Human Magical Familiars in real Occult practices.
This is a way to safely, sanely, and consensually, have a human Familiar / Master relationship in the real world using a combination of real occult practices and borrowing from some BDSM / S / M lifestyling.
The result is a real and sincere method of magically claiming a Familiar or becoming a Familiar following S / M and BDSM principles and safety measures. Safe- Sane- Consensual.
Disclaimer: This is NOT a role play scenario. This is for actual magical practitioners who happen to want this type of relationship dynamic and are willing to sincerely apply it ritualistically with their magical practice.
There are many BDSM and S / M reasons and many non-BDSM and S / M reasons one may wish to be claimed as a Familiar or wish to claim a Human Magical Familiar. Non-BDSM or non-Sub / Dom reasons why someone might want to become a Human Familiar or why someone might want to own a Human Familiar are also listed in this surprisingly long post. (I didn’t think it would be this long when I started to write it!)
There is no judgement or shame in this document. Please know this is much longer than I expected. By the time I was finished writing this it was thirty-eight pages long. So before asking any questions, hit control and F and do a search to see if I address any issue you might have with this. I addressed some things multiple times.
Do not proceed with any plans on becoming a Familiar or being a Master to a Familiar until you have entirely read this document. I thoroughly cover everything as best as I can.
____________________________
This is an in-depth how-to guide of safely, sanely, and consensually, creating and maintaining A Human Magical Familiar.
I am an asexual, pan-romantic, with some mild sub leanings. But I also have, what may be considered, a reasonable amount of occult knowledge and skill so there won't anything sexually graphic to this post but a bit of an instruction on how to safely, sanely, and sincerely establish a Human Familiar and Master relationship into your personal magical practices. It is designed to be safe both physically and magically but it is to be taken very seriously and sincerely. First, you follow the basic BDSM rule of Safe, sane, and consensual. Consent is the most important aspect. The consenting party will be transformed into a Familiar for a Master. A safe word should be chosen in advance and in the instances described where speaking may be impossible, a safe gesture should be chosen before all else. And neither should be ignored! Now to begin. A Familiar in traditional magical practices is a supernatural entity slave or pet of a magick user or supernatural being. Usually this Familiar is a spirit or an animal but as with vampire fiction it can be a human or in the case of witchcraft another willing magical practitioner who is given the status of Familiar. The intended Familiar (in becoming The Human Magical Familiar) is surrendering their energy, power, and ability to cast spells on their own, and submitting themself to being claimed and owned by a Master magical user. In return that would-be Familiar gains the comfort, guidance and protection of the Master practitioner. To be claimed by a supernatural being or magick user shields you / your very soul from being claimed by other magical users or supernatural threats. If you have seen Lost Girl, think of how Bo claimed Kenzi only more elaborate and binding.
______________________________
Phase 1. The would-be Familiar must first talk out with their Would-be Master, the prospect of becoming their Familiar. It does not matter who (would-be Familiar or Would-be Master, or even if suggested by another) broaches the issue first so long as that the situation is consensual and understood.
It can be as simple as "I want to make you my Familiar." or “Would you like to be my Familiar?” or “I want to be your Familiar.” "I feel that something has been trying to ensnare me my whole life. I would feel safer if you claimed me as your familiar." "I love you, I want to be yours forever, magically enslaved by you." Or more romantically "I love you. Is it weird that I want to own you? May I own you, magically?" or as a coven “We feel you have incredible and very useful power and magical knowledge, and we will offer you protection, compensation, and comfort if you surrender yourself – your power and wisdom to The Coven and submit to becoming our Familiar.” or "We have decided it would be safer and in everyone's best interest if you were made into a Familiar. You are dangerous but could be of use to us. Will you consent to this binding and transformation?" (It IS more effective than most binding spells, which I don’t believe actually work anyway. And making someone into your Familiar makes the punished individual a creature of potential use for other practitioners.) or "I think you should be (Master's name here)'s Familiar." "I think (Familiar's name here) should be your Familiar." Or it can be that a would-be Master NEEDS a familiar to help fuel their magick or advise them and provide information when desired. “I think you need a Familiar.” “(Name here) should be your Familiar.” Or “You should have a Familiar.” It can also be much more complex and nuanced as to how you may arrive at the situation of deciding on becoming someone’s Familiar or deciding to claim and own someone else as your familiar. The whole situation may be very personal and should be respected no matter how it came about.
Try to not be offended if someone asks or suggests turning you into a Familiar and you do not want to do it. Treat it as you would a marriage proposal. It is usually meant to be a loving or protective gesture or it is because they value all of the potent magick they see inside of you and want perpetual access to that magick. If someone offers to be your Familiar be considerate. From both sides, even when it is being offered to the would-be Familiar as a punishment option, be compassionate. As a punishment it is a generous mercy but it is still meant to be forever.
It is a serious decision and it is meant to be forever. it should be approached seriously and sincerely.
__________________________
If The would-be Master is a member of a coven and the coven is willing they may take part in the next steps but this can also be done by a solitary practitioner. In some situations The would-be Master might even choose to share some dominion over their Familiar with the coven, making the Familiar property of the coven as their pet, mascot, status symbol (there’s clout in having a willing Human Familiar), and possible magical battery. Remember, this is a relationship with another practitioner becoming The Familiar. There are practical uses to having a Familiar besides interpersonal relationship reasons.
A Familiar and Master relationship should be a healthy one of trust and respect despite how it may seem to some. It does not have to be a romantic relationship. It could be platonic, queer platonic, or the Master and Familiar may even just be a very trusted friend. There are also purely practical / magical reasons to want someone to be your Familiar but that is rare. There should be trust and some form of love, whether romantic or platonic.
_______________________________________________
Phase 2. The ritualistic surrender or self-binding.
This is also called a Geas or Geasing and It is an important multi-step procedure in creating a Human magical Familiar and binding that Familiar in such a way so that The Familiar will never be able to be anything other than a Familiar again. (Reminder: This must be with consent! Yes, The Familiar may choose not to be seen as a Familiar later but the assumption, as with marriage, is that this is supposed to be forever! You are allowing a ritualistic ceremony and incorporating magick into this after all.)
Please note: This is NOT meant to be role play. This needs to be taken seriously and sincerely. And the intention is -Forever-.
The notion is that a magical practitioner is willingly symbolically destroyed and a Familiar is created from them. It is not supposed to be reversable. The intention (though willing) is meant to be forever, a metaphysical transformation.
Again: The Familiar may later decide they no longer wish to be seen as a Familiar and that is acceptable but for the purpose of the ritual the intention is forever.
This should be done with at least one witness present though if that is not optional, The would-be-Familiar and Master serve as witness for each other. If a Coven is willing to attend then they may all bear witness to the ceremony or even aid in it, such as preparing The Familiar before hand, writing up the contract, lighting candles, drawing a circle on the floor, etc.
I, myself, have little faith in magical binding spells against other practitioners abilities to cast spells but when it is self-imposed that is another story.
The Familiar must stand within a circle big enough to contain them while standing, usually drawn in white salt or chalk where the majority of this ceremony will take place.
An office chair on wheels is an ideal option if you wish to tie down or otherwise restrain your would-be Familiar in the wheeled office chair for the duration of the ceremony. It also reduces chances of resistance within The Binding Circle or chance of The Familiar trying to leave the binding circle during The Ceremony.
Alternatively the would-be Familiar may also be forced to kneel for the ceremony (with or without restraints). That is an option.
You will have to personalize the oath but the Familiar must pledge themself to their master (or Master and Coven or even just to a coven). They will vow to surrender all of their power and magical potential to their Master. They surrender their ability to cast spells on their own and give their will to their Master. The Very soul of The Familiar may be mentioned but that is already assumed. No demon or other entity may claim their soul if their Master or Master and Coven already own them entirely.
The would-be Familiar acknowledges that from now on they are no longer what they were (witch, sorcerer, etc). That now, in the realms of magick they are magical property and that they surrender themself to this status willingly.
This pledge can be made specifically by the Familiar or a version directed toward the Familiar by the Master. I.e. "Do you swear to surrender all of yourself to me forever? Do you accept that within the magical community you will now and forever be my property?" and the Familiar provides confirmation. If this is done by an entire coven laying claim to The Familiar, or to certain members of the coven, they may each ask for a similar pledge. "Do you bequeath to us your magical potential in all spell casting purposes? Do you promise to love and obey us? Do you acknowledge that you belong to us, as our Familiar and do you acknowledge us forever, as your Masters?"
The Familiar does not have to be restrained for this part but it is optional and it IS recommended. If the restraint chosen is one that prevents speech (i.e. a gag or tape or some other mouth restraint) than confirmation can be given via nodding while the would-be Master asks the vows.
Note: If you use tape, first make sure the would-be Familiar consents to it. Tape may not be safe. Make sure they can breathe comfortably. If they cannot breathe comfortably do NOT use the tape!
You may even choose, with consent of your would-be Familiar, to have their mouth sewn shut (temporarily of course) before the ceremony and have the stitches removed after the ceremony. I ONLY recommend this if your would-be Familiar is into body modification. There are places that will do it for you. Or you can find “How to” instructions online, using a sterile needle and sturdy thread. Heathens might see this as a gesture of respect for the mischief God, Loki, whose own mouth sewn shut.
IF sewing the would-be Familiar’s mouth shut is chosen for the ritual of becoming a Familiar, than please cut ahead to the part of the ritual with moon water and do that part of the ritual before sewing the mouth shut. The rest can come after.
A Would-be Master might choose to prevent The Familiar from speaking during this ritual to symbolically suggest that there is no going back now. And for the would-be Familiar it is a gesture of wiling subjugation for their chosen status as a Familiar.
Rendering your Familiar unable to speak (by whatever method you choose) fairly regularly is good because it forces The Familiar to be more thoughtful and expressive in other ways outside of speech. It helps in meditation and could also, theoretically, aid in developing psychic potential. It can actually be very beneficial to render The Familiar silent fairly often. There are re-usable (and some aesthetically pleasing) restraints for such things, available online and some that even lock in place with a key. Your Familiar IS a pet and there are many who will tell you that a good pet should be seen and not heard.
Tip: There are sellers online (particularly on Temu) who have mouth gags with tongue restraints that force the tongue still and can lock behind the head with a strap. This one will allow your Familiar to breathe easily but also render speech such as verbal spell casting impossible while they wear it. And this one can be worn for several hours or a day or so without being taken off. (Keep your Familiar hydrated and fed if using such a device regularly!)
