Mystical Cats Tarot - The Priest V

Onaorkal

Hello my fellow Mystical Cats lovers!

Truthfully, this card ain't the most easy one to decipher! I might need some help on the symbolism of this one, if anybody is somewhat knowledgeable about Egyptian symbology?

So indeed the Priest is clearly a bronze-colored Egyptian Mau, wearing a multicolored Egyptian necklace. He's sitting on the ground, his left paw placed on a golden sphere covered with Egyptian symbols. He's facing us, but he's not looking in our eyes. We're not sure if he's gazing at something in particular or if he might be having a vision perhaps?
Behind him, on his left, we can see a round golden tray containing embers and ashes. Pale smoke is coming out of it in volutes. Right behind the tray, on the left, there is a low beige square bench covered in symbols. On top of it we can see a goblet and a bowl/dish filled with a yellow and green mixture, probably an offering to the Goddess of the temple.
In the background, ten yellow marble columns can be seen, their upper portion covered in colored patterns. In the middle of the columns there is a statue of the Goddess Bastet, quite in evidence on its pedestal. The scene seems to take place indoors, more precisely in the sanctuary part of a temple.

Colors : Mostly gold and beige tones.

Up to now, we've been told we must believe in ourselves and trust our inner guidance. It's now time to benefit from external guidance. Individual thinking is not necessarily in opposition with respect of the traditions and old teachings. A wise advice given in the book is that "The great religions and mythologies hold vast treasure stores of wisdom, all born from the same longing for understanding and meaning. Seek universal truths from trusted sources." To me, it simply means that if some of the results / part of the work is already done for you and available out there, why not take advantage of it!
But there is one important warning : Like cats, you can/must/should think by yourself and not let others/an institution dictate the way you should live from A to Z (unless it's truly your personal wish to do so.)


Now on with the Egyptian symbolism!

Egyptian Mau cats : To be completely honest, this breed, as it is known nowadays, was only "started" in 1952. So, contrary to popular belief, it's not "one of the oldest breeds of cat". BUT, it's still highly likely that one of the ancestor of the Egyptian Mau was a representative of a subspecies of the African wild cat. Old writings from Ancient Egypt talk about spotted domesticated cats and the Egyptian Mau is one of the very few breeds that has a naturally occurring spotted tabby pattern. So, to summarize, "descendant/ancestor" are the keywords here. Generation after generation, the knowledge of the Cat Mysteries is passed down to the next descendant.

Red and blue double necklace with green scarab and Ankh symbol :
Ancient Egyptians were wearing jewelry as a mean of protection against evil, to show off their wealth and/or for the power the different stones were holding.
3 stones were commonly used together in jewelry : lapis lazuli (blue), carnelian (red/orange) and turquoise (green-bluish). They might have believed those stones were supporting and enhancing each other's powers.
Lapis lazuli was very popular and considered quite powerful. It was a symbol of the heavens and of rebirth.
Carnelian was also quite common. It was believed to have many different uses and powers. It was used for the protection of alive people and for dead ones as well, it was a symbol of renewal and loyalty, a representation of the Sun, etc.
The scarab is probably made of turquoise, the third stone of the "popular triad". Turquoise was considered the stone of life and good luck. Also, the scarab was a common symbol for rebirth and eternity.
Now, would you be surprised to learn that the Ankh symbol (the one below the beetle) is also representing eternal life and immortality? I believe we have a pattern here! ;)

Golden sphere : I couldn't find anything about a golden sphere covered with symbols in Ancient Egypt mythology/symbology, but spheres in general can be associated with a lot of different symbolism. It can represent the Sun or the Earth or on a more abstract level, it stands for unity, equality and acceptance.
Gold (also seen in the necklace) was thought to be an indestructible divine metal, symbol of the Sum and eternal life.

Green, red and blue winged sun disk symbol (on the sphere) : Yet another symbol for the heavens used for protection.
I couldn't find the meaning of the hyeroglyphs, unfortunately.

Embers and ashes : I couldn't find anything relevant about the potential presence of a sacred fire / embers / ashes in a temple of Ancient Egypt, but in general, embers and ashes are used to symbolize death and rebirth.

10 columns : Number symbolizing totality, ending and new beginnings.

Bastet : Goddess of Cats, often depicted as a black cat.


(Woah, I'm finally done! I want to post it now and will re-read again tomorrow to make sure everything makes sense hehe!)

Ona