Finding Your Familiar

Meeting with our Familiar is of the utmost importance before delving into the oftentimes murky waters of witchcraft. A Familiar not only helps protect us from psychic and spiritual harm, but also provides insight into the many scenarios in which we will find ourselves. They are like trail guides who want to help us reach our destination, and who never intentionally put us in harm's way. 

The following meditation is to be attempted at home and in solitude. All you need is a quiet hour or so, completely disconnected from your phone and media. I recommend doing this at dawn or dusk, as these are the liminal times.

Getting a Glimpse: Sit comfortably and stare at a point on the wall. You may place a target object if you’d like, such as a small strip of tape or paper. Your eyes should be rested, as if you are daydreaming, and not focused on anything else. If your eyes get heavy, let them close. When you come to, whether by an alarm or sudden waking, record any of your findings or visions. If you have fallen asleep, try again when you are more rested and have the energy to keep awake. 

…Crow has arrived in my mind’s eye. A purple and gold aura emits from its head, and it hovered still, frozen in space and time…

Another way to meet with a Familiar is to seek assistance from someone who can help navigate. With this method, you will be entering a trance into your ‘Inner Landscape,’ a term used by author and Wiccan elder, Ivo Domingeuz Jr. For convenience, I have laid out every step so that you can refer to it at a later time.

Note: Ventures into the Otherworld, as well as the general practice of witchcraft and the occult, are not without their risks. This is the reason why we begin with the importance of meeting and connecting with our Familiar. Without their guidance and protection, serious psychic stress or injury can happen. The study and practice of the occult does not provide us with a one-way mirror! Magical Practitioner Draja Mickaharic says it best with,

“As we enter into the study of magic and the occult, we lose the protection that our ignorance provides.”

Therefore, before proceeding, we should take a moment to talk about personal protection. Assuming that many of you have a background or strong interest in witchcraft, you may already have on you an amulet, pouch, or other charmed object. This is a great start to establishing personal protections, but it is not always enough. Something that is often overlooked is that we need to be specific about what we need protection from. For example, I wear a silver ring that I have charmed to protect against the Evil Eye, but it may not be so great at guarding against dog attacks or lightning.

A simple form of protection is the ‘Circle-Cross Method.' I originally came upon this method in the book “Treading the Mill,” by Nigel G. Pearson. While his method is great, I have amended it for the absolute beginner. With it, we will establish an internal compass, positioning ourselves and our work in the world, ordinary and not.

Circle-Cross Method (amended): Stand facing North and place your feet about a foot apart, and place your arms by your side. Close your eyes and take a few full breaths.

Take your dominant hand and touch your brow. Say;

“From Above”

Trace a line from your brow to your navel and say;

“To Below”

Raise and outstretch your left arm, say;

“From my left”

Do the same with your right, say;

“And to my right”

Cross your arms over your chest, say;

“I am whole and contained.”

With this method, we are creating an orb or bubble of protection against unseen forces while in trance. You may also choose to do this before any spellwork. There are many variations of this, and if you’d like to learn more, I encourage you to research the term ‘Laying / Hallowing the Compass.’

The prolific Christian Mystic, Dion Fortune, offers a different method in her book, “Psychic Self-Defense.” She writes, “[Facing east] Touching his forehead he says “To Thee, O God (touching his solar plexus) be thy Kingdom (touching his right shoulder) and the Power (touching his left shoulder) and the Glory (clasping his hands) unto the ages of the ages. Amen.”

Before entering the daimonic realm, the Otherworld, we will go over each step laid out before us. This is to provide you with a template of intent.

I’d like to discuss the method of drumming to induce trance. While this method of auditory stimulation has been done for a millennium by people the world over, it is retained in modern-day by Indigenous and First Nations communities. It is not my intent to replicate or falsely portray any Indigenous practices. Drumming is an auditory stimulation, and it works for me and many others. Additional methods include visual stimulation, repetitive movement, gazing, inducing physical stimuli, ingestion of psychedelics, breathwork, etc. The inclusion of transformational drumming draws inspiration from multiple wisdom traditions, but is offered today as a modern practice.

