‘I’m sooooo hungry,’ he said, looking up at her as she eyed the territory for signs of tasty morsels – any morsels.
‘I know, my little man,’ she replied, glancing at his pleading eyes but never letting down her guard. There could be predators around. Her eyes darted from side to side – her ears twitched on noise alert.
‘Why can’t we move to the big house over there?’ he begged, his eyes staring at the house ‘I don’t want to live in the bush anymore. It’s no fun! There’s never enough food and it’s dangerous!’
She knew he was right. But she was terrified. A wild child who knew no life other than the bush life. To her, the creatures like those in the big house were far more terrifying than the life she knew.
‘I tell you what,’ she decided. ‘I’ll go to the gate at dusk. If one of the creatures comes that way and talks to me, I’ll take you up there later and we’ll see what happens.’
She sat quietly at the gate – waiting, watching. Eventually, one of the creatures appeared. It stopped a way from her and started making quiet, gentle noises. The sign she’d been looking for. She ran off to tell him.
A couple of hours later, after dark, she led him up the garden path and into the courtyard where a bright light shone on them. They sat down and snuggled while he suckled…waiting. Eventually, a face appeared at the window. It called out and another face appeared. She heard what sounded like very rude words.
They had been well and truly seen and it had an effect. She had no idea what effect. The next few days would tell.
Cats, Cats, Cats
Magical, mysterious, independent, contrary, cunning, playful, ever curious – cats have captured the imagination of humans since they first crossed paths. Cats have well-developed airs and graces and demand to be treated with reverence and respect – and millions of humans around the world are more than happy to oblige. Cats like to have their own way – and, usually, they get it.
In ancient times cats were revered and worshipped. They stood side-by-side with Gods and Goddesses and were afforded pride of place in palaces. In China, Peru, Egypt, Europe, Africa, India, Central and South America and the Middle East, among others, cats and their feline ancestors held positions of high ranking. In ancient Egypt cats were venerated as demi-gods. They protected crops and contained the spread of disease by killing rodents. More importantly, however, is that they were considered to be the physical form of the goddess Bastet. So sacred were they, that a person who killed a cat was condemned to death. And when a house cat died, the entire family went into mourning and shaved their eyebrows as a sign of grief.
The Chinese have cherished cats for eons. Early dynasties worshipped cats, and the aristocracy kept them as pets as symbols of good luck. They also believed that felines brought good luck and fortune to the houses where they chose to live. The Japanese maneki-neko (“beckoning cat”) is an iconic talisman that, apparently, brings good fortune to its owner, usually in the form of cash.
Their popularity continues to increase, and many cats now hold esteemed positions of major Instagram influencers, models and movers-and-shakers.
On the Southern Tip of Africa, cats were also afforded great respect, as the famous Sangoma/Sanusi Credo Mutwa wrote in the Cat Praise Song:
“You are the cat, tamer of human beings, not tamed by them!
You are the animal we all fear, favourite of sorcerers, darling of witches, treasured by sangomas.
You are the cat, guardian of the village, protecting us from enemies we both can and cannot see!
Sent by the sky gods to shield the world from invisible foes and visible vermin.
Oh, cat, master of life!
You guard me while I sleep,
I honour you, dear cat.
And feed and nourish you, for it is said that the gods and ancestors will bring eternal suffering upon any human who stoops to harm you.”
Cat Symbolism
If cats appear to you repeatedly in different forms and via different media, there are some messages they may want to bring to your attention. Cats are related to the feminine Yin. You may need to look at your feminine side – are you suppressing or over-expressing it. It could also be bringing to your attention the role of other women in your life.
Cat symbolism also includes the desire for freedom, the need to be more adaptable and flexible – mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Remember, cats always land on their feet so they are masters of flexibility!!! Cats encourages you to become more curious and perhaps take more risks. You might need to be more independent and explore new ways of looking at things. Cats also represents communication with the physical and non-physical realms, while black cats point to increased psychic ability/activity which is why they have long been cited as witch’s familiars. Listen to and trust your intuition and develop your sixth sense to match that of a cat. They are also associated with magic – so inject some magic into your life, explore mystical truths. Believe in yourself. Make your dreams happen. Some say that cats easily travel between dimensions. Is there a message from another dimension coming through for you?
Many believe that cats provide protection from ghosts and negative spirits, that they are attracted to places with positive energy and can transform and transmute negative energy in homes and environments. They are, therefore, very good Feng Shui cures.
Cats are masters of balance – look at the balance in your life situation. They are very skilled hunters and will wait patiently until the time is right to attack – be quiet, observe and act when the time is right.
Cats are nocturnal – they can see in the dark because they have six to eight times more rod cells, which can detect light at very low levels. The feline family encourages you to explore unknown, delve into your shadow side…don’t deny it. Explore the yin and yang, the delicate balance, with patience in order to discover hidden mysteries that will be beneficial to you.
For more cat stuff:
https://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2019/08/cats.html
https://trustedpsychicmediums.com/spirit-animals/cat-spirit-animal/
https://www.spirit-animals.com/cat-symbolism/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0139
https://www.spiritanimal.info/cat-spirit-animal/
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/83422/14-legends-about-cats-around-world
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-totems/
I’m enjoying all these extra tidbits of information about cats, and hadn’t ever seen this Credo Mutwa ‘Cat Praise Song’ – thanks for sharing it.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if cats could again have the same level of protection and reverence as they enjoyed in Egyptian times!