Artful Discipline, Sacred Sight

א' טבת תשס"ט
Grael 2

In follow-up to an entry from last month (A Witch's Familiar), the thirty-fourth shaman stone in my Temple Collection corresponds to the Feline spirit. As written in A Witch's Familiar, Felines epitomize "the archetypal qualities of grace, elegance, charm, deep insight and intuition, agility, speed, strength, ferocity, deadly claws, patience, affection, motherly protection, birth, bounty, luxuriant simple pleasure, playfulness, music and the dance of joy."

In Celtic shamanism, whether big or small, cats exemplify the lunar qualities of stillness, quiet watchfulness, waiting, patience, biding one's time, being in the right place at the right time, making one's move at the right time, and not being thrown by anxiety such that one makes the wrong move. The Feline spirit imparts the ability to practice patient self-discipline.

Cat is a guardian creature, especially in out of the way places, near stone circles, in ancient forests, on lonely country roads, along ley lines, in valleys, and in other zones of mystical power.

The Feline eye enables the witch to see through the darkness into the light. Wise, powerful and artful clairvoyance is a gift from Cat. This ability naturally flows from Cat's inclination not to rush, but rather to stalk, circle and wait in the shadows, allowing even deeper insights to rise to the surface over those immediately apparent. True wisdom develops with the power to willfully withhold.

As the shaman stone for the spirit of Feline, I designate a rare natural chrysoberyl cat's eye from Sri Lanka. In the gem trade, the term cat's eye alone always refers to chrysoberyl cat's eye. Chrysoberyl is highly esteemed for it's tendency to display a sharp cat's eye which can be seen in any kind of light. The thin bright band of light characteristic of cat's eye will open and close as the stone is rotated - this phenomenon is called chatoyancy.

Qualities associated with chrysoberyl include: discipline and self-control, the ability to focus and concentrate, clear thinking and foresight, and protection. Because chrysoberyl also transforms negative energy into positive energy, it promotes healthy tolerance, harmony and true peace.