The Cat Familiar

For as far back as I can remember I have loved cats. I love their funny, faerie-chasing playfulness as kittens. I love their fierce inner lions, their wisdom and their affection. I love their whole-hearted acceptance of you as Theirs. I love their mighty pride and inherent sense of superiority and dominion over less special creatures like dogs (their thoughts not mine). I love how embarassed they are when they fail to perform any act without grace. I love the way they knead their love into the very fabric of your soul with their paws and purrs. I love how they give you tiny, little nips to show just how much they love you back.



In European folklore and the folk-beliefs of the Medieval era, familiars were supernatural beings believed to aid the wise ones in their practice of magickal arts. According to the anecdotes of the time, they would appear in numerous guises, often as an animal. The purpose of familiars is to serve the young witch, providing protection as she comes into her new powers. The witch's familiar is her companion. The witch and her familiar are drawn together as if by magnet, both intuitively knowing they are meant to be together. I know exactly what this is like, with my first familiar, Lola Le Fey, my faerie baby cat.


Lola le Fey, Faemore's first familiar. Love forever.

The witch and her familiar are similar in character as both are wise, independent and astute. When the witch and her cat familiar are at work together, the magickal pull is extremely powerful and they know instinctively that it is meant to be. A bonding takes place and the two form a lifelong alliance. The cat familiar has a mysterious air about it, and has for centuries been linked to all matters occult. Cat mythos first began in ancient Egypt, where they were worshipped as the embodiment of the gods. These stories of cats soon reached Greece, Asia and the rest of Europe, where cats then became associated with witches.



I learnt almost everything about magick from talking to my cat familiars, and working with them in my magick doubled every spell's power. They taught me how generate energy intensely, as they themselves do with their concentrated purring. They taught me how absolute True Will can be. They taught me how to align and attune myself to my most natural state of being. They taught me how to create my world magickally rather than mundanely. If you tell her your secrets you can be utterly certain your cat familiar will not betray your trust. You must of course gift the favour in return.



The familiar cat is a creature of habit, and like the witch she must be given her own sacred space, where she is to be left to her own devices and her needs are to be met. She will be of great assistance to her witch as she is a powerful magician herself and can attune to nature effortlessly, and manifest a variety of spells. The cat familiar is very intuitive and her sixth sense cannot be matched. She will definitely be a lifelong friend, and as cats are magickal creatures, you will always have mystery and magick within your home and your heart for all of your days.



As soon as the witch and her familiar have chosen each other, they will then choose a magickal name for the cat. The cat familiar with her particular magickal abilities is an invaluable participant in the making of magick, and meditation, divination and devotion. She enjoys working with the energy within a sacred circle. The witch is capable of telepathically communicating with her familiar and can trained her cat to be on the look out for earthly visitors, spectres and spirits, and living people who are good, or bad, as well.



The cat familiar always travels with the witch on the back of her broomstick, and they become more bonded as time goes by. The cat from a kitten has a certain air of worldly knowledge and from young participates in the witch's spirituality, worship and ritual. Familiars should always be thanked for their assistance and given treats for the support and love they offer the witch. The cat familiar loves catnip. She talks to her witch companion and lets her know what is going on in the outside world. She also lets her witch friend know if they are any changes occurring that she should look out for as well as chase away unwanted spirits.



The Egyptian goddess Bast is part cat, and sacrifices were once offered to ensure her blessings. The remains of cats that had been mummified thousands of years ago reveal the sacred role that the cat familiar played in ancient Egyptian culture. The cat familiar can be traced back to the Egyptians who treated her as a sacred creature. Followers of the Goddess Diana also considered the cat sacred because she once assumed the form of a cat, and cats were under her special protection. In Scandinavia, Freya's chariot was drawn by cats. The Celtic goddess Cerridwen was also attended by white cats, who carried out her orders on earth.


Bast, Goddess of Cats.

Once the familiar is chosen, aside from naming it, the witch places a magickal ring of protection around the animal. The cat familiar is very loyal and serves her owner well. Witches throughout time have had cat familiars and their familiars were traditionally black. The witch and her companion familiar become very attached to each other. If you have forgotten which ingredient to use in a spell because you didn't write it down, your cat familiar will knowingly move through your herb and plant area and place her paw on the ingredient you need.



A witch and her cat familiar are spiritually-bound and have a telepathic connection. A witch's familiar always knows when they are spirits around, and has no difficulty with communing with both worlds. The witch's familiar is able to guide her between the two. In the mid 1500's cats were recognised as the archetypal familiar for all witches. It was thought that a witch was able to turn herself into a cat. When the witch's familiar grows old and dies, she is able to guide the witch from the spirit world to find the new feline friend of her bosom, and she watches over the witch and her new companion familiar.


Dori, Selene's cat familiar.

Cats have been sacred to more than one religion, and at different times and places have been considered both good and bad bringers of luck, much like my totem animal Owl, also known as Cat with wings. The Egyptian Goddess Bast was both the lion-headed and the cat-headed and attended by cats. Therefore cats were sacred and revered in Egypt. Killing one was a heinous crime, and when a household cat died mourning rites were performed for it. Cats were often found in temples and were ritually fed as well. The household cat was also allowed the share the family's food.


