A Collection of Animal Companions

Familiar Fictions

read the entire Collection in print in Issue 2.

Animal familiars, long associated with witchcraft and mythology, are thought to be companion creatures that can travel between worlds and support humans in spiritual and magical workings. The idea of a familiar commonly conjures the image of a black cat, found in both folklore and depictions of witchcraft in contemporary books and film. For millennia, cats have been honored as sacred creatures in many cultures, from Japan to Egypt.

In Greek mythology, cats are associated with the goddess Hecate, who had the power to shapeshift into feline form. Hecate is the goddess most associated with magic, witchcraft, and the moon, and her power was derived from her deep connection to liminal spaces, or the power to move between realms. Hecate was also thought to have intimate connections to dogs; her black dogs guard the underworld and support her as she presides over the world of death. Like cats, dogs have also commonly been known as familiars, and early definitions of familiar simply meant companion or close friend, perhaps evidenced in the scientific name for a dog: Canis familiaris. Depictions of Hecate in paintings and sculptures often include cats, dogs, and other animals such as horses, cows, and serpents.

During the witch trials in Europe and Colonial America, many animals were declared by the Catholic Church to be creatures of Satan, and forming a close connection to animals could inspire accusations of witchcraft. A 1648 Massachusetts law proclaimed that witches could be identified as those who “hath or consulteth with a familiar spirit,” a point of evidence commonly used in the Salem Witch Trials. This focus on animals even led to the conviction and eventual hanging of a dog who was thought to have attacked people by the magical persuasion of a human.

Animals offer us a powerful connection to the world and expand our understanding of nature. We are inspired by the transformative power animals have in our lives, and we know that animals can act as magical companions, spiritual guides, and intuitive keepers of the Earth. Familiars can take any animal form, and even the smallest of creatures can bring good fortune. For example, if a ladybug lands on you, it is often seen as a sign of good luck. The longer a ladybug crawls on you, the more luck you will receive from these little creatures. Ladybugs can have up to twenty-four spots; if you encounter a ladybug with more than ten spots, it is believed that you have many opportunities in front of you. However, a ladybug with only one spot is extremely rare, and it means a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity may be coming your way. When a ladybug flies away after spending time with a human companion, she takes your wishes to a spiritual realm in hopes that they will come true.

It is within this fortuitous spirit that perhaps brings you ten familiar fictions: a raven who bestows gifts, a bear who communes with the forest, a fox who reunites with her beloved, and more. Through short prose and poetry, the ten authors in this collection each imagine a creature in their own way and bring to life the possibility and wonder that all animals possess.