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I see we have a discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of animal familiars, but what about spirit familiars?

I subscribe to the formulas and ideas of power glyphs as the key to summon and even communication with spirit familiars.

I can admit to having both success and failure in this field. Both good and bad situations in it.

I have done some research into the history and rituals of other forms of spirit calling and binding and i just wanted some other ideas and conversation about them.

So lets get started with your ideas and your history.

I'm sorry perhaps I am having an off day with my brain, but I am not quite sure I understand. Are you refering to calling the god and goddess in rituals? Could you perhaps give me an example of what you mean so that I can better understand? :)

what kind of spirits? i never heard of spirit familiars. i am interested in this could you enlighten more on this subject

yeah im kinda off on this as well but want to know more

As based in a few schools of thought, such as Golden Dawn....

Spirit familiars are incorporeal beings used to facilitate certain spells or rites.

To explain it further... There are spirits that interact with humanity in various ways, and those spirits can be categorized into three broad realms: supernal, infernal, earthly

Supernal = elevated and harmonious in a moral and spiritual sense.
Infernal = debased and destructive
Earthly = mixed realm of consciousness that closely resembles how we see ourselves to live.

You might be more knowledgeable with the classification of Earthly spirits known as elementals. The names, first coined and put to use by Paracelsus in 1500's, as Salamanders(Fire),Undine(Water),Sylphs(Air),Gnomes(Earth).

And to answer a question posed, the Gods and Goddess of pagan belief are part of the three broad groupings. But i am not one that believes in the ability to call them. Mainly because i dont believe in them. I also thing that the power needed to construct such a intimate connection with a Deity would be far too great for any human.

I assume that it is bascially like calling the 4 corners but putting a type of spiritual personification on it. I have heard of this practice, many celtic as well as middle eastern religions hold with such beliefs.
For Celts, the Faie people are a prime example.

interesting have u worked with them before

Let me amend by saying that no I was mistaken on the Fae people.
For Celts, oracles such as the Boar (earth) is used to envoke fearlessness in combat.
The water horses (water) used for magical encounters.
The Raven (air), for truth and prophesy.
The salmon (again water) for knowledge.
THe Willy the wisp (or jack o lantern) (fire) for creativity...

These I think are some much better examples as based on Anderson's book "Celtic Oracles".

Somewhat correct Kat.

The spirits you are describing are more avatar then familiar. But they follow much of the same pattern.

And LordR, i have used them on occasion. I dont claim to be any expert though.

The process of using glyphs is an easy form of creating a familiar. As long as you put a bit of work and thought into it.

Its almost a way to customize your familiar to your personal needs for that time. As in using certain glyphs in the summoning of the familiar you can imbue the familiar with certain powers needed.

A very interesting topic I would like to know more about this.

The concept of spirit familiars is very popular in eastern cultures. The idea is that your familiar is a phantom animal, is its own entity as it were, and often serves as a protector.

For an example, the anime move X features a young girl who is always accompanied by a phantom dog. Interesting concept, have never attempted to manifest a spirit familiar before.

I am not realyl sure I understand this

elementals can be used as spirit familliars - they are ideal for the job. Dryads summoned into a wand or staff for instance. i always thought that was the whole idea behind crystal healing and such.

I have studied the use of glyphs and Goatia spirit summoning; however I have never heard of spirit familiars. This is a new concept to me. What are your references to spirit familiars? Is there another term that may be substituted for the term spirit familiars?

You also must remember, perhaps 90% of all Native American tribes believe in being enlightened using their spirit familiars. Crows, whales, other birds, buffalo, etc. They embrace the power of these spirits in order to become one with Mother Earth.

Are the spirit familiars you are working with like a fetch (physical thing such as feathers and bones that you add energy/spirit to and charge with a task)?

I don't think I made sense in my last post... what I meant was, Is there a physical representation of this spirit familiar that you are working with?

Good question Hex.

Yes. They are called Vessels.

They can be almost any object related to the familiar.

