Monstrous
Witches Brew => The Book of Shadows => Topic started by: krollusk on February 26, 2007, 09:45:10 PM
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I have been thinking about this for awhile.
What roles do different animals play in different magickal practices? What sort of animals are thought to have magical propeties? It seems that animals have always been a depe part of magickal beliefs and teachings.
I know that, for example, in India, small primates known as Slender Lorises are thought to be evil spirits, and to stick a pin in a part of a Loris' body after a certain ritual will guarantee the destruction of one's closest enemy.
What animals can you think of that have a part in magical belief?
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Well, off of my head I can think of cats, dogs, snakes, toads,owls and mice which have been used as familiars. Also, observing birds was commonly used as a form of divination, and Power/Spirit/Totem animals seem to be a quite popular form of teaching.
The only inividual animal I can think of is probably the puma or "ghost cat" which amassed a great deal of respect and superstition due to its elusive nature. However, the only thing really "magical" about it is the properties and qualities given to it through shamanism, nothing nearly so drastic as the example stated by krollusk.
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Well like phyr said, the most predominant type of magik where animals are used is shamanism. Every animal has a spirit, and each animal has different magical trates. I.e. the cyote is the trickster who uses magik to trick his adversaries, buffalo are holy because they were great providers, and there are many stories about the crow.