Faemore's present cat familiar, Pino Beans. She is is little, little, peeny scenes.

Cat amulets were produced and elaborate cat-sized sarcophagi were crafted for cats who had died and were often embalmed as humans were. Whenever we see the image of a witch on her broomstick her loyal cat companion is always close by, and when a familiar is there as a witch is working, the spells she casts are always more powerful. It is important that the personality of the cat matches the personality of the witch. A witch's familiar can be her closest companion, offering moral support, special, arcane knowledge and physical and psychic healing. Know that when you are looking for your cat familiar she will very likely see you before you see her.

Brightly-spun blessings,
Lady Faemore Lorei.


It is the familiar spirit of the place;
It judges, presides, inspires Everything in its empire;
Is it perhaps a fairy or a god?
When my eyes, drawn like a magnet, to this cat that I love …
- Charles Baudelaire, a French poet, cat fancier, and believer in familiar spirits.

Slavic Mythology

Dedicated to my Gods, the guides and ancestors of my spirit. I have delayed devotion for too long.


Ivan and the Firebird

I have always been drawn to Russia. From the folkloric tales of Ivan and the Firebird and I Go I Know Not Whither to Fetch I Know Not What, which I ravenously devoured as a child, to the stories of Anastasia and Rasputin and Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave, which have molded my inner realms as they grew and bloomed, I have always been enchanted by the dark whimsy that is Russian fantasy and faery tale, legend and mythos.


Vasilisa the Brave

Slavic pagan beliefs are ancient. The Old Faith of the ancient Slavs, their Gods, holy days and folklore, is most commonly called Native Faith or Rodnoverie by its Russian practitioners in its country of origin. Witchcraft, and its practices regarding healing and magick, has also survived through the ages to the present day. Although still decidedly Heathen, the Craft has adopted many Christian traditions and customs and prayers in order to ensure the survival of its practitioners as well.

One of the more common name for Witch in Slavic languages such as Russian is Ved'ma. Traditional Slavic Witches are either born as Witches or they inherit their powers from existing practitioners. Slavic witchcraft, its faith and its mythology, is a living tradition that is still very much a part of Slavic culture today. The Slavic peoples are not a race. Like the Romance and Germanic peoples, they are related by area and culture, not by blood.


The God-brothers Bialybog, "white god", Ruler of the Sky and Czarnebog, "black god", Ruler of the Underworld

The origins of Slavic beliefs like the rest of the world's, reside in animism and ancestral worship. The first spirits to emerge were called the Beregyni, female spirits that bring life, and are the predecessors of the Rusalki and the Upyr, spirits that bring death, and are the predecessors to our modern Vampire.

From this original dualism sprang belief in all of the nature spirits, and the Rod and Rozhenitsa, the God and the Goddess who imbue a newborn child with a soul and his or her fate. Although nearly all deities were ancestral, Rod and Rozhenitsa eventually pulled the slavic mind out of animistic, ancestral thinking.

Dualism permeates all of Slavic Pagan spirituality, and actually seems to be the basis for most of it. This is a theme of complimenting opposites such as darkness and light, female and male, winter and summer, death and life more similar to yin and yang, than it is to human constructs such as good and evil.


Poludnitsa, the Spirit of Noon, a frightening time

The God-brothers Bialybog, "white god" who ruled the sky and Czarnebog, "black god" who ruled the underworld, are illustrations of this polarity. Bialybog and Czarnebog are not actually the names of deity, but Taboo names used to describe the Gods of Earth and Sky in order to avoid accidentally invoking, harming or insulting them if their actual names were to be spoken out loud.

Other examples of dualism in the myths of the ancient Slavs are the two Rozhinitsy, the mother and daughter fates who visit the newborn to decide their destiny, the spirits of midnight, Polunocnitsa and noon, Poludnitsa, both times equally as frightening, and the Zorya - Goddesses of Dusk and Dawn.


Rusalki and Vodanoi, spirits who ruled most bodies of water


The ancient Slavs had a deep reverence for the four elements. Fire and Water were seen as sacred duality on the earthly plane. Often pots of water were offered to the stove and bonfires ritually set up near areas of water, one as a sacrifice to the other. Earth and Sky were seen as a more spiritual plane of duality. High places such as mountaintops or treetops, especially birch, linden and oak, became the sacred meeting places of the Sky Father and the Earth Mother. Where they met they would join their procreative forces, usually in a flash of lightning or a clap of thunder.

The winds were seen as the grandchildren of the God, Stribog. Rivers were treated with respect lest they should drown you when next you visit. There are records of sacrifices being made to rivers such as Dneiper and the Volga. Although many bodies of water had their own deities, most of them were ruled by spirits known as the Rusalki and Vodanoi, sometimes even the Water Tsar himself. Fire was personified by the god Ogon Svarozhich and it was considered a spiritual crime to spit into a flame. Mat' Syra Zemlja, Moist Mother Earth however, seems to be given, by far, the greatest amount of respect and reverence. As her devotee this thrills and delights me. The moist, mother Earth is sacred. My personal Patroness deity, whom I call Matka in affection, is worthy of worship and love.