Allow your Familiar the physical ability to talk only when or if it is convenient for you as their Master. Otherwise silence IS golden and duct tape is silver. (Side note: Obviously don’t keep your familiar restrained as to be physically unable to talk when in public. This is for in private or in the presence of your Coven or other magical practitioners in your home).
This sort of restraining (making the would-be Familiar physically unable to talk) during this ritual is actually -highly- recommended as it implies to witnesses that during the ritual The Familiar has consented to be prevented from possibly trying to stop the ritual and it symbolizes the surrender of power. They may symbolically attempt to speak out loud to show that they are unable to talk or to deny the ritual. If they can speak, a better restraint (or adjustment to the restraint) should be made to make certain that they cannot interrupt their own ceremony and that they are truly subjugated. Also it allows the would-be Familiar’s previous self to symbolically die quietly without being able to protest as a Familiar is created from them. The Familiar is regarded as a new entity created from the sacrificed magical practitioner, made from a transformed flesh and soul. There is a profound metaphysical transformation.
There are unusual sensations during the ritual and transformative spell and such a restraint will also prevent the would-be Familiar from accidentally crying out or instinctively trying to use verbal magicks.
A re-usable restraint that can hold the mouth shut or keeps the tongue from moving is much more practical.
The voluntary physical inability to protest this has symbolism. It also allows all spiritual realm witnesses to see that this magick user was captured and bound rightfully within the laws of magick.
Again: Such a restraint is not necessary, but it is recommended.
Phase 2 part B of the ritualistic self-binding / geas.
This has to do with personal preference of The Familiar or Master but should be chosen and accepted by both in advance.
The Familiar must (before-hand) choose a particular style of spell casting that they surrender all right to ever cast again even with others. This can be hand gesture related spells, candle magick, moon magick, Earth magick, vocal invocations / incantations, harmful spells, etc. Depending on which is chosen, is what restraint will be used later. The Master may even arbitrarily choose to change which style of magick is forfeit at will so long as one style of magick has been forfeited. All other magick use is allowed but only- and I cannot emphasize this enough- only with The Master or Master and other Coven members. The Familiar surrenders all right to cast any magick alone at this point. It is said in the mind and heart and implied and indicated in the vows and later contract. The Familiar is forbidden from casting magick alone ever again!
The forbidden magical style chosen can even be as simple as “harmful” or (black) magick that is forfeit. But some specific form of magick must always be denied to The Familiar even when with Master or Master and Coven. This choosing also determines how The Familiar is to be restrained during magical gatherings, rituals, Sabbats, and spell-castings.
This is done so that The Familiar understands the seriousness of what they are offering up. That to be someone’s Familiar is both the greatest honor and sacrifice- so one style of magick must specifically be denied. One specific type of spell casting must be entirely surrendered as a gesture of humility, and to help specify how The Familiar will be restrained later. A Familiar must be restrained in some way during all magical gatherings, ceremonies, and spell-castings as to prevent the loss of their very useful magical energy. And this allows the choosing of that method.
What needs to be restrained later during magical gatherings, rituals, Sabbats, or spell-casting, in regard to which type of magick that has been forbidden:
Vocal invocations or incantations = Mouth restraint / prevented from speech.
Moon magick, water magick, or Earth magick (Herbs, crystals, plants) or potions = ankle restraints to prevent dance or running or hand / wrist restraints to prevent the touching or using of elemental ingredients. Optional: both wrist and ankle restraints.
Fire magick / candle magick = Blind fold or similar device to prevent sight.
Hand gestures (or alternative for Earth magick) = Hand / wrist restraints or both wrist and ankle restraints.
Or basic for any variation and especially if The Familiar swore off harmful magicks = Just tie or chain The Familiar by their collar to the wall. Give them enough slack to move about the area but to not allow them to physically touch any magical circle, chalice, or candle. Another member may hold the chain to pull The Familiar back if necessary to keep the Familiar from accessing any tool or spell component.
It is a symbolic and serious gesture of sacrifice in becoming a Familiar.
The restraining of the Human Magical Familiar for magical gatherings, rituals, and spell-castings, prevents The Familiar from possibly accidentally violating their magical contract, which could lead to psychic or magical harm if violated. It is for the good of The magical Familiar and for those who want to use The Familiar’s power. The restraining is symbolic to also show that they are willingly claimed to any magical entity that may be invoked. It is honoring the contract of The Familiar. There are strong emotions in being restrained and this helps to summon and later channel those emotions. It also prevents The Familiar’s power from accidentally going anywhere other than to its rightful owner, their Master or Coven. It is the saving of energy within a living battery. So it is for the good of The Master and Coven as well. There is a practical purpose in making sure The Familiar is restrained in some way during all gatherings, rituals, and spell-castings.
You do NOT restrain a NON-human animal pet Familiar such as a dog or a cat! This is strictly in regard to a Human Magical Familiar!
__________________________________
Binding / Geas alternate version: A would-be Familiar may (in advance) request to be “Forced” into becoming a Familiar. This can be done in many ways, including "I want this but I cannot bring myself to surrender my power to you. You must take it from me." or "I will let you decide what is best." or "Don't make me make this choice." or "I cannot bring myself surrender my power. You must take it from me by force." or variations of "I know this is for the best but I will resist this. You must stop me." This will be taken as a signal to proceed with it but make sure there is some consent in there.
Do NOT confuse the simple word "No." for a hidden signal. A plain "No" means no. It must be respected.
If The would-be Familiar accepts being forced into becoming a Familiar this means that they relieve themselves of the burden of choosing to become a Familiar and relieve themselves of the burden of making the vows and instead allow all stipulations to be made by their would-be Master.
A safe word and safe gesture should be chosen if The would-be Familiar truly decides not to go on with it. In this instance all vows are replaced with commands. “In the magical realms, now and forever, you will be my Familiar- my property, so mote it be!” “I claim you as my Familiar and bind you as my slave by the Laws of Magick!” “You shall serve me loyally and forfeit all right to cast and practice magick on your own in becoming my Familiar. I ensnare and enslave you by laws of magick.” or similar. Every vow and request are swapped out for a command variations and claims upon The Familiar. In this version the contract may be signed first before the ritual geas / binding and collaring.
The Familiar should be restrained in some way was to prevent them from leaving the binding circle for the duration of the ceremony. Seating the would-be Familiar in an office chair on wheels is an ideal option if you wish to tie down or otherwise restrain your would-be Familiar in the wheeled office chair for the duration of the ceremony. It also reduces chances of resistance within The Binding Circle or chance of The Familiar trying to leave the binding circle during The Ceremony.
The would-be may also be forced to kneel for the ceremony (with or without restraints). That is an option.
In this version the would-be Familiar MUST be restrained in such a way to prevent speech so that they cannot scream, interrupt, or otherwise vocally protest, or interfere with, the sacred processes. Other restraints such as to prevent running are optional. And all resistance and protests from the transforming Familiar should be ignored and contained by The would-be Master and witnesses except for the use of safe words or safe gestures. Those must be heeded.
Optional: If the would-be Familiar is into body modification, The Master or another person may sew the would be Familiar's mouth shut for the ceremony. (only with the consent of The Familiar). This has a secondary symbolism for Heathens as it shows respect for the suffering of the Mischief God Loki, who had once had his mouth sewn shut.
But before doing this with your Familiar, make sure The Familiar has been fed a mixture of blessed moon water mixed with three drops of their new Master's blood or (If The Familiar is squeamish about drinking blood or there is concern about transmittable disease) a mixture of blessed moon water and salt. This an important part of the ritual. (The details further in this document.)
Some would-be Familiars might prefer the "Forced" version of the ceremony as it might feel as if it relieves them of accountability in having to choose to become a Familiar. For many there is a sense of surrender or even blasphemy in giving up their right to cast spells on their own and consigning themselves as property and this relieves them of having to swear it. Instead The would-be Familiar allows themself to be at the mercy of the intentions and will of their would be Master. This version also indicates a just and righteous capture and creation of The Familiar within The Old Laws of Magick. For various reasons some magical practitioners may consider this version more sincere and binding.
And for some Masters this variation might enable them to feel as if they have full power of the situation in fully creating their Familiar. In feeling as if they are single-handedly creating their Familiar from a physically and magically bound magical practitioner that is metaphysically destroyed and then re-created as a new and beloved Familiar, The Master might feel a tighter psychic and emotional bond with their Familiar. There is a spiritual intimacy to this version of the spell- a sense that The Master literally metaphysically made their Familiar. The Master does not just own The Familiar. They literally created The Familiar. Some Masters may definitely prefer this variation of the binding / Geas and collaring.
It's roughly the same ceremony but instead of vows and requests toward the would be Familiar, these are replaced with commands and stipulations from The Master that do not require confirmation from The Familiar and all resistance from the transforming Familiar should be contained and ignored. (Again: Except for safe words or safe gestures. Those must be heeded.) Suggestion: For all versions of this and the collaring ceremony, iron or silver manacles or shackles (or both) locked on The would-be Familiar are highly recommended (besides the mouth being restrained). It helps prevent The would-be Familiar from resisting too much or even magically lashing out by accident in the more intense moments of the ceremony.
________________________________
Phase 3. The sacred Contract.
A contract with similar statements, promises, acknowledgements about the master or master and coven and restrictions of The Familiar. This can be drawn / typed and printed up and signed (usually with a drop of blood from The Familiar as the means of signing.)
Verbal and written contract together is preferred so there is a documented record of it. But sometimes verbal is considered enough. It is not legally binding but it is considered magically binding and usually by will of all involved- unbreakable.
The contract can be written by The Familiar themself or Master or by The Coven leader or a chosen member of The Coven and then agreed upon by Familiar and Master.
Again, the contract is not legally valid but recognized within magical circles.
__________________________
Phase 4. The collaring ceremony and True Naming.
This should be done with at least one witness present (or whole coven) as it is considered as serious and sacred as a marriage. If a witness cannot be present than the would-be Familiar and would-be Master must act as their own witnesses. The Familiar must stand (or be seated or kneel) within a circle drawn in white salt or chalk. The Familiar should probably be restrained in some way as so they cannot leave the circle until the ritual is done. Tied or chained in a wheeled office chair is an option that allows easy placement of The Familiar, while preventing breaching the circle.
