Tarot and Cats

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 22 Apr 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kitty	22 Apr 2002
Hi Everyone, I have noticed lately that many people who are interested in tarot and a cat or many cats. Is it because they have excellent intuition, have a mystical aura about them? I have one of my own, and he likes to sit with me when I do readings for myself and others. Interested to know how many other Aeclectic members have a cat. Funny topic to post I know, but I couldn't help noticing :) Meow

Butterfly	22 Apr 2002
I am definitely not a cat person. I don't have a problem with them. but they just aren't for me. Definitely a dog person. But I do think a lot of cats are really intuitive (but dogs can be too). When they look they seem to stare into your soul. But I wouldn't say that of all cats. So love tarot, don't like cats LOL

amyel	22 Apr 2002
I have a cat. I think she just likes to be near me when I am having quiet time. She enjoys my lap. I've had cats who liked to walk over my newspaper or book - or yes, even Tarot spreads> I am conviced my cat understands what I say. We've had many conversations. Notice I said "understands what I say", not "listens to what I say". There's a BIG diff, as all cat owners know! :)

truthsayer	22 Apr 2002
kitty, do you know how to do the poll features here? i think figuring out what kind of pets tarot lovers have would make an interesting poll. i'm another cat lover. my cats just don't seem to invade my space like my dog does. they have a more appropriate sense of boundaries. the dog? he wants to lick me in the face(YUCK!!!!!!!) and roll all over me and play tug of war w/ pure enthusiasm. the cats look mortified at his exuberance b/c they think he's some kind of brainless cat and the family secret. afterall, what would the neighbor cats think if they knew that idiot running all over the yard was a CAT!! (they've been indoors all their life so they aren't really certain what a dog is.) bless his heart but he is a good dog. he tolerates the cats and even seems scared of them. i just need my space and cats provide that w/o those sad doggy eyes and the tail tucked between his legs. and if they want something, by god they are going to make my life miserable til they get it. i must love being abused by my cats or else i'd be a dog person. ;)

Kitty	23 Apr 2002
Quote: Originally posted by truthsayer kitty, do you know how to do the poll features here? i think figuring out what kind of pets tarot lovers have would make an interesting poll. I initally thought about it but waited see if I got any response to my thread. I'll post one and see the results.

rostie	23 Apr 2002
i'm a tarotreader and adore cats, at home we have 2, one of them is mine, well actually i'm hers, lol. but i love her!

fairyhedgehog	23 Apr 2002
I have one cat and she loves the Tarot. Also books, newspapers, the pc keyboard - if I am giving it my attention she wants to lie on it. I use silk to lay my cards on, and she kept lying on it so I gave her her own silk square to lie on. She liked it for a short while, but she really only likes to lie on what I am using. I have to shut her out when I lay out Tarot cards, or she will bend them all beyond use. So, I'm not sure it is her psychic abilities that cause her to be attracted to my Tarot cards :) Regards, FH

kayne	23 Apr 2002
I have two cats, Maxwell Demon and Morgan :D I am particularly close to Morgs and when I am doing redings he usually tries to deflect the attention from the cards to him... almost like he is jealous! Max just sleeps... zzz...

catlin	23 Apr 2002
I have 4 cats and they are very interested in my Tarot decks and Wiccan tools, etc. They usually love to put a paw in when I am doing a reading or they want to climb into the book shelf where I store my tarot books and cards (there are some more book shelves with cat books, etc but they do not seem to be interested in them). They also love my magick jewellry (sometimes I put a necklace around Lucky's neck and he seems to be proud of that. He holds his head up and seems to say to his fellow cats: Look, what I have got! I am a magick cat with mummy's magick necklace on! Benny loves to sleep under my altar. He also loves assisting me when I am producing my incence (of course I make sure that there is nothing harmful lying around which could be dangerous to cats).

