Up : [[Symbols]] Created: 2023-09-06 Updated: 2025-11-04 Cats, like all animals, are instinct. In this case, instinctual feminine energy because of the cat’s historical connections with the moon, which is feminine. One possibility for the original connection to the moon is that cats are nocturnal hunters. The moon goddess Artemis (in Greece), Diana (in Rome) often took the shape of a cat and was, in the Middle Ages, known as Queen of Witches so the cat became identified with witchcraft. The devilish perception of the cat, especially black ones, came with Christianity and patriarchy banishing the feminine shadow (von Franz). Different aspects of the cat have led to different associations: - Ability to see in the dark = connecting conscious to unconscious (Luke) - Ability to see in the dark + unblinking eyes = (positive) a seer with foresight and insight, or = (negative) can paralyze victims (von Franz) - Aloofness = (positive) self-containment and contentment, or = (negative) something the dreamer wants but can’t have (Caspari) So the cat is an ambiguous symbol, sometimes helpful and sometimes malevolent. In folklore and fairy tales, a white cat is a helper, bringing wealth, power and honour. A black cat brings poverty and frustration, is often a traitor and thief. (von Franz) > [!Orbit] Elizabeth Caspari in *Animal Life in Nature, Myth and Dreams* > Perhaps the most significant meaning of the symbol of the cat in a dream is its capacity for ruthlessly and relentlessly getting what it needs or wants. Thus, to dream of a cat could stimulate the dreamer to think about his or her own needs and exactly how to gratify them. A few other suggestions: - Emotional freedom if don’t lie to self (Luke) - Closely linked with consciousness and all creative processes (von Franz) - Dreams of a cat can symbolize a self-centred attitude that can suddenly turn hostile when disturbed. (Caspari)