While within a circle big enough for The Familiar to stand in (usually drawn with white salt or chalk) a collar is gently placed around the throat of the Familiar by the Master, possibly (But not necessarily) bearing a tag that says "Familiar" or "Familiar of (name here) and (Coven name here) or Familiar and the sigil of The Master. A tag is not necessary.
The collar is locked in place, usually with a tiny key lock / small pad lock. The Master keeps one key and if the Familiar is shared by the coven, another trusted member of the coven keeps the other key in case of emergencies. The Familiar may not take this collar off. For those who are absolutely certain that they want to perpetuate this lifestyle indefinitely (which is the idea as you're getting magick involved) than permanent locks or permanent collars are an option (There are some permanent locks and collars on Etsy. Some even made of titanium so that they cannot easily be broken.) Keys that the Familiar is forbidden from touching also have symbolic value and are probably better.
This part is strictly and simply optional and not required at all. (This not recommended but it is allowed). Though consent must be given in advance for this, a key-locked collar’s key may be ritualistically destroyed after locking the collar around The Familiar’s neck. This act is to symbolize that this status of Familiar and Master is forever.
Having The master hide a key to the collar and a Coven member or another trusted individual hide another key to the collar (in case of emergencies) is practical.
The Familiar consents to not knowing where either key is and being forbidden from touching the key or keys. The Familiar must acknowledge that the collar is supposed to be forever.
No matter the style of collar, it should be sturdy enough that it cannot be pulled free and broken with the hands. The Familiar is then welcome to or even verbally invited to (symbolically) try to remove the locked collar by hand to show that it cannot come off easily and that this represents being forever bound as a Familiar. There should be a sense of relief and safety for both Familiar and Master when it cannot come off at pulling or tugging efforts.
The collar is never supposed to come off except to possibly replace it with another collar. Without the collar The Familiar becomes vulnerable to supernatural entities that will see them as an unclaimed Familiar and possible magical prey. The familiar must always wear something identifying them as a Familiar and a collar is best as they ARE a pet. The collar is infused with the aura of their Master and shows other magical entities that The Familiar has a Master and is claimed.
If the Familiar absolutely needs to remove the collar for medical reasons or going through security, The Master may remove the collar for them before-hand but a sigil of The Master must be drawn somewhere on The Familiar’s body and that sigil must stay there until the collar can be placed back on. This isn’t just for kink. A Familiar without a marking of ownership becomes fair game to supernatural predators, and the sigil is actually a safety measure.
The act of Collaring can be equated to a marriage ceremony. The Familiar is surrendering themself, their power and their will and The Master is pledging love, comfort, support, and protection. It is a sincere act of trust and love for The Familiar and it is a sense of honor to be so trusted, and a willing and loving responsibility for The Master. It should be treated as seriously as a marriage (if not more so since it is magically binding and not mere BDSM!).
During the collaring a new magical binding is placed on the Familiar by The Master. This is done by giving The Familiar a new True Name during the collaring. While locking the collar The Master says “(The Familiar’s True name.) I now name you (True name said again). This is now your True Name! I bind you and claim you (True Name said a third time here) by the Laws of Magick. I am now your Master and you are now my Familiar! So mote it be!”
A True Name is usually not your legal name. It is the name you most heavily associate with yourself and believe you will recognize as your identity in any discorporate and posthumous form. It is precious and magical and it can tug at your very soul.
This can be discussed and or chosen between Master and Familiar before the collaring ceremony. And the name may be whispered into The Familiar’s ear if The Master does not want anyone else to know it.
(Another reason restraining The Familiar in such a way as to prevent speech during the ritual of collaring may be a good idea is that it also prevents accidentally blurting out the True Name and symbolically suggests The Familiar may not object to this name. Though this entire ceremony must be willing, there’s a symbolism in that they are also physically unable to object to the naming, it symbolizes the willingness to accept the status as being owned as this magical user’s Familiar, sealing their status with their willing and forced silence combined. Some sort of restraint, even just ankle shackles during the collaring symbolizes that The Familiar was justly and rightfully ensnared within the laws of magick.)
All supernatural entities and magical users respect the power of a True Name. The one who knows your true name can hold dominion over you magically, and this is even more true when giving a new True Name. It is powerful and transformative. It is a type of binding spell, sealing The Familiar’s role as property of Their Master and as a Familiar forever.
Another part of why it is a good idea to render The Familiar physically unable to speak for the ritual is the willing submission combined with the physically enforced silence symbolizes this surrender of will during the naming part of the collaring / spell. And to symbolically show that The Familiar was claimed within The Laws of Magick. It is not required but it IS strongly suggested.
Note: An older True Name of The Familiar or the original True name of The Familiar is optional if The Familiar does not want their True Name altered, but their Master is laying claim to the name by saying it and by extension claiming The Familiar utterly, and must say whatever The Familiar’s True Name is or will be thrice (three times) as the collar is locked.
A Master may pick a discrete, necklace-like, collar that they can easily unlock for The Familiar, though a permanent collar is also a Master’s right. Do not put a permanent collar on your Familiar without consent from your Familiar! They must be willing. If you want them in a collar that can never come off, you must have The Familiar’s thorough consent first.
If the first and only collar is a permanent one, make sure you, as The Master, talked it out with your Familiar first before the collaring ritual. It is like getting a tattoo and you need to make sure it is comfortable if The Familiar is truly going to wear it forever. A familiar collaring is always assumed to be forever, even if it’s locked with a padlock. The intention is the collar is never coming off.
A leather collar is recommended as it has more “pet-like” symbolism and is traditional. This is, however, entirely the choice between Master and Familiar.
A silver or iron collar of some kind indicates restriction from using magick and protection from supernatural threats.
The type of collar is a big decision because the intention is forever, not a fashion accessory to be changed later. It does not have to look like a collar (though that is preferred). What matters is that The Familiar IS placed in a collar. This step cannot be avoided.
The ritual magically marks The Familiar as property in the realm of the supernatural. Removing the collar does not remove this status and The Familiar becomes vulnerable to other magical practitioners or entities that might want to harm or claim them. The collar marks The Familiar as owned and is laced with the aura of their Master. It doesn’t just mark them as a slave, it marks them as being under protection. Removing it could be spiritually / magically dangerous. It is advised to never let The Familiar go without a collar if possible. There are some locking collars that are easily mistaken as necklaces and are sold as Day Collars. The type of collar is optional. Leather is recommended. _____________________________
This one may be substituted as the only phase if you’re in a situation where you have to rush but it is advised to go back and do the rest of the ritual later if possible.
This is the final step of the ritual of creating A Human Magical Familiar. If The Familiar is restrained against speech the restraint is removed at this point in the ritual.
For a very quick version of Familiarizing AKA Making a Familiar, you can bypass all else that came before and do this step but I do not recommend doing that. Doing only this step should only be in an emergency situation and if possible, later do the complete ceremony.
If it had been decided (only if The Familiar is into body modification) that The Familiar’s mouth would be sewn shut for the ritual, than the following step should be done first before proceeding with sewing The Familiar’s mouth shut.
The Master must feed The Familiar (preferably from a chalice) a mixture of Moon Water (water that had been bathed the waxing, nearly full, or full moon light) mixed with three drops of The Master’s blood. This is an easy spell to assure eternal submissiveness, and loyalty from an animal familiar or magical slave (Human Magical Familiar). If The Familiar is squeamish about drinking blood or there is concern about HIV or other transmittable illness, the three drops of blood can be substituted with a sprinkling of salt with the words “I bind you, O creature of Earth and claim you. You shall obey me forever. So mote it be.”
The moon water with salt version is best if an entire coven is claiming The Familiar. “We bind you, O creature of Earth and claim you. You shall obey us forever. So mote it be.”
You, as The Master, may have to force food the moon water and blood mixture or moon water and salt mixture to The Familiar if they chose to be "forcibly" transformed into a Familiar.
Needless to say, do not force or trick anyone to drink blood against their will. If The Familiar cannot or will not consent to blood, than the salt and incantation in the water is fine.
Whether using The Master’s blood or salt, if the making of The Familiar is intended as an act of contrition, punishment, or being “Forced,” than black moon water is recommended. This is also an option for a more romantic Familiar creation. Black Moon Water is moon water bathed in the “Light” (read: Darkness) of a new moon night that happens to be the second New Moon of the month. It is not necessary but it does add a little more binding power to the spell.
On the other hand, Moon water made with Blue Moon Light (a second full moon in a month) grants luck and success, but not necessarily more power, behind the spell. Either is an option. More conventional moon water is fine. Note: When doing the three drops of your Master’s blood spell for an animal familiar, just hide the three drops of blood in their food. Don’t bother with the water.
After The Familiar drinks this mixture of either Moon Water and three drops of their Master’s blood or blessed Moon water and salt, any mouth restraint (if one was chosen) is placed carefully back into place, or replaced for the time being with a new one.
This is a rarity but if the Familiar identifies as (or is suspected of being) a vampire (psychic or blood-drinking), then The Master must complete the ritual by driving an iron nail through The Familiar’s shadow.
Driving an iron nail through The Familiar’s shadow is an old and slightly obscure superstition on how to enslave a vampire. In such a situation this is necessary. Even if you only suspect vampire tendencies it is better to be safe than sorry.
If The Familiar truly is a vampire do not be startled to know that this moment may be when The Familiar truly starts to take the situation seriously and might start to show some possible apprehension. If The Familiar chooses to stop the ceremony (only via safe word or safe gesture) you must stop. Consent is key. If The Familiar just becomes anxious or agitated, you may calm them and continue the ceremony. If The Familiar resists or protests but does not use the safe word or safe gesture, you do not have to heed this resistance, in fact it is The Master's duty to contain it or ignore this resistance and struggle. If the Familiar identifies as a werewolf or is suspected of being a werewolf than adding a silver five pointed pentacle or star (or drawing one) somewhere on the collar is advised.
Now The Master breaks the circle that The Familiar is standing within and leads them out toward any and all witnesses and presents them. “I present to you, my Familiar (Familiar’s chosen name or nickname is then said.)!” The newly recognized True Name is optional here but not necessary.
It is done. The Familiar has been ritualistically created. A full practitioner has been ritualistically destroyed and a Magical Familiar has been born and created from them. The Familiar is treated like a newly made entity created out of the magical practitioner.
