Conference hydra::dejavu

    Oh gee... I can't pass up a cat note.  
    My familiar is an all black (fluffy) cat with yellow eyes named
    Ack (short for Pywacket).  Ack is an EXTREMELY smart, talented and
    clever cat.  Ack has always protected our house physically... he
    hides in the bushes and when a stranger approaches the door he 
    jumps at him and wraps his paws around his ankle_:-), but I also
    have reason to believe that Ack protects our house psychically too.

    
    
      But, Why do a lot of people dislike CATS?
    
    LORENZO
    

    Well Lorenzo, I think that some people dislike cats because they
    hide in the bushes and jump out at their ankles_:-)
    Mary

    Some people are angry (jealous?) of a Cat's independence compared
    to a dog.
    
    Dave
    (who loves all furry animals and some not so furry ;-)

    Some people think cats are little tiger! That's why they are scared
    of the cats. :-)
    
    For me, cats can purr by my ear anytime.

    Some people don't like cats because they seem rather cruel; how
    many of us feline owners have had our cats proudly drop a dead bird
    at our feet with a "Mrow?" sound..."see what a good hunter I am?
    I'm earning my keep here, bringing food back to the household. Why
    are you turning such a funny color?"
    
    Dogs are pack animals and hunt just as "cruelly" as cats in the
    wild...but many people don't like cats because they kill cute furry
    bunnies and such.  Blame nature, not the cat.
    
    I have a cat that I picked out of a litter of newborn kittens the
    day after she was born, and she was the runt, so I was kind of
    attracted to her...all the other kittens were hogging mama's milk
    and she was trying to fight her way through to get some, and I always
    have been a sucker for underdogs, so I picked her out and as soon
    as she was weaned I took her home...crying all the way.
    
    She was an unusual looking cat, solid grey but the grey changed
    shades depending on which way the light shone on it, and if the
    sun shines on her just right, her fur is almost silver, and it actually
    does "shine"!  She's a long hair cat, and she has the most direct,
    piercing look out of her gold eyes I've ever seen on an animal.
    So I named her Rhiannon, an exotic, flowing name fitting of her
    beauty and unusual manner (she is like a cat in the dark and then
    she is the darkness...Stevie N.).  She waits by the door every day
    when I come in at night and rubs up against me as I take off my
    coat,and she follows me around from room to room, and her eyes follow
    my movements around the room like a hawk.
    
    A psychic once told me (the one who read white in my aura) that
    she and I had made each other's acquaintances before, though she
    was not a cat but another animal (btw, humans never re-incarnate
    as animals because one does not move backward along the evolutionary
    scale DW)...and that she liked/likes me a lot.
    
    Dreams unwind, love's a state of mind.
    
    Doug

    re .2 (Lorenzo):
    
    Some people dislike cats because cats are for the most part nocturnal;
    many people are afraid of the dark (and, in some cases what might
    lurk in it), and associate cats with that.
    
    Cats were once thought to have traffic with Satanic witches (unlikely),
    and during the witch hysteria, many cats were killed.  (Not
    coincidentally, as the cats were destroyed, the rat population grew
    and spread the Black Plague throughout Europe; thus were the innocent
    cats avenged.)  [Actually, the usual "evil familiar" is a jet black
    dog.  Cornelius Agrippa was supposed to have one of these.  (This
    does _not_ mean I think all black dogs are hounds of Hell; it's
    just that such was the usual form.  Demons also occasionally appeared
    as beautiful women and handsome men, so don't read anything into
    anything.  (-:)] 
    
    On a non-arcane level, cats are individualists, and some people
    hate these.  Hitler, for instance, despised cats; whereas Winston
    Churchill, arguable the greatest figure of Wortld war II, loved
    both cats and dogs.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    My mother-in-law & her sister always exhibited a cringing sort of
    fear around cats...I grew up with more animals than people,  and
    couldn't understand it so I asked.  The answer?, 60 years ago the
    two boys in the family would throw cats at the girls.....early
    trauma can be permanent....
    
