✨Crystals Masterpost ✨

British case law from the 1800s

Navigating Tarot

One of the more popular forms of divination, tarot cards, can be both incredibly useful and complicated. There are special rules used by practitioners, some of which I’d like to talk about. In other words, this is a good general guide to getting started with tarot. 

Connection

Connecting with your deck is incredibly important, and vital to your relationship with your cards. Keep in mind, your cards are their own entity. Having a weak relationship with them isn’t beneficial for either of you. Some great ways to connect with your deck are through meditation, spending time with them, asking questions, and just generally speaking not abusing them. 

Cleanse 

Not cleansing your deck can have serious consequences. Not only will it hurt your relationship with your deck, but your readings will be out of whack. Some of the most popular forms of cleansing are moonlight, smudging, and crystals. Any and all of these methods are great. 

Simplicity

As a beginner, don’t do any sort of complicated spreads. I know it’s tempting; you just want to jump right in! Start with just one week in the very least of pulling a card from your deck each day and interpreting it; it increases your familiarity with the cards and their meanings. Personally, whenever I want information about the cards, I love to go to Biddy Tarot. See them here: https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/ 

Respect 

I’ve said it before, but again, your deck is its own entity. Treat it with the respect it deserves.

Journal, Journal, Journal 

Every time you do a spread, I recommend jotting it down. It helps your growth significantly. Just include the date, deck used, spread, results, interpretation and your reflection. 

Alternatives 

I understand that this can be complicated if you’re in the broom closet; perhaps you can’t get a deck, or maybe you just feel uncomfortable practicing around others. If that’s the case, you can use playing cards! Here’s what I use in such a situation to help me: https://exemplore.com/fortune-divination/How-to-Read-Tarot-with-Playing-Cards 

moon🌙 magic✨

(atp i’m posting my favorite guides)

Don’t know who made this but they clearly broke into my mind

Unique Grimoire Topics

While planning for this I looked through possibly every single post listing prompts for your grimoire on this site, and listen 98% of those lists are exactly the same. No shade on the ppl who make these lists, since I found that stuff really useful for brainstorming my own ideas, but here’s a list of ideas that I haven’t anywhere on tumblr. They’re unique, specific, and in no particular order, but they might help other witches. So:

Gardening Calendar - when to sow and when to reap, winter plants vs summer plants, etc.

Nice sounding words and names for when I want spells to sound good.

Cryptids/Myths - (fear gortach, baba yaga, the jersey devil, and kelpies are some of my faves)

Skill Building techniques - recipes for candle/incense making, book binding, sewing/patterns, tea making, etc. I tend to approach things as a jack of all trades/master of none, and it’d be nice to have one place with a lot of tips for things I’ve learned and can apply to my craft.

basics of chemistry and practical uses (i.e. removing rust, different colors of fire and how to use them in spells, etc)

Art pages for drawing new witchy tattoo ideas

A chart of which plants mix badly with medications I take (!!!!!)

an entire info page on practicing safely honestly

Witchcraft is about using all your senses to affect change in the world. A research page on senses other than the 5 that everyone knows?

Current politics. Yeah, really. There’s this curse Trump movement going on, or it was going on a while ago. You don’t have to use curses I feel to affect some change, at least in your local government. Of course, witchcraft should only be a supplement to actually voting/calling senators.

How to attract pollinators - butterflies, bumble bees, etc.

