Episode 7: The Symbol of the Familiar
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Referenced Materials
Witchcraft in the Middle Ages, Jeffrey Burton Russell
The Soul’s Code, James Hillman
The Witch of Edmonton, William Rowley, Thomas Dekker and John Ford
We’re all well aware of the archetype of the witch—the mysterious woman, often seen as an outsider who lives alone on the fringes of society, who works in secrecy to perfect her magic spells, lunar rituals, and banquets with the Devil. Though stories and depictions of the witch are wild and variegated, one detail of her life is quite consistent; the witch is always accompanied by her familiar.
The familiar is a small creature who lives with the witch, who helps her perform her rites and rituals. Familiars can be cats, dogs, hares, toads, crows—the list is quite endless. Some believed that the witch’s familiar was an extension of her, something she shape-shifted into to make mischief. Others believed familiars to be small demons, proof of her connection with the Devil himself.
In this episode, we unravel the symbol of the familiar, explore the ways in which a woman’s connection to nature via the animal world was “othered” by the Christian world, and reflect on our own experiences with nature, familiars, and animal allies. This episode’s dream comes to us from your co-host Cristina, who shares a triple dream of centaurs and horses.
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