D J Conway - The Mysterious Magickal Cat

The Mysterious,

Magickal Cat

Your Purr-fect Companion

From the way they raise their tail when greeting a beloved owner to the snobbish flick of the tail reserved for strangers, cats often baffle us with what they are trying to say. But if you are observant, every movement and position of a cats body can tell you something about its emotional state. Author D. J. Conway unveils the meaning behind the myriad of behaviors displayed by our charming companions and explores the history of an animal that has become an integral part of family life around the world.

The Mysterious, Magickal Cat offers a comprehensive and heartwarming look at the amazing creature we have worshiped and adored for more than 18,000 years.

• Learn how you can use various cat magick spells to achieve anything from
  human healing to finding your true love
• Gain an understanding of feline vocalizations and body language
• Discover the differences between big wild cats and domestic breeds
• Examine the folklore behind characteristics of various breeds, such as how
  Siamese cats got the kink in their tail
• Explore the history of Western superstition surrounding black cats

Thousands of years of myths, folklore, and fairy tales added to an ever-growing list of movies, TV shows, and cartoons stand as a testament to the popularity of the feline, both as pet and treasured spiritual symbol. Claw through the myth and rumor, and learn everything you need to know to improve your relationship with the purr-fect pet in your life.

About the Author

D. J. Conway was born on a Beltane Full Moon with a total lunar eclipse, one of the hottest days of that year. She has always been close to nature, as a child spending a great amount of time outdoors by herself. Plants and animals become a part of her life wherever she lives, and she includes cats, music, mountains, singing streams, stones, ritual, and nights when the moon is full among her loves in life. She has studied every aspect of the New Age religions, from Eastern philosophy to Wicca, and spends most of her time researching and writing. She is the author of many Llewellyn books, including Falcon Feather & Valkyrie Sword; Lord of Light & Shadow; Magickal, Mythical, Mystical Beasts; Maiden, Mother, Crone; and the fiction books The Dream Warrior, Soothslayer, and Warrior of Shadows.

Copyright Information

The Mysterious, Magickal Cat 1998 by D. J. Conway.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

As the purchaser of this e-book, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. The text may not be otherwise reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or recorded on any other storage device in any form or by any means.

Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the authors copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.

First e-book edition 2019

E-book ISBN: 9780738757506

SECOND EDITION

First Printing, 2018

First edition, two printings

Calligraphic cat illustrations by Shelly Bartek

Cover design by Kristi Carlson

Cover illustration: His Masters Voice by Lisa Parker

Interior art credits: see

Poem on by Joyce Smith

Stories in by ShadowCat, Jean Fritz, Cerridwen, S. Shelton, Kimberly Gibbs, Tracy Corpe, Robyn L. Brown, Chameleon Silvercat, Nan Skovran, Danyka Edwards, Delores Wheeler, Lee Prosser, Lynda Lee Macken, Ingrid Gordon, and Jeanne McLarney

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Conway, D. J. (Deanna J.)

The mysterious, magickal cat/ D. J. Conway.lst ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.

ISBN 978-0-7387-5740-7

1. CatsFolklore. 2. CatsMythology. I. Title.

GR725.C65 1998

133 .2599752-dc2198-2501

CIP

Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public.

Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific reference will continue or be maintained. Please refer to the publishers website for links to current author websites.

Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

Other Books by D. J. Conway

Animal Magick

By Oak, Ash & Thorn

Celtic Magic

Dancing with Dragons

Guides, Guardians, and Angels

Magick of the Gods and Goddesses

Magickal, Mythical, Mystical Creatures

Maiden, Mother, Crone

Magical Folkhealing

Moon Magick

Norse Magic

Mystical Dragon Magick

A Witchs Travel Guide to Astral Realms

The Celtic Dragon Tarot (with Lisa Hunt)

To all the cats who have graced my life:

Figaro, Muff, Samuel Tibbs, Flash, Gypsy, Finnigan, Callie, Valkyrie,
Beowulf, Hocus Pocus, Hexi, and Shadow Boy.

And to all the other litt le cats in the world.

Contents

: The Mysterious, Magickal Cat

: THE MAGICKAL CAT

1:

2:

: THE HISTORICAL CAT

3:

4:

5:

6:

7:

8:

: THE EVERYDAY CAT

9:

10:

11:

Introduction

The Mysterious, Magickal Cat

Few species have evoked such extremes in human emotions as the feline family. For centuries, felines have invoked admiration, awe, inspiration, and fear. Cats are mysterious, mystical creatures who predict earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and storms through their behavior, react to haunted buildings, and psyche you out by following the movement of things you cannot see. We are fascinated by cats and their behavior, their regal bearing, their intelligence. Yet we are upset by their inscrutable stare and their savage natural instincts.

Beware of people who dislike cats.

Old Irish Proverb

Even to confirmed cat lovers, the domesticated cat is a mysterious creature who shares its affections as if conferring a royal honor, scorning attention when it feels insulted yet giving itself to total abandon when enticed to play.

Cats are first and always their own creature. No human can ever truly say he or she owns a cat. As Peter Engel and Merrit Malloy said in their book, dogs obediently come when you order them to, while cats look at you with disinterest, do the equivalent of taking a number, and vaguely give the impression of getting back to you at their convenience.