Weles, the God of Cattle and Wealth

No one was allowed to strike Mat' Syra Zemlja with a hoe until the Spring Equinox, Maslenica, as she was considered pregnant until then. Earth was considered so sacred that oaths were sworn while holding a piece of her, sometimes in the mouth. Ancient wedding vows were taken while swallowing a clump of earth or holding it on the head. The custom of asking the Earth's forgiveness before death was still being observed far into the 20th century and it was considered appropriate to confess sins to the earth.

In a variation to the pairings of water and fire, earth and air, water was also seen as a gateway to the underworld, especially wells, and fire was seen as a child of the sky god, a Svarozhich, a "son of Svaroh". One could use water to enter the world of Nav, the underworld, or fire to contact the world of Prav, the laws of the Gods. Both of these paths were equally purifying, frightening and dangerous. By taking the live coals of three separate and separately gathered woods and adding them to the ritually gathered waters of three separate springs, one could go full circle and create a powerful and magickal agent called the "Water of Life", the most integral and magickal element in Slavic fairytales and traditional healing.


The Water Tsar, ruler of many bodies of water

Like the native Americans, it seems like each Slavic tribe had a totem animal that the clan was named after. It was considered taboo to kill or eat this animal except for in specific religious rituals. Each member of the tribe was thought to have an animal twin, and the death of that twin could cause the death of the tribe member. Wolves have always been a big part of Slavic folklore and custom. The name of the Pagan Priests, the Volkhvy, comes from the word for wolf, Vielk. All the people of Russia have the ability to turn into wolves. Wolf is my totem animal and spirit guide.


Svarozhich, a child of the Sky God, a Son of Svaroh

The Slavs believed that the world tree was divided into three parts; The roots existed in the realm of the underworld, "Nav", and were where the Zaltys, the world serpent, lived. The trunk existed in the mundane world and the uppermost branches reached into the land of the Sky Gods. A magickal bird, the fire bird, or phoenix, was said to live in the branches.

Some Slavs believed that the Earth was an Island floating in water that the sun was immersed in every evening. At the center of this island stood the world tree or mountain. The roots of this tree extended deep into the underworld and the branches reached high up into the realm of the Sky Gods, Irij. No one knows what kind of tree it is supposed to be. Some believe it to be the original tree from whence all other trees were created.

Nav was the underworld, the realm of the dead, from whence it got its name. Weles/Wolos, the god of cattle and wealth and Lada, Goddess of Springtime were also said to reside here. It is from the Underworld that Lada would return every spring.


The God, Svarog, Ruler of all Creation

According to the "Book of Veles", the progenitor, Rod, floated in the abyss trapped in a primordial egg. Lada or the personification of Love, was the first of the Gods created, and with her help, Rod was able to break out of his prison. Rod then began to create all of the universe and the Gods and Goddesses by pulling from himself, his eyes, his mouth, his brow ... until he finally seemed to dissipate and left the running of all his creation to the God, Svarog. In none of the native creation myths of the Slavic people, does God create the universe without help.

Brightly-spun breezes,
Faemore Lorei.


Lada, Goddess of Springtime and the Personification of Love

Forests: A Very Personal Piece from Faemore

Merry meet reader! I had this wonderful idea that I would write about forests, because I love them, and Selene could write about the moon, because she loves Her. So then I began to write, and this is as far as I got. Lol. Unlike with my previous articles this isn't a subject I can just research online and re-write in order to internalise the information. This is a subject I have to reach for within, an experience I have to expose and explore. The reason why I love forests could never be found on Wikipedia or Google or even in a book. Its in my heart, and with good reason. The very best things are.



Let us begin. Forests, also known as woods, wolds, wealds, holts, friths or firths, are vast, open expanses of landscape covered with a colossal congregation of trees. Trees are one of my favourite peoples in all of existence, so it is natural that any place where they grow in abudance is a place I absolutely love. Not only are forests home of trees, but they are also home to most of my favourite animals and things such as owls, bats, frogs, wildcats, wolves, moss and mushrooms. Lastly they are home to another one of my favourite peoples - the faeries.



Let us begin at the top. At the top of Forest is canopy, formed by the crowns of trees; habitat, shade and protection from winds and storms to the many unique, living beings, both flora and fauna that reside in Forest; some of whom live solely in canopy, never touching the ground. Canopy is the diadem, the most regal layer of the forest, imperial and magnificent. Owl is most often found in old Forest with high, multi-layered canopy, large trees beautified with holes and cavities for habitats and open space below for Her to fly.



Hanging down from the canopy of forests are vines, climbing plants, hanging in tendrils and trails, a favourite way for the tree faeries and frogs to travel when they aren't flying, flitting and hopping about. The vines entwine between the thick trunks of the trees. The trunks of the trees are covered in moss. Mushrooms sprout, making beds of the moss. The frogs and the faeries frolick, making toadstools of the mushrooms. There are knots and knurls, gnarls and holes in the trees. It is in these that the bats and the gnomes reside.



Wildcat sits up in the trees, cleaning her paws, squinting lazily in pale, dawn-dappled shade, only to shiver and hiss when Wolf throws back his head and howls at the moon waning. Moss - small, soft plants - grows close together, in clumps and mats, in dark, shady locations. Under canopy, they cover the forest floor. They do not have flowers or seeds, but their simple leaves cover thin, wiry stems. Magickal mushrooms, like hidden treasure, glow and shimmer in the shadow. Their fleshy, fungal, bioluminescent bodies composed of stem, polka-dot-speckled caps and connecting gills make perfect stools and beds for the faeries.



