My farmiliar, my buddy, my cat Boo!

I do believe its possible to feel a deep spiritual connection with an animal. I also equally feel that animals can teach us a thing or two about the magickal world around us. We can learn invaluable lessons from them like the nature of play, how to rest, unconditional love and loyalty. I feel my cat Boo has cornered the market when it comes to being not only a loyal companion but he is also very much my familiar. Not only is he in tune with my emotions and feelings its like he knows when I need him nearby. I do not necessarily need to hold him either, he is somewhat finicky about that but he makes his presence known in his own unique ways. For example, like clock work every night when I go to bed he crawls right up next to my arm just below my neck as I lay on my right side predominantly. He may not stay there the whole night sometimes he does but for the most part he comes and goes and watches over me as I slumber. When I begun to stir mid morning (well with my schedule usually by 11:30 to 12:00) he is there to greet me with a few meows and a rub. He follows me everywhere when I am awake. He will plant himself on the couch as I watch TV, he will sometimes put a paw on me or lean against me to make sure we are connected and/or touching. This act is pretty important to him and well me too! Its us bonding! Another interesting thing Boo does is when every time I open up a Wiccan/Pagan book he literally plops in my book and will not move until I read aloud to him a few paragraphs. Then he sits with one paw on the page as if he is trying to absorb the words by osmosis, opening and closing his eyes in pensive concentration to my every word. Boo sometimes makes me nervous because he has no fear of candle magick or open flames. He sometimes has to be moved away just a little from a burning candle or flame. I do admire his courage. He makes me think of the ‘fool’ in a deck of tarot standing at the abyss of a cliff ready to take that plunge into the unknown. He is so ready for any challenge. I am sure that is what he is trying to teach me too. Boo Bear is my most mischievous cat during idle times. He is constantly tormenting my dog Zeus (I know you are cringing, one of those folks who names their pets after a God , but quite honestly I find Zeus a lovable God and it felt appropriate for my dog too). Boo is also like any other typical cat and knocking things over including statuary. I barely allow him in my alter room anymore and this has sorely pissed him off because when I am in that room he sits or lays at the door and reaches under it with his paw and begins to meows, he waits for me like some sentinel until I am out of the room. I had discovered recently how attach I am to this cat and how attached he is to me. When I went to FPG Samhain 2008 the evening before I left my buddy Boo decided to go on a little vacation of his own. I was devastated and thought about him constantly while I was there, calling the boyfriend daily and asking if he had returned. Boo was missing for over 12 days. I was worried because my little guy is a traditional long hair and all black cat. I have heard horror stories about cats being tormented this time of year and felt sick with worry. I expressed my concern to everyone and you would have thought it was like a child running away form home and the parent was besides themselves. Anyhow, Boo did return home one evening about 3:00 AM. I had the window open in my bedroom and reading, get this, 'Everyday Magic' and the what I heard out back was like music to my ears. The dog jumped out of bed and twirled a few times to, and I hear meows outside the windowsill. Boo was there and wanting in, he wasn't it too bad of condition which makes me think someone had him for a awhile, he was full of sand spurs and lost a few pounds but he was glad to be home. I am not going to lie, I wept with joy at his return. He was by my side continuously for three days letting me groom him to remove those darned sand spurs. He was even glad to see the dog! I feel like not only is Boo my pet and buddy but he my true familiar and a gift from the Great Mother, a tool for me to channel energy and magick and visa versa. It would be safe to say then that a familiar is very special and that it is connected to its owner like the soul is to a living breathing body. I love this guy!

BB ~ Bia' Aletheia

word count = 882 ~ sorry for the long one!