    On the farm we had a dozen 'barn cats' at any time.  I can't remember
    any of them dying of old age, they hunted ferociously.  Sometimes
    they dragged home barely alive, torn up by some 'prey' bigger than
    they were.  I never had one tangle with a porcupine, however, but
    lots of dogs did, some repeatedly.  (Cats smarter???)    MWR
    

    On behalf of Neufoundland owners around the world I would like to
    state that big black dogs are wonderful and not a bit evil... just
    for the record_:-)_(sic him boy_:-)
    Mary

    My next door neighbors own four (count 'em FOUR) Newfoundlands.
    Two were from a litter from the oldest pair born last February.
    All of them weigh over one hundred pounds and *LOVE* attention,
    It's loads of fun playing with dogs over half your weight...
    
    As I was shoveling this morning, one of the younger dogs was watching
    me, her black fir was covered with icicles as she stood there oblivious
    to the cold.  I guess they like weather like that.

 I've copied this from 42.1:
    
    According to some occult theories, there are [for want of a better term]
beings composed of some sort of discarnate material (plasm?) that are
invisible except to people and animals sensitive to "psychic" forces.
Cats are notoriously sensitive.  The following is true (although the
names have been changed):

"Al" is someone who is a thorough student of the occult.  He was spending
the evening with his fiancee, "Jane," who has a cat, "Whitey."  On the
night in question, Whitey suddenly jumped off the living-room footrest, and 
stared at something neither Al nor Jane could see.  Whatever it was appeared
to be hovering about a foot off the floor.  Whitey tracked the thing, cau-
tiously, along the living room, keeping close to the footrest.  The thing
apparently floated into the kitchen, and hovered there.  Whitey would _not_
enter the kitchen.  Then Al, who had the necessary tools, did a Banishing
Ritual, using traditional methods.  Only after the ritual had been finished
would Whitey enter the kitchen.  Jane commented on the change of Whitey's
attitude after the ritual.

Was anything there?  I believe so.  Was it malevolent?  Perhaps not, but
it certainly bothered Whitey.

Steve Kallis, Jr.                            
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Whity, alas, is now departed from us.  He never behaved like that
    before or after, according to Jane.
    
    -SK    

    RE: .11 (Steve)
    
    Nice story, but cats have imaginations too!  I suspect your friend
    burned smudge sticks or something in the kitchen, and the cat stayed
    out until the smell cleared away.
    
    I do not like cats.  But the funny thing is that people often compare
    me to one!  As to why I do not like them, please see the following:
    
                 <<< TAMARA::SYS$VAT:[NOTES]MENNOTES.NOTE;1 >>>
                         -< Topics of Interest to Men >-
================================================================================
Note 88.18                     On Men and Cats...                       18 of 61
DECWET::MITCHELL                                     22 lines   9-APR-1987 20:54
                              -< Cats? HATE 'em! >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I appreciate cats as art objects--they are beautiful to look at.  But I
hate them.  *HATE* them!!  Cats take and take and take and give nothing.
And that hair!  It flies everywhere (unlike dog hair).  Ever visit a person
who owns a cat?  No matter how neat they are, you walk out with cat hair
on you.  And yes, it does end up in food (yeech).

While I'm at it, I would like to add that cats are NOT clean.  Not having
visible dirt on oneself does not make one clean.  Cats will go about anywhere,
and then lick themselves all over like some kind of popsickle.  Who wants
an animal covered with spit?!  "Clean?"  Cats love to sit there and lick their
little butts.  Give me an animal you can wash.

(BTW: Before anyone starts up, cats and dogs do NOT have antiseptic saliva.
That is an age-old health myth.)

Oh yes.  Cats just love to jump on tables, chairs, even kitchen counters.
Dogs don't do that.  I love dogs.

John M.

