The Familiar - A Pet Soulmate

Remember the term "Familiar"?  At loose interpretation it was referenced to this definition:  "Familiars have always been associated with magick. To most people today, a familiar is a Witch's companion, an animal that helps with magick. The idea of the familiar is a very ancient concept and is generally applied to such creatures as cats, dogs, ferrets, toads, snakes, and small birds. A familiar can be any type of animal."  As for myself I also think a true "familiar" is also a type of pet soulmate.

I came into Wicca/Witchcraft/Paganism in the Silver RavenWolf era and it was from one of her books that I was introduced to the concept of a familiar.  I know Silver had her faults or whatever but I have good memories associated with some of her early books and I think its sad the community blasts her so because she did have a few nuggets of wisdom.  Anyhow it seems the term "familiar" has passed out of fashion along with her books.  But who cares?  I like it, and I'm using it.

For seemingly absolutely no reason at all a few weeks ago I suddenly felt a calling to get a bird.  I think maybe on a practical level its because all at once conversations with several different bird owners just happened to come up and then I found myself thinking about birds.  Then my daughter introduced me to a show on Cartoon Network she'd found over the summer that I absolutely love (Regular Show) and the main character is a bird (named Mordecai), and that character acts a bit like me.

Then one night I was shopping at a Wal-Mart and an incredibly fat grackle that had flown in the store followed me everywhere I went and just perched above me on shelves.  An employee saw it and we started talking and she said he'd flown in  about a month before and had been living off the produce.  I guess he was something of a sign because the next few days I ended up doing pet bird research online without even thinking about why.  Other than when I was a toddler (and of course don't have many memories of the experience) I've never had a pet bird before and never have before now been interested in one.

I had a cat who truly was a familiar/pet soulmate for ten years.  He passed in '07.  I have had six cats since him and have really not felt connected to any of them and all of them have had some sort of problem where they couldn't stay with us (such as hurting the kids or making poo on the rug for absolutely no reason).  The only one we currently have that sort of made the cut is #6 and while I am the only one in the house he seems to like and I like him too I still don't have that "familiar" connection.  Also he is another that likes to make poo sometimes for no reason. :-(  Don't worry... we don't run a Hoarders show around here and it immediately gets cleaned up, but still.... yuck.

During my bird research my family caught me in the act.  Originally I'd thought a cocatoo would be fun, but then in searching birds on the Petsmart website we saw this one and we all did a collective "Ooohh"...

The Whoa (my oldest) and I had been joking about getting a blue bird and naming it Mordecai but we hadn't come across any blue cockatoos (possibly they don't exist, who knows).  This little guy we found is a parakeet (or a budgie).  In researching parakeets we found that not only are they cheaper but more social and better for kids, plus they can possibly learn to talk Human as well!  So tomorrow The Whoa goes to her Biological dad's family's home and comes back Sunday.  After she leaves we are going out to get the anticipated Mordecai and then we will surprise her Sunday morning when she returns.

And I know its silly but I'm partly wondering, "could Mordecai become my next familiar?"  'Cause I've really missed having one for the past five years.

Blessings and xxoo,
Winter