Once all these things are done The Master may kiss The Familiar. If The Familiar is gagged or otherwise mouth restrained, The Master will kiss the forehead at the third eye. The ritual is complete. The chosen Familiar is now and forever seen as a Familiar within the realms of magick and the supernatural. They are claimed property. They may no longer practice magick alone. They are bound within the laws of magick as slave and pet. They are owned. They may never be seen as a witch or sorcerer (or whatever title they previously used) again. They voluntarily chose to forever be seen as a Magical Familiar- a being created from magick to serve a Master.
The restraints (if any, again, it is recommended) come off when The Master feels like it, at their leisure. This can be within hours or a day or two after this ceremony.
At the very least, the restraints should stay on for the rest of the night until a little after dawn after the sun has completely risen. This symbolizes the permanency of the matter since many spells end at day break. Restraining until a little after the sun has completely risen shows that this is not intended to end, The Familiar is a Familiar forever. After the sun has risen entirely, The Master may leave the restraints on for a few more hours, or a day or so, as is their choice so long as The Familiar accepts it.
The Familiar’s collar, however, is NOT intended to ever come off! That is never to come off except if being replaced by another collar. The collar doesn’t just mark The Familiar as being owned, it also protects them from any magical entity that might want to claim them. The collar shows that The Familiar is claimed by another magical being or practitioner. Without it, The Familiar looks like easy and unclaimed prey to magical or supernatural entities.
Becoming a Familiar is meant to be forever, not temporary. It is a very serious and sincere surrender and commitment to become magical property to a Master. That is why I emphasize it has to be willing and it is as serious and sincere as a marriage ceremony (if not more so). As The Master, creating and choosing to keep such a being as a Familiar needs to also be taken seriously by The Master. You, as The Master, created this entity in metaphysically destroying a magical practitioner and transforming them into your Familiar. You must forever be accountable for your magical creation. You own them. They are your property. So take care of them.
Despite what some might think, a relationship between Familiar and Master can and should be a healthy one of mutual respect and love. The relationship can be romantic or even (believe it or not) strictly platonic. In situations where The Master may have rendered the Familiar unable to physically speak, a gesture or some other communication must be devised so that The Familiar can communicate a “Stop.” Or “I do not wish to proceed with this.” If such a gesture is made, The Master must heed it.
The Master of The Familiar could be a lover, platonic, Queer Platonic, ace-romantic, or a good friend. ___________________________________________
The metaphysical transformation / The Psychic death of The Magical Practitioner who was transformed and The Spiritual birth (Creation) of The Familiar:
During and right after the ritualistic binding and creation of The Familiar both Master and Familiar may feel certain unusual sensations such as a sharp increase of energy or a steep loss of energy or even both. Rushes, high-like sensations, sudden bursts of energy, or sleepiness (or even somehow both) are perfectly normal. This is the magick of creating and Ensnaring The Familiar and binding them to the will of their Master. It is a transformative energy and it is intense and can be frightening. It may manifest in many unexpected ways but it is a sign that the spell is working and weaving its way through your Familiar and binding them to you as The Master. It will be felt and it can be very strange and scary if you did not expect it. The sensation of this magick might frighten the new Familiar because to feel it could be the moment they take the spell seriously. There will be some sort of sensation and it could make The Familiar panic or want to stop. Masters, try to get consent in advance to ignore The Familiar resisting this part. It doesn’t usually last long but there is a sense of substantial change, or even a sense of Death and Rebirth.
The most mild sign that the ritual and spells are working is an ASMR-like sensation (tingling in the scalp and behind the head or also down the neck and spine) felt by The Familiar and possibly by The Master as well. That tingling in the scalp is to be expected at least with The Familiar. It means the spell is transforming them into a Magical Familiar. The sensation might even be pleasant.
If The new Familiar uses a safe word or gesture to cease the process or choose not to be a Familiar you must heed it but magick is not easily undone. (Further on in this document is a section on “What if you don’t want to be a Familiar anymore?”)
This part is specifically a note for Masters.
This part may sound scary, especially if you love the person you chose to become your Familiar and merely wish to forever claim them because you love them. That person is NOT dead but they ARE transformed! There has been a very real magical, psychic, metaphysical re-shaping so certain changes are to be expected and embraced.
Though your Familiar’s memories and personality are in tact there will be certain permanent changes to The Familiar’s nature. You may even come to like these changes as they enhance perceived positive qualities of your Familiar.
As there has been a metaphysical transformation, do not be surprised if the sleeping habits of your Familiar are not what they once were before the ritualistic transformation / creation of your Familiar. Most Familiars are instinctively nocturnal. That is just their nature.
Most Familiars will take on at least some minor, harmless, habits, behaviors, and instincts, that may be seen as animalistic or pet-like. This may include The Familiar finding comfort in being pet or scratched like a puppy. Almost all Familiars develop a liking of and finding comfort in having their hair stroked, especially while being restrained. Some like to have their cheek stroked as well but most will permanently like having their hair stroked. This phenomena is to be expected and is quite normal after the transformation / creation of The Familiar. These new traits will not go away and should be accepted as new aspects of their nature.
Animals whose mannerisms you may start to see in your Familiar include one or more of the following:
Wolves Owls Cats Dogs Bats Crows and Ravens And whatever animal you may have associated with your Familiar’s personality.
New animal pet-like behaviors and instincts may be more extreme with a vampire or werewolf made into a Familiar.
To compensate for the suppressed magical energy in not being allowed to cast spells on their own, your Familiar may develop certain new capabilities including mild clairvoyance, Psychometry, ESP or other similar abilities.
Longevity is often slightly extended along with youthful behavior of The Familiar.
The Familiar will also develop an innate talent for formulating and creating new spells, and that spell’s parameters, for their Master or Master and coven, specifically for The Master or Master and coven to cast. Most spells created by a Familiar are highly functional and will definitely work. Just because The Familiar may no longer cast spells on their own does not deny them the ability to conceive of useful spells. In fact this new talent may be slightly frustrating for The Familiar because this ability usually drastically improves but it is for their Master(s) benefit. The Familiar may never cast these spells alone.
These changes are not reversable. Consider them gifts from The Universe, thanking you, for the transformation and creation of a Human Magical Familiar.
Even if later The Familiar decides to no longer be considered a Familiar anymore, these new traits are most likely to remain.
“Once a Familiar, always a Familiar.”
The Familiar’s intellect and emotional capabilities will remain in tact and potentially only grow stronger. They do not lose human intelligence or emotions because of this. Those traits may even improve.
There may even be some slight improvement to The Familiar’s physical senses.
Though your Familiar IS still mortal there was a very real metaphysical transformation. One could even argue that the term Human Magical Familiar isn’t technically correct because despite still being mortal, The Familiar is not entirely human anymore. By aura, energy, and soul they are now a magical creation, an entity born out of magick, and many who are sensitive to such things may sense this. Mortal, yes, but now also a magical entity. A soul cannot be destroyed. All Familiars have souls. They / their soul just isn’t entirely human anymore. They have been magically transfigured.
___________________________________________
Phase 6. Preparing a Familiar for use during a magical Gathering, Spell-casting, or Sabbat.
At possible Weekly spell casting, magical gathering, moon ritual, or during a Sabbat, the Human Magical Familiar is brought by The Master to the gathering or to the spell-casting. The Familiar is NOT to be addressed as a Sister, Brother, Witch, Sorcerer, etc. They may be called by a chosen name or “(name here) the Familiar of (name of the Master)” or something as casual as “Steve’s Familiar.” The point is that The Familiar had forfeited that right to be called sister, or brother, or witch, or sorcerer, etc, when they signed the contract to be a Familiar. They are a created Familiar. What that Familiar had been before no longer exists for them. There is honor enough in being the magical slave of their beloved Master or Mistress. The title Familiar should be respected. i.e. “This is Marius and his Familiar, Jacob.”
There is no shame in being a Familiar. It is to be respected as the status of one chosen and kept by another magical user with great power. It is status of being under protection forever. It is the status of having been chosen by someone who wants to keep them. A magical practitioner might even have been chosen to be made into a Familiar because The Familiar is very powerful themselves and their Master wants perpetual access and control of that immense power. It is an acknowledgement of a commitment and of having ritualistically become something of use and value to another Magical user. It is symbolic of showing how much trust The Familiar has in having consented to be a Familiar to a master. And it protects The Familiar from being claimed by another supernatural entity. Again, there is no shame in acknowledging the title of Familiar. Embrace it. It is meant to be forever and irrevocable. It transcends all mortal roles. To be addressed as a Familiar is to acknowledge this status is meant to be for now and forever.
So The Familiar should not be ashamed of being called a Familiar and no one should feel guilty for acknowledging that this (former) magical practitioner is now a Familiar. I say former because, again, The Familiar is forbidden from casting spells on their own. They may only use magick with their Master or with their Master and their Master’s coven, depending on what is allowed to them.
Also The Familiar is treated as a new magical creation, the magical practitioner that they were made from was metaphysically destroyed. Their body and soul has transcended beyond being a magical practitioner. They are now considered a type of magical entity creation despite still being physically mortal.
Now comes into play whatever form of specific style spell casting The Familiar surrendered away entirely in their contract.
If the Familiar has surrendered their right to vocal invocations or incantations it is important that they are gagged or otherwise restrained in such a way as to prevent speech through the entire meeting, full Sabbat, or spell-casting and at all such meetings forever. It is not enough that they are told to be silent, they must be made physically unable to talk and The Familiar must be unable to free themselves from this restraint without aid or without tools to talk. Any restraint during a magical gathering must be one The Familiar cannot casually physically remove themself. This is why the sacrifice of a type of spell-casting is chosen in advance.
The choice of restraint is up to The Master or It is up to a trusted coven member chosen by The Master to prepare The Familiar for The Gathering. What matters is that The Familiar cannot be able to physically undo the restraint themselves. This can be a cloth gag, scold’s bridle, duct tape, electrical tape (which is much harder to get off) or something else that prevents speech if the restriction is speech. If the restriction is in the hands, taping the wrists, or tying them together with rope, use of handcuffs (They sell actual silver or heavy antique style ones if this sort of restraint will be routine), or zipties are optional. You can be creative about it.