P.S.  I have a TON of cat abuse stories (that is, how they love to abuse
*me.*  I hate cats (except two) but would NEVER harm one).
    

    My cat, "Yellow", is reading this file from my lap with interest.
    
    Gee, he's never even been to school  :^).
    
    Elizabeth

    re: -.1
        The thought that occured to me would just start up an
    "Across the crowded room" type of response, so forget it.
      
        I haven't cared for cats too much so it's interesting to
    me that my girlfriend has six of them and that I've actually grown
    to admire them.  Am I softing as I grow old?
    
    Frederick
    

    
    	My cat Mr Jinx is quite sensitive too. He knows when he's being
    talked about or "tattled" on...you can just tell. He also knows
    when you are upset and is willing to share his being with you at
    these times. He gets offended easily, for example if you dare suggest
    that he sleep over here vs the spot he's chosen.
    
    	Joe Jas
    

    Re .12 (John):
    
    >.....................................I suspect your friend
    >burned smudge sticks or something in the kitchen, and the cat stayed
    >out until the smell cleared away.
    
    Good guess, but inaccurate.  When I got the story, I even had the
    basic details of the ritual used, and it involved, among other things,
    burning an ordinary candle -- no odor.  Whitey wouldn't go into
    the kitchen before the ritual was started (he couldn't be coaxed), 
    and _immediately aftyer_ the ritual, he went in, curious.  The odors
    wouldn't have had a chance to dissipate, had any been present that
    humans couldn't smell.
    
    On aeilurophobia, I'm sorry for folks who have it.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    re .17 (Mary):
    
    >BTW, Mr. Mitchell--not all cats are independent/uncaring/ungiving!  
    >My one cat likes nothing better in the evening but to nap in my lap
    >and use me as pillow when we sleep.
     
    And Merlin is _embarrassingly_ devoted to me.  He is almost canine
    in his loyalty, which is why one of my nicknames for him is "puppy
    cat."
    
    However, this is DEJAVU.  Those who want to wallow in cat stories,
    there's another conference (YOGI::FELINE) for that.  I think here
    we ought to stick to cats and the paranormal.
    
    Those wanting to add FELINE to their notebook, hit "select" (or
    KP7) ...
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    maybe the fact that only two animals like to "play"/terrorize things
    to death with no particular desire to eat them puts them into a
    direct confrontation with the other animal that also likes to do
    that

    Another cat story ...
    
    Many years ago while living in a northern suburb of Detroit I left
    my year-old cat, Sunshine, with my sister who lived about 40 miles
    away (across many freeways south of Downtown) while I moved into
    a new abode.  The second day there, she ran away, and after many
    days of door-to-door search we figured she was hopelessly lost.
     This was in September ... the following March a friend of mine
    was doing a substitute mail route in the neighborhood where I had
    previously lived.  He left a note on my car at work that said "I
    think I saw Sunshine by the old appartment!"  After work I hurried
    there, and went to the apartment where I'd lived before.  The woman
    who answered the door said a very dirty cat had been hanging around
    for the past two days trying to get in everytime someone opened
    the door, but ran away when she was approached.  It was well after
    dark, and cold, but I knew I had to look for her.  As I walked around
    the building, I called her name, and lo and behold, a VERY dirty,
    and bedraggled Sunshine appeared.  I don't know who was crying more,
    her or me, but it was definitely MY Shine.  Somehow she had found
    her way home, and the trek being well over 40 miles of innercity
    freeways, and who-knows what other obstacles.  (She did find some
    warmth along the way; four days later she had 9 kittens.)
    
    Anyway, we were together for another 16 years; the next time I moved
    she went WITH me.
    
    C.

    I love stories like that, but I HATE crying in front of people.
    
    S.

    One thing about the felines I've known (to a cat) that may disconcert
    some is definitely related to DEJAVU subject material.
    
