The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

I think a guardian angel can still be a familiar, because it's an entity you feel the presence of daily: it is familiar. But I guess it can also depend on...a lot of things, such as where divine intervention and magic overlap or become distinct from one another, or the idea of intervention at all, whether magic is supernatural or natural.

As I've picked up from some new age psychics, if you want a guide to help you with something specific, then simply blah blah something something set the intention and feel out for who applies blah something something and meditation. Always meditation.

Personally, though, my familiars found me, when it was suddenly the right time, and only after encountering a lot of nastier entities or total absence. I want to think that it's a matter of wavelength or other conditions that are too complex to de-mystify 'cause ain't nobody got time for that, rather than "because it wasn't the right time yet" or "it wasn't good enough reason" to be code for "I'm a jerk. We're all neglectful, inchoate, sanctimonious jerks. Now that we're in your life let us guide you towards your heart's desires."

Personally, though, my familiars found me, when it was suddenly the right time, and only after encountering a lot of nastier entities or total absence. I want to think that it's a matter of wavelength or other conditions that are too complex to de-mystify 'cause ain't nobody got time for that, rather than "because it wasn't the right time yet" or "it wasn't good enough reason" to be code for "I'm a jerk. We're all neglectful, inchoate, sanctimonious jerks. Now that we're in your life let us guide you towards your heart's desires."

I am curious - what makes something a familiar?

In Norse/Germanic mythology, the fylgja is similar to the concept of the familiar. The fylgja is your animal attendant, born with you via the placenta. It exists in spirit, and isn't generally visible to the individual until the time of that person's death. However, it can be visible to others, especially in dreams. There can be some experimenting with the fylgja (animal soul) assisting you in magic in a more abstract sense than that of a present and physical animal.

Have you ever made friends that you felt so connected to that they became your chosen family?  That's how I view familiars, but in another plane.  I imagine them as a familiar connection to the other side, where magick lives.  I suppose by my own definition, my guardian angel is a familiar.  I've experienced the presence of faeries as well, but never have been able to establish a personal relationship with them.  If I could, I would consider that a familiar relationship.

Intuitive, but difficult to explain. Basically...Do you know (name)? If you can answer, "Yes." Instead of "I know of (name) but we're not that close." Then that's familiar. I'd even include if you've met them once before, and go, "Huh, this (entity/person/feeling) is awfully familiar..." Well, that's probably because they are. :p

Thank you for answering my question, LunaStar and Faemon! Also, so just learned a new trick on multi-quoting. #winning

Oooh can you show me how?