Good or Bad

[ForestNight]

...I've been getting Mixed messages from a few sites and people and such. Are Familiars good to have or is it better not to have one?

Views and opinions please

[Sobek]

depends on you, depends on your familliar.

Like all things it's risk and chance.

[hedge*]

When a person meets their familiar the magick and connection will be strong - the two belong together.
Very very few people will have a familiar - they are picky and choosy and so they should be. Like humans - it's not every animals desire to walk a magickal path.
I would be of the opinion that if you found your familiar then it's because a higher power deems it appropriate, a familiar is fundamentally their to assist you in your magickal workings - I fail to see how this can be viewed as bad.

[Sobek]

I fail to see how this can be viewed as bad.

You didn't see that episode of charmed where that witches familiar turned evil and killed her?

But seriously, I think it can be go either way, depending on the nature of the person and the creature. The connection may be indeniably innate as it should be, but that doesn't always equate to a "good" thing, doesn't mean those two creatures will see eye to eye ... especially if both beings are of the stubborn variety.

[ForestNight]

What if someone.. wasn't in good nature...and their familiar was a very good kind well being...wouldn't that cause conflict?

[jcrowfoot]

Fireworks at best, dead critter at worst. Just as flexible as human nature, and the nature of the spirit world.

There are few absolutes in this world. Which is why we are so fond of them.