When calling up a fire elemental, charcoal
When calling up an earth elemental, soil or rocks.
Etc...etc...

They are the medium between you and the physical manifestation of the familiar.

But they can also be other items. Like rings.
Ie. When Iarchas gave Apollonius 7 rings engraved with the 7 ancient planet of astrology and Apollonius used those rings as vessels for the planetary spirits as familiars.

And as for the Goetia. I have read through the Lesser(Lemegeton) and Greater books(Clavicula Salomonis). They are more based in classic ritual. As the circle of power.
My experience is more based as a partnership and less of a catch/release form of familiar that the Keys of Solomon offer.

although, this all sounds very good, my mind just doesnt seem to be grasping this, id like to know more if possible.

I have two spirit familiars one is an ethereal wolf all white and the other is the spirit of a person in the form of a raven. They both picked me I didn’t pick them. I work with them in my rituals the wolf, his name is sifendou (si-fen-dow) has made himself my personal guardian in rituals, and the raven, her name is shanedou (sha-ne-dow) is my guide from one realm to the next. Sifendou is represented by both the grace and power of water and the sturdiness of the land. Shanedou is my reprehensive of air in its wisdom and fire in its passion.

although ive done alot of reading on the spirit familures ive never really tried calling on one...... i found the book dancing with dragon really interesting..... had some great info in it.............

Hello....Mr Skeptic here!

For some reason I can kind of grasp this concept more than that of a "real" familiar. Perhaps it's the unseen aspect of the spirit familiar vs. the common sight of mundane animals that some claim are their familiars. When I see a cat, I think "uppity little creature, highly independant, etc..." I don't see it as being in "contact" with the person who claims it as their familiar. The idea of an unseen spirt connecting and working with someone makes more sense to me. While I can't say I believe it happens, I can accept the theoretical possibility more than I can that of a live animal familiar.

Very interesting thread, thanks for starting it.

umm...ok...
I only did it once,I was with 3 more pipz,we were trying to call my great grandmother,who was concidered to be a witch and was hated(but never mind that)...I was named after her,and amazingly,I look just like she looked like(!!!).So I wanted to talk to her about things in her life and ofcourse ask her if she was really a witch and more personal family questions...anyhow,it ended that we called accidentally a nother spirit,who wasn't really glad to see us,and tried to hurt us,but we ended the sianse immidately...:-
That was the last time I tried to contact a spirit...:-S

Well dark.

Thats more along the lines of spirit calling.

Spirit familiars are more like using different powers, to form different abilities in a quasi-ethereal presence.

Calling up your great-grandmother, while interesting, is not really what this conversation is discussing.

Unless of course you summoned your great-grandmother for a specific trait/ability she had, and wanted to use that ability for something you had planned.

I have spirit contact especially from a young girl around 15 or so, but i have never been succesful in actually calling her, she just pops up now and then, you know to touch my nose or make a noise or somethng like that, as far as seeing her, ive only seen her one time, and i was half asleep so its heresay. I myself am in the paranormal investigation field, but i would really like to know more about spirit familiars, if you could recommend some reading, id appreciate it.

I believe you can have a spirit familiar! I know that my Grandmother is with me a considerable amount of time. My children also "feel" Grandma around them. They have never met her. She died when my oldest child, a Daughter, was only 8 months old. She is now 24. My 3 boys have had similar experiences. If I am correct, this is the type of Spirit guide you are referring to!?!

Not really Taz dear.

I was thinking more along the lines of something that would be considered a "magicians familiar", just in spirit form.

What you're referring to is more along the lines of mediums and spirit contact.

Wow forum searches mean nothing apparently.

Never heard of Spirit Familiars. But that is very interesting.. I would like to learn more.

From what I have gathered thus far is that you are performing types of summonings. If this turns out to be the case, then you need to take great care when dealing with spirit......whatever.... spirits have the uncanny ability to take on the extreams of emotional representations that can be described as chaotic at best. The best seemingly intentioned familiar is easily turned to the worst spector.

this is an interesting and confusing thread...

i have learned alot from it...