    You may have heard some people say that dogs tend to look like their
    owners?  All the cats I have known tend to _act_ like their owners.
    They (like one's children?) have a real knack for picking up on
    your inmost characteristics and mirroring them back to you.  I find
    that lovely people raise lovely cats, weirdos raise weirdos.  I
    can see how people uncomfortable with their secret selves would
    not want _any_ reminders around.
    
    Grins,
    		Marcia

    My cat also tries to be very consoling when someone he likes is
    hurt or upset.  He will come to the upset person, purr, get as close
    as possible (yes, even lick away tears).  He also gets quite upset
    and worried if someone is later coming home than he expects.
    
    So much for uncaring cats...
    
    Elizabeth
    

    It is true that cats pick up on the mood of their humans  very 
    rapidly and accurately.  I am not sure that it has as much to do 
    with the paranormal as we might want to believe.  I think that 
    they are very alert to "body language" when it comes to "reading" 
    humans.  They are probably, on the other hand, very alert to 
    outward physical signs of "spirits" (for lack of a better word).  
    They, unlike humans, have not been programmed not to believe in 
    that sort of thing and therefore they probably pick up on subtle
    changes.  It has been my observation that cats are usually very
    "wired" to their environment.  Even when they seem to be asleep,
    their "radar" ears can be seen to sweep the room from time to time.
    
    Marion

    Re: 20
    
    I have felt, over the years, that animals reincarnate to be with
    their loved ones ... just like their human friends.
    
    About 8 weeks after the passing of Shine, on the way home from work
    I stopped (without previous thought of doing so), at a house with
    a FREE KITTENS sign.  There were two waiting for me, one a Shine
    look-alike and the other her very sickly, runty sister.  It never
    ceases to amaze me that their personalities mirror their predecessor
    so much ... one, the quiet, affectionate side of Shine, and the
    other, a real space-cat; even to the point of enjoying hanging upside
    down (something I'd never seen a cat do before Shine).
    
    C.

    RE: .23 (Elizabeth)
    
    He probably licks the tears for their salt (ain't that just like
    a cat).
    
    
    John M.

	I have a couple of stories about cat-friends who have lived
	with me over the years.

	Clancy --- he was a mackeral striped tabby and was very 
	special to me.  He was allowed out occasionally as long
	as he had human company, so one day he was out with Mike
	and a very sneaky neighborhood dog came quietly over and
	before Mike knew it, the dog had chased Clancy into the
	woods.  We looked for him for 4 days - it was terrible.
	A very good woman friend of mine offered to help me look
	for him (it was July 4th), so we started to comb the 
	woods.  After about an  hour, my friend stopped and in her
	mind asked her spirit friends to please help us find 
	Clancy.  What came to her was "leave no stone unturned".
	She shared this with me, and within 5 minutes we came
	upon a stone wall and there was Clancy.  We wrapped him
	in a shirt and brought him back to the house and buried
	him in the yard.  And then....

	Annie --- a lovely Abysinnian-type cat with the greenest
	eyes and *extremely* smart --- came home a little while
	later.  We were all still out in the yard.  She came
	right over and rested right on top of the place where we
	had buried Clancy, almost as if she knew.....

        Later that summer, we adopted

	Sammy --- here's his story.  We decided that we wanted
	to adopt an orange kitty, so one day we took a drive to
	the animal shelter in Salem, MA.  Sure enough, there were
	3 orange kittens - one cuter than the other.  As we went
	back and forth looking at these babies, a little black
	kitten started to make a commotion in his cage.  He was
	the silliest looking creature - really big ears and a stub 
	tail and very tiny and VERY LOUD.  He kept throwing himself
	at the door and crying.  So I said to Mike "I know we wanted
	an orange kitty, but this one looks so desperate - let me
	just hold him for a little while".  So I did and this little
	guy just curled right up and purred like crazy.  I couldn't
	leave him there, so we wound up with a black kitty instead
	of an orange one.  But I know in my heart that we were 
	meant to be together and it was this little creatures job
	to make sure we connected - he knew who we were and he 
	made sure that we didn't miss him.  There was really
	something special about that little guy.  He was only 1 and
	1/2 when he passed to spirit - I miss him very much.