Electrical tape is fast and practical over the mouth when silencing because it will hold even if The Familiar takes a bath or shower while wearing it, however it should be checked after a shower or bathing to make certain it did not come loose, a second layer or re-securing may be needed to insure inarticulation, if they showered and still need to be prevented from speaking. (Electrical tape is infamously hard to remove. Rubbing alcohol gently applied along the edges, might be needed later when you want to allow your Familiar to speak again. Electrical tape is fast to apply but may take time to remove). And again, I remind you, tape may not be safe so this is not ideal. There are re-usable non-open-or-o-Mouth restraints and muzzles on Etsy and Ebay. Always make sure your Familiar can breathe comfortably. If a closed mouth restraint is unsafe for your Familiar for medical reasons, you should probably choose a different method of restraining such as the tongue restraints available on Temu that have a small plastic sleeve to hold the tongue still, attached to a lockable strap that buckles behind the head. This one will make all articulation impossible if secured tightly but they can still safely use their mouth to breathe.
You can even let The Familiar retain the ability to speak and restrain the wrists, ankles, or wrists and ankles instead. such as shackling or handcuffed (hands in the front) or both.
If The Familiar swore off hand gesturing in magick, their hands must be restrained during all gatherings or spell-casting, either with handcuffs (Frontal position is fine and again, they sell silver or antique style ones if this is to be a routine restraining- you might as well go for pretty or ornate and symbolic), or tape the wrists together, or whatever is chosen by The Master or dutiful coven member to keep The Familiar from using their hands during sacred times of magick (or if The Master just doesn’t want them able to use that ability).
If The Familiar swore off fire magick or candle magick, they must be blind-folded or otherwise have their eyes covered during all The Gatherings or spell-castings as so they cannot see the flames used in the spells or rituals.
If The Familiar swore off moon or potion magick, then their ankles must be shackled (fancy antique style or silver ones are available if this is to be a routine form of restraining), or otherwise taped, or tied to prevent dance or running. If shackled, The Familiar must not have access to the key at any point until The Magical Gathering is over. They are restrained for a reason!
Even if those sort of specific spells are not being cast at that particular gathering, the restraining is still done for the symbolic promise of fulfilling the surrender in the contract.
The restraining of The Human Magical Familiar for magical gatherings, rituals, Sabbats, and spell-castings, prevents The Familiar from possibly accidentally violating their magical contract, which could lead to psychic or magical harm if violated. It is for the good of The magical Familiar and for those who want to use The Familiar’s power. The restraining is symbolic to also show that they are willingly claimed and this is shown to any magical entity that may be invoked. It is honoring the contract of The Familiar. There are strong emotions in being restrained and this helps to summon and later channel those the magical and emotional energy attached to The Familiar. It also prevents The Familiar’s power from accidentally going anywhere other than to its rightful owner, their Master or Coven. It is the saving of energy within a living battery. So it is for the good of The Master and Coven as well. There is a practical purpose in making sure The Familiar is restrained in some way during all magical gatherings, rituals, and spell-castings.
Do NOT restrain a non-human pet Familiar such as a dog or a cat! This is strictly in regard to a Human Magical Familiar!
If The Magical Human Familiar is sulky because they realize they are now forbidden from dancing during magical gatherings and festivals and have to wear ankle restraints, sit and comfort them, and reassure them that they can dance elsewhere and at other times- remind them that this was what they swore at a sacred ritual.
If the situation or restraining of a particular body part is too unbearable for a Familiar, The Master may choose another method of restraint for them. So long as they are restrained in some way, the contractual promise that a style of magical was surrendered, is symbolically preserved.
This restraining should be done quickly and efficiently as to not interfere with the actual magical practice and should not take up too much time or serve as a distraction from the real reason to be there. It should be done quickly, and take up no more than five minutes time to complete. A slapping on of a strip of electrical tape over the mouth, or locking of shackles, or fastening the collar to a chain with lock attached to the wall will suffice. (Note: There are better re-usable non-sexy mouth restraints out there that can be placed on quickly. Do your research! They even sell functional versions of the mouth restraint worn by Loki at the end of the first Avengers movie. Some Heathens might appreciate that one as a gesture of respect to The Trickster God and even the way he suffered in the story where his mouth had been sewn shut.
Sewing the mouth shut is not ideal but if your Familiar is into body modifications there are places that will do it for short stretches of time, or you can find “how do” information online).
This restraining of The Familiar must be done for every and all Sabbats (and the restraint kept on for the entire day), gathering (for the entire gathering) and for every spell casting or ritual ceremony. And also whenever the Master or appointed coven member feels it should be done (i.e. if they just think The Familiar should be restrained at that particular time, even if it’s just movie night and they don’t want The Familiar talking over the good parts) or if The Familiar should be disciplined or humbled.
Note; it is optional on if this or other restraints are used during the initial collaring ceremony. It has symbolic meaning so it might be good cause to make sure The Familiar was restrained properly while initially being collared. It suggests that they were rightfully and justly caught and enslaved by the laws of magick.
If the mouth restraint one is chosen to be done for a long stretch of time (i.e. the entire three days of or week of Yule) than it is important to remember to free The Familiar ONLY temporarily for meals or if out in public (restraining in public is frowned upon) and, again, if the restraining is vocal, they are not to speak while temporarily freed. This is a time of sacred magick and they surrendered the right to use that ability with magick, so it is the duty of The Master and or coven to make sure that The Familiar cannot violate that vow. The pay-off of having a Familiar is usually worth this babysitting-like bother.
If The Familiar does speak during a temporarily release, they need to then be punished or forfeit the meal and earn another full day and full night of being silenced.
If The Master wants The Familiar restrained for multiple days at a time and the gag or other restraint is uncomfortable to sleep in, find a variation that is comfortable without risk of choking or bodily harm to The Familiar. This can be as simple as a silk cloth around the lower face while sleeping and tied behind the head in a tight knot to avoid choking risk or strangulation, or if comfortable enough, a tongue restraint buckled and locked behind the head. (Not actually recommended for sleep.) The Master must see to The Familiar’s safety, which includes making sure they can breathe and sleep safely. If necessary, remove the gag for sleep but extend the time they are restrained from speaking in daylight hours to compensate for the unintended freedom.
If The Familiar is congested and cannot breathe well from their nose, it is not recommended to seal the mouth closed. Simply find some other way to prevent speech, i.e. tongue restraint, or choose a temporary other style of restraint. The safety of The Familiar is more important than conforming to the contractual stipulations. One option is an open mouth bridle-style cloth gag tied around the head and held in the mouth, bridle style, still allowing for mouth breathing. Another option is just secure the collar with another lock and chain attached to a nearby wall so that The Familiar is still restrained and subjugated. These restraints (based on what had been forfeited in the contract) are symbolically important. The Familiar swore away all right to this ability in magical work so it is forfeit and must be restrained during times of power, for their own sake because to not be retrained of these abilities, would violate their magical contract and could cause The Familiar psychic / magical harm or leakage of precious magical energy (which will have significance later).
it is important to remember that based on what type of magical casting was sworn away, The Familiar must be restrained in that way at all future spell castings.
What type of spell casting was sworn away / and by extension what type of restraining was sworn to, may be arbitrarily altered by the will of The Master. What matters is The Familiar is restrained in some way, even if it is just by tethering or chaining their collar to the wall so that The Familiar cannot get too close to the ritual but can get close enough for usage.
What needs to be restrained in regard to which type of magick that has been forbidden:
Vocal invocations or incantations = Mouth restraint / prevented from speech.
Moon magick, water magick, or Earth magick (Herbs, crystals, plants) or potions = ankle restraints to prevent dance or running or hand / wrist restraints to prevent the touching or using of elemental ingredients. Optional: both wrist and ankle restraints.
Fire magick / candle magick = Blind fold or similar device to prevent sight.
Hand gestures (or alternative for Earth magick) = Hand / wrist restraints or both wrist and ankle restraints.
Or basic for any variation and especially if they swore off harmful magicks = Just tie or chain The Familiar by their collar to the wall. Give them enough slack to move about the area but to not allow them to physically touch any magical circle, chalice, or candle. Another member may hold the chain to pull them back if necessary to keep the Familiar from accessing any tool or spell component.
A Familiar is allowed (with permission from their Master) to take part in spell casting with Their Master or their Master’s coven so long as they are still properly restrained against the specific casting they forfeited in their contract. They cannot cast spells alone, they are only allowed to cast spells with others and only with consent from their Master.
Helpful hint: The restraint or restraints chosen for The Familiar to wear on Samhain may be antique-style iron shackles or manacles or both, locked on, so that they can be publicly worn by The Familiar as part of a Halloween costume of a prisoner, Condemned Witch, Condemned sorcerer, Condemned pirate, contained werewolf, Jacob Marley’s ghost, etc. This would allow your Familiar to continue to take part in Halloween festivities while sill submitting to their contractual subjugation. (Do not allow The Familiar to place these restraints on for themself and do not allow The Familiar access to the key or keys to the restraints. The restraints are real but just to look like part of a Halloween costume as well. The Master may remove the restraints, if they want, when Samhain is over or leave them on The Familiar at their leisure. The only exception here is if a safe word or safe gesture is used by The Familiar.)
_______________________________
Phase 7. The practical magical application of using a Human Magical Familiar.
This is using The Familiar for the benefit of The Master and The Master’s coven. / Using your Familiar as a spell amplifier or magical battery, magical conduit, or magical reservoir.
The Familiar has sworn away the ability to cast spells on their own but that does not mean they swore away their magical potential or ability to be used to cast spells. It just means they are transferring that power and energy to Their Master and if The Master so wills it, to The Coven.
If The Familiar wants a particular spell cast, The Master or Master and coven may cast it for them while also using The Familiar to fuel and power the spell.
During a casting of any spell cast by The Master or Coven, The Master may place a hand on, or otherwise take a hold of their familiar to use as a sort of conduit or battery, drawing out their energy to help fuel the spell. The Familiar is no longer officially a self-spell-caster, but they are still magical and still can and should be used in casting.
The Master must consciously draw the magical energy from their Familiar and channel it into the spell. This will not harm The Familiar though they may get slightly dizzy or be very tired later.
Outside of any kink factor, restraining The Familiar helps them to obey their contract and the restraining also prevents any leakage of precious energy that now rightfully belongs to The Master or Master and Coven. By laws of magick The Familiar’s Master and if The Master allows it, their coven, own right to The Familiar’s magick. The Familiar willingly gave this away in the collaring ritual.
There’s a great deal of emotional and magical energy in a well-cared for Familiar, and that energy should be used in magick. That is another reason to keep a Familiar. They are a living magical battery and their Master has a right to take into that energy and magick. (Magick is a form of energy).
