(^224) A Wiccan Bible
Of course, going outside of the city will help greatly. Deer hunting with a camera is
a great way to meet Deer and the many other animals that reside in your area. To my
surprise, I have even met Fox, Lynx, and several other seemingly uncommon critters
simply by finding a mostly human free area and walking around. The larger state and
national parks are great for this introduction. Even if you do not meet your kith famil-
iar on the first visit, if you do your research well enough to identify his or her habitat,
just spending time in that habitat will greatly increase your connection. Often times on
your first visit, you might not spot your familiar but you will feel as if you have. This is
because that visit commonly involves a meeting, but your kith familiar didn’t let you
know that s/he saw you.
But your kith familiar is an exotic, you say. Where do you go to meet Tiger? Almost
every major city has a zoo and while it is not the ideal place to meet one’s kith familiar,
it is certainly more affordable and safer than traveling to the natural habitat of some
critters. There was a time in which I would never advise patronizing a Zoo. Back in
those days, the zoo was similar to the “for profit breeders” I spoke of in reference to
kin familiars. But those days are mostly behind us. Most modern zoos are staffed by
some of the kindest loving people you will ever meet. Ok, some of them are a bit snippy
after years of dealing with that portion of the public that still shops at pet stores, but
when they get to know you for the animal loving soul that you are, they will lighten up.
Communing with Kith and Kin Familiars
There is little difference between communing with kith and kin familiars other
than the level at which that communion can take place. We commune with both types
of familiar with mind, body, and soul. The connection is in the order of our entire being
or it is not termed familiar.
Mind—Reading about an animal does not make it a familiar, but it does greatly further
the connection. Volumes of books are often written on each. Because most of these
are academic, you can find them at your public or school library. Read as much as
you can. Be able to talk about your familiar on an educated level. If one of your kith
familiars is an exotic like Tiger, know how many different types of tigers there are.
If one of your kin familiars is a domestic like a dog, know what kind of dog that
familiar is. In both cases, know what their ideal food is, how fast they can run, how
high they can jump, where their genes came from. Your dog might live in Ohio, but
who created his breed and for what purpose? If he is a mutt, know what mixture he
is, who bred the dogs that led to each portion of the mix and why. Tiger might live
at the zoo, but where did tigers live before they were kept in zoos? Do they still live
in their native habitat? Most importantly, do they need your help this moment?
How many are still alive in the wild? How many are in zoos? Is there a crisis situa-
tion that demands your immediate assistance? Remember, if your familiar, kith or
kin, has called to you, it is possible it felt you needed it, but it is equally as possible
it did so because it needs you.
t WB Chap 12.p65 224 7/11/2003, 5:55 PM
barré
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