Signs Your Pentagram Is Showing
You know your pentagram is showing when…
People sometimes mistake you for a hippie.
You have more herbs in your pantry than food.
Your CD stand is packed with New Age and Celtic music.
You have more candles than lamps in your house.
Your bedroom smells like incense.
You have more bumpers stickers on your car than anyone else in your neighborhood.
You take your pet to the vet because you “sense” something is bothering him.
When you fill out an information form you check off “other” under religion.
You attend a wedding dressed like you’re on your way to a renaissance faire.
On date night, you’d rather go on a ghost tour than to a movie. You consider working on a spell more important than keeping a date.
For vacation you’d rather go to Salem than Disneyland.
Salem is your Disneyland.
You’ve seen the movie Practical Magic five times.
You’ve seen the movie The Craft twenty-five times.
Halloween is your favorite holiday.
You take Groundhog Day very seriously.
When departing, instead of saying “goodbye,” you say “blessed be.”
Familiarity Breeds Familiars
If you want to truly think like a witch then you’re going to want to get a familiar—not to be confused with getting familiar. The question often arises as to exactly what a familiar is and what role it plays in witchcraft. A familiar is a witch’s companion of whom she shares a strong emotional bond. In popular culture a witch’s familiar is primarily a black cat. However, pretty much any animal can fulfill the role of familiar. Snakes are very popular, especially among male witches and wizards. In fact, traditionally, it is the owl that is the preferred familiar. Runners up are: the dog, the crow and the ferret. Since owls aren’t that easy to come by these days, cats retain the number one spot, preferably the black cat. Personally, I think that witches prefer black cats because their fur isn’t so noticeable on the furniture. But don’t black cats bring bad luck? My answer to that is, only if you were unlucky to begin with. If you’ve been accident-prone your whole life, you can’t blame it on the cat. Fact is, things are what a person believes them to be. Symbols that are considered lucky by one culture may be considered unlucky by another. Black cats, for example, are considered to be lucky by the British, while Americans have traditionally viewed them as unlucky; especially if one crosses your path and you smash your car into a tree. Again, I reiterate, you can’t blame everything that goes wrong in your life on the cat. Personally, I think the Brits know from whence they speak. I have had black cats on and off for years and haven’t noticed my luck being any more or less changed with them around. Of course, I’ve yet to win the lottery, but, as I said, it’s no fair blaming it on the cat. Familiars were once thought to do a witch’s bidding. They were also believed to be able to eavesdrop on conversations without being noticed and report their findings back to the witch. While we’re at it, we could add that they were good at dusting, rat catching, and folding the laundry. There’s nothing like having a multitasking pet for getting things done. And best of all, they will work for food. It must have been quite daunting to town folk to think that the witch could command a cat to do her bidding. What great PR. However, anyone who knows cats also knows that it is nearly impossible to command a cat to do anything it doesn’t want to do on its own. You have to wonder what people were thinking. They must have thought that witches were pretty powerful individuals indeed. There is no lack of debate over which are more intelligent—cats or dogs. In spite of the fact that dogs can be trained to perform various pointless tricks, I have to throw my vote over to the cats. Cats have catitude. Dogs have dogma. Cats are smarter by far, if only because they can’t be pushed around. I have strong scientific evidence to support my claim of their intelligence. It’s their constant diet of Omega 3 fatty acids. Come on, everyone knows that fish is brain food. Science has proven it. Dogs are scavengers; cats are finicky. This is because cats know to eat fish. I just think that if my cat likes something, then it must be good. That’s not to say that I intend on eating a rat anytime soon, but I hear they’re not that bad. I realize dog owners often brag of the protection that canines have to offer. I, for one, would like to see a Chihuahua take on a burglar. They’re just not that intimidating, especially when they’re shaking like they just spent the night with an unneutered Great Dane. Of course, there’s the argument for the barking burglar alarm system. Nothing makes a person feel more secure than knowing when the neighbor’s teenager is sneaking in at three a.m. I prefer my kitty companions for a variety of reasons: They’re clean, quiet, meticulous, and bury their feces. How many dogs can you say that about? For that matter, how many humans can you say that about? I also like cats because they can do things that I secretly would like to do, but can’t; like climb trees, sleep all day, and hiss at people they don’t like. I can only hope that if a burglar breaks into my house, my cats will know what to do.
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