also how to get rid of invasive species

History of the Satanic Panic and how that affected witchcraft

All About Astrology

The Basics

The Truth About Your Sun Sign

The Real Deal with Your Rising Sign

When Your Sun and Rising Signs are One

When Your Sun and Rising Signs are Opposite

5 Reasons You Cannot Relate to Your Sun Sign

Your Moon Sign is Overrated

When Your Moon and Rising Signs are One

How to Really Understand the Zodiac Signs

How to Understand Astrological Placements

How to Understand Astrological Aspects

Understanding Aspect Patterns

Stelliums and Superpowers

What Empty Houses Mean in Astrology

Finding Your Dominant Element and Modality

Having Two Dominant Elements or Modalities

The Quadrants of Your Natal Chart

The Four Angles in Astrology

The Five Dignities of the Planets

The Compatibility of Opposite Signs

How to Understand Mutual Reception

When the Planets are at Their Best

Having Planets in the First House

Mercury’s Gifts in the Signs and Houses

Venus and Mars in the Same House

When Planets are at the End of Houses

What It Means to Be on the Cusp

What Your North and South Nodes Really Are

What the Moon Phase Means in Your Chart

Why the Asteroids Do Not Matter

Why There Is No 13th Zodiac Sign

Phenomena

What Really Happens During Mercury Retrograde

How to Take Advantage of Mars Retrograde

How Mars Retrograde Affects Our Psyche

How the Reigning Zodiac Sign Affects Us All

The Promise of Saturn Return

The Age of Aquarius

Life When Neptune is in Retrograde

Tarot and Mercury Retrograde

Saturn, Pluto and COVID-19

Jupiter and the Tragedies of 2020

Lunar Eclipse vs. Solar Eclipse

Solar Eclipse Coinciding with the Summer Solstice

A Full Planet Parade

The Great Conjunction

What It Means to Have Retrograde Planets

The Truth About Generational Planets

The Myth of Intercepted Planets

The Craft

Natural-Born Witch Placements

Astrological Placements for Mystical Healers

Astrology, Animals and Spells

Witches and Dominant Elements

Cartomancy and Zodiac Signs

Astrology in Traditional Witchcraft

The Divine

The Gods and Their Planets

How a God Becomes Your Parent

The God Who Attended Your Birth

When No God was Present

When Your Ruler is Retrograde

Why Calculate Manually

Sample Calculation

The Old Gods

The Old Gods and Their Domains

Apollo

Diana

Mercury

Venus

Mars

Jupiter and Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

The Gods’ Rivalries and Alliances

Apollo and Mars

Apollo and Pluto

Diana and Pluto

Mercury and Pluto

Venus and Uranus

Mars and Pluto

Jupiter and Uranus

Saturn and Neptune

Mercury and Everyone Else

Mars and Everyone Else

Persephone

The Rest of the Old Gods

The Gods’ Relationships and Ours

The Greco-Roman Gods as Parents

The Depth and Breadth of Their Presents

How the Gods Avenge Their Children

What It Means to Carry Your Parent’s Name

What the Gods Look Like

What the Gods’ Children Look Like

Traditional Worship of the Old Gods

How to Speak to the Old Gods

What You Can Offer the Old Gods

Ways to Worship Discreetly

What to Do with Offerings

How to Dress for the Old Gods

The Gods’ Inner and Outer Circles

How to Know When Your God Has Claimed You

Reasons Your Divine Parent Would Reject You

Mercury vs. Jupiter vs. Saturn

Tips

Tarot and Astrology

Tarot vs. Astrology

What to Avoid When the Planets are in Retrograde

How to Read a Natal Chart for Love Compatibility

How to Use Tarot to Find Your Rising Sign

How to See Your Past Life with Astrology

How to Know If You Are at Your Best

How to Strengthen Your Powers

How to Survive an Element-Dominated Environment

Your Natal Chart’s Role in Your Life

Why Your Natal Chart is Contradicting Itself

Having a Good or Bad Natal Chart

Recommended Natal Chart Generators

How My Natal Chart Affects Who I Am

The Zodiac Signs’ Base and Mature Versions

Celebrities Who Look Like Their Sun Sign

Recommended Astrology Deck

Signs that Someone is Your Soulmate

Soulmate Pick a Card Reading

The Circumstances of Your Birth

One’s Birthday Dictating One’s Name

Sample Zodiac Sign Comparison

Views

What I Like About Your Sign

The Signs as I Know Them

How to Make the Signs Like You

The Love Language of Each Zodiac Sign

The Zodiac Signs at Winning

The Zodiac Signs’ Cruelty

Why a Fixed Sign Would Leave You

How a Scorpio Really Sees You

Why Scorpios Hate Geminis

Scorpio’s Three Faces

Venus, Pluto and Self Esteem

On Traditional and Modern Rulers

On Astrological Systems

On Vedic Astrology

On Horary Astrology

The Problem with How We See Astrology

Things I Heard the Zodiac Signs Say

The Astrology of The Crown

All About Divination | All About Spells

Intro to Spirit Work

Throughout history those who practice magic have had a close connection to the spirit world, from fairy doctors who were said to learn their craft from the fae, to ceremonial magicians invoking angels and demons, to witches working with familiar spirits. To practice magic is to open yourself to this connection and to become aware of a whole new world of intelligent beings.