Tree hollows, cavities which have formed in the trunks and branches of trees, are found in the old ones here. The hollows of the trees are the features of the forest. They are the homes and habitats of myriad woodland creatures, organisms and wildlife species. Animals use hollows as both day time and night time dwellings, as well as sanctuaries for raising their young, feeding themselves and keeping warm in the cold. They hollow shop, searching for hollows with the perfect entrance ways, size and shape, depth and degree of warmth. Searching for home.



And this is what Forest is to me. Home. Somewhere here, in the haunting hoot of Owl, in the canopy-dappled moonlight and the verdant veil of vine, somewhere in the cheery whistling of tree frogs, in the knurly knots of gnome holes and the cool mossy hollows, somewhere in the purring and prowling of Wildcat, in the deep red, white-speckled caps of mushrooms and the piercing howl of Wolf, is my home. I know it can be dark. I know it can be daunting. I know it can be scary. I know it can be unknown. I also know it can be magickal and magnificent, beautiful enough to take the very breath from your soul, dreamy and full of wonder. I know; and this is why Forest will always be home in my heart. It is with good reason. The very best things are.

Brightly-spun breezes,
Faemore Lorei.

Welcome to Wolf: Faemore's Power Totem!

"May Wolf ever walk beside me and grant me rest in his shadow ... May his paws ever guide my path and my howls be heard by all ..."

Wolf is the spirit of freedom, and he helps me to realise that having individual freedoms also requires having responsibilities. Because Wolf is a teacher and a pathfinder, he comes when I need guidance in my life. Those who have Wolf as spirit guide, will move on to teach others about sacredness and spirituality.

Wolf teaches me to develop strength and confidence in my decisions. He shows me that I will learn to trust my insights once I learn how to value my inner voice. This wisdom keeps me from inappropriate action. Wolf teaches me to learn about my inner self and to find my inner power and strength.

Wolf brings faithfulness, inner strength and intuition when he enters my life. He also brings learning to live with one's self. To achieve this I must take risks and face my deepest fears. Wolf demands sincerity. Wolf demands a lot of me but he gives me much in return. He gives me a spirit helper that is always there to help and he gives me extraordinary powers of endurance.

Wolf reminds me to listen to my inner thoughts and to trust my insights. He reminds me to not waste resources, and to avoid trouble and confrontations. People with Wolf as spirit guide have the capacity to make quick and firm emotional attachments. I always trust my insights about these attachments, because Wolf guides me. With wolf's help I can control my life with harmony and discipline.

Look into the golden eyes of Wolf and wonder what inner Knowledge ignites the fire that glows from the depths of his mysterious eyes. He walks quietly through the world, slipping like shimmering mist through the forest of ancient trees, gathering Knowledge and attaining Wisdom forged in the fires of Experience so that he might return again to the Pack and Teach all that he has come to know.



Wolf is the Soul that leaves the comfort and familiarity of the Pack, to travel out into the world of the unknown. The two-legged with Wolf as her spirit guide has an inner need to be of service for the greater good. Although the individual with Wolf as spirit guide enjoys the company of others, there exists as well, the need for time alone. This lone wolf time will be spent in quiet contemplation and reflection upon the experiences of life before translating these - thoughts to form - and rejoining the Pack once more.

Wolf is a creature with a high sense of loyalty and strength. Wolf is a social creature, friendly and gregarious with its counterparts. Wolf is also an incredible communicator. By using touch, body movements, eye contact, and many complex vocal expressions - the wolf makes his point understood. Those with Wolf as spirit guide are of the same inclination - they are expressive both vocally and physically. Those who have Wolf as their spirit guide are naturally eloquent in speech and also have a gift for creative writing. Those who walk with Wolf often make excellent bards and storytellers. It should come as no surprise then that I write for a passion.

Wolf belongs to those who truly understand the depth of passion that belongs to this noble creature. Wolf is a representative of high intellect, deep faith, and profound wisdom. Wolf is the pathfinder and guide. In the presence of Wolf, teaching is taking place. When Raven is present, the teaching is of the unseen world. Wolf is a powerful, swift and cunning brother of the woods, and he is said to have a special relationship with his two-legged brothers and sisters. Stories abound about young two legs being raised in the forest by Wolves.




Wolf makes powerful enemies of those who would destroy the fragile balance of nature. However, despite myths of his fierceness and blood-thirst, his sense of family is strong and loyal, and he lives by carefully defined roles and rituals. Wolf is the epitome of the Wild Spirit of Pristine Nature. Wolf is very ritualistic in many ways. He lives by carefully defined rules. He has specific territories and boundaries that are sacred to him. Wolf teaches me balance, how to use ritual to establish harmony within my life, and how to understand that true freedom requires discipline and the following of Natural Law.

Wolf does not fight or attack unnecessarily; in fact he may often go out of his way to avoid trouble. Wolf does indeed have the capability of being fierce and of going tooth, fang and claw, but he doesn't have to demonstrate it. He is extremely powerful and strong, however often only a glance, posture or growl is all that is needed to determine dominance or keep the peace. Part of Wolf Magick is to learn who I am, to develop strength and confidence, and to know that I do not have to physically demonstrate or prove myself to others.