TEMPLATE OF INTENT

1) Set your intention of meeting with your Familiar and cleanse yourself with the fumigation of herbs. I recommend using cedar because of its fiery, cleansing, and protective qualities. It is also used to designate spaces as sacred. Mugwort is also a good choice and will aid in easing the mind.

2) Next, break up the still air with sound. This is another form of cleansing, and it also helps shift our minds into a ritualistic setting. Designating a space for ritual is just as important as the ritual itself.

3) We then read aloud the following incantation, offered by the authors of “Besom, Stang, & Sword,” Christopher Orapello & Tara-Love Maguire.

“Familiar spirit of my soul, 

Please make your presence known. 

Familiar spirit of my head

From birth, through life, till I am dead.

Familiar spirit of my flesh,

Show yourself at my request.”

ENTERING TRANCE

4) Lie down and listen to the sound of drumming. Drumming works as a means of accessing trance because it affects our brain waves. Slowing down brain activity allows inspiration and untapped wisdom to flood in. The lull of the drum feels like being pulled out to sea and onto other shores. It is your raft and windsail. Eventually, you might acquire a drum of your own and come to think of it more as an ally than as an object. When I can’t drum for myself, I use an iPhone app called 'Drum Journey' by William Langton of Mindful Bear Apps.

5) Picture in your mind's eye an actual place from your memory that was private and special to you. For example, I think back to a tree that stands in a field in my hometown. I would sometimes sit by this tree on my walks after school. Some people imagine bedrooms, attics, pools, or lakes. As long as you can summon it clearly in your mind, it will work for you. In this place, imagine that you can descend into the ground, down a flight of stairs, or in an elevator. Descend in the direction of a left-turning corkscrew spiral.

…I am walking in a field and approaching the tree. I can hear the chirping of crickets and feel the gentle heat of the afternoon sun on my shoulders. I place my hand on the bark of the tree, and a creaking moan emits from its core. The ground has swallowed me up. I cling to the roots of the tree until I realize that I am not in danger. Acceptance is necessary, and so I slip further into the open Earth…

6) As you feel yourself lowering into the ground, you will start to sense a new space. Allow your vision to adjust to the surroundings. For me, it is a dirt tunnel. Others have told me that they see a room with a door on the other end of it. Either way, you will begin walking down the tunnel or towards the door very slowly. We use this time to further entrench ourselves and distance our minds from the surface of our physical body. It is at this point that another shift happens, and with it comes another barrier. For me, it appears as an old stone archway that I must draw upon with a symbol for it to open.

…The tunnel is dark. I place my hands on either side to navigate my way. I can feel the cold of the dirt and smell the earth. I’m pulled deeper into the bowels…

7) Upon passing the barrier, again allow your vision to adjust. A lot of time in the Otherworld is spent doing just that, taking in new surroundings and trying to make sense of them. Your first time entering might be very dark, and you may be without peripheral vision. Over time, this will come to be your Sacred Center, Grove, Otherworld Garth, or, as I’ve begun calling it, your Launching Pad. You might hear the fluttering of wings, buzzing of insects, primal howls, heavy footsteps, or any array of sounds. Focus and bring these beings in front of you, one by one, and ask, “Are you my Familiar?” Eventually, one will stop and connect with you telepathically or verbally. Be sure to ask its name. If it does not offer it right away, be patient. It may require many visits before it does.

…It is here that Crow tethers itself to me. Its reveal during meditation was not just a vision of kinship, but an invitation to the Otherworld. It flies upon my shoulder and presses its head against mine and says, “Finally, you’re here, let’s fly!”…

8) Once you have connected with your Familiar Spirit and made conversation, thank them and turn back around and leave. Ascend in a right-turning corkscrew spiral. The drumming will assist with this as its rhythm will change and encourage you to end your session. When you return to your physical body, be sure to immediately write down everything you did, saw, heard, and felt. Afterwards, drink some water and eat a small snack.