In modern Western culture, there’s a lot of fear around working with spirits. There are countless horror stories about malevolent hauntings, seances gone wrong, and violent possessions. It’s easy to see why many new witches are reluctant to work with spirits.

Ironically, in most other times and places, the spirit world was and is accepted as a normal part of life. All over the world, since before recorded history, people have honored their ancestors, left offerings for local land spirits, and built relationships with deities. We’re actually the weirdos for not having a healthy relationship with the spirits around us.

I personally have found working with spirits to be incredibly rewarding, and being aware of the spirits around me adds a lot of depth to my spiritual practice and my witchcraft. As long as you do your research, keep your wits about you, and are polite, you have nothing to fear and everything to gain from working with spirits.

Some Philosophy Terms

Animism: defined by Merriam-Webster as “attribution of conscious life to objects in and phenomena of nature or to inanimate objects.” An animist believes that all things have a spirit, from animals and plants to rocks and even man-made objects. Animism is a big part of many magical practices, especially in folk magic. It’s also a part of several modern religions, including Shinto and Anito. I personally am an animist, and my magic includes connecting with the spirits of the plants, crystals, and objects I work with.

Pantheism: defined by Merriam-Webster as “a doctrine that equates God with the forces and laws of the universe.” A pantheist believes that the physical world is the Divine. Whereas an animist believes that all things have their own spirit, a pantheist believes that the entire world shares a single, divine spirit. Many Wiccans are pantheists, and in some cases pantheism can coexist with animism (all things are both individual spirits and part of the divine whole).

Panentheism: defined by Merriam-Webster as “the doctrine that God includes the world as a part though not the whole of his being.” A panentheist believes that the world is a part of the divine, but that there is also a part of the divine that exists beyond the physical world. Some Christian groups are panentheists. Another example of panentheism is ancient Egyptian religion, where natural objects like the sky and the sun were seen as the bodies (but not the souls) of the gods.

Which of these philosophies you resonate with will shape how you interact with spirits and the spirit world.

Types of Spirits

This is not by any means an exhaustive list, but here are some of the types of spirits witches commonly encounter or work with:

Ancestors: deceased human spirits, especially those with a familial link to you. Ancestor veneration is a huge part of some magic systems, as well as many religions. Some witches ask their ancestors for help in every single spell or ritual, while others honor their ancestors on certain days, like on Samhain or on a deceased loved one’s birthday. Honoring the ancestors is a good place to start with spirit work because they already have a connection to you and are more likely to be willing to help you. However, working with ancestors can be difficult if you don’t know your family’s history or if you don’t feel close to your family. As author Aaron Oberon says, “Sometimes ancestor work is undoing the blocks our ancestors have built.”

To begin connecting with your ancestors, start by researching your family history. Ask your living relatives about their parents and grandparents. Try your hand at genealogy research and see how far back you can trace your family. If you feel called to do so, you can create a special altar to honor your ancestors. Light candles and leave out offerings of food that your ancestors enjoyed while they were alive.

Land Spirits: spirits that embody and are connected to a natural object or landmark. There are many, many types of land spirits, from individual tree and plant spirits to the spirits of great mountains and rivers. Some land spirits are even worshiped as gods – like Hapi, the Egyptian god of the Nile. Some modern witches even choose to recognize cryptids like Mothman or the Jersey Devil as land spirits! Working with your local land spirits can help you develop a deeper connection to your environment and can make your magic feel more localized and personal.

