Witch familiars: history to present day
A witch’s familiar is based on European folklore and early modern witchcraft beliefs. Familiars were thought to be supernatural companions—often animal-shaped—who assisted witches in their magical work.
By Carrie-Anne Grove, Elder
Origins & Folklore
During the 15th–17th centuries, especially in England and Scotland, witch trial records often mention familiars. They were believed to be demons, spirits, or faery beings that took on physical forms to help the witch. People in that era thought familiars could appear as:
• Cats (especially black cats)
• Dogs
• Toads or frogs
• Birds or owls
• Mice or ferrets
• Insects like spiders
Each familiar supposedly had a name, often whimsical or eerie—like Pyewacket, Grizell, Vinegar Tom (real names from 1644 witch trials).
Roles of the Familiar
According to folklore, familiars could:
• Assist in divination
• Protect the witch from harm
• Deliver messages or act as intermediaries with the spirit world
• Boost spellwork or magical potency
• Serve as companions
• Carry out tasks or magical errands
They were also thought to feed from the witch via a “witch’s mark,” or “witch’s tit” though this idea came from witch-hunters, not practising folk practitioners.
Familiars in Witch Trial Records
During the 16th–17th centuries, many English and Scottish witch trials described familiars in vivid detail. These were not accounts from witches themselves, but from accusers, interrogators, and court scribes, often shaped by fear or imagination.
Common Themes in Trial Accounts
• Distinct names:
Familiars were often given unusual names, such as:
• Pyewacket, Elemanzer, Vinegar Tom, Sack & Sugar (Witches of Manningtree, 1645)
• Grizel Greedigut, Robert, Flibbertigibbet
• Animal forms:
Typically cats, dogs, ferrets, mice, toads, birds, or insects.
• Supernatural features:
Some were said to have extra legs, glowing eyes, or humanlike speech.
• Magical services:
They were claimed to perform curses, spy on neighbours, or bring illness to livestock.
• Feeding from the witch:
Witch-hunters often insisted that familiars fed from a “witches tit” or “witch’s mark”—an invented idea used to justify accusations.
These descriptions tell us more about the fears of the time than about genuine magical practice.
Remember most of the time they tried and killed mostly innocent people and used folklore to justify their actions.
Have you got any?
Famous Witches and Their Familiars (Historical & Folklore)
Isobel Gowdie (Scotland, 1662)
One of the richest witchcraft confession records in history. She claimed her familiars were faery spirits who aided her in shapeshifting rituals. Their names included:
• Reid Reird
• The Roane
Her accounts blend witchcraft with faery lore rather than “demonic” familiar spirits.
The Witches of Manningtree (England, 1645)
During the Witchfinder General trials, several women were said to have familiars with iconic names:
• Pyewacket
• Vinegar Tom (a dog-like creature with a human face)
• Sack & Sugar
• Grizell Greedigut
These descriptions are part of folklore and the hysteria of the trials, not actual witchcraft practice.
Bessie Dunlop (1560s, Scotland)
She described her familiar as a spirit man named Thom Reid, a deceased soldier from the faery realm. This is one of the earliest blends of ancestor spirit and faery familiar.
Joan Williford (Kent, 1645)
She said her familiar was a small creature named “Pretty”, described as appearing like a kitten.
Agnes Sampson (North Berwick Witch Trials)
Her familiar was said to be in the form of a dog who acted as a messenger between her and other practitioners.
The Difference Between a Familiar, Totem, and Animal Spirit
These concepts overlap but have different cultural origins and meanings.
Familiars
• European folklore / modern witchcraft.
• A spirit companion that helps with magic or ritual work.
• Can be a living pet or a non-physical entity.
• More personal, like an assistant or protector.
Totems
• Rooted in Indigenous cultures (especially Native American and First Nations traditions).
• Represents clan or ancestral identity, not a personal magical assistant.
• Deeply tied to cultural belief systems—not something modern pagans should claim as their own, but they can respectfully learn about it without appropriating it.
Animal Spirit / Animal Guide
• Common in modern Pagan, shamanic, and New Age practices.
• A spiritual ally that offers lessons, symbolism, or guidance.
• Not necessarily tied to magical work like a familiar is.
• Usually not a physically present animal.
Modern Understanding and practices
In contemporary witchcraft (Wicca, neo-paganism, and traditional craft), the term familiar is usually symbolic rather than literal:
• A familiar is often seen as a spirit guide, animal ally, or energetic presence, not a demon.
• Some practitioners consider their pets to be familiars if they have a strong spiritual bond with them.
• Others view familiars as non-physical entities that assist during ritual work.
Familiars are generally not pets; they are more like companions.
Historically, not every pet was a familiar. A familiar was believed to have magical intelligence and a specific purpose.
Modern Witches and Familiars
In contemporary witchcraft, the familiar is usually experienced in one of three ways:
A Living Pet
Some witches feel a strong, intuitive connection with a pet—often a cat, dog, or bird—that seems drawn to ritual energy. They may sit quietly during spells or alert the witch to energetic shifts.
Spirit Familiars
Others work with a non-physical being encountered through:
• meditation
• trance work
• dream journeys
• ancestor or land-spirit contact
This familiar acts as:
• a protector
• a messenger
• an energetic companion
Symbolic / Archetypal
Some see familiars as aspects of the self—intuition, shadow work, or magical instinct represented in animal form.
Question:
Can you have more than one familiar?