Energy cannot be destroyed, only changed or transferred and the contract gives full right to use The Familiar’s magical energy or their ability to draw magical energy. If The Master allows it, then other Members of The Coven may draw power from the Familiar in their spell work too, making The Familiar useful to The Coven. The Familiar becomes a useful and potent amplifying tool. A convenient, clever, useful, sentient spell-casting tool.
Spells cast using magical energy drawn and tapped from a Human Magical Familiar almost always work.
The fuss and bother of creating a Human Magical Familiar pays off here. The power is exceptional to boost and amplify the range and strength of any spell. A full witch’s worth of magical energy is in The Familiar at most times and completely at the disposal of their Master and those The Master allows. This makes the creation and maintenance of a Human Magical Familiar worth the effort. Almost every spell cast with a Familiar used to amplify it will definitely succeed. That is the prize and reward for creating and maintaining a Human Magical Familiar.
Not only is this a substantial power boost in spell casting that almost always guarantees that a spell will succeed but it also provides a magical, energy, rush from the tapping into of The Familiar’s Magical energy or The Familiar’s magical potential. This rush is similar to a high and can be addictive. The Familiar’s Master must Try to not become addicted to the magick of their Familiar. The suppressing and restraining of a Human Magical Familiar’s magical abilities might possibly also grant The Human Magical Familiar useful mild clairvoyant, psychometry (sense things by touch), or even ESP abilities or enhancements to abilities that were there. This is theoretically triggered by the build up of the unused magical energy within The Familiar. There is a metaphysical transformation in becoming a Familiar.
When not being used as a conduit or battery / amplifier in spell-casting, a familiar must serve as confidant, advisor, secret keeper, and companion to their Master. They may even serve as a living book of Shadows or grimoire, a repository for some spells.
If The Familiar is used as confidant and Secret Keeper, or even as a walking Book of Shadows or Grimoire, then a consistent mouth restraining is recommended for when The Familiar is in the presence of other magical practitioners as to not risk any sort of slip up or mistake. This is especially true if The Familiar knows their Master’s True Name.
It is not necessarily but it is just a good safety measure if The Master chooses to make it so that The Familiar physically cannot talk in front of (or to) any other magical user. This is why I recommend having a re-usable mouth restraint of some kind, or multiple of such devices in easy access at all times.
As mentioned earlier, rendering your Familiar unable to speak (by whatever method you choose) fairly regularly is good because it forces The Familiar to be more thoughtful and expressive in other ways outside of speech. It helps in meditation and could also, theoretically, aid in developing psychic potential. It can actually be very beneficial to render The Familiar silent fairly often. There are re-usable (and some aesthetically pleasing) restraints for such things, available online and some that even lock in place with a key. Your Familiar IS a pet and there are many who will tell you that a good pet should be seen and not heard.
Allow your Familiar the physical ability to talk only when or if it is convenient for you as The Master. Otherwise silence IS golden and duct tape is silver. (Side note: Obviously don’t keep your Familiar restrained as to be physically unable to talk when in public. This is for in private or in the presence of your Coven or other magical practitioners in your home).
That is part of why it is convenient if the method of spell casting sworn away by The Familiar might be invocations or vocal incantations. This would give multiple reasons to want to keep your Familiar physically unable to speak during magical gatherings, rituals, ceremonies, Sabbats, and spell castings and it would limit how many restraints your Familiar must wear in front of other magick users. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Most Familiars also develop an extremely valuable and useful creative talent for devising new spells for their Maser or Master and coven. These spells may even include types of spells within the method of magical style specifically forbidden to The Familiar. Most spells invented by Familiars are highly functional. Just tell The Familiar what sort of spell you wish for them to invent for you and let them go about coming up with the formula for the spell. They may never cast the spell alone but this is a very useful Familiar trait.
A Familiar is not allowed to refuse if their Master demands that The Familiar devise or compose any sort of spell for them. Even if The Familiar is morally against the spell, they may find themselves instinctively devising the formula for the spell at least in their mind.
It is advised to only claim a Human Familiar of high intellect, creativity, and Occult / Arcane knowledge so that they may be useful as a magical advisor and source of new spells for their Master or Their Master’s Coven when they are allowed to speak or otherwise communicate if The Master does not want them able to talk in front of other magick users. If the restraining is inarticulation, The Familiar’s Master may choose to allow The Familiar to speak to other magick users so long as it is not at a spell casting, ritual, or Sabbat.
A clever Familiar is coveted and prized.
_____________________________
Phase 8. Reward for The Familiar.
A good Familiar is treated like a well-pampered pet and must not be needlessly abused but must also remember that they are a Familiar, which is a well-cared-for slave, and as such they can never be a self-styled practitioner again, they can only now and forever be a Familiar, hopefully to the one Master, however with consent of both Familiar and Master, ownership can be transferred to another or to an entire Coven.
Though not legally recognized, a Master can Will ownership of their Familiar over to another practitioner or to The Coven as a whole (with the leader of the Coven or Priestess as the main keeper). This can only be done with the consent of The Familiar, mind you.
The Familiar can and should be physically restrained on occasion but must never be physically harmed or verbally abused in any way.
If a Familiar is being claimed by an entire coven as a collective, The Priestess or leader (by any other name) leads the ritual as the main Master. In general though that Familiar is collectively owned. “You belong to us.” “That is our Familiar.” “We own that Familiar.” “That Familiar gave themself to us ritualistically and willingly.”
A well-treated Familiar is pampered and spoilt like a beloved pet because they are a beloved pet. And as such The Master must protect them from both mortal and supernatural threats.
A Familiar must not be harmed or used in menial labor, but must be kept in luxury and comfort. This pet / slave is your advisor, spell source, magical energy battery and or conduit, and assistant, not The Master’s scullery maid.
Any time a spell cast using The Familiar’s channeled power, or a spell that The Familiar invented, succeeds, The Familiar should be given some sort of gift or other treat to show that their magical use was appreciated. You, as The Master, or your Coven may even pay your familiar with money but this is not advised as they are a slave and it undermines their status as a slave if they are seen being paid in money for their service. It is just better if The Master spends money for / on them instead. (i.e. The Master or someone in The Coven pays for their housing, nice clothes, jewelry, furniture, collectables, books, and food, etc).
Buying a Familiar a small house and spot of land near the Coven gathering place is a good example of both rewarding The Familiar and making sure they are in easy reach for The Coven at all times though it IS strongly advised that The Familiar lives with their Master / Owner. Paying for their home and giving them property is actually a wise investment if you find The Familiar’s gift for spell inventing, and magical power boosting substantial and functional.
Pampering, rewarding, and spoiling your Familiar prevents them from possibly regretting becoming a Familiar and will make them not even consider rebellion. They may come to love and appreciate what they are if they are rewarded well enough by their Master or Coven that owns them. A Familiar should be treated in such a way as to appreciate and like being a Familiar.
If a Coven collectively owns a Familiar than The Familiar should probably live in The Coven house (where meetings and rituals take place) or with the leader of The Coven.
___________________________________
Non-Kink reasons someone might choose to become a Familiar:
1. One might choose to become a Familiar as an act of contrition or voluntary punishment for an offense against another practitioner or their coven. A coven may not sentence a practitioner to become a Familiar except if the practitioner voluntarily chooses it as an alternative to a different punishment such as banishment from The Coven. i.e. “Instead of being exiled from our group, you may choose to surrender yourself as our Familiar, you would be owned by this coven collectively, collared, and magically bound in such a way so that your magick can only be of use to us. You will be loved and cared for and taken care of but unable to do magical harm. Do you accept this option?” I cannot emphasize enough that it MUST be voluntary. In any event it is more effective and binding than any binding spell that I know of. (I don’t really believe most of those work anyway.)
2. Another reason one might give themselves over to be a Familiar is if they are in immediate danger of a supernatural entity attempting to harm, kill, or lay claim to them. Once owned by another practitioner or collectively by a coven, another entity may not lay claim to The Familiar, and The Master may even be able to protect their property (The Familiar) from this threat. This can include perceived demons, malevolent hauntings, Skinwalkers, Windigos, Shadow People, Unseelie, etc. No demon may lay claim to your soul if you have already given all of yourself to another or even to an entire Coven.
3. Someone may find the role of Familiar simply less stressful than as a Witch, sorcerer, etc. It can be quite personal and for some even feel liberating and strangely freeing. They are relieved of accountability or guilt. The Familiar’s Master becomes responsible for The Familiar’s well-being so you no longer have to take care of yourself, your Master takes responsibility for you and thus will take care of you, as is their duty. You belong to them.
4. If one finds that they have become addicted to harmful or (perceived) Black Magick and want to continue to reside in the magical community without the burden of that temptation they might choose to become a Familiar so that they can be stopped, like an extreme magical rehab.
5. Surrendering yourself as a Familiar can be a gesture of love if the would-be Familiar knows someone important to them wishes to own them. It is the ultimate sacrifice by a magical user while also gaining the status of being claimed by the one they love.
6. It serves as a promise to never be abandoned by one who may have abandonment issues.
7. Protection from yourself and others if you fear you are dangerous or are in danger. There is no shame in acknowledging that you could be addicted to black magick, or that your spells back fire, or that you know you may do terrible things with magick or already have done terrible things with magick. The simple fact is some magical users MUST be made into Familiars for the good of everyone. This is not a psychological defeat. It is an honorable gesture to consent to it. Some magical users NEED to be made into a Familiar for the good and safety of everyone, even yourself. It’s that simple.
8. If you know you have a great deal of untapped magical energy but are bad at spell casting / have spells and rituals that backfire, it might just be safer to be a Familiar. And you find you are still useful in the magical community.
9. The Familiar wants to be taken care of.
10, A wiling Familiar that gives themselves to a coven, if well treated, can be quite comfortable as a beloved communal pet.
11. You want to give yourself as gift to your would-be Master or Coven as a way to empower your would-be Master or the other members.
12. The possible trade off that in surrendering your ability to cast spells alone, you might gain other compensating abilities such as mild clairvoyance, or psychometry, or ESP. For some the possible trade might be worth it. Remember, there IS a metaphysical transformation.
13. A sincere and profound gesture of love and trust given to their would-be Master to surrender all their power and will to them.
14. Atonement, that is if you are surrendering yourself to become a Familiar is an act of contrition or chosen punishment for wrong doing. It is a karmatic justice that cleans the slate for most magical wrong doing.