lunalafey	23 Apr 2002
first of all I saw some thing real cute when I came to this post. Tarot and Cats( title) Kitty (threadstarter) catlin (last post) Out of all house pets, a cat is my fav. Currently I have just a little cat like dog. I have been thinking about having one. Notice I said 'having'. Most of the cats that I have had, find me. They'll show up at my job. They'll sleep at my door for days. I don't feed them because if they belong to someone else they will go home when they get hungry. There comes a point when I open the door and give kitty a bowl of milk....the rest is purrrfection.. ps check the sig. below :)

grailmaiden	23 Apr 2002
I have two cats and they are both interested in Mum doing her "stuff". In particular, one cat really adores receiving Reiki and looks deep into my eyes when I'm doing it. The other, I've discovered is "into" crystals :D. For fun, I put my chakra stones along his spine whilst he was lying down and, not only did he stay still, but he even held his head at an awkward angle so the 3rd eye stone stayed in place! Grail

Kellinator	23 Apr 2002
Cats do seem fascinated with the mystic. I sort-of have two cats (they're my landlords', but they spend a lot of time with me), and they always want to get on the cards when I'm doing a layout.

Angel Star	25 Apr 2002
I have 3 cats 2 of which are still kittens not a year old yet. Sometimes when i do readings they like to look at the cards and walk on them or roll over them and then look at me to see what I think. They are truly psychic at least my cats are. There is always some type of psychic energy going around my house and the 2 new additions are like psychic detectors. Always let me know if good energies are around or bad ones are. Go figure. I can say of my cats they love my tarot cards.

Angel Star	26 Apr 2002
My cats love Reiki also! But my female cat is sooo touchy it takes awhile for her to settle down into it. The kittens I have love it and they always gets so hot when i do Reiki on them. I truly love the story on cats and crystals. I think I will try a crystal and see what happens. Also, my cats really love it when I burn Frankincense and Myrrh. Especially Big Red he gets all lovable also lets me know when its time to "cleanse the house"

Phoenix	26 Apr 2002
I had I cat, but we put her down last monday. She was old, and sick, bo she is definately in a better place now.

Angel Star	26 Apr 2002
Yes I lost my Lynx that was his name he was a manx mix siamese. Very beautiful and very empathetic. There was some serious spiritual warfare going on in my house and as a result he took off and died. The new cats I have as I have posted before are more suited to this environment. There are my new psychic detectives I call them. A stray wondered around our home around the time my Lynx took off she was ready to haveher kittens as a result out of the 4 we kept 2. The Goddess does try her best to replace what is lost I believe she did. I still miss my cat very much though. I am sorry to hear yours has passed on but yes they are both in a better place now.

Minderwiz	27 Apr 2002
Hi, We currently have four cats plus one cat boarding with us. I think cats are intuitive and we wouldn't be without at least two or three! I'm not sure whether there is a strong ling with the Tarot - though cats come up in many of the decks but then there's that blasted dog that accompanies the Fool One Tarot writer has suggested that cats symbolise perceptive power and the pure consciousness of the feminine. Blessings Minderwiz

HudsonGray	29 Apr 2002
Out of our 4 only one comes to sit with me as I do tarot readings at the kitchen table. I can tell how 'dead on' I am by the loudness of her purring--if she can be heard a room away I know I've nailed the reading! She'll keep it up for the entire time, the little energy sucker! Usually she'll just sit & watch, grooving on the energy, but occasionally I have to protect the spread when she comes over to head butt me hard on the forehead (going for the 3rd eye perhaps???).

Lion-O	29 Apr 2002
I guess its a bit obvious when taking a look at my nick but anyway ;) I used to have a cat but he passed away due to a car accident a couple of years ago and up untill now I simply never bothered with the idea to get one again, mainly due to quite a lot of personal matters (busy, work, etc.). But I'm definatly a cats person, I love 'm.