To begin connecting with land spirits, start by learning about the biology and folklore of your local area. Offerings for land spirits are usually left outside, so be sure to offer things that won’t harm local wildlife. Wild bird seed, fresh fruit, and unsalted peanuts are a few examples of safe offerings.

Spirits of Place: spirits tied to a specific building or location. Unlike land spirits, these beings aren’t always connected to a natural feature. Houses and other buildings can have their own spirits that embody the energy of that place. In Germanic folklore, these spirits are called house wights or husvaettir, and in English folklore they’re called brownies. For people who grew up in non-animist cultures, it can feel strange to leave offerings for the spirit of a man-made building, but there’s a long history of these types of spirits being honored all over the world. I personally see house wights as being similar to land spirits.

If you want to begin connecting with the spirits of your home, start by greeting them by name and leaving out an offering for them. Establishing a relationship with the spirits of your living space can help you create a more harmonious and productive home. Traditional offerings for house wights include dishes of cream, grain-based porridge (like oatmeal or grits), and clean water.

Animal Spirits: the spirit of a specific animal, the archetypal Spirit (with a capital “S”) of an entire species of animal, or an individual spirit that appears as an animal. The concept of animal spirits that act as protectors and guides is found in many cultures, especially those with shamanic traditions. In Norse mythology, fylgjur were protector spirits who often appeared as animals. In British Traditional Witchcraft, witches work with familiar spirits that often take on animal forms. It’s worth noting that the terms “spirit animal” and “totem animal” come from Native American spiritual traditions and should not be used by people who don’t belong to those cultures. The concept of animal guides exists in other cultures, so there’s no reason to appropriate indigenous words and ideas. In my experience, animal spirits are often friendly and easy to connect with, so this is a good place to start for witches who are new to spirit work.

If you’d like to work with animal spirits, you can begin by connecting to the animals that are local to your area. You may feel called to bring a part of the animal you’re connecting with into your sacred space – for example, I keep crow feathers on my altar. Offerings depend on the type of animal spirit you’re connecting to – some require only fresh water, while some traditions state that familiars should be fed with blood (not human). Use your intuition to choose what works for you.

Fairies: fairies are a specific kind of land spirit, and most fairy lore is based on mythology and folklore from the British Isles. Fairies have a reputation in modern pop culture as being sweet, friendly creatures – some authors even compare them to angels! However, I think it’s important to remember that historically, fairies were known for being mischievous and sometimes dangerous. In folklore, fairies are less Tinkerbell and more Spiderwick Chronicles. As author Morgan Daimler says, “They can be cruel and vicious, or generous and kind. Some of them are helpful. Some are indifferent. And some of them think we make a very tasty meal indeed.” For this reason, fairies should be approached with caution.

If you want to honor the fairies in your practice, I recommend checking out Morgan Daimler’s books – they have several on this subject that are both easy to read and well-researched. There are a lot of rules for working with fairies, such as not telling them your full name and not saying “thank you” to a fairy, so this is one type of spirit that you should definitely research before beginning to work with them.

Angels: divine messengers; spirits of love and light that come from the Divine and have no physical form. Strictly speaking, “angel” refers to a messenger of the Abrahamic God, but there are other spirits from other religious traditions that fill a similar role. Angels and similar spirits embody divine love, and as such they are both incredibly powerful and incredibly supportive. Because of their loving nature, working with angels is a good place to start spirit work. Some witches who have had negative experiences with Christianity, Judaism, or Islam may feel uncomfortable working with angels. I have personally found that angels don’t really care how you identify in terms of religion, and have had good experiences with Christian angels even though I identify as pagan. However, your experiences may be different, so please don’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable!

There are a lot of bad resources floating around the Internet when it comes to angels. If you’re interested in working with them, I recommend Chantel Lysette’s books Azrael Loves Chocolate and The Angel Code. There’s also a YouTube channel called Ask Angels with Melanie Beckler – I don’t agree with 100% of her ideas, but it’s a decent free resource. Offerings to angels are typically non-physical, like the light from a candle or the smoke from incense.

