animal that is exceptionally close to a person. I'll very occasionally use the term to refer to a specific "animal form" I might be using when travelling within the "Astral". This usage is very like the term "power animal"

eg our (pet) cat walks along side my miss's JUST as if's a Dog.  It really unnerves people (especial Asians/Muslims in our area) because her attitude is that of a dog, and it looks like my partner has TOTAL control of the cat. She (the cat) eager to please (by ratting/mousing/coming when called),knows her name (and words such as "cat", and "C","A" "T" and many other words too, even seems to understand some basic grammar)  If there's people in the house whom the cat doesn't know, she'll keep an eye on them, and make sure that they "behave" themselves. She isn't worried by the vacuum cleaner, nor does she hide if we're moving furniture about .

Historically familiars are helping spirits which happen to take the form of animals. A Witch could take the form of the animal to gain some of the abilities of the animal. Hares were often seen as being a witch in the form of her familiar, (perhaps hares were chosen due to their speed of travel. )

---

I know one "chaos magician" whom all his friends believe is the familiar of a cat, rather than the normal way around! I'm being SERIOUS his cat is better at magic than he is! We spotted it doing some kind of ritual on the roof of it's owner's car once. The cat jumped on car roof from the side. Walked round clockwise 3 times, sat in middle, and had a bit of scrat, and a bit of a yowl. then back to edge of car roof, round three times anticlockwise, then jumped off at the same point it had jumped up.

---

How to tell if a domestic animal is a physical familiar?

Try figuring out why they (your pet) does what they do.

Chasing things which can't normally be seen (eg "Gnomes"/elementals/"ghost mice") is a big clue

Picking up on vibes, and reacting to situations before they actually happen

Intelligence above what you would expect from that kind of animal.

Answer 3

Non-Pagan history describes familiars as low-ranking demons in constant attention to Witches for the purpose of carrying out spells and bewitchments. Familiars usually assumed animal forms. In the Witchcraft Trials, if so much as a fly buzzed in the window while someone suspected of being a witch was being questioned or tried, it was said to be her (or his) familiar.Familiars - also called imps - were said to be given to Witches by the Devil or bought or inherited from other Witches. A Witch could have several of them. Cats were the favored forms, especially black ones. The fear that all cats were Witches' familiars was one of the primary reasons for the famous cat massacres that swept through medieval Europe.

Familiars were given names like any household pet, which most of them undoubtedly were.

However in wicca, witchcraft and maybe pagan. (i only read about wicca and witchcraft, my friend is a 'pagan' but i havent had time to read about pagan) Many modern Witches have animal familiars which are their magical helpers. Witches do not believe the familiars are "demons" or spirits in animal form but simply animals whose psychic attunement makes them ideal partners in magical workings. Some Witches say that it is possible to endow pets with magical powers and turn them into familiars, though others don't believe it should be done. Still others believe familiars are never "pets" (and should never be treated as such) but are animals who volunteer to work as familiars and are Karmically attracted to Witches. Witches who do not have familiars send out psychic "calls" to draw the right animal. Familiars reputedly are sensitive to psychic vibrations and power and are welcomed partners inside the magic circle and other magical work. They also serve as psychic radar, reacting visibly to the presence of any negative or evil energy, whether it be an unseen force or a person who dabbles in the wrong kind of magic. Familiars are also given psychic protection by their Witches. Some Witches it seems also use the term familiar to describe thought-forms created magically and empowered to carry out a certain task on the astral plane.

Sorcerers and shamans in cultures around the world also have helpers in the form of spirits. Dispatching them on errands to heal, harm or kill - called sending. The physical shape of a familiar varies. what I usually instruct in this area is that the student of magic who feels that they have found a familiar is that they should practice an exercise called "Trading Places" by Keith Harry. This exercise is simple enough to memorize and to practice, and though it was not written specifically for bonding with an animal familiar it was designed for becoming familiar with an animal, and inducing a mystical experience. I think you will readily discern its value in the acquiring of a familiar. (to trade places you just relax with your animal, breathe deeply as you look into their eyes, feel yourself become them, as they become you. Feel the bond of you two grow with each deep breathe you take, continue until you feel your consious merge with theirs)

You can tell that they are pretty much by their atunement to magick, pychicness and such. They come to you, not you to them. XD My two cats i found out were ones when my cat i thought was like a demon cat because she always hissed at one of my friends. Finally she attacked my friend, and then i apologized. the attack from cat got her pissed and she confessed that she betrayed me. (she did something horrible, and out of spite she told me what she did) Then my other one was just...i knew

Answer 4

a familiar is an assistant of sorts in the form of a domesticated animal or otherworldly creature.

kind of things you have to look for are heightened intelligence and the creature actually understading english (following commands and the like). remember: if english fails, try french or italian.

Answer 5

a familair (I think so) is an animal guide  or the specail (their can be more than one) animal in your life that will help you do awesome or evan magical things. Hedwig (or harry potters owl) would be considered HP's familair.

Answer 6

It's a demon in disguise as an animal (mostly cat) and the witch takes care of them while the demon teaches them witchcraft. lots of stupid movies portray cats as just a pet to the witches. It's lame.

Answer 7

Despite some of the answers here, a familiar is NOT a demon or devil; it's just a plain ol' animal who happens to be skilled at helping a human with spellcrafting and other magicks.