Mermaid	29 Apr 2002
My cat is so much better at sensing energy and stuff than I am that we have a running joke at my house ... we say that I'm HER familiar BB Mermaid

napaisti	29 Apr 2002
Am I the only one who associates certain cards with my cats? I was doing a Court Card exercise in Tarot for YourSelf and it came to me. Of the court cards, Jeannette is the Queen of Pentacles and Vachon is the Queen of Swords (only don't tell him; he's so cute trying to be the "man of the house"). Ok, so actually he fluctuates between being the Knight and the Queen, but overall, for some reason, I really associate cats with the queens. Of the majors, Jeannette is the Empress (if you ignore the fact that she's been spayed :) ) and Vachon is The Hermit (which works because I'm one too). So, am I crazy? anybody else want to share their kitties? (or dogs/ferrets/fish/other pets? this can be an equal opportunity thread, right?) napaisti

truthsayer	03 May 2002
napaisti, i haven't labeled my cats as their tarot card yet. angel is definitely the empress or the queen of cups! she is so prissy! sunshine(sunny) is definitely the fool. he's always adventuring but he's always a bit off balance. he's as likely to miss a jump as he is to make it! he's not very coordinated and he always makes us laugh but in his kitty mind he thinks he's the knight of wands. my relationship to sunny is strength. i'm trying to think of a card that implies indentured servant for my relationship to angel... LOL she meows, i jump to her command! perhaps i'm a page of cups to her queen of cups. we nicknamed her little devil b/c she is spoiled rotten and not always an angel. so the devil works, too. they are littermates born 9/6/91--virgos. just an example of sunny's silliness: my husband likes to tease him by shining light on a wall. sunny gets very excited and chases it. he's been doing this for years and hasn't been able to catch that light until this week. i had out my very shiny nefertari deck doing a reading. i vaguely noticed that he was watching the cards. all of a sudden he sprang and attacked the cards! his paws were everywhere. i was so surprized! but for sunny it was sweet victory at last! he finally caught that darn light! fortunately, the cards were unhurt. LOL in the future, i'm shutting the door so he can't get to the cards. ;)

Kellinator	04 May 2002
Last night I was reading at a good friend when her Siamese pranced over and jumped up on the cards, creasing one! I suppose it's his way of expressing enthusiasm... or maybe just being a brat...

Kellinator	20 Jun 2002
I was reading at the same friend's house for a friend of hers in another state. I was reading, and my friend was typing in the reading over instant messenger... At one point Max the Siamese wandered over and lay down on top of the cards. Max is very fond of my friend's friend, who was having a bad day, so I told her that "Max says hi and he misses you." I was reading with the Legend Arthurian - one thing I love about that deck is that all the queens have cats.

AutumnMoonfire	20 Jun 2002
Well I have a lunatic siamese mix who is always interested in my activities, but she didn't adjust to my kiddos. We are sending her to live with someone who is childless and loves the cat. The cat remembered her after a six year seperation. We are going petless for the winter and then we'll see...

catlin	21 Jun 2002
Cats and tarot characters? Ok, Adi is the Hermit, Lucky is the Emperor or King of Swords, Fool would match both Benny and Toby.

VGimlet	21 Jun 2002
I have three cats - Cocoa is the Magician, Kiel would be the Hierophant, and Tink, well, I have to think about Tinkerbell. I also have two dogs, Susy is the Empress, and Nemo the Fool, reversed. LOL. (I love Nemo, but he's a bit dim, in addition to being on the timid side.) I can't really say I am only a cat or dog person - for me it's both.

catlin	21 Jun 2002
Well, Toby and Benny aren't dim but a bit thoughtless. You should see them where they try to climb up and what funny things they do.

Major Tom	21 Jun 2002
Many of my friends will remember that I live with the Demon Cat. }) She features on 3 cards in Major Tom's Tarot: The Lovers, The Devil and The Queen of Wands.

