How to make my bunny a familiar?

[YanaKhan]

Hello, Selina, when you have a moment, please go to the top section of the forum and introduce yourself, so we can get to know you better. Thanks.

[Silversong]

Hi! I'm Selina. I am just starting out on my journey in the craft.
I have a pet rabbit who I would love to make a familiar (with her permission) and incorporate into my magical practices. I also used to have another pet rabbit who I sadly had to have put down, but would love to reconnect with. I feel that both of the rabbits' spirits would be wonderful guides if they are willing. How should I go about asking my living rabbit to work with me as a familiar? How do I go about getting in contact with my rabbit who passed?

If anyone out there has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it!

I don't have much first-hand experience with this, having no familiar myself, but from what I understand, you can't "make" an animal become a familiar. They either are, or they aren't, and I think the only thing you can do to tell which is true is to let them sit in on a few rituals and watch their reactions. If they seem interested or seem to try to participate, then they may be a good choice to accept as a familiar. If they're completely uninterested, you're out of luck.

Deborah Blake, a fairly popular Wiccan author (who actually does have a familiar, one of her cats), has written more about it. I'm sure other Wiccan authors have as well.

[Seraphin]

You may check this out selina!

http://everythingunderthemoon.net/forum ... ar#p206542

[TashaTeaLeaf]

I think the only thing you can do to tell which is true is to let them sit in on a few rituals and watch their reactions. If they seem interested or seem to try to participate, then they may be a good choice to accept as a familiar. If they're completely uninterested, you're out of luck.

My kitty likes to lay all over my tarot spreads, does that count?

[Silversong]

I think the only thing you can do to tell which is true is to let them sit in on a few rituals and watch their reactions. If they seem interested or seem to try to participate, then they may be a good choice to accept as a familiar. If they're completely uninterested, you're out of luck.

My kitty likes to lay all over my tarot spreads, does that count?

Haha! Cats always like to be in the middle of everything important. x3

[shatteredsouls]

Give your kitty the attention he/she deserve!

[mrsdavid1975]

I had a cat that showed up to my house out of nowhere once. His name was grease rag lol. My husband called him that because he was solid white but had a black stripe down is head and his tail. He literally looked like someone wiped their greasy hands on him lol. He was adorable and sweet. He would go out at night though and hunt. He was completely nocturnal. He would stay gone for a few days at a time and then come home. Once even with a torn ear. He always came to me when he needed love or healing. Then back out into the world. He hated being inside. .. Unless I was working lol. He would even pull cards from my tarot deck. He was awesome. I miss him.

The cat I have now hasn't shown herself much but I've only had her a month. She always comes to me when I'm feeling a little off health wise. When I pull out herbs, she runs haha. She comes no matter where she is. .. She actually LIKES when I burn incense and herbs. .. She meows VERY rarely. So I feel she may be a good aid and guide with a lot of my work.

[Cernunnos]

There's no real way to do this... It isn't a spell etc., just declare it and if you really feel that they are, then they are... A familiar is just a magical assistant.

[silvergrey]

I have a pet rabbit who's most definitely interested in my work, he'll circle around me when I work, sniff all my equipment and try to steal anything that looks vaguely edible. I agree with what's said above, a pet either is or isn't a familiar, there's not much you can do about it except be on the lookout for the right pet perhaps. Just let your rabbit be around when you're doing a spell/ritual/other type of magical work and see her reaction!

[SpiritTalker]

This is an old post.

I feel that it's laying a burden on an animal to ask them to be our familiars. We domesticate them, remove them from their natural environment, and yes, protect from predators and share food, in the name of friendship. Establishing a familiar crosses from friendship to commandeering, to send them to do our bidding. I don't seriously need a familiar.

Heck, I just want my cats to get off the counter when I'm cooking. They always put their noses into whatever I'm doing out of curiosity, or lay on a book I'm reading to extend to me the privilege of giving them attention. So generous. And there is no way to stop a cat from joining in a circle...it attracts 'Em like sitting in a sunbeam. I don't mind sharing, but stepping over them is tricky.

I once fell head over heels down the stairs and landed in their water dish. As I lay there, in the puddle of water, checking myself for broken bones, my cats came and sat in a semi-circle around me (just outside the puddle) and all 4 began purring. Either they were curious to see my next trick, or were reminding me to refill their water bowl once I got up, or, just maybe, they were sending me assurance and healing. Not because I asked them to, but because they wanted to.

[Raven At Heart]

In my opinion, It's not so much laying a burden on an animal. In my experience, my familiars well outlive their species general life expectancy. just ask my 25 year old parakeet. average parakeet lifespan, 15. not only that, familiars have second sight, increased intellegence, connection to their partner, and tend to be close in ability to, their witch or shaman. Also they are no longer so much a pet as a partner. As for making an animal into one, you can't force it but there may be a ritual or 2 that may assist it in becoming one if that would be best by it, as judged by the totem of said animal. PS I am only saying it cuz familiars can be male or female.

[SpiritTalker]

Raven, that is why we share on forums, because we all work differently. The evidence of your well formed relationship increasing your real familiar's lifespan is delightful. As long as the animal is capable of dealing with your intellect, and shows no signs of stress then I say you have a good basis for that partnership. It is mutually rewarding. Rock on.

I was thinking more along the lines of a few people I've encountered who think nothing of using the animal beyond it's strength, the kind of thing where someone thinks they have a right to use and use-up; where everything is a resource to themselves. This saddens me and I see it in the magical community from time to time. The justification is some sense of superior entitlement y' gotta eat to live mentality.

And since I don't really need an animal familiar, I won't be having one. That's just me.

[Raven At Heart]

Oh, I understand where you are coming from. They treat it more as a tool, or slave instead of a partner. That kind of thing is kind of a pet peve of mine...Didn't know that was what you meant. My apolologies. Seems like I keep putting my foot in my own mouth.

[SpiritTalker]

Yea, that master- slave thing. That's what I object to. And no, you dont have foot-in-mouth. Please, I didn't mean to make you feel offish, your comment made me explain where I was coming from. Thanks.

Edit-I honestly do not know how I would bring an animal familiar, supposing it were one of my cats, into my practice. I'm not sending them out on a busy street to spy on a boring neighbor. There's not a Pywacket among them. They already like to sit-in and soak up the extra juice. I don't know what to do with one. Now, a spirit familiar...yea. My spirit guide has helped me out several times, with dream lessons mostly, and warnings. Not everybody works with spirits, of course.

I'd be interested in how you'd use the animal familiar, if anyone would want to share. Many people mention a relationship but never specify the particulars. If it's too personal, well can you give hypothetical examples?

[SnowCat]

More than one of my cats has chosen to be my familiar over the years. It's been a choice by the cat each time, and I've been grateful for it. I have zero experience with a bunny being a familiar, but I expect that it's possible. Someone who has a bunny is probably more fluent in bunny that. I am, and could open a dialogue about the question with the bunny.

Snow