	Carole

    RE: .26
    
    My dear Mary, no self-respecting cat would be caught DEAD licking your
    feet.  Cats have a sense of dignity, you know!
    
    ;-)                                                       
    
    John M.

    
    	An earlier reply mentioned how a Cat's behavior is a reflection
    of it's owner, that is, the personality of the owner is reflected
    in the personality of the Cat...
    
    	I've been reading a real neat book "Handbook to Higher
    Consciousness" which has a chapter dedicated to children. (See the
    "12 pathways" note in HumanRelations) To Quote:
    
    	"Children are very sensitive mirrors of your consciousness level.
    When they are surrounded by peaceful, loving people, they reflect
    a warm, flowing state most of the time. When they are surrounded
    by driven, other-directed, manipulating people, they rapidly reflect
    this tension and uptightedness in their behavior."
    
    	I wonder how many parents are acutely aware of this? Just a
    thought...
    
    	Joe
    

    
    
    re: .30 Joe
    
    I read the "Handbook to Higher Consciousness" almost ten years ago.
    It was at the time when my ex-husband and I separated, I was living
    on my own for the first time in my life, and was just starting to
    expand my awareness.  It assisted me through some really rough times.
    I also gave it as a gift to some very close friends.
    
    Carole
    
    
    

    
    
    Since there is a seperate notes file that is entirely devoted to
    cats, I think the idea of this one is to stick to the subject of
    cats and Psychic phenomena.
    
    My cat is named Tobermory, after the short story by Saki.  Tober
    lived since he was a kitten in a haunted house.  This house has
    been known since the turn of the century as one of New Englands
    established haunted houses.
    
    Tober loved it.  There would be times when I would walk into the
    room and see him energetically playing with someone who wasn't there.
    One could chalk this up to haing a cat with an active imaginatin
    except that there would be other phenomena connected with him.
    
    I had his front claws removed so he wouldn't destroy the delicate
    original materials in the house.  Because of this, I tried to convince
    him that he should be an indoor cat.  He didn't like the idea. 
    As I wouldn't let him out, he would get someone else to.
    
    There would be no one else in the house, the side door (Which was
    never used anyway) was closed with a dead bolt.  I would tell Tober
    he couldn't go out and come down later and the dead bolted door
    would be wide open and Tober gone.  No one in the house had let
    him out - I would ask, and no one else had a key (I changed the
    dead bolt to make sure).  It got so that when ever I passed that
    door I would look to see if it was bolted.  It would be but it would
    be open later.
    
    For a while, there was also a dog in the house.  At certain times,
    the dog would get very afraid of something and start to tremble
    or cry.  Sometimes this would be accompanied by other phenomina
    at the same time like something being moved, or the lights being
    turned off and on.  Tobermory, on the other hand would always take
    it in stride and actually seemed to gravitate to those rooms where
    something had just occured or was about to occur.
    
    By the way, Tober is black.
    
    Priscilla
    

Last Sunday, I went to Atlanta on business. 

I called my wife the next day and was told, among other things, that Merlin
(the ultra-devoted, mentioned at about .18) was so unhappy that I was gone
that he refused to eat, and went around the house making mournful sounds
(and preventing her from getting much sleep). 

The day before yesterday, I returned, departing Atlanta in the morning.
Having a window seat, I was aware that we'd just reached Massachusetts, and was
looking for landmarks when the flight attendent on the annunciator indicated 
the aircraft would be landing in roughly 10 minutes (we were coming in early).
I checked my watch, and saw it was just past 11:00 AM, meaning that I'd first
spotted Massachusetts at almost exactly 11:00.

