The Spellcaster's Source Hoodoo and Voodoo Witchcraft Blog of Talia Felix

Cats and dogs have been sharing homes with humans for thousands of years, and unsurprisingly, they’ve ended up sharing a place in magical practice as well. Often when people talk about animals and witchcraft, they’re picturing the classic black cat with glowing eyes, or fantasy wizards with their fierce hellhounds. But both cats and dogs have had longer, stranger magical histories than the modern stereotype suggests — and not always as cuddly companions. Let’s start with the obvious: the cat familiar. This is the most recognizable icon in pop culture today, but the origin of the familiar spirit is murky. In early modern Europe, "familiars" were spirits that might take the shape of small animals — cats, ferrets, rats, toads — and do the witch’s bidding. Some believed they were demons in disguise. Others thought they were spirits sent by the Devil.  Cats had long been associated with mystery and nighttime even before this. In ancient Egypt, the cat was a sacred animal, associat...