People who love pets normally are very possessive about them. The owners often call themselves as dog mother or cat father. Over the centuries, animals have been associated with various aspects of spirituality.
In the bible it is mentioned – “Then God commanded, ‘Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life; domestic and wild, large, and small,’ it was done. So, God made them all, and He was pleased with what He saw.” (Genesis 1:24, 25)
God himself attached himself to an eagle in Deuteronomy 32:11 and to a lion, leopard, and bear in Hosea 13:7, 8. Christianity does not believe in sacrificing any animal for religious or spiritual reasons.
Islam and Hinduism believe in sacrificing animals for cleansing the sins and betterment of humanity. On various festivals like bakr-eid in Muslims, Durga Puja and Kali Puja in Hindus goats or buffaloes are scarified.
However, the emotions attached to a pet animal is very different from that of an animal which is procured for offering as sacrifice. Before buying a pet, one should think properly about all the aspects of rearing it. Along with functional issues one needs to know about the spiritual facts about the pets too.
Myths associated with cats
Many cultures across the globe have associated cats with many paranormal activities and witchcraft. In prehistoric times, these felines were bigger and stronger. Since they are of the same the Felidae family as Panthera Tigris or tiger and Panthera Leo or lions, they had their ferocious side too. The wild cats till date are very dangerous and humans fear these animals from time immemorial.
Black Cat Symbolism
In most of Western and Asian cultures, black cats have been looked upon as witches themselves. Some tribal communities even believe that black cats are possessed with evil spirits. If a black cat crosses your road when you are going for an important mission, it will spoil the mission. Even vehicle drivers across the globe stop for a while if a cat crosses their path. They are afraid to meet with an accident.
In some cultures, the crossing of your path by black cat has another meaning too. If the black feline has crossed the path from right to left, then it is believed to bring in bad luck. However, if it has crossed the path from left to right, that signifies the beginning of good luck.
Very few cultures consider that the black cat will bring in bad luck only if your karma is bad. If you are doing good karma, then a black cat will bless you as it is believed that they have psychic powers. It is also believed that black cat does not bring in bad luck, but they appear to give us a warning that something bad is going to happen to us.
Reasons behind black cat negative symbolism
In ancient times, herbalists used to keep black cats as pets. This negative symbolism has roots back to those tribes who had these felines as pets. even in modern times, tarot readers, palmists, astrologers, paranormal experts like to keep them as pets, and hence the symbolism has continued.
Many societies looked down upon these herbalists (who were actually healers) as witches. They thought the power they possessed was not due to the herbs and roots which they used; but those powers came from spirits.
It is also believed if someone is terminally ill, and a black cat has appeared near his/her bedside or in his/her dreams, the time for him/her to die has arrived. The black feline just has come to guide the soul to the life after death.
White cat symbolism
White is the color of purity and righteousness and white cats symbolise happiness, peace, good fortune, and virtue. It is also believed that white cats have spiritual powers, and they can guide you towards a positive journey of self-awareness.
Some cultures believe that angels take the form of white cats and come in our lives to guide us. Owners of white cats have expressed similar theories and have talked about their experience after a white cat came in their lives.
White cats are deaf at birth and it is believed that they can feel the energy waves to understand what is happening around them. Since this is a power which very few animals in the animal kingdom possess, these felines are associated with spirituality.
A white cat means spiritually, that they can listen without hearing. They make very less noise compared to the other colored cats and have a saintly quality to them. Human beings are psychic beings, and we need to connect vibrationally with the white cat to feel what is going around us. If we can tune into their realms, then we can elevate ourselves spiritually.
What does a white cat mean spiritually?
White cats stay closer to the homes of their human masters and emit the vibrations or aura in the home they live in. If they are looked after properly, then they bring in a lot of good luck. Let’s explore the broad topics which white cats represent.
The cat in many religions is associated with deities and most of those deities are females. In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped and were considered as closest to goddess Brighid. In Hindu mythology too, it is believed that cat is the pet of goddess Shashthi who is worshipped as the protector of children. It is believed that if someone wants to procreate, they should worship goddess Shashthi. Childbirth and well-being of children happens due to the blessings of goddess Shashthi. It is believed that it you harm a cat, it will bring ill-luck or ill-health to your children.
The Egyptian goddess of love and joy Bastet too is known to be very close to cats. Egyptian goddess Sekmet and Mafdet too were believed to resemble a cat.
Norse mythology (North German people) believe that Freya is the goddess of love, sensuality, sex, fertility, and magic. She is driven on a chariot pulled by two giant white cats.
Rebirth
Many cultures believe that cats have nine lives and in the eighth and ninth life, they are born as white cats. It is also believed that after they complete the cycle of nine lives, they will get released from the cycle to be born as cats. Then they will be born as some other higher-level mammal before they get a chance to take birth as humans.