Wolf is predator by nature. He travels great distances in his hunting, possesses the stamina and strength that enables him to cover these distances for extended periods. Wolf Magick tells me that slow and steady gets the prize, but that I have the capacity of speeding things along should it become necessary. Wolf will travel great distances in search of Truth and Knowledge and return to the Pack to teach and share his Magick.

Wolf usually consumes all that he captures, to the point of gorging himself. This can indicate a need to make use of all that is available to me, and to make the most out of what I have. Wolf reminds me not to waste as much as he reminds me to keep my spirit alive and nourished.



Wolf has a complex communications system using his body language. Those with Wolf as spirit guide are usually expressive with hands, posture, face or some other manner. Wolf also has a complex system of vocal communication. His howl is famous for having a variety of meaning: a signal to others, to locate the other members of the Pack, to warn, to mourn, to greet, to make territory, and at times to just howl for the sheer joy of howling. The poignant cry of the Wolf is the song that links this World with the one beyond, for Wolf is the Pathfinder.

Wolf has extremely keen senses, specifically that of smell. This sense of smell endows Wolf with great Discernment, as the sense of smell has often been associated with Spiritual Idealism in metaphorical circles. Wolf also has excellent hearing sensitivity, and he reminds me that I should listen to others, especially those closest to me, and also to myself, to my most inner thoughts and words. This strengthens and enhance my own intuition and discernment.

Wolf brings with him a strong sense of faithfulness, inner strength and intuition. He also brings learning. Sometimes one needs to cross barriers, take risks, go beyond the limited compass of 'normal' behaviour in order to learn and grow; although crossing these boundaries may seem repugnant, and even painful at times.

However, I cannot fear the inner power and strength I feel when I spend time alone. Instead I must come to know my deepest self, and even in the darkest places, with Wolf as ally, I will find closeness and spiritual companionship. I am never alone. Above all, Wolf will teach me, through my experience, to trust myself and not fear and reject those parts of me that I don't yet understand or know. Wolf will guard me as he teaches, sometimes gently, sometimes strongly if not harshly, but always with love.



Wolf is a shy, yet very sociable creature with strong rules of behaviour. If you were to keep company with Wolf you would find an enormous sense of family within him, as well as a strong individualistic urge. Even though living in a close-knit pack provides Wolf with a strong sense of family, he is still able to maintain his individuality. Wolf is Teacher of the clan and of the tribe. We study his ways of hunting and social structure.

Wolf is connected with the Dog Star, Sirius, and some cultures believe that humans came from this distant star. Wolf has much to teach us, if we will only listen. As a Celtic symbol, Wolf is a source of lunar power. Celtic lore states that Wolf would hunt down the sun and devour it at each dusk so as to allow the power of the moon to come forth. Wolf is associated with lunar influences, and the energies that rule psychic perception. He teaches me to respect my emotions, the wildness of my animal nature, and to willingly face the darkness within. He teaches me to trust in the unspoiled nature of my inner child and wolf self.

When Wolf enters the forest of my mind, it is to teach me that all things have a natural order amid chaos, and to accept my duties in life, whether they be leadership roles or otherwise, with humility and strength. When Wolf enters my psyche, I am fortunate to have a spirit guide who knows the importance of communication, one that will find many ways to make his messages known to me. His ability to communicate is a sign to hone my own speaking skills, to effectively relate my own feelings and ideas, in the right way, and to pray, sing and dance in praise of the blessings of the Creatrix.

When Wolf is seen alone in the wild it symbolises freedom. His primal, piercing howl marks his territory boundaries, telling me to stand my ground and defend my own. Wolf has great stamina and strength. However, he does not fight needlessly, and often avoids fighting whenever possible. He teaches me to know who I am, and to develop strength and confidence. Wolf is also ritualistic. He knows the importance of regular lunar howling ceremonies, and daily social rituals designed to communicate needs and express feelings. The message of my wolf spirit is to honour the forces of spirituality and to connect with the life forces of Mother Earth.



Wolf is the great teacher of humanity and keeper of the night. He is here to help me to adapt to change as he adapts to his environment, embracing the coming seasons, and the availability of food. From birth those who walk with Wolf, are forever transforming as they meet the experiences of their world, embracing the changes and the lessons it brings. Wolf shows me the value in transformation.

Speak from the heart, Wolf relaxes. Speak from the intellect, Wolf becomes tense. I cannot hide anything from Wolf. Wolf teaches me to embrace lunar energy, to respect my psychic urges and unconscious desires, and to be aware of and accept my keen intuitive and psychic perceptions. Those who walk with Wolf are proud, they are lovers of the night, and have a wild streak in them which allows them to live on the fringes. Yet familial connections keep them grounded.

Wolf teaches me the importance of and inspiration in connection, cunning, dreams, facing fear, freedom, intuition, teaching, guardianship, group consciousness, hunting, independence, individuality, inner strength, introspection, knowledge, leadership, listening, magick, path-finding, psychic energy, risk-taking, seeking, shape-shifting, spirituality, stamina, stealth and wisdom. In many Native American traditions, Wolf is considered to be the highest spiritual teacher in the kingdom, even above the hawk and the eagle.