Demons: spirits of mischief, strife, and/or evil with no physical form. In Western culture, we associate the word “demon” with Christianity, but demons appear in many other religions, including Hinduism and Kemetic paganism. I personally define “demon” as a spirit who: 1.) is not and never was human, and 2.) is antagonistic towards humans. Most witches only deal with demons when they’re trying to get rid of one. However, there are some magic traditions, such as Goetic Magic, that call on demons in magical rituals. Let me just say this: in my experience, there are very few reasons why someone would want to work with a demon, and doing so is as dangerous for the person doing the summoning as it is for the intended victim. I definitely recommend that new witches stay away from these spirits. (But it should be noted that demons are not the same thing as dark deities!)

If you need to get rid of a demon, sulfur is used in American traditions to banish them. (It may also banish helpful spirits, so keep that in mind.) Blessed water is used to repel demons in several cultures. You can also call on an angel or deity for protection.

Deities: powerful, divine spirits who are worshiped as gods. Deities vary a lot from culture to culture, and each deity has their own personality, moral code, and mannerisms. I have found working with deities to be very fulfilling, as deities allow us to put a human face on the Divine. It’s much easier to form a relationship with, say, Odin than it is with an abstract divine force, at least in my experience. Aside from spiritually fulfilling relationships, deities can also be powerful allies in magic. It’s worth noting that very few deities are 100% good or 100% bad – they’re more nuanced than that. Just like anyone else, deities have strengths and weaknesses. (Yes, even the Abrahamic God. Read the Old Testament sometime and tell me God doesn’t have flaws.)

If you are interested in working with deities, start by doing research into the pantheons you feel drawn to. Were you obsessed with Greek mythology as a kid? (Or Norse? Or Egyptian? Or any other culture?) Read up on it! Find out how those deities were worshiped historically, and use that as a starting point for building your own practice. Offerings for deities vary from culture to culture, but I’ve found that fresh, clean water seems to be pretty much universally accepted.

This post ended up just being a whole lot of vocab, but I wanted to get some definitions straight before I start writing about how to connect with the spirit world. In my next post, I’ll talk about how to introduce yourself to different types of spirits and etiquette for maintaining a healthy relationship!

Resources:

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler

Azrael Loves Chocolate, Michael’s A Jock: An Insider’s Guide to What Your Angels Are Really Like by Chantel Lysette

🧚🌧️Rain Fairies🌧️🧚

🌧️ Szepasszony is a beautiful Hungarian fairy, clad in a white rob, with long golden hair. She dances in rainstorms and showers of hail; she casts a spell through rainwater, dripping from the caves to make a puddle on the ground- she then has power over anyone who steps into this puddle, Szepasszony is seductive, and not always benevolent.

🌧️ She is a powerful sprite, who delights in the energies of storms. However, each rainstorm brings a host of elemental sprites in the air within and surrounding the storm. It is a shame to shrink from contact with the rain, for raindrops can awaken your spirit and refresh your soul.

🌧️ Rainbows are much associated with fairies. It is at the end of the rainbow that the Leprechaun most often hides his pot of gold. The rainbow is a bridge to the Otherworld, from where the rain fairies come. The Norse people call the rainbow Bifrost, and said that it was a route to Asgard, the home of the gods.

🌧️  Rain not only makes the plants grow, but also brings more subtle blessings. Welcome the rain fairies, and let them wash clean your life.

🌧️🧚 SPELL TO ATTRACT A WIND SPRITE 🌧️🧚

Method: You will need windchimes and some ribbon. Windchimes of bamboo will invite a gentle, thoughtful sprite who will encourage reflection. Crystal chimes will attract a highly evolved sprite to help you achieve greater detachment. Metal chimes will attract a creative sprite who can help you achieve change.

Choose a breezy day and hang your windchimes securely in an open window. Close your eyes and visualize the gifts you want from your sprite.

Lean out the window slightly so the breeze blows on your face and say: “Wind sprite flying light and high, I call to you, draw nigh, draw nigh. My chimes a home for you shall be ever welcome,ever free”.