Every life of a cat is a new beginning, and it is believed that if a white cat crosses your path, then it brings in good luck. It is also believed cats have a very strong sense to catch the aura of a human being and they avoid those human beings who are full of hatred and negative energy. The cats keep themselves away from those humans who might have committed crimes like murder, rape, robbery, and other heinous crimes.
It is believed that you cannot catch a cat and hold it down forcefully. You will have to allow the cat to come to you.
Not in all the countries, white cats are considered as a symbol of good luck. In Great Britain, just like black cats, they are believed to bring in bad luck.
Shy, calm, and non-aggressive
If you compare cats of all the colors, you will find white cats are shy and calm and prefer to stay at one place for a long time. They are more tolerant than their counterparts of other colors and hence symbolise saint-like qualities. A white cat means spiritually that they are in control of their lives, and they teach us the same.
They also teach us to trust others and fill our hearts with purity and love. Since they are deaf by birth, their sense to see, smell, taste, and touch are more evolved compared to other cats. Over the decades of breeding, they have developed the other four senses and their association teaches us the same.
It is believed if you keep a white cat as your pet, you will develop more tolerance and you can handle the harsh situations of your life better.
Money, prosperity and wealth
It is believed that white cats bring in money and prosperity in our lives. If a white cat visits us, they carry the good news of money coming to us through some new source. A white cat means spiritually to bring in wealth and abundance in our lives.
White cats are attracted only to good souls and people who do good deeds. Hence, they can sense that from a distance and only go to those people who deserve this extra wealth and happiness.
It is also believed that cats connect the astral world with our world, and they are associated with many supernatural things. They have some message to convey to us when they appear in our lives. We need to be spiritually inclined to understand that message.
Sign of achievements
In Mediterranean countries, it is believed that if a white cat befriends a child, the child will achieve a lot of success when he/she grows up. It is also advised to keep that cat as a pet and feed it regularly.
If you take upon a cat as a pet and do not take care of it, it will bring in a lot of bad luck. White cats are associated with good karma and if they have decided to bless you, then you too need to take very good care of it.
In the modern days there are cat spas and salons where you can take your pet for a grooming session and turn it into an object of beauty. Take your cat for regular health check ups to a veterinary doctor and follow the medication and diet which they have prescribed. A wild cat lives between 2 to 16 years and a domesticated one lives for 13 to 17 years. The cat owner must take care of them when they get old and seek their blessings.
Sleeping beauties
White cats love to sleep for long hours and they teach us to take life easy. People who are chasing targets and goals all the time and are stressed out should learn this from white cats. It is also believed that they have the power to dream.
So, if a white cat comes to your life, take it as a sign that you need to slow down and relax.
Healers and comforters
White cats have the ability to provide support to human beings tremendously and are more evolved than their counterparts of other colors. Since they are spiritually more evolved, they are connected with mother earth too. It is believed that they possess some strong powers to heal.
It is also believed that they enhance the psychic powers of their owner. So, if you are unwell, just cuddle your white cat and you will recover much faster. If your friend or family is unwell, take your white cat to them, and you will see them recovering much faster.
Pure white cats are rare to be seen, and hence it is advised that we need to pay attention if we find one around us. It definitely has come to give us some kind of message.
Grey Cat Symbolism
It is believed that grey cats help us to take tough decisions in our lives. When we are standing at a juncture when we do not know which path to choose, their aura helps the owner to do that. They even guide you through your spiritual problems and problems which arise due to relationship issues.
Orange Cat Symbolism
Orange cats are always beaming with energy and they bring out the leadership qualities of the owner. If someone has low self-esteem, they can think about keeping an orange cat as a pet.
Orange cats have their auras aligned to people who are trying to bring about a change in the world. It has been observed that many political leaders, environment activists, social injustice activists keep an orange cat as a pet.
Brown Cat Symbolism
Brown cats too are quiet creatures and just like the color of Mother Earth, they are grounded. Many people across the globe have claimed that when they were flying too high and were expecting too much from life, a brown cat brought them to reality. They helped them to make peace with failure and rejections and propelled them towards a healthy and happy life.
Black & White Cat Symbolism
The black and white cat, which are also known as Tuxedo cat, remind us to remain playful and keep the child in us alive. If you have reached a stage in life and things are becoming meaningless, it is a good idea to keep a black & white cat as a pet. Its joyfulness is infectious, and it will gravitate you back to the happy moments in life.
Conclusion
Even though this article was about the meaning of white cats spiritually, it was important to understand briefly about the symbolisms of each colored cat. Since cats unlike other animals are not categorised much by breeds, but by their colors, the significance of each color had to be discussed. There are many myths across the globe about these harmless creatures who are good friends of human beings. It is high time that we break those age-old shackles and look at these creatures in a different light.
