Some believe that the cat is the only animal to domesticate itself voluntarily. It was thought that cats lived first with ancient Egyptians, but the oldest known pet cat was found in a 9,500-year-old grave on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, predating the Egyptians by thousands of years. Black cats are considered good luck in Britain and Australia (and to anyone who lives with them), but in many parts of Europe and North America, they are feared. The sad reality for black cats in the United States is that they are very often targeted for abuse or torture and are some of the hardest to place from a shelter, especially if they are adult or senior cats.
Key Attributes
Independence, cleverness, curiosity, love of mystery, dignity, sensuality, recognition of multiple lives, being secretive, and patience before action.
Chakra Interpretations
Root
Your needs are basic: a safe place to sleep and food, though you probably prefer that someone else feed you. Most likely, you are a creature of habit and don’t like change, particularly to your eating schedule. You want events to occur at the same time and in the same way every day. Your internal clock is uncanny, especially when your stomach is involved. It’s okay to be this rigid in your patterns—just don’t hiss at people when things don’t go your way. Cats are typically the epitome of what it means to be grounded. If you have been working too hard, take a tip from cat and give yourself a break to take a nap in the sun. On the other side of this, if you have become lazy and are just lying around doing nothing, it may be time to wake up. Sometimes life events that are out of our control—illness, being out of work, or even depression—can bring this behavior on. If this is the case, try to keep your mind active or seek outside or professional help if necessary.
Sacral
Cats are extremely independent and at the same time can be very demanding. You might go from being very affectionate to wanting to be left alone in the blink of an eye. You are perfectly fine pursuing whatever it is that pleases you as a solitary, but you also like your playtime with others, provided it is on your terms. Your curiosity knows no bounds, and sometimes that can get you into trouble. Since cats spend most of their time sleeping, most likely your bedroom is your sanctuary. You may also be the kind of person who needs to take regenerative naps before your creativity flows.
Solar Plexus
A cat’s whiskers are touch receptors, which gives it a heightened sense of feeling and helps it detect changes in its surroundings. Your instincts are highly tuned, and you tend to sense what others miss. A downside to this is that you might become a scaredy-cat, afraid of everything that lurks in the shadows. Cats have intense focus. When you undertake a task, you do so without distraction. Courageous cats project mystery. You are capable of being invisible or seen depending on your mood or intention. Like a cat, you probably carry yourself with grace, confidence, and pride, without ever realizing you’re doing it.
Heart
People who don’t live with cats usually are not aware of how affectionate they are and how demanding of love they can be. The cat in this chakra could be telling you that you need to work on balancing your need for personal space with spending time with others. Make sure those you care about know how you feel about them; don’t keep it a secret. I do, however, recommend that you don’t show that affection by bringing home dead things—unless of course you are a hunter or someone who likes to fish, and it is food for the table!
Throat
A cat’s meow is not natural cat language—cats seemed to have developed it to be able to communicate with humans. What is natural is their purr, which in addition to being a sign of contentment can also be a sign of nervousness and a form of self-healing. Some believe that when a human is sick, their companion cat will lie on or next to them and purr, trying to help them heal. (Mine did.) How do you communicate with people? Do you tend to hiss most of the time? Do you need to purr more? There are many forms of sound healing within the spiritual community, but the cat in this chakra also means that you would work well as a counselor or therapist by using your voice to help people heal.
Third Eye
A cat’s night vision is impressive. Cats can see in light levels much lower than those needed by a human. You probably don’t have any trouble driving at night, a good thing if you drive for a living or tend to work nights. Even though cats have excellent vision, they are unable to focus on anything less than a foot from them. As observant as you can be, be careful not to miss the obvious. Quietly observant, cats can seem to be asleep and ignoring their surroundings, but they are listening to and are aware of everything going on around them. You may be one of those lucky people who can sleep anywhere no matter how chaotic the surrounding area and still know what had been going on when you wake up.
Crown
If you watch cats sleep, you can see their eyelids twitch, and some will make chattering noises and move their paws as if chasing something. It is likely that you are gifted with lucid dreaming. Cats, by nature, are profoundly psychic and seem to sense dimensions that humans can’t. Because it is believed they can see in the UV spectrum, it could be that they are able to see auras and possibly even the spirit world. Perhaps you can already see auras or other realms, but if not, try opening your mind using cat sense. You might be surprised.