Listen for a special tinkle from your windchimes to tell you your sprite has arrived. Welcome this being by tying the ribbon to the upper string of the chimes, being very careful not to restrict their swaying and tinkling. Thank your sprite for being present. Whenever you feel in need of gifts from the wind sprites, stir your chimes and let a fresh breeze blow into your heart and mind.

Instructions for a walk in the woods

Never turn around to check behind you. You’ll see nothing, but once you start doing it you won’t be able to stop, and an ominous feeling will follow you until you don’t lock your house’s door behind you. 

If you stand very still and listen you will hear the woods calling for you. Don’t answer. Never answer. 

You’ll hear things quietly following you, hidden in the trees by your sides. It’s okay, they’re just checking on you. 

Don’t be scared, but be really, really wary.

If you have a bad feeling about taking a certain path, don’t. You’ll avoid whatever is waiting for you at the end of it. 

You never know what may be buried under the soil you’re walking on. Remember that every time you take a step. Pray that whatever it is, it won’t wake up. 

Be careful not to step on any beetle, or you’ll never get rid of them. 

If you bring a knife with you, name it. Otherwise the blade will turn against you as soon as you try to use it. 

Make sure you remember the way back home. As soon as you get lost, you’re just another piece of fresh meat.

Familiars VS Magickal Pets

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This article was written by "Dead" on the Pagans And Witches Amino. I have permission repost this. Link is at the bottom.

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What is a "Familiar"

First thing I will say, that many might not like: Familiars in folklore are spirit beings. Not just any spirits, but ones that a witch has made a pact with for various other tasks usually in exchange for offerings, lending of power, a foothold to the physical world, and sometimes protection as well.

They were also in folklore inherited from other witches, given/assigned to a witch by a more powerful spirit being (most often Fae Royalty, Divine Beings including God, or the 'Devil'), or show up on their own offering assistance in times of need. However, they still perform the tasks and expect reciprocity.

Familiars can and do in folklore, leave. They are not permanently bound to the witch and so will leave if their the relationship is no longer beneficial. A witch could also have more than one Familiar in their lifetime or at a time.

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Embodiment

Familiars did not always look like animals, they also could be plants or humanoid. Some are said to be capable of shapeshifting or possessing living creatures with the help of their witch. Interestingly, in my research, I found more accounts of humanoid Familiars that could shapeshift or had some beastial traits (they also ranged in size) in early folklore than I did actual animal Familiars.

Also, in the literature, I encountered they were about 8/10 times referred to as ‘Familiar spirits’ instead of just Familiar. They are also often described as imps, fairies, or demons. However, they seem to be closer or more often related to Fae lore. * Which when you take away the Celtic cultural context from the classification of ‘Fae’ it is basically distinction-less meaning any liminal being not human or divine. *

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History

“In the early 1970s, Jeffrey Russell noted that 'The small demons that became the witches' familiars of the later Middle Ages were originally dwarves, trolls, fairies, elves, kobolds, or the fertility spirits called Green men, any of whom could be either frightening or funny' and Keith Thomas claimed that the cunning man's fairy helper belongs 'to the same genre as the witch's familiar or the conjurer's demons?'

In 1971 Keith Thomas lamented that the English animal familiar was 'largely unaccounted for'.Despite such references to formality and fear, a large number of relationships between magical practitioner and familiar spirit were informal and intimate” (Wilby).

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Common tasks they performed?

Tasks included but were not limited to spying, shapeshifting, attacking or protecting others, give knowledge, warn and aid in times of danger, help a witch develop abilities, and travel between worlds.

What did they get in return?

The most common offerings mentioned in folklore was blood, energy, and a stable foothold in our realm. However, modernly people offer what one would standardly offer a spirit. Things like milk, honey, incense, food items, and items work just fine.

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What is a "Magickal Pet"?

A Magickal Pet is a physical animal that lives with a witch, that said witch uses for magickal purposes, involves in ritual work, and/or feels spiritually connected to.

This connection really isn't uncommon in pet owners in general and you could involve any animal in magick, so what really makes a Magickal Pet? Well, it is the belief that the pet is interested in the witches craft. Most modern witches cite things like seeming interest in their altar or actions during ritual work, as well as divination forms like interrupting tarot sessions.

