A favorite thing I like to say is "It is all about perception".  So if
certain individuals feel that their ferret, cat, bird, dog or any other
critter they have befriended is in connection with the occult then for
them it IS a reality.  I do not really like the word "occult" personally.
It is like the word "witch", it has almost, but not quite, as bad of a
rap as the word "Satanism".  How many people cringed at that word just
now?!  See what I mean?  So if we look into the word occult what does it
say?  Certain definitions say that it is a word that means "not revealed;
mysterious; not able to be seen or detected; of or relating to
supernatural agencies, their effects and knowledge of them".  What is
"supernatural"?  "Of or relating to an order of existence beyond the
visible observable universe." How would electricity be seen back in the
early days?  It would be seen as a "supernatural" force and someone that
knows how to make electricity is a person that is into the occult because
they have this "mysterious power".  Basically the supernatural and the
occult are things that people do not understand so they put this taboo
label on the unexplainable in their eyes and now we can have a barrier.
Labels, words, they can set up barriers for humans.
 
Now I have 4 cats and 3 ferrets.  I have noticed that in my personal
experience that different animals, just as different people, react and
respond to different energies and frequencies.  I have one cat Yanna that
loves when I do hatha yoga.  Another cat Masek that loves being close to
me when I do power yoga.  Then I have another cat Methos that cannot get
enough of me when I am meditating/praying/doing ceremonial work or
whatever you wish to call it.  I have recently found that my one ferret
Taranis when I brought him to a Native American Pow Wow that loves to be
smudged with sage and watch the drumming and ceremonial dances.  So as
far as "familiars" go I suppose it could be looked at as I have several.
But then I prefer to see it as different animals are attracted to
different energies.
 
As far as thw witch who lost her ferret.  No amount of energy directed
out in the universe is going to help when you are a crappy parent.  There
is one group I have discussed things with pertaining to "magick" and they
said basically, now mind you I am chopping this all up so please forgive
me!  I will give an example to explain instead.  When you want to obtain
something, such as a promotion in a job.  You first do the mundane things
to get yourself in the position to have the boss consider you.  You be a
good worker and excel at what you do in that job.  THEN you perform
whatever type of "magick" or direct whatever energy in prayer out into
the universe so that it increases your chances to get that promotion.  If
you do nothing, such as be late to work every day and be lazy in your
tasks at that job, then no amount of ritual or prayer is going to help.
So please do not label all people that are working with ritual as
negligent critter parents!  They are not all bad really!
 
I don't know too much about tarot cards save for I think they started at
first by being just plain playing cards that you would use in a poker
game.  So really there are so many varieties out there, it is just about
preference now.  They all do the same thing, no matter if it is a ferret
on them or vampires.  That is about all I personally think about tarot
cards period.  I personally don't use them, but I know some people swear
by them.
 
Another path you might want to look into concerning ferrets, or generally
weasels rather, is the Native American stories.  Totem Animals and Power
Animals are something that I personally have the strongest pull towards.
A book I personally highly recommend if you are interested in this is
"Animal Speaks" by Ted Andrews.
 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/
0875420281/002-6398310-4282443?v
glance Otherwise look up on the net "Power Animals" or "Totem Animals".
Here is one site that has interesting feedback on ferrets.
http://www.sayahda.com/cyc2.html
 
Here is a cute weasel story.  Something I have been learning is every
tribe is different and every story varies.  And this is the internet
after all, so being I did not hear it from an elders mouth I will
enjoy it as I do any story.  As we all know everyone has a different
interpretation of how stories go.  Looking at the Bible shows us that.
But once again it is a nice story on why weasels are so jumpy!
http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/temple/1451/na/page38.html
 
I am sorry for being so lengthy.  You just hit a subject that interests
me greatly!
 
Bridgette
 
Don't Believe Everything You Think...
 
http://www.proudpickers.com
[Posted in FML issue 4350]