Wolf is loyal to a fault. Some she-wolves have died trying to save their own pack members from danger, when they could have run away and saved themselves. Wolf is territorial, and not afraid of fighting for his home or pack. Wolf can be jealous of those he does not know or trust, and will often try to put himself between his home and family, and others. This is an act of protection, not possession. He is also always on guard to sense the slightest changes and shift in energy, for good or bane.



When not threatened and when treated with respect Wolf will allow others to get close to him and his pack. However, when approached with deceit, or hidden agenda, he will often pick up on that scent and be wary of the contact. Often this "feeling" will appear much earlier than others. Wolf has good ears for listening to the most intricate details, up close and far off. This early warning kicks in, even when the energy is at a far distance and has not yet arrived. When you cross the path of Wolf, he often knows you've been coming for a while.

Those who walk with Wolf as their spirit guide are often around others who are like-minded, with those who are equally spiritually active, and we often back this family of friends to the point of getting ourselves into a fight. However, our territorial nature often tends to come out in our relationships as well.

When we work on project after a significant amount of effort, we can get upset when someone crosses a line and tries to usurp it from us or infringe on our part of the process. This is often mistaken as possessiveness, when in actuality it is more often a sense of danger or foreboding. We want to protect what is ours, from those who would have it when it is not theirs. Above all we want to protect our mate, and our family. Wolf walks beside me to show me my innate ability to "sense" and to "see" spiritual undercurrents and lessons. To understand that I am not ever alone, for I have many "family" members to rely on.

For as long as I can remember I have had recurring dreams about Wolf. Although I didn't understand it when I was younger, the dreams are here guide and assist me. In them I am asking Wolf for strength and courage. In them I am asking Wolf to help me to see the nature of an issue from spirit so that I can learn why it is occurring, and how to proceed.



Wolves are considered by many to be the highest animal in the spiritual plane. They represent the teachers and the guardians of the balance in nature within the Divine Universe. They are spiritual messengers in animal form, between the Divine force and incarnated beings.

Wolf is a pathfinder. He is a bringer of new ideas, returning to deliver teachings, and to allow us to learn and participate in knowing our spiritual heritage and path, sharing his magick. Wolf teaches us loyalty. If we follow him we can learn loyalty. The wolf pack provides an enormous sense of belonging and family, yet even within the pack Wolf still retains his individuality.

In my spiritual development, I look for teachings from Wolf, my spiritual guide. He is my brother, and he would not come to me without me making a request to the path-finder for his appearance in my life. He is partnered by the moon when he comes. By howling at the moon Wolf asks me to seek connection with new ideas which lie just below the surface of my waking mind, to look into my unconscious, to release powerful energies. By doing this, and discovering him within, I am encouraged to become a teacher, a tutor to all people, to aid them in understanding the mystery that life brings us. It should come as no surprise then that I teach for a living.

Wolf comes to teach, and to endow the gift of wisdom on those who will take the time to listen to his teachings. It is said that when you have travelled every path and located those that lead nowhere, you will truly know your territory. In discovering this, a simple true is revealed, that nothing stays the same, all things change as Nature intends.

Wolf may tell me to seek places to be alone. In these places, in the absence of other people, brother Wolf may reveal himself and allow me to see my inner spirit guide and teacher. This in turn can deliver a vision of the true being I am and will become. Wolf will always urge me to seek teachers and pathfinders that will provide me with ways to achieve new life experiences. I will remember that teachers and way-finders can be the tiny voice which comes to me from within, or a lesson in the form of a stone, a book, a cloud, a tree, another person or the Great Spirit that binds us all as one.



Ritual is very important to Wolf; both daily ritual as well as the more significant rituals of lunar howling. Those who walk with Wolf will feel more in tune and attuned when they honour and relink with the life force. When Wolf appears it is time to breath new life into my life rituals; find a new path, take a new journey, take control of my life. I am the creatrix of my life. I inspire it and I direct it. When I do so with the harmony and discipline of Wolf, I know the true spirit of freedom.

Brightly-spun breezes,
Faemore Lorei.

Welcome to Owl: Faemore's Power Totem!

Owl is the bringer of wisdom. She is omnicient, possesses mystical gifts and is often connected to intuition, clairvoyance and clairaudience. Her energy is at its pinnacle in the very soul of darkness, where we are flung, hurtling into blindness and confusion. Owl pierces the darkness of the blackest night, sensing and seeing and hearing what others cannot.

A magickal creature of the forest (same as faeries ^_^), Owl is enigmatic and powerful, and calls upon us to open our senses to Truth, and to listen to the wisdom deep within our hearts and souls. She is the still, small voice trying to reach us, and to aid us in a current challenge we might have encountered and experienced. When I call on my own intuition I tap into her power.

Listen to your own wisdom here for there is something you need to hear and see. As Owl is so strongly connected to the night time, her wisdom may come to us while we slumber. Take the time to be aware of your dreams, and remember and write down any significant ones you may have. Owl is a messenger that can gift clarity and vision, enlightenment and illumination.



Owl is the totem of the Crone and the familiar of the Witch. She is a symbol of the feminine, the moon and the night ... Her realm is of magick and darkness, prophecy and wisdom. Owl is the messenger, responsible for carrying communications from Spirit to Manifestation. As such she delivers messages from the Ancestors to us of the corporeal as we journey through our incarnations on this Earthen Path towards their celestial domain.