Getting A Magickal Pet

You can get a Magickal Pets the same way you get any pet. You don’t need to have these animals from a young age to have a deep connection with them.

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JUST A NOTE ON CONSENT

There is a bit of an ethical dilemma when it comes to using your pets in your craft. This is that using your pets energy, fur, etc. and involving them in rituals can open them up to the same dangers you face during all spell work.

This like overextending their energy, spell blow-back, and connecting them to the work can and do occur. There isn’t really a way that they can expressly consent so if you are going to involve them then PLEASE ward your fur, scale, or feather babies.

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Calling a Familiar Ritual

Step 1: Introspection & Planning

This is when you ask yourself why you want a Familiar? Are you ready for one? What kind of Familiar do you think you can handle? As well as think up what your basic terms and negotiate terms are. This introspection period is often paired with meditation.

Plan your ritual. Time, place, tools, etc.? Take into account the weather of the day and be sure not to trespass. Maybe you want to make new portable wards or make/acquire a vessel, anchor, or conduit for the spirit (some spirits refuse to be bound to them and they are not mandatory).

Step 2: Wards, Circles, & Area Setup

Ward yourself and, if you use them, cast your circle. I recommend warding both your self and the space. Here is a pretty good wiki if anyone needs ideas or is confused: Wards

Step 3: Offerings

Lay out your offerings. Offerings can include food items, incense, burning herbs, etc. But if you are going to be doing this outside then I recommend non-toxic and biodegradable materials. Milk and honey are always an easy and safe bet.

Step 4: Incantation

Call to potential spirits. You can use the one below or make your own.

”Spirits of the forest, I pronounce my intentions to thee.

Come forth and seek me, and equal we will be.

Not master and servant, but familiar to familiar, to share our knowledge, our spirit, and our traits.”

Step 5: Meditation/Trance

Meditate and wait for a spirit to answer your call. This may take a bit and they may not show until you enter the astral plane, are sleeping, or at all. Just like in the show, spirits might not come to you right away and that's okay. However, if they don't come within about 3 days then you might want to try again.

Step 6: Negotiation

If/When a spirit shows you then negotiate your terms. Tell them what you want and expect of a Familiar and allow them to say their terms. Get a feel of the spirit and judge whether they are the right choice. Be flexible, but also know the terms you will not move on. Many spirits will take a mile when you give them an inch.

YOU CAN SAY NO AND VICE VERSA

The first spirit might not be your best choice and that’s okay, be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. For example, if you are a witchling or new to spirit work then you should probably respectfully decline powerful spirits like Aos si or mid-level demons (I don’t know how to express that better, sorry demonologists and workers).

Be realistic about what you can handle and try to avoid power/experience imbalances. * I personally have turned away spirits that I felt I was not ready for and there is no shame in it. * Don’t become disrespectful if a spirit decides to say no. They are sentient and often sapient beings that have the right to refuse.

Step 7: Vessel/Anchor/Conduit

Part of your negotiation may have included a vessel or anchor for them (you may make one and they refuse) and this would be the time for you to bind them to it.

Conduits are physical objects used to channel a spirit beings energy and a spirit may prefer that over an anchor/vessel. For example Sigils, the spirit might give you -or you can ask for- a sigil to represent them in ritual and for easy communication. Possibly bring a notebook and pen, just in case.

Step 8: Closing & Cleansing

End your communication with the spirit, close your circle (if you use them), and cleanse yourself to avoid having parasitic or negative spirits attach to you. Gather your stuff as needed.

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Conclusion

Many modern witches equate these two things but unfortunately, a Magickal Pet simply isn’t capable of many of the things a Familiar is. They can’t consent and they rely on you for spiritual and magickal protection.

If it wasn’t for the tasks and capabilities then I would be completely fine with people applying the label to their pets. I have no problem with people involving pets in their craft and I think it is great that so many people feel so connected to their pets as it tells me they are well loved, and that’s always great to see.

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Article Source : http://aminoapps.com/p/t2dah6

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