LORE & SOURCES

Dogs are said to be able to tell coming death and danger and can reputedly see ghosts, while cats, in the world of mysticism, carry a far higher magical power than ever man pretended.  The origin of cat powers derives almost certainly from the original Egyptian worship of the cat emblem 'Bast' in the city of Bubastes.  Anyone visiting a museum of Egyptian artifacts will find the beautiful Bast cat sitting elegantly with the paws positioned perfectly in front, the dark colouring strongly reminiscent of power and black magic.  The witchcraft of the Middle Ages turned the black cat into the 'familiar'; a creature that could change shape and perform or help perform rituals and spells for the witch.  Today, we fear the black cat that crosses our path.  This represents most clearly the conflict that exists between the church, the cross and the pagan practices of witchcraft.


If a black cat walks towards you in America and Europe, it brings good fortune, but if it walks away, it takes the luck with it.  Mothers should always keep cats away from babies because they 'suck the breath' of the child like a vampire.


read more about the Suck the Breath superstition


 If we watch cats while they snuggle up to us on our laps, they will tend to come close to the mouth and sniff.  One can imagine how this might have seemed, given the fear of dark forces, like a sucking motion that might endanger a child by sucking out its life.

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