The Misuderstood Guardian: Cat
As a Dog shaman myself you would think that I am at odds with the Cat totem, and in a way this is true, but in an other way couldn’t be further from the truth. Essentially the only difference between the two is the method in which they guard humanity. Sure Dog is a strong, masculine, sun energy that everyone recognizes as our partner and stalwart protector, but like with most things of this nature Cat goes unsung because it protects us in ways we can’t perceive.
Cat also gets a bit of a bad rap because of a few evil practitioners throughout the years who would take the form of/enslave cats for the purposes of harming children. What is not told in these stories is that these same situations would happen with just about any creature capable of scaling a wall into a childs window. I digress into spiritual politics let’s get back on track.
Cats are guardians just like Dogs. While Dogs guard our bodies in the light of day and our homes while we sleep, Cats guard our souls and more importantly our magic. Now as a Shaman who personally abstains from most magical practices leaving that to more capable members of my own circle, I can still see the benefit in this. You have to understand Cat is a proud vain creature, never appearing in either the masculine or the feminine (in my encounters with Cat totem the gender is always quite random though it leans toward female). It is the only totem in my personal life that has appeared multi colored besides birds. It can appear in the bright of day and the dead of night, and is both feral and domesticated, more so than any other animal. All this adds up to a creature that is pretty hard to pin down.
I’m not going to spend a lot of time focusing on the particulars of cat anatomy or behavior as it is one of the top animals any American thinks of – most people even separate themselves into either cat people or dog people (sorry all other pets). Here are just a few key spiritual points with physical cats. Purring is astonishing for two reasons, the first being that contrary to popular belief it is a voluntary action much like smiling or speaking. It has a profound spiritual healing effect on the human soul. Magical weariness and psychic wounds heal faster and with more profound results when connected to the bio rhythm of a purring cat. Several people have observed this and most any totemic blogger can tell you of it and it’s fascinating. The second is, like dogs, cats have an extensive communication that they use with each other from tail and body language to the way they look at each other. However they have also deemed to develop a system of speaking with people, not as complex as the ones dogs use – I wouldn’t consider them as bilingual as dogs but they definitely make an effort to communicate with us and it shows.
Okay, Cat Totem and you: if the cat totem is a core totem for you (ie: has chosen you) you face a strange road. Unlike other teaching totems Cat is not one who shows a path, it is one that walks a path in front or beside their student. They either guide by example or guide without their student realizing. The Cat person in my own life continually teaches me things and she has no idea she’s doing it. The insights are often profound but come seemingly from nowhere and she often lacks confidence in them.
Cat as a General totem or a Partner is a tad different: this is where they shine as guardians. Their eyes piercing the veil and seeing many things they can often balance an overflow of energy and are useful as an early warning system. Great Mother Cat often visits those with strong magical talent, or groups of those who display a unique gift. She cherishes women and has a particular fondness for mothers. Especially those who have lost their children either to circumstance (i.e. empty nest, infertility) or tragedy. She always pushes for spiritual growth and often fight battles we do not see, she hides danger from her chosen so that they can grow at their own pace. She specializes in healing the mind and mental illness and can often be found circling around the mentally infirm.
Cat is one of the few Totemic energies that I have found has no utility for either offense or defense. She is subtle and is best at deflecting attention and cutting off threats before they are threats. She has a nasty habit of only giving information when it is no longer useful, and attention only when it is not sought.
A Cat in one”s Dream-Time is often seen as a blessing and a warning. A black cat crossing your path does not bring bad luck but warns of it along your current path. Cats are no more tied to witches as witches are tied to cats. In my personal experience most witches would be better to find a familiar better suited to their personalities but they love tradition and nothing is more traditional than the cat.
From Ancient Egypt to Babylon, Cats have hunted our alleys ridding us of malevolent spirits, disease, pests and the occasional pushy birds nest. And only some of us seem to notice, so next time you see a cat no matter if you are a dog person or not, give a nod or salute because they guard the night whether you love them or not.
Also baby cats…. 
Side Note: there are A LOT of pictures of cats on the internet if you didn’t know.
Urban Sprawl Wanderer 
This post was a fantastic return from your hiatus. As a cat person, how weird to see cats through a dog lover’s lens and what’s more? Respectfully and wittily. Thank you so much.
And I do so love when you digress into spiritual politics.
PS: I had a purring cat in my lap as I read. I think she approves.
Thank you! I don’t hate Cats but we are often at odds with each other.
As usual, another great post! I’ve always known cats were special. Although, I can’t explain why they left me alone last night when I was awakened at midnight by a room full of supernatural visitors…would have appreciated my cats asking them to leave so I could get some sleep. 😉 oh well. Curious – how does one discover their totems and where they are on their “totem pole” without outside assistance? I know I have a white eagle somewhere, I’ve seen him. Would like to know where and to what purpose.
Welcome back! Great post. I have always found the purrring of cats very soothing. When I was growing up we had a dog and a cat who were great friends. It was always great to watch them interact. I often dream with my deceased pets, particularly dogs who are still very much alive in my heart and in the dream time. Warm regards from Asheville, NC.