Witches Familiars

This story is based on facts of how a witch made a familiar; it is no longer in practice for the most part. Witches had a familiar which was usually a small animal, usually a cat, toad, spider, mouse, rat, ferret, or a weasel. Rarely would they have nature spirit such as a gnome, goblin, or brownie. Today’s witches have animals but they are strictly pets.

A young witch by the name of Larue had a black cat which she had raised from a kitten. She babied it and treated it like a child. Larue would chew a piece of meat and then feed it to the cat, building a strong bond between her and the cat.

Familiars were the witch’s confidents, often their only friend and a bastion against the loneliness of their situation.

In mid-evil times a witch like Larue had it ingrained in her mind, by her mother, she was in the league of the devil and his imps. Her mother had taught her the names and attributes of all the dark beings.

The cat was now a year old and it was time to make it a familiar. The cat had no name as of yet, after the final bonding the cat would be given the name of the demon or imp that Larue called upon during the ritual.

The cat was deprived of food and water for one day and one night. Larue now slightly drugged the animal and placed it into a circle she had prepared. She then took a needle and pricked the cat’s paw. She drew a small amount of blood and then cut a small piece of the cat’s ear off. She then placed both blood and ear in a container beside it. She now pricked her finger and added some of her blood to the container. Now the rite began.

She already had the imps name in mind. She cast herbs and meat into her cauldron and now called upon the imp. I call on you imp, I call you out of the depths; I call upon you to show yourself to me. As the pot began to boil she cast in the blood and ear from the container.

Larue began to breathe in the steam. Breathing over the boiling mixture, she stirred and conjured up her desired imp. I will you to appear to me in your true form, said Larue.

Soon she saw a form taking shape in the steam and smoke rising from the cauldron. It was the imp she had chosen. Larue then took pot off the fire and sat it the circle next to the cat.

She chanted the imps name and powers while she rocked back and forth until dawn, by then the mixture was cooled. Within it she believe the essence of the imp, during these hours she would have received its true name.

Now the cat has awakened from its sleep. It wakes hungry and thirsty and is glad to drink some of mixture, which contain the essence of the imp. This imp would now indwell the animal till its death. Upon death the imp would return to its master.

Larue now drank the mixture which now bonded her and her familiar. She would now give the familiar its name. The familiar was the physical form of the imp and would be consulted with and it would take its place in rituals.

If Larue lived long enough to die a natural death, which was rare, her familiar would be given to another witch. If she were to be captured and put on trial her familiar would be killed with her.

Mike Morris.