Owl has large, alert eyes. As she is a nocturnal creature, her eyes reflect her habitat. Goddess has given this magnificent creature beautiful vision, and the capacity to penetrate the darkness and alert her to any threat or encroachment upon her territory. Owl helps us to penetrate beyond the masks, untruths, white lies and deceits of others in order to see Truth and the individual. She sees all.

Throughout the ages Owl has been a symbol of wisdom. She embodies the Gifts of Higher Knowledge and Insight. Her large eyes reflect her otherworldly knowledge and wisdom. Her stare is direct and penetrating as though she sees beyond the masks to the truths that lay beneath. Her wisdom is forged through life experiences that are then transmuted into greater understanding.



Sometimes Owl wisdom is sought out for, and at other times it is not fully understood or embraced. As a totem animal, Owl, with her capacity to cross from physical life to spirit, symbolises the constant spiral of the Soul's Transmutation. As such she is connected to reincarnation, which is the evolution of the soul as it enters into the Great Experience of Life.

For those journeyers who are Owl-Souled, there will be an innate understanding of the recurring cycle of Life, Death and Rebirth. The devotees of my Matron Deity Baba Yaga also possess an innate understanding of this cycle and of reincarnation. Owl is also thought to be a creature blessed with Shape-shifting, that is the ability for her to change her form from that of Owl to human and back again.

My Patron Deity Lesovik too can Shape-shift, changing his form from that of a blade of grass to the tallest tree. Owl is attributed to and sacred to him as is my other animal totem, the wolf. Both creatures accompany him and I through his forest, as well as my own. With Owl this shape-shifting ability is closely connected to Lunar Magick, for this beautiful creature is sister to the Moon (Selene!). The Crone and the Owl-Souled much like their animal totem will shift and transmute themselves like the waxing and waning phases of the moon and the ebb and flow of the ocean's tides.



The emotions of the Owl-Souled are always attuned to the calls of many different planes and energies. When the delicate balance between grounding and receptivity is found and practiced, the Owl-Soul takes flight into a higher form of awareness, intuition and Light.

The majestic and mysterious Owl has been revered with awe and fascination, yet she has also inadvertently served as an agent of fear. Still even as some shied away from Owl, calling her an agent of darkness, others yet recognised the depths of awareness in her beautiful eyes. Owl is a patient messenger, a bringer of sacred knowledge and a holder of wisdom. She is capable of seeing the unseen.

With her keen eyesight she can glance into the soul to discern meaning and motive. She is a totem of truth. However, Owl wasn't always revered as a symbol of wisdom. To reveal those hidden elements of the self that impact your life for better or for worse, we must often make our way through the darkest parts of our soul as if we ourselves are the nocturnal hunter. There is indeed both a darkness within the self, as well as without, but like Owl we can transcend it by drawing nourishment from the insights we receive when we penetrate it.



Owl has the power to extract secrets. She can hear, not just what is being said by others, but what is hidden. No one and nothing can deceive her. She can see into the darkness of others' souls, and is connected with clairvoyance because of this. The Owl-Souled trust their instincts about people, for their totem the Owl guides them.

Owl sees and knows the Truth. She has long been connected to both death and wisdom. Her connection with death comes with her peerless capacity as hunter of the night, and her ability to charter a course through the most densely forested areas in order to seek out and capture her prey. Owl knows that all apparent manner of death is in fact a liberation into new life. Something must first be cleared in order for something new to be born.

Mati Syra Zemlya has also taught me this lesson very well. Both her and Owl take me beyond fear, for Owl sees far into the future, and she knows that even after the darkest night there is a new dawn that is approaching. From every death something new must emerge for life is ever renewing itself. All of life is interconnected and we are all part of the same fabric that wends its way through the stories of our own life and death. Death then becomes not a loss to be feared, but a new adventure to be explored with great abandon and joy.



Owl knows what is needed in the right amounts and what needs to be released because she perceives truths that are veiled to many, thanks to her silent flight at night. Owl is skilled in detecting untruths, thanks to her acute hearing which detects what others do not. She is a skilled hunter thanks to great knowledge. Owl has long been connected with the mystery, twilight and magick that aids in this perception.

Owl is magick and omens, knowledge and great wisdom. She is a creature of the night and the moon. She is connected to astral travel because of her nightly travels and she is able to see through deceptions to the truth contained beneath the lies. Owl is helper of man and giver of prophecy. Wealth, abundance and riches of the soul are oftentimes associated with her.

Owl is able to sense those with magickal powers and she can see the good and evil in people. She is messenger of the Gods, and the Universe. She guides people to and through Baba Yaga's underworld. She unmasks those who seek to take advantage of one's kindness, and reveals the hidden motives of those who would seek to disguise their intentions to those wise enough to seek her counsel.



Owl is a silent and swift hunter. She is nocturnal and her eyesight is very keen. The hoot of Owl is an omen that death is forthcoming. Owl is shy but will guard her home and charges fiercely against challenge and threat. Her talons and beak are razor sharp for she is a predator of the animal kingdom. Owl possesses powerful luck and the great gift of will. She is a strong, peaceful spirit, magickal, influential and virtuous.

