Someone came to my Servitors, Golems, and Egregores post after a google search for:

can others see your servitors

Naturally I googled that, and it turns out I’m the 15th result. If someone had to come to the fifteenth result in google and still not have an answer to the question (because I didn’t answer it in that post) it’s clear that someone needs to answer the question for the universe. I also plan on being the number one google result for that query, since I’m answering the question directly. UPDATE (2009 02 13 11:35am -6gmt): I’m now #1 on Google for “can others see your servitors”

The short answer, is yes. If we operate under the assumption that our magic creates real changes in reality, and that our constructs have real power to affect reality, then by definition they are part of that reality. Anything that is part of someones reality is in some way perceptible.

That said, there are numerous reasons why it is very unlikely that other people will see your magical constructs. First, many people believe that all magic is the result of a change in perception. As a result your servitor is part of your reality, but not part of consensual or shared reality. As a result, nobody that is not sharing that reality will be able to perceive your servitor. If you tell people about your servitor and what he/she/xe/it looks like, and they don’t think you’re crazy, then they very will may begin to share your reality and begin to perceive it.

Assuming however, that we do not wish to deal wholly in the psychological model, there are lots of other possibilities to consider. Is your servitor large or small? Is its energy heavy and dense, or nebulous? Just like any other being, a construct can be very easy or very hard to spot. If you’re creating a servitor for somewhat nefarious purposes you may construct it in a manner that makes it very difficult to identify. One thing I’ve seen done relatively often is to place a small spy servitor inside a gift that is being given to someone whom you wish to keep tabs on. Ideally you would want this servitor to be as well hidden as possible so it isn’t discovered. On the other hand, if you are creating a servitor to act as a guard dog you probably want it to be as noticeable as possible on the physical and energetic planes.

Another thing to keep in mind is that people generally don’t perceive things they are not expecting. Most people don’t expect you to be psychic, so they don’t notice when you do something that belies a psychic talent. Most people don’t expect to see magical artifacts lying around my apartment, so they either don’t notice them at all, or see only eclectic nick-knacks. Likewise, the vast majority of people don’t anticipate magical constructs (or magical beings of any kind) to be popping up around them, so they’re very likely to ignore them no matter how obvious their presence is.

On the other hand, someone who works regularly with constructs and sentient energies may notice even a very subtle presence very quickly. Usually someone who does notice these things will not mention it to you unless the construct is making them uncomfortable, threatening them, or otherwise doing something that needs to be addressed. And in truth, even very practiced or expert practitioners may not notice anything going on, particularly if they don’t have any expectations of finding spirits and constructs that aren’t of their own making.

On a side note it’s general courtesy to ignore the spirits and constructs that surround a person unless they address you directly first, and then to be circumspect about it. It is respectful to assume that you are both aware of the spirits, but not to call attention to the fact without good cause. You risk sounding egotistical, or as though you are trying to impress them, and this is not a good impression to make, particularly if it turns out that said person can not sense the spirits you’re perceiving, or does not believe that they exist. This can also be disastrous if your perceptions are skewed because of your own issues. You run the risk of giving this person very bad information about what’s going on around them.

Similarly, generally bad form to ask someone about the spirits that inhabit your home. It makes you sound like a rank arrogant amateur, and even if you aren’t, it puts your guest in the uncomfortable position of trying to feed your ego, or looking the fool if they aren’t having any perceptions of said spirits A competent and secure practitioner does not need to boast about their talent or capability. Please note: the above refers to people who are speaking positively or authoritatively about their prowess or the energy of their home. If you think you have a problem with spirit manifestation or energetic challenges in your home you should consult an experienced practitioner to help you address your concerns.

It is always good practice to release your expectations of what you think you should be perceiving and try to perceive with an open mind. A game that Shivian, George, and several of my other magical friends have played in the past is really a learning tool to help increase your perceptions of magical energies, particularly energies that are not your own (which are by far easier to pinpoint and notice). The simple form is to pay attention when you are at the houses of pagans you are close to, or at large pagan events (festivals are perfect for this). You and your friends try to determine what items, objects, or things have been magically touched, enchanted, impregnated, or otherwise changed from their base state. With a bit of practice you can usually identify a magically touched item pretty quickly. There is simply a difference about it.

Once you are comfortable identifying magical items, try to determine how they were changed. Does that lantern have an elemental living in it? Was it just charged with fire energy? Has it been consecrated? If you can comfortably ask people about the items you’ve found, or surreptitiously query about its nature for confirmation that’s helpful. One thing to keep in mind, is that often people will impregnate objects with energy without conscious effort. If you are able to sense these (often more subtle) magical impressions, you should try to learn to discern between an accidental and a purposeful change.

This game can also be played a little more formally in your own homes. Have your friends try to determine which items in your home have been part of magical workings, and what those workings were. Talk about perceptions, and why they think a certain thing is magical and why they think it had that use. Do the same thing in other peoples homes (without invading their privacy, and only if they want to play of course). One of my favorite variants is simply “which items in this room have been magically charged?” My favorite thing to do is to cast an obscuration on a very noticeable object and just leave it in a conspicuous place to see if anyone notices. I once had a plastic Christmas M&M figurine/container placed right at eye level — on an altar — for well over a year. In that time only two people ever commented on it, and one of them only did so after invoking a god.

So, in brief; Yes, other people can see your constructs, but as George commented to me in the kitchen “they probably won’t.”