by Conscious Reminder
Black cats – whenever you see them cross the road before you, you start cowering. What misfortune lies ahead? A black cat is often associated with a lot of negative images.
Let’s see it through literature and Hollywood – in both these mediums, black cats are a symbol of horror and omens. How many times have you seen a black cat be in focus for a while in a horror film?
Black cats are also part of Halloween traditions. When people decorate their homes and wear their Halloween costumes, you are likely to find black cats somewhere with its arched back and claws out.
Even the news tells us that we should keep black cats with us inside the house and not take them out during Halloween.
However, isn’t it strange that these magnificent creatures get all the stigma upon them? Why should they be considered unlucky?
After all, cats are just such lovely animals. Here are some of the great things about cats:
1. Divine Cats
Ancient Egypt worshiped cats. They were sacred and seen as mighty. Hence, Bast and Sekhmet, powerful goddesses of Egypt, resembled cats. Cats in the family had jewelry and handsome collars. If any cat passed away, the family mourned them and there was a huge ceremony performed to determine the passage of the cat to the next world. Cats were held as divine in Egypt.
2. Familiar with witches
In the Middle Ages, cats were associated with witchcraft and witches. During the late 1300s, many witches in France worshipped cats. The nocturnal nature of cats was connected with witches. As per the Church, they all met at night for witchcraft meetings.
3. Cats of today
During the Second World War, Halloween became quite huge in America and cats became a part of it. They were seen as lucky and black cats would scare off any critters. While people are not as superstitious now as before, black cats remain a constant in October.
4. Legends regarding the Black Cat
There are many strange superstitions related to the black cat.
In the 16th century, Italians thought that if you are sick and a black cat leaped onto your bed, you were likely to die soon.
In Colonial America, many Scottish immigrants was of the belief that when a black cat enters a wake, it is bad luck. It might mean the impending death of a close family member.
When a black cat was killed by a Roman soldier in Egypt, the soldier was lynched by the mob.
As per Appalachian folklore, if you suffered from a stye on your eyelid, it can go away by rubbing a black cat’s tail on it.
The South of Scotland and the border countries of England considered a black cat on your front porch as lucky.
Black cats are defenders of secrets. So, when black cats cross your path, it wants to tell you that something great is coming your way. Be prepared to receive it.
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