Owl has been called cat with wings. She knows how to move silently and when to be still, making her the keeper of secrets. Owl doesn't feel the need to proclaim her presence to anyone until the timing is right. She is at home in the night, and has a great awareness of all that is around her at all times. Owl has the vision of a predator which means she sees clearly what she looks at, and has great intuition on how to approach and treat it.

Owl has the courage to follow her instincts and comes to us when we need to open our eyes and do the same. Owl makes us comfortable with our shadow selves, and gives us the gift of freedom. The secretive habits of Owl, her quiet flight and hoot, have made her the object of fear and superstition. However the Owl-Souled are fortunate because the messages of Owl are deep, far-reaching, very complex and well worth it.



The remarkable ability of Grandmother Owl, to fly silently and to quietly move from place to place offer us lessons in stealth and poise for our everyday and spiritual lives. The wise appearance of her large eyes and stout body, teach us who hear her call to find deeper meaning in all things. Her vision and hearing are very powerful and gift us with ability to become clairvoyant listeners and hear the human psyche.

Because Owl is most active at dusk and dawn, she is sometimes called a messenger from the dark side. If she comes to you, it may indicate a need to peer into the dark and face your fears, and a great mystery which is unfolding that will be revealed by looking into its deeper meaning. She comes to those who need to let go of some part of their life that is no longer needed.

As my guide, Owl teaches me to see and hear past shadows, beyond fear and the dark, through to the other side that promises light, happiness and knowledge. She is a symbol of death and the mysteries of witchcraft. She is sometimes believed to visit those about to die. This doesn't always mean a physical death as much as it means a letting go the parts of me that no longer serve me.



Owl will give you the gift of seeing what is truly beneath the surface and not being deceived by external appearance. With her spectral senses, Owl guides us through the dark tunnels of fear, change and unknowing to the light at the other end. There is hardly any other animal so deeply connected with magick, witchcraft and omens, as Owl. She can fly in utter darkness in the middle of the night and see everything, and she can hear the lowest whisper.

It has always been said that both witches as well as Owl have their secret ways deep in the dark night forest, and whatever they do there is hidden from ordinary eyes. Owl can see the invisible and hear the impossible. She looks deep below the surface of things, her sharp talons pierce the truth and her energy protects us from illusion.

To connect with Owl also means to merge with her talents of farsightedness, hearing the slightest sounds, a sharp mind, love of truth, silent but quick action, the ability to hear in the world of night, the power to see at night and beneath the shimmer of illusion. Owl is ruler of the night and seer of souls, and she is honored as the keeper of spirits who had passed from one plane to another, winging their newly-freed souls from the physical world into the realm of spirit.



Owl teaches us that it is safe to look at what we may consider to be the darkness of our own souls, and that in that darkness we may find much food for growth. She teaches us to acknowledge our shadow selves, invites us to peer into the dark as she can and gives us courage to accept and come to love all that we find there. The Owl-Souled cannot be fooled, not by others or themselves. They know more about an individual's inner life than that person knows about her- or himself.

Above all, Owl calls you to keep a keen eye on deception. She calls us to be diligent and observant, of ourselves and of others. She asks us to look into our own potential for deception as well as our own potential for creation. She is the one who sees clearly through even the most concealed deception. She sees the tricks we play on ourselves and others. She sees our manipulations and does not hesitate to call us out on them. She tells no lie and she does not look away. She reveals all.

Owl is a mysterious creature who is friends with the night and flies on silent wings. Her presence is rarely noticed unless you know where to look. Her lessons are never easy. Owl sees what we want to remain hidden. Owl is honest and sees directly into our heart and soul. She perches in the trees, moving from one to the other, looking down to notice the smallest details and never making a sound as she continues to observe and learn.



Owl's honesty can be very unsettling. As many of us struggle with the truth and lies we hide within, Owl sees them clearly. She brings our deceptions forward and looks within us with giant, piercing eyes. She looks into the depths of us and sees us for who we are deep down. When Owl is asked to reveal something she does it with naked honesty. When she is asked to call out the truth she does so even when the requester is not prepared for it.

Owl works in mysterious ways. Owl's magick is shown through illuminating the dark, all that which is unseen, hidden from view, or lying in shadows. Owl's magick is also relevant to Dreams as well as connected to the other feminine energies of creativity, sensitivity and an awareness of things not yet in form. As such Owl is a messenger of Prophecy. For some, she comes to tell of the future, as the future lies in the Shadow of the Unknown from our current perspective.

Here Owl directs us to look forward, to envision something not yet manifest, and to take appropriate action now to foster it's creation. As such Owl is also a shape shifter and a master of adaptation. Because of her great talent for observation, Owl can move, adjust and transmute according to new knowledge and insights, understanding and wisdom. As the flight of Owl is silent, her shape shifting movement is perceived as invisible, and unnoticed by others.



The Owl-Souled need be humble, for here humility is called for, as Owl does not boast. She merely goes about her Magick, silent in the dark. Because Owl prefers the cover of darkness and the camouflage of trees, her Lunar symbol is the Dark Moon, a time for inner magick, and the Full Moon, a time for magick manifest. May Owl of the deep peace of inner knowing and protection be with you always.

Brightly spun breezes,
Faemore Lorei.