15. The gaining of rewards or comforts for usefulness as a Familiar. You may even have sold yourself into becoming a Familiar. There is no judgement here. The want of being pampered and spoilt like a beloved pet, or material gain isf ine. There’s no shame in liking material or pretty things or if The Familiar is crow or raven-like, sparkly objects. (Shiny things are nice!)
16. Some magical practitioners NEED to have a Familiar. Their spell casting is too week, or they need constant and easy access to magical fuel or advice, someone to talk them out of doing stupid things, or they are perpetually lonely and function better when there is someone dependent on them as they will depend on you. Sometimes it is an act of compassion to become a Familiar if you know a Master -NEEDS- you to be their Familiar.
17. The prospect of having a mild boost to the physical senses. (not guaranteed but it is possible.)
18. The newly gained ability to formulate and conceive of highly functional spells for your would-be Master or Master and coven or coven. Familiars are usually naturally adept at coming up with new and functional spells for their masters. Though a Familiar is forbidden from casting magick alone a Familiar also usually gains a substantial new ability to come up with highly functional new spells.
_________________________
Non-kink reasons someone might want to own a Human Familiar:
1. Spell amplifier. The repressed power in a Familiar works great as a battery and conduit to amplify spells up to triple their original magical potential, range, and power. There are lots of intense emotions in being restrained, which also add to this potential, which is why it can be triple the original magical potential instead of just double that you gain in your magical work when having a Familiar.
2. An easy access magical advisor at any given hour.
3. A repository for secrets and information you don’t actually want to share but know you can keep safe within your Familiar, like a living journal or Book of Shadows.
4. A (usually) live-in companion.
5. Clout. There is a lot of implied power behind owning a Human Magical Familiar. The Familiar becomes a status symbol in magical circles that The Master was able to claim dominion over and transform another magical practitioner into their willing Familiar.
6. A gesture of love if you know someone who wants to be owned as a Familiar, to take on responsibility for them and a promise to protect them. It is a powerful gesture of love to promise to keep them Forever.
7. A binding spell that actually might work! You could be protecting others from a dangerous magical rogue if that rogue has consented to become your Familiar instead of carrying on their harmful and willful behavior. You are saving people from them or saving your Familiar from themself. Some magical practitioners are too dangerous to be allowed to be anything other than The Familiar of another practitioner. This is a simple and hard truth. Sometimes it truly is for the best and needs to be done for the good of everyone. There simply are some Magick users who should not be allowed to be anything other than a Familiar.
8. Someone to take care of and treasure if that is what you want. 9. Honoring a sincere and profound offering of trust and submission in that they chose you to be their Master.
10. The possible gaining of a slave / pet that might develop useful abilities such as clairvoyance, psychometry, or ESP. Whatever power they may develop is completely at your disposal. 11. Having a living grimoire or book of shadows at hand at any hour of the day.
12. A sense of satisfaction and justice if you are, by claiming them as your Familiar, fulfilling an act of contrition or punishment willingly submitted to by The Familiar. You, as their Master, have fulfilled Karmatic justice for some wrong that The Human Familiar chose to surrender themself for. You have become a divine server of justice and will be karmatically rewarded for your efforts in containing and keeping this Familiar.
13. An assistant in all magical work.
14. The satisfaction and pleasure of knowing that The Familiar consented to be owned by you and trusted you enough to surrender themself utterly to you.
15. Being trusted completely and utterly.
16. Having a Familiar (in theory) almost certainly improves all spell work to succeed.
17. You literally have a henchman or henchwoman or henchperson or minion.
18. Some magical practitioners NEED a Familiar, whether to help fuel their spell or advise them on magick, to make certain a spell will definitely work, or to aid in spell casting. Your Familiar is your helper and some Masters actually NEED to have a magically bound Familiar at the ready.
19. An easy and ample source for new and functional spells. Familiars become innately adapt at formulating highly functional new spells. The magick that binds them also grants this talent. However The Familiar may never cast these new spells alone. They are for The Master or Master and Coven. A Familiar is forbidden from casting magick by themslf but they usually become quite gifted at inventing functional spells for th benefit of their Master’s use.
if there is someone you wish to claim as your Familiar and you suspect they might be open to the idea of being your Familiar there is no shame in asking the person about it, and / or suggesting it to them. They might actually say yes. They MUST go into it willingly though. It is as serious as a marriage proposal, if not more so.
_________________________________
What you surrender when becoming a Familiar.
1. The right and ability to cast magick on your own. Once you are officially a Familiar you can never again cast magick without the consent and aid of your Master or your Master’s coven. And even then what you are allowed to do is limited by what you agreed to in your contract and your master.
2. You are now forbidden the specific magical style surrendered in the contract, which includes being physically restrained against that ability during Sabbats and spell castings. Only your Master can change which magical style you surrendered.
3. Your status as a witch or whatever magical user title you had before is gone, like the surgical removal of an organ. You are now and likely forever a Familiar. Even if, at some point, you end up having to find a new Master or Coven to give yourself to- you are still a Familiar, you submitted yourself to this role eternally during the collaring ritual. You can be freed but it is not likely you would ever be seen, in The Supernatural world, as anything other than a Familiar without a Master, waiting to be claimed again. Once a Familiar, always a Familiar so do not go into this lightly. Even if you call yourself a witch (or other previous title) again, there are entities that will only and forever see you as a Familiar once you take on that status.
4. As far as the supernatural world is concerned now you are property, that is part of the burden of being a Familiar, you ARE property in the world of magick. Though this protects you, it also means you cannot offer up yourself or soul to any other entity. Many beings will not want to bargain with you but instead with your owner. You may not be taken seriously without your Master present.
5. The right to attend Sabbats or spell castings without being restrained in some way. It is the duty of your Master or your Master’s coven to make sure The Familiar is properly restrained at every gathering or ritual. This can be inconvenient so Masters, try to have it done swiftly, and discretely as possible or before The Gathering if possible instead of as it starts, unless The Coven likes taking part in helping restrain The Familiar and think it is somehow fun (Some might.).
6. In choosing to be a Familiar, you lose the right to -Not- wear a collar. You are supposed to wear your collar forever and it is only to be removed when replacing it with another collar. If you have to take it off for a medical reason or going through Security try to make sure you have or are wearing your Master’s sigil somewhere on your body at the time (including drawn on with marker). This protects you from supernatural entities that might see your lack of collar as meaning you are no longer claimed. Once a Familiar, always a Familiar. And without a Master’s mark or collar, another entity (or magical user) may try to lay claim to you. Your ritualistically were collared. You open yourself up to threats without that protection of a Master. Going without a collar, or being freed might be unsafe if you are a true believer in the magical ritual you took part in.
Outside of magical circles, the Familiar has the legal right to take off The Collar or ask that it be removed by one who has the key or tools needed to cut it off. Consent is still required in all of this. It is just not recommended that you do remove it.
___________________________
What Burdens you take on if you choose to be The Master of a Human Familiar.
1. Responsibility for another Human life. You have to protect them for themselves and others.
2. The burden of preparing your Familiar for any spell-casting session, ritual, or Sabbat. i.e. restraining them according to what they forfeited in their contract, i.e. taping their mouth shut, or fitting the gag, taping the wrists together or shackling the ankles. And remembering to do this at every session or spell-casting. 3. Making certain your Familiar is content.
4. Protecting your familiar from themselves and others.
5. Casting spells on behalf of your Familiar since they are no longer permitted to use magick on their own or by themselves.
6. Comforting your familiar if they become frustrated at their status and limitations in the magical world. Saying soothing words to them, stroking their hair in situations such as getting frustrated if they now have to have their ankles shackled during all magical get-togethers and this starts to frustrate them a bit even though they accept it as necessary, because they really want to join the dance but can’t because they swore away that type of magical use.
7. Bearing the possible burden of gaining magical addiction. You now may tap into your Familiar for a magical boost to amplify spells since your Familiar has a lot of repressed magick. This excess power may cause something like a high and as such may become highly addictive. Try not to let yourself become addicted to your Familiar’s magick.
8. Finding someone you can trust as an emergency back-up to keep the key to your Familiar’s collar or restraints, or someone else willing to help restrain your Familiar for you before a Sabbat.
9. In the event that The Familiar became a Familiar because they were felt they were harmful otherwise, you take on the burden of being the keeper and perpetual prison guard to this dangerous, former-free practitioner. It is a difficult but noble decision in that situation.
__________________________________
As a Human Magical Familiar is a voluntary surrender of power and status, and the Familiar is not to actually be physically harmed, owing a Human Magical Familiar will NOT violate The Wiccan Rede.
______________________________
Heathen / Greco-Roman Neo Pagan / Gaelic / Druidic / Kemetic practitioner Note:
All of the cultures that these practices came from allowed for and often encouraged “well treated” slaves. It may not be socially acceptable outside of the magical community but as it was willing, it is perfectly acceptable in nearly all magical circles or even encouraged in some circles to have a Human Magical Familiar.
_________________________________
Rules for Familiar and Master:
1. A Master is not allowed to do physical harm or otherwise physically, sexually, or verbally abuse their Familiar. All things must be by consent. You may not mutilate, maim or change the body of The Familiar in any way.
2. If you want your Familiar to be tattooed with your sigil or some other thing, you must ask first. And if they say no, you must respect this.
Also if you want your Familiar's mouth temporarily sewn shut for a ritual or sabbat or the initial collaring, this must be by consent and only if The Familiar is okay with body modification.
3. Do not put any permanent piece of jewelry or collar on your familiar without consent.
4. When restraining your Familiar do not let them apply the restraints themselves. They must be secured by their Master or by someone else to make sure The Familiar cannot physically get out of them on their own. It would be inappropriate for The Familiar to put on the restraints for themelf.
5. A Familiar must always be restrained in some way during magical gatherings, rituals, ceremonies, spell-callings, or Sabbats.
6. You cannot forcibly turn anyone into a Familiar. A Familiar must surrender themselves willingly even if they are choosing it as an alternative to a different punishment for an offense against a magical practitioner or their Coven.
7. A Familiar may NEVER be allowed to cast magical spells alone! If they try to, things will go horribly wrong. This can be dangerous for The Familiar or others.
8. A Familiar can be given away or even sold to a new Master or Masters but The Familiar must consent to this transfer.
9. A Familiar must be collared or otherwise marked in some way to shield them from other supernatural threats that may want to claim them.