Yeah, having more than one familiar is completely normal. A practitioner might have:
• A physical pet who feels magically attuned
• A spirit animal guide
• A plant or object-as-familiar (common in some animistic practices)
• A deity’s animal emissary who works with them
These different types can coexist and support different aspects of the witch’s craft.
I used to have a familiar called Poo-Ki, a fancy rat .
Why a Witch Might Have Multiple Familiars
Each familiar may embody a different type of energy or role, such as:
• Protection
• Healing
• Shadow work
• Divination
• Travel between realms (journeying)
• Nature or elemental magic
Much like a coven of helpers, each spirit or companion has its own strengths.
How to Recognise if You Have a Familiar
A familiar is not just any pet you love. In magical traditions, a familiar usually shows certain traits.
Signs a Living Animal May Be a Familiar
Your pet (or a wild animal that visits you often) might be a familiar if it:
Shows unusual awareness during your magical work
• Sits beside you during rituals
• Stares at the same spot you’re sensing energy from
• Reacts to subtle shifts in mood or energy
• Comes to you only when you enter magical or meditative states
Seems to protect you energetically
• Interrupts negative emotions
• Places itself between you and certain people
• Sleeps near magical tools or sacred spaces
• Reacts strongly to harmful or tense environments
Acts almost “too intelligent” or eerily attuned
Many witches describe familiars as seeming:
• psychic
• emotionally telepathic
• able to sense intentions
• understanding your mood without cues
Appears in dreams or meditations
If an animal appears repeatedly in altered states, especially before you’ve met it in the physical world, it may be a spirit familiar.
Spirit Familiars
These are not physical animals. Signs include:
• A recurring inner voice or presence during spellwork
• Dreams of an animal guiding or protecting you
• Sensing a non-physical creature around you
• A sudden surge of energy or chills when calling on guides
• The same symbol or creature appearing repeatedly in life
Familiars tend to appear when a witch is:
• beginning serious practice
• going through transformation
• deepening spiritual work
• opening psychic senses
How Familiars Overlap With Faery Lore
In British and Celtic tradition, the boundary between familiar spirits and faery beings is very thin.
Shared Qualities
• Both are intermediary spirits between realms
• Both may appear as animals or human-like figures
• They assist with healing, divination, and spellwork
• Both must be approached with respect and boundaries
• They may act as guardians of liminal spaces (doorways, crossroads, thresholds)
Faery Familiars
A specific type of familiar believed to come from the Otherworld/Faery Realm.
Traits include:
• shapeshifting forms
• aversion to iron
• dislike of chaotic environments
• strong presence in dreamwork
• messages through riddles, symbols, or nature signs
In Scottish witchcraft (the “Cunning Folk” tradition), many “familiars” are actually faery helpers, not demons.
How to Safely Work With Spirit Companions
Whether the familiar is a spirit or a physical animal, safety and boundaries are essential.
Working with a Spirit Familiar
Here are the safest steps used in modern witchcraft traditions:
Protect yourself
Before inviting any spirit:
• cast a circle
• ground yourself
• call on protective ancestors or guardians
• set the intention that only benevolent spirits may enter
Invitation, Not Summoning
Familiars aren’t “summoned” like in grimoires.
You invite them gently through:
• meditation
• trance work
• candles
• offerings
Establish Clear Boundaries
Say aloud or mentally:
• “You may approach only in peace.”
• “You may not disturb my dreams without permission.”
• “You may not frighten or harm any part of my home.”
Give Offerings
Depending on the spirit:
• a bit of milk
• herbs
• candlelight
• honey
• a place on your altar
• a stone or charm
Faery-type familiars particularly like:
• fresh water
• shiny coins
• flowers
• gentle music
Communication is essential
Methods:
• dream journaling
• automatic writing
• pendulum work
• scrying
• intuitive impressions
A word on ethics:
Never ask a familiar to:
• harm someone
• manipulate others
• invade privacy
• carry out revenge
Spirit work should remain respectful and never coercive.
Working with a Living Animal Familiar
If your familiar is a real pet:
• Keep them safe from smoke, candles, herbs
• Let them come and go during rituals as they choose
• Never force an animal into magical work
• Treat them as a partner, not a tool
• Consider enchantments for their protection (charms on collars, protective sigils)
Animals that act as familiars often carry emotional or spiritual wounds from supporting you. Give them grounding, care, and gratitude.
HERBS ASSOCIATED WITH FAMILIARS
mugwort
Wormwood ( toxic)
Vervain
Catnip
Dandelion
Elder (berries, flowers)
Yew ( caution: toxic)
Mandrake
Sage (white sage, garden sage, black sage)
Hawthorn
Rowan
Valerian
Lavender
Heather
Tobacco
WARNING!! What Herbs Should Not Be Used Around Living Animal Familiars
(Some are safe magically, but not safe physically.)
• Sage smoke (irritates pets)
• Mugwort (toxic to cats + dogs)
• Wormwood (toxic)
• Yew (toxic)
• Mandrake (toxic)
• Essential oils in general
If the familiar is physical (a real animal), keep herbs as symbolic, not physical tools.
ALWAYS ACT WITH GREAT CARE WHEN WORKING WITH A LIVING FAMILIAR. KEEP THEM SAFE FROM HARM WHEN USING HERBS, CRYSTALS, POTIONS , INCENSE AND CANDLES
Once you and your familiar are bonded nothing can break that bond not even death. Your spirits will be forever entwined unless you actively sever the bond.
Cherish your familiar. Love and respect them and make them feel happy and safe. They will give you the same in return.
