The Fetch-Beast, also known as the Fetch-Wife, has been dealt with elsewhere in this book, and is the Underworld Self of the Crafter, known in Briar Rose as the Dragon.
The third kind of Fetch, the one used in shape-shifting, is traditionally a piece of skin or fur belonging to the animal into which the Shape-shifter transforms.
In some cases, such as the selkies in Ireland, it is the actual whole skin that the shape-shifter puts on to become the animal.
But when Witches refer to a Fetch, they usually mean the “thought-form” created for a specific purpose, to find something or someone, to bring people together, or carry out some other task.
Ceremonial Magick has a similar technique, the main difference being the status of the Fetch… in the Craft, it is a living entity, whereas CMs tend to see them as servitors, something akin to astral droids.
To create a fetch, you need to start by pulling energy together in a concentrated form.
There are many ways of doing this, but for a solo practitioner the most effective way is to visualize a ball of light between your hands, and pump energy into it from your core, through your hands.
Keep pumping energy into it until it is really full, and you can feel the energy really strongly.
Then you begin to shape it.
You should have chosen an appropriate form before-hand — most Witches work with animal forms, and it is recommended to avoid using human forms unless you know what you are doing.
Once the fetch has its form, you should name it, bind it to its task, and then set its destruction fate.
It is considered bad form to let a fetch exist longer than a year, so traditionally a cut off date is built in, so the fetch ceases to be on a certain date, or when the task is complete, whichever comes first.
A fetch that is allowed to exist for too long, especially after their task is complete, can develop independence and start drawing off the life-force of its creator.
State firmly the fetch’s purpose, its cut off date, and name it, binding all these things together.
Then release it to complete its task.
