A familiar is an animal that is a gift from Satan to one of his disciples. This animal forms an extremely tight and loving bond with the owner. The animal is different from other animals in that he/she is inhabited by a Demon. The bond is usually so close, should the owner fall sick, the animal often will feel ill as well. Dogs, cats, birds, rodents and reptiles can be familiars. A witch can have several familiars. One will find they are looked after and protected by helpful Demons who will see to their well-being. These animals are gifts from Father and should be treated very well. Witches were said to take great care of their familiars.
Familiars are highly protective. They can help in magick as a partner. Witches who do not have familiars can send out a psychic call to attract the right animal. Familiars are known to be sensitive to psychic power and are welcome partners for the raising of power, the casting of spells, scrying, spirit contact and other magickal work. They also serve as psychic radar, visibly reacting to the presence of any unwelcome or negative energy. The pet dog of a High Priest viciously growled and snarled, with his hair bristled when the presence of an angel was detected and warned his owner of this unwanted presence.
The protection goes both ways. The owner will also be psychically protective towards his/her familiar. The bond here is a strong as parent to child. In contrast to all of the enemy claims and horror stories, Satan holds animals in high regard and wishes that his people treat them with much respect. In the Al Jilwah, he states, "The beasts of the earth, the birds of heaven and the fish of the sea are all under the control of my hands."
One of the reasons for the rampant spread of the bubonic plague (Black Death) in Europe during the 14th century was the xian church declared cats to be of the Devil and people killed them en masse. This left the rat population to explode at an alarming rate and the fleas that were common to rats spread the plague.