10. A Familiar must be treated with kindness, dignity, and respect, even when being restrained.
11. A Familiar must be respectful, loyal, and obedient, to their Master.
12. A Familiar is not to be addressed as witch, wizard, sorcerer, or similar titles. They are a Familiar. There is status and honor in being a Familiar. There is no shame in it. A Familiar is a beloved slave and pet combined. It means you are under the protection of a powerful magical practitioner or coven. It means you, yourself, are a magical entity transformed and created by magick. You have transcended beyond being considered a witch or sorcerer. You were created by magick. Embrace the status of Familiar. The person you were before that status is no more.
13. In all situations there must be some sort of safe word or even safe gesture (if speech is prohibited or physically prevented) and if The Familiar should use the safe word or gesture, whatever is unfolding must cease immediately. Consent is key.
14. It is the duty of The Master to see to the comfort and protection of The Familiar.
15. A Familiar must always refer to their Master as “Master” or “My Master” or “Mistress” and “My Mistress.”
16. Masters, you may not control or have a say in what your Familiar chooses to wear, EXCEPT in regard to collars and / or restraints. This is not The Handmaid’s Tale. Do not treat it like The Handmaid’s Tale. Magick is about freedom of expression and your Familiar is still a Creature of Magick with the right to express themself creatively.
17. Do not do ANY of these things with an actual animal pet Familiar. This is strictly for a Human Magical Familiar, except for three drops of The Master’s blood. That might be added to an animal pet Familiar’s food to guarantee loyalty and officially declare them your Familiar.
18. If your Familiar invents, devises, or otherwise composes spells for their Master or The Master’s Coven, than The Familiar is STILL to retain credit for the inventing of that Spell. Never take credit for your Familiar’s work. “This spell was invented by my Familiar but it was because I commanded that they invent such a spell for me.” Is a variation of what is acceptable to say. The Familiar is your property, their spells are not. The spells are for you to use, but not to take credit for inventing.
18. If a Familiar chooses to not be a Familiar anymore and wants to be released from their collar this must be respected even if you fear for their safety in the freeing. This is their decision and right though being a Familiar was never supposed to actually end- it can.
19. Yes, you, or a coven, may own multiple Human Magical Familiars but it is traditional to only have one. Do not be greedy!
20. A former Familiar also has the right to ask their former Master if they, the former Master, would like to become their Familiar.
21. A former Familiar may lay claim to a Familiar and have a Familiar of their own. Consent is key. A Familiar (still bearing the status of Familiar) may NOT own their own Familiar as they forfeited their magical status and power when becoming a Familiar. Only a magical practitioner (not a Familiar) may own a Familiar.
22. If a former Familiar chooses to go back to being considered a Familiar, The Familiar does not have to be ritualistically re-bound but a new collaring is recommended. The returned-status Familiar drinking of moon water mixed with three drops of the new Master’s blood, or moon water and salt mixture described earlier is also advised. 23. If a Former Familiar owns Familiars of their own but wishes to return to BEING a Familiar, they must give their current Familiar or Familiars over to a new owner or release their Familiar(s). Transferring ownership is best but it must be with consent of The Familiar. You cannot consider yourself a Familiar while owning a Familiar.
__________________________________
What happens if I no longer wish to be a Magical Familiar?
Well, this is why this status as a magical Familiar should not be taken lightly. This is not a role playing game scenario.
Consent is key. You can decide not to be a Familiar anymore and ask to be uncollared (or have your collar removed at any time, except if you and your Master opted for a titanium collar with a permanent lock, I don’t know how you even cut those off, they’re not designed to open… ever…).
You can choose to not call yourself a Familiar at any time. You can go back to calling yourself whatever your chosen title was before the ritualistic collaring and geas.
However you may find spell casting more difficult if not entirely unsuccessful. You voided what was supposed to be an eternal contract. And the supernatural world knows that. That is why this should not be gone into lightly.
Even if freed by your Master and or your Master’s coven, many magical entities will still perceive you as a Familiar, just now an unclaimed Familiar, which means you have placed yourself at higher risk of being a target of supernatural predators that might want to lay claim to you or harm you.
You may abandon your status as Familiar at any time and have your collar taken off at any time (so long as it is not permanent locking titanium, again, I don’t know how to remove those). However once you consign yourself to the status of Familiar I do NOT recommend attempting to -ever- leave it. It’s just safer to let someone have some claim to you. This is not a status that was intended to end (though, yes, you have every right to end it.) Leave the status of Familiar at your own risk. It’s not a status that was meant to end, the intention was *Eternal,* period.
Once you abandon your status as a Familiar you may return to being called a Familiar at any time if you so choose without need of another ritual though if you return to being a Familiar later, being re-collared is recommended. It is also advised that you be fed the mixture of blessed moon water and three drops of your new Master's blood or the blessed moon water mixed with salt described earlier.
A former Familiar also has the right to ask their former Master if they, the former Master, would like to become their Familiar.
A former Familiar may lay claim to a Familiar and have a Familiar of their own. Consent is key. A Familiar (still bearing the status of Familiar) may NOT own their own Familiar as they forfeited their magical status and power when becoming a Familiar. Only a magical practitioner (not a Familiar) may own a Familiar. A former Familiar also has the right to ask their former Master if they, the former Master, would like to become their Familiar. A former Familiar may lay claim to a Familiar and have a Familiar of their own. Consent is key. A Familiar (still bearing the status of Familiar) may NOT own their own Familiar as they forfeited their magical status and power when becoming a Familiar. Only a magical practitioner (not a Familiar) may own a Familiar.
If a former Familiar chooses to go back to being considered a Familiar, The Familiar does not have to be ritualistically re-bound but a new collaring is recommended. The returned-status Familiar drinking of moon water mixed with three drops of the new Master’s blood, or moon water and salt mixture described earlier is also advised.
If a Former Familiar owns Familiars of their own but wishes to return to BEING a Familiar, they must give their current Familiar or Familiars over to a new owner or release their Familiar(s). Transferring ownership is best but it must be with consent of The Familiar. You cannot consider yourself a Familiar while owning a Familiar.
Note: Being a “Former Familiar” is probably Temporary!
This is not meant to frighten you but due to the rituals and spells used to transform you, metaphysically, into a Familiar, there is a very high chance that even when freed, sooner or later you may feel an overwhelming urge or compulsion to surrender yourself to the status of Familiar again, perhaps to a different Master but still a Familiar. There is a reason I said “Once a Familiar, always a Familiar.” This is why becoming a Familiar or claiming a Familiar should be approached seriously and sincerely. Magick may compel you and even make you want to go back to being a Familiar. Familiars are supposed to be forever. If you choose to no longer be considered a Familiar and have your collar removed that IS still entirely your choice and legal right!
___________________________
Here are some fictional Human Familiars and Human-like Familiars in pop culture to consider:
Most Human familiars in pop culture belong to vampires though there are exceptions.
Kenzi in the Canadian TV show Lost Girl = A human claimed by a succubus / faery.
Lauren in the Canadian TV show Lost Girl = Human familiar claimed by The Light Faey Court.
The sorcerer Faust in Goethe’s Faust / Dr. Faustus in Christoper Marlowe’s version of the story = Owned for most of the story by Mephisto (Freed in Goethe’s Faust Part 2). One might argue that Mephisto was his Familiar but Faust was owned by Mephisto, not the other way around, and Mephisto had eternal claim to him (until Goethe wrote the 2 part version where Faust is saved from that fate at the end.)
The Apprentice in Goethe’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice = Human Familiar, more of a Familiar than an actual apprentice in Goethe’s poem.
Renfield in the novel Dracula = Half-turned vampire claimed by the vampire known as Count Dracula.
Willie Loomis in the TV show Dark Shadows. Human familiar owned by the vampire Barnabas Collins.
Billy Cole in the original Fright Night = Possibly half-turned vampire owned by the vampire Jerry Dandridge.
Evil Ed in the original Fright Night = Vampire created by the vampire Jerry Dandridge. He called Jerry The Master. He wasn’t just his fledgling, he was a vampire enslaved by another vampire. He was Jerry’s familiar.
Julius in Vampire in Brooklyn = Half-turned vampire.
Guillermo de la Cruz in What we do in The Shadows. = Human familiar to a vampire.
Diaval in Maleficent = Shapeshifter from Raven to human, Familiar to Maleficent.
Aresteas from The Sandman = Human soul turned into a raven Familiar to Morpheus.
Jessamy from The Sandman = Human soul turned into a raven Familiar to Morpheus.
Matthew from The Sandman = Human soul turned into a raven Familiar to Morpheus.
Dennis from the novel Interview with The Vampire = Human child belonging to Armand. Kept like a pet until he was killed.
Sandor from Dracula’s Daughter = Familiar to the vampire Countless Zeleska
Maleva, from The Wolfman and Frankenstein meets The Wolfman and Universal’s new Dark Universe in their Epic Universe. = Witch and fortune teller. She was the willing Familiar to her werewolf son, Bela and later to Lawrence Talbot.
Bob in The Dresden Files TV series = Ghost of a deceased sorcerer, now the Familiar of the wizard Harry Dresden. He also served as his familiar even when he was briefly restored to life for one episode of the short-lived TV show. This status of being a Familiar was a punishment. Bob in the novels is also a Familiar but he was apparently never human, that version is a spirit of air and intellect.
Salem in Sabrina the Teenage Witch = multiple versions now. First depiction is a transformed male witch. Familiar to Sabrina and her aunts. This status of being a Familiar was a punishment.
Binx in Hocus Pocus = Human boy turned into an immortal cat, briefly served the young white witch, Alison.
Billy Butcherson in Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 (Movies) = Zombie Famiiar, briefly unwillingly served Winnifred Sanderson before showing his true loyalties and serving the young witch Alison, and later the bungling sorcerer, Gilbert in Hocus Pocus 2.
InuYasha in the manga and anime InuYasha = Half-Yokai semi-unwiling familiar of the human Kagome.
Haruka in the anime Tactics = A Tengu magically ensnared and made the Familiar of a mortal practitioner.
Alucard AKA Dracula in the anime and manga Hellsing = Vampire defeated and magically bound as the Familiar of The Van Helsing family line.
Arguably Rapunzel in the movie Tangled was The Familiar of the semi-immortal witch, Mother Gothel. Jaskier in The Witcher = Human Familiar to The Witcher Geralt. (What? You know he is!)
Billy in Agatha all along = Powerful male witch claimed as a Familiar by the witch Agatha Harkness.
Agatha Harkness in Agatha all along = Powerful witch’s ghost now the Familiar of the male witch, Billy. (Role swap.)
