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    Familiars in Witchcraft: Supernatural Guardians in the Magical Traditions of the World
    Familiars in Witchcraft: Supernatural Guardians in the Magical Traditions of the World
    Familiars in Witchcraft: Supernatural Guardians in the Magical Traditions of the World
    Audiobook5 hours

    Familiars in Witchcraft: Supernatural Guardians in the Magical Traditions of the World

    Written by Maja D'Aoust

    Narrated by Maja D'Aoust

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    A comprehensive exploration of familiars and their many forms and powers

    • Explores witch’s familiars in folklore, shamanic, and magical traditions around the world, including Africa, India, Scandinavia, ancient Greece, and China

    • Explains how familiars are related to shamanic power animals and how the witch draws on her personal sexual energy to give this creature its power

    • Examines the familiar in alchemical, Hermetic, and Egyptian magical literature, including instructions for procuring a supernatural assistant

    Exploring the history and creation of a “witch’s familiar,” also known as a spirit double or guardian spirit, Maja D’Aoust shows how there is much more to these supernatural servant spirits and guardians than meets the eye. She reveals how witches are not the only ones to lay claim to this magician’s “assistant” and examines how the many forms of witch’s familiars are well known in folklore throughout Europe and America as well as in shamanic and magical traditions around the world, including Africa, India, and China.

    The author explains how familiars are connected with shapeshifting and how the classic familiars of medieval witchcraft tradition are related to the power animals and allies of shamanic practices worldwide, including animal guardian spirits of Native American traditions and the daimons of the ancient Greeks and Romans. She examines the fetch spirit, also known as the fylgia in Scandinavian tradition, and how the witch or sorcerer draws on their personal sexual energy to give this creature its power to magnetize and attract what it was sent to retrieve. She looks at incubus, succubus, doubles, doppelgangers, and soul mates, showing how familiars can also adopt human forms and sometimes form romantic or erotic attachments with the witch or shaman.

    Reviewing alchemical, Hermetic, and Egyptian magical literature, including the nearly forgotten alchemical works of Anna Kingsford, D’Aoust explores their instructions for procuring the attention of a supernatural assistant as well as an extensive description of the alchemical wedding and how this ritual joins the magician and familiar spirit into a single unified consciousness. Exploring fairy familiars, she reveals how a practitioner can establish a “marriage” with a totemic plant or tree spirit, who, in return, would offer teachings about its medicinal and visionary powers.

    Delving deeply into the intimate relations of humanity with the spirit world, D’Aoust shows how forming connections with living forces other than human enables us to move beyond the ego, expand our magical abilities, as well as evolve our conscious awareness.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherInner Traditions Audio
    Release dateAug 20, 2019
    ISBN9781644110096
    Author

    Maja D'Aoust

    Maja D’Aoust, known as the Witch of the Dawn, is a practicing Witch and scholar of alchemy and occult lore. After completing her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, she studied Oriental medicine and acupuncture and later earned her master’s degree in transformational psychology with a focus on shamanism, the I Ching, and ancestors. She is the author of A Witch’s Bestiary: Visions of Supernatural Creatures, co-author of The Secret Source, and creator of a Tarot deck, The White Witch Tarot. She lives in Los Angeles.

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    Reviews for Familiars in Witchcraft

    4.5/5

    59 ratings8 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Wow, very informative and researched. I learned alot. It was well written and kept my interest through the whole book.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Well written & very informative book on Familiar Spirits . i had no idea the subject was as broad and universally accepted. The author seems to have a bit less experience in voice over work, with a few mispronounced words, as well as background noise (water sipping I believe). That said, she did an incredible job, and I would happily listen to her narrate another work of hers. Thanks!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      A wealth of information, but I had hoped for more European/recent (i.e. medieval) material, and a bit less old Christian/Jewish sources. Also, author jumps the Marxist train, and goes full "woke" every now and then. All these books will age very badly, and it's a shame that so many shamelessly express political views, while trying to seem academic at the same time.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I’ve been studying comparative mythology and religion for 20 years as a hobby and this is easily one of the best books I’ve ever read, very highly recommended. One of the best things I like about this book is the scholarship and thoroughness of the work as well as presenting a very good and varied exposure to these different types of thinking around the world and throughout history, a very enjoyable read!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This is a fabulously researched book, accessibility written, which provides excellent and necessary historical and cultural context to the subject of familiars and spirits in occult practices. I highly recommend this book to any student of witchery!
    • 5/5
      An interesting & informative & well-researched context. I really didn't expect such a wide cultural approach. Touches a variety of history, mythological, and etymology aspects of familiars. The author's explanations clarified to me mythological notions regarding certain well-known words, entities, and this made me review my understanding I was having about them.
      I really enjoyed this book, I liked the tone and the pacing.
      I highly recommend for a more out of the box view about familiars & for a better understanding about what they can be & their relationships with the humans.
    • 5/5
      A very thoughtful approach to the topic, and etymology with historical citing. The lack of the typical fluff I expected has been a delightful surprise.
    • 4/5
      various spirit knowledge how obtained throughout our history helped me