Mystical Cats Tarot - Cat Magic I

Onaorkal

What looks like a flame point Siamese cat (also known as red point Siamese or flame/red point Colorpoint Shorthair) is sitting on a wooden surface, his left paw keeping a book open while his other paw is in the air. The right paw is surrounded by floating objects arranged in a circle and the resulting ball is full of some blue matter (electricity?). The objects each represent one of the 4 elements : a fireball to represent Fire, a fish for Water, a catnip flower for Earth and a feather for Air. The cat looks quite concentrated on his task.
The other objects on the surface are : a lit candle, a goblet, a pentacle disk, a crystal ball and a magic wand. Also in the book there is a green leaf, probably used as a bookmark.
Many objects are hanging from the ceiling : glass bottles, crystals and plants. There are many books aligned on a shelf. We can see many drawings of alchemical symbols on the wall and a few cat paw prints. Finally there is a poster with a drawing representing a cat version of Agrippa's pentagram.

Colors : A lot of earthy tones.

The book defines cat magic as being "easy to grasp, but challenging to practice". Like its equivalent in traditional tarot, the Magician, this card is about innate powers and tells us to "focus intention toward a goal". It looks like a very good deck for personal coaching, with advice like "focus on positive" and "believe in yourself"! I wouldn't have come up with such good thoughts with the image alone.


Now the symbolism present in the card. I had a hard time with this one, given all the alchemical symbols drawn everywhere with no explanation in the book. I searched about those for hours and found them all except for one. But let's start with the most obvious.

Siamese cat : This breed is fairly well known for being very dog-like. They are extremely curious, quite loud, very intelligent and active. I think it's a good representation for a magician full of willpower and intent. The fact that it's a "flame" point (even though it's not the official appellation) reminds me of the expression "having a fire burning inside", which means being strong and passionate enough about something that you are able to achieve your goal despite the obstacles.

Most objects found on the table are typical ceremonial magic tools representing the elements.

Candle : Air and fire. It's the only source of light in the room (from what we can see). Candles represent our inner light and force, so powerful and magical yet so fragile.

I'm not familiar with the potential symbolism of the other tools, except that they represent a different element.

Goblet : Water.
Pentacle : Earth.
Wand : Air.

Crystal ball : I think it's there to represent divination tools in general. Divination is part of magic and it includes many powerful tools that can be used for personal growth or to help others.

Books on the shelf : Representation of knowledge

Now onto the alchemical drawings. I will name them from left to right, higher to lower on the wall. I spent hours only doing this and since I'm not knowledgeable at all concerning alchemy, I don't really have anything to say about the choice of symbols.

-Top left : symbol meaning 'purify'
-Top middle : 'roasting of silver'
-Top right : 'roasting of gold'
-Lower left : tetrahedron, base of the sacred geometry, represents fire.
-Lower middle : shield knot, used for protection and good luck
-Right under the shelf : I couldn't find the meaning of this symbol!
-Lower right : the 4 seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.
-Lowest one behind the cat : hexagram, represents the 4 elements and used a lot in alchemy

In the open book we can see 2 symbols. On the left page (from the cat's viewpoint) it seems to be a Wheel of the year symbol. On the right page there is a triangle with an infinity symbol inside. In alchemy the triangle represents the fire element. I couldn't find a symbolism related to the use of both together. Maybe infinite power?

Finally, the poster on the wall shows a cat equivalent to Agrippa's pentagram. You can see clearly enough the planetary symbols drawn in the outer circle. It represents the relation between the microcosm (humanity) and the macrocosm (the Universe).


Overall I found there was a lot of symbols representing fire in this card. "Flame" point Siamese, the tetrahedron, the triangle in the book, the candle, the burning of silver and gold...Maybe it's not on purpose, but I found it interesting, since the Magician is associated with the Air element. Still, I believe it's fitting, since Fire is associated with creativity, energy and passion (all aspects encouraged by the Cat magician).

Phew! I'm sure there is a lot that can be said about all that symbolism, but I'll leave that to someone else! This card is really packed with a lot of stuff!
 

empress's dress

another amazing post! more later!
 

Seldes Katne

Looking at the items hanging in this picture, most of the containers appear to be made of glass, a combination of fire and earth. The rest are herbs, a combination, essentially, of all four elements -- earth, air, sunlight, and water.
 

knight_sephiroth

Very well analyzed! Not much I can add. LOL.

The cat possesses the innate ability and capability inherent in the traditional Magician, and I also sense a certain upbeat curiosity - the cat is both in control, and magnetically drawn to the whirling ball of magical elements as if to a toy. We know that cats play, like all mammals, as a method of learning about their world, learning how to live and survive within it. One of the theories surrounding the reason why play is fun suggests we're all more likely to do it if our brains are wired in such a way that the learning, doing and experiencing results in pleasure. I think of the cats I've known, all of whom demonstrated focus, targeted effort and a joyful sense of engagement when playing with the objects of their attention - whether it's a toy mouse, a real moth or a tiny bit of fluff.

Unlike some representations of the Magician, which emphasize the illusionist, trickster angle, this is an earnest, direct and intellectual Magician. He enjoys what he's doing. He is on track, focused, clear and targeted. The only manipulation here is found in the ways he can move and use the raw materials around him. It's a reminder that when we choose to become involved in an action, grow a feeling, start a project, initiate a journey, the more love or joy we can consider within the related progress will lead to a more fruitful result.

Consider that all of the objects hanging in the back are on strings. And cats love batting objects on strings. Each object, each magical symbol of potential, has the ability to enrapture the magician cat when he needs is most. Clarity of focus produces a useful result. With many choices to make, with many possible paths and potentials, the cat must use his innate ability to hone in on the best combination of elements to face his current situation.
 

Onaorkal

Oh I really like what you said!!!

The magician is usually not a card I have a good grasp on, I only remember he's about intent, will and capacities. But the intellectual aspect and curious nature feels right to me.

I'm quite fond of scientific information and the bit about the usefulness of having fun while learning resonates with me a lot. Thanks so much for your addition to this thread! :)