Kazz	21 Jun 2002
My cat is pushing the 18th birhtday mark soon his name is Sox my boy is very old looking now but he is my soul buddy (not since i had the girls that i have spent much time with him ) he is very different to what a cat is "supposed to be " grew up with dogs who like to play rough with him, but i think he would have to be the magician. but to look at him now....old and frail almost deaf and blind soo thin you can see almost every bone in his poor little bodyso he is not the frisky magician!! Cheers Karen :TQC

Greenelin	21 Jun 2002
I've got two. Mostly they're cool around the cards, but if I've been gone for a while, and they want attention, they'll come and plunk their little bitty kitty butts right in the middle of whatever I am doing. They being cats and I being only the human who is kept by them, I give them their propers and am then allowed to proceed with my life. Occasionally I'll read for someone who is allergic to cats, and ask them to stay in the bedroom (okay, I'm an evil human who shuts the bedroom door). Stewart is social and minds; Ragz isn't and usually just stays under the bed.

Starfish	21 Jun 2002
I have 3. My favorite is my 22 pound black cat, Rococco, who looks very similar to the cat on the Halloween deck. When I'm on the couch reading my tarot books (I'm totally enthralled with 78 DW), he just sits next to me purring, with one paw resting on my deck (which I keep close by for practicing spreads that I read about). :TQC Starfish

Umbrae	22 Jun 2002
As I write this I am at my sisters house. She has 8-indoor cats, and an unknown number of outdoor-cats. Then there are an unknown number of outdoor cats. (She also has two dogs). She is raising my next two cats (Spook & Pukah) (soon to be weaned). Cats do understand people, as do dogs; provided the person knows this, and communicates with the animals on a regular basis. Understanding cats and dogs also requires active participation. That is the key: active participation. Most of us Tarot folks understand ‘active participation’. Most folks do not. They are observers, and not participants in their own lives. Love cats.

Violet Gargoyle	23 Jun 2002
When I was younger I never considered myself a cat person. Yet somehow I got 3 of them. One is "mine". One is my husband's, and the third is an independant party residing at my house and sleeping on my bed. "My" cat, Jasper, sounds like he could be Rococco's lost cousin, Starfish. He's a 25 pound black cat, who when he sits down has the potential of covering half a spread while purring at you. He's a codependant cat.

Ravenswing	23 Jun 2002
oh yes. cats. we have one female who runs the house and three males who give her wide berth. her name is savannah-- but i call her savvy. or then again i'll just call her cat she owns my lap and is very disturbed if she doesn't have immediate access. she'll sit on the floor and glare 'til she wins. she understands me purr-fectly, and i her. i use english, she's more advanced and just thinks at me. then there's a black one-- scamper-- who will get into a love mood with my wife once in a while. a black and white, sort of like a penguin--alfie. he's got a bad rear right leg and is mostly floor-bound. he complains a lot the last and youngest is a yellow tiger-- real skittish at times. but he's getting better. someone once explained to me the basic difference between dogs and cats. a dog will think, "s/he takes care of me, feeds me and makes sure all my needs are met. S/He must be God." a cat will think, "s/he takes care of me, feeds me and makes sure all my needs are met. I must be God." LVX steve

PurpleGoddess	24 Jun 2002
That is definitely my cat Chynna, sheso nosey to the point that when I do a reading for practice on myself or casting a Tarot spell she has to be in the middle of things. And would lay down on the cards, watch me shuffle or sniff at them. She would sit on the spell book or get into the candles. She's an intuitive one...she knows when I need extra TLC and has a tough time with me needing my space. Like on my birthday, she's all over me and I couldn't find my glasses. She was meowing and under my feet to the point I could hear the Goddess direct me for over an hour....felt bad for Chynna..I played with her after I found them..I'm nearly blind without them or so I feel like I am. Peace, PG

raeanne	24 Jun 2002
Hi all, I also have three cats. Two fixed females and one neutered male. They are my loves! Everyday when I come home from work, we have a great conversation. I am doing very well at learning cat. I have a variety of meows and prrernt sounds that the cats seem to understand. I don’t really know what I am saying but surprisingly, I do understand the conversation! It is great fun!

The Tarot and Cats thread was originally posted on 22 Apr 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.