Animals can play a fantastic role in any Wiccan rite. The goal of any Wiccan rite is establishing a link with universal energies, so using an intermediately can be very useful.
The Wiccan would choose an animal relating to the energy required and communicate with that animal to establish the universal link.
This is the idea behind the familiars of Witch lore; the classic black cat or toad is often seen as being part of black magic or spell crafting. This is a distortion of the Wiccan’s goal. Wiccans seek communication and oneness with nature and the surrounding in which they live. The Witches of old used their familiars in the same way, to establish contact.
An example of this would be a Wiccan spell for inner strength. It is good to choose an animal you can actually witness in the wild, so choose an animal relating to your environment. For example, if you live in the UK and you want to cast a spell for strength then you can choose a stag or even a badger; badgers are incredibly strong animals!
If one is in the environment of the animal a Wiccan ritual would be to call upon the spirit of the animal; here it is important to use sight, sound and scent to establish the animal link. In fact, scent is a very powerful tool, which is why incense is often used. Once called upon, the Wiccan would draw the energy down into them to experience the animal’s spirit. The Wiccan would feel the strength surge through the body and fill every cell. The Wiccan’s success relies upon the energy built up using the animal symbolism.
Even within your own room, Wiccan magic can be most powerful. Recordings of animal sounds, incense relating to the herbs of the animal’s environment and so on can all be used to establish contact with the Wiccan animal. Then the Wiccan spells can be cast with the energy flowing.
It is important that the Wiccan realize that the animal is the symbol of the energy, the animal is not the power itself and with this realization, the Wiccan can eventually do away with all symbolism and use the greatest magical tool of all; the mind.
The role of animals in Wiccan rites is a vital one for establishing contact with higher energies. The Wiccan must always invite the energy of the animal into the ritual and as with any guest, you would never demand someone to come to you; you offer them a place within your Wiccan circle.
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