Black Cat Appreciation Day!

Today is National Black Cat Appreciation Day, so I would like to pay homage to all the black cats out there.

Petula (my little black cat,) and the little black kitten who I first shared with all of you in my blog Hail To The Black Cat…Thoughts Of A Wood Witch shares my tarot and “Shroom room” as I like to call it, and she truly seems to adore it. For one thing, the room is gated, which in translation means tis Myrtel proofed. Myrtle Snow is my little red pit-bull / lab, puppy /gargoyle, who would instantly commence in chewing up Petula’s toys and food, and basically be an all around pest, so she is for good reason… forbidden. Since Petula was a kitten she has always loved to be around during my tarot readings, now I just say “Petula Tarot,” and she quickly appears to join me. I grow a spider plant over her box, as it hides what it is, and Petula can nibble on it once in awhile as it’s safe for cats in small quantities. Spider plants can cause a mild, catnip-like hallucinogenic effect in cats, which might be why they dig it. But on that note to much can cause tummy upsets, so only a little nibble here and there is allowed.

I also grow cat grass and catnip there, as that way she has her own little salad bar per se. I see her as I pass by the room, enjoying her own space away from everyone… Myrtel. Sipping her water, nibbling on her nip, and then rolling around playing with her toys. A happy little mew. Catnip is by far Petula’s favorite, which is why I talk of it today.

Nepeta cataria, also known as catwort, cat’s play, and cat mint to name a few. A member of the Lamiaceae family, and a plant of Venus. The leaves having such a dark blue-green color, revealing a true hue of Venus. Also mint’s are a favorite of the goddess Aphrodite. So use catnip for love magick, as a book mark for your love spells, or for lust and fertility charms. One can also use catnip in your divinations, especially when inquiring about love, and you can add some to dream pillows, with a bit of mugwort and lavender. In old Irish folklore it was told that a witch could shapeshift into a feline eight times, but on the ninth time she could no longer return to human form. As in the saying cats have nine lives. Catnip also has an association with the October Blood Moon, which indeed shows that this flora, like Petula, has a bit of a dark side…