My wife told me that Merlin had been sleeping on our bed (which is upstairs), and
that exactly at 11:00, he woke up, hopped off the bed, went down four steps on
our stsirs and _stared_ at the front door, making occasional little cries.  He 
stayed there without moving until I came through the front door.  Carmen's first
words tome were, "Merlin's been waiting for you."

After he was _sure_ I was okay, he hissed at me for leaving him, and stalked off.
An hour later, he forgave me.

Steve Kallis, Jr.

    
    Neat story Steve!  Cats are so psychic, but the best part is that
    you and your wife are open enough to notice this very special
    connection.
    
    
    A few months' ago I had this interesting experience with our newest
    cat friend, Thomas (10 month's old now and full of you-know-what!)
    ;^).  Michael and I had taken our other cat friend Veronica to the
    vets for a check-up.  There was a really beautiful Great Pyrenees
    dog there that I stopped to 'talk' with for awhile, and then we
    went home.  We went to bed, I fell quickly to sleep, and then woke
    up about 2:00 am.  I couldn't go back to sleep, and reached out to
    see if Thomas was in his usual sleeping position between Michael
    and I.  Sure enough, there he was, sound asleep.  I gently rested
    my hand on his side and decided to send him some healing energy.
    I relaxed and let the energy flow through my hand to Thomas and as
    I did this, the face of the dog I had seen earlier came clearly 
    before my mind's eye.  Just as I saw the face, Thomas growled!
    Scared me silly!  I would swear that I projected the dog's face
    into Thomas' dreams and gave him somewhat of a nightmare!  Poor
    little guy.  :^)
    
    Carole

    As Carole will attest, my big black Maine Coon cat, Albert is
    'psychic' in regards to healing.  Whenever I am practicing (I'm still a
    student) Polarity on anyone, he will immediately check out what is
    going on.  In most cases, he'll jump up on the table, go directly to
    where the person needs work and start 'kneading' that area with his
    paws.  Then he settles down and just basks in the energy.
    
    He is normally skittish and doesn't like crowds, but I held a Polarity
    workshop in my home on Saturday and when the instructor was
    demonstrating chakra balancing on the volunteer participant, Albert
    joined right in and demonstrated that he knew more about what was going
    on then the rest of us!  Really awesome to watch!  ;')
    
    Ro
    

    Ro, you were in the next room, but when I was practicing on someone who
    was really calm and together, Albert went under the table and totally
    zonk out. When that someone got up afterwards, Albert got up and left
    the area.
    
    PJ

    
    
    Albert is a wonderful Polarity partner!  There's a really special
    communication going on there.
    
    Give him a pat for me Ro.
    
    Carole

    PJ (36),
    
    Yup, I 'peeked' in PJ and noticed Albie under the table.  That *certain
    someone* does seem to always retain a calm center when those around him
    are scattered.  Very healing to be around his energy, must be why I'm
    marrying him!  8^) 8^)
    
    Roey
    

    
    Ro's getting married, Ro's getting married...(;^)
    
    Speaking of that, did you two meet through this conference by chance?
    
    Cindy

Re .39 (Cindy):

>Speaking of that, did you two meet through this conference by chance?

No, by DECnet. ;-)

Steve Kallis, Jr.

    Cindy,
    
    Yes, as a matter of fact, we did meet through Dejavu over three years
    ago.  We corresponded through mail regarding an entry he had written about
    using the Lord's Prayer as a meditation involving the chakras.  We
    became good friends, but it wasn't until last fall that we realized
    there was more to it than a platonic friendship.  But gee, Cindy,
    you've heard this story before; in fact, weren't you an eyewitness to
    the progression of this romance?  ;')  8^)
    
    I'm sure we're not the first DEJAVU wedding though!!!  Right, Mary and
    Dave?
    
    Ro
    

    
    Re.40
    
    Got me again, Steve!!!
    
    Cindy

    
    Ro,
    
    I didn't recall the origin of the story...(;^)...
    
    Cindy