Author

Subject: A cat

lili

17:26 02/09/2001 

I was holding a cat (just a normal brown and white cat). Its belly was facing the ceiling. I was inside my house. My boyfriend's mother was doing the dishes in the kitchen. I was in the dining room next to it.

While I was holding the cat, it seemed to be suffering from something and my impression was that the cat was going to die. I had someone telling me (in my head), before a cat dies, it usually vomits. Then this cat vomits and had a bad cough. I was holding the cat the whole time. There are people walking around the house but they did not really pay any attention to me.

The cat kept coughing and then later died in my arm. I remember patting the cat and keep saying, "Poor cat, it is going to die".

I never owned a cat and I do not have any domestic animal in the house.

Dream edited for easier reading - JT, 2005

2004

Jane Teresa's View

Jane Teresa Anderson

Overview Interpretation & Dream Alchemy Practice suggestion

OVERVIEW INTERPRETATION

Hi Lili,

How do you feel about cats, Lili? What is the personality of a cat? How does a cat feel living in a domestic situation, do you think? You particularly mention the word ‘domestic’ and with your boyfriend’s mother doing the dishes in your dream I have a feeling the car symbolises adapting to domesticity in some way.

Animals in our dreams represent our own animal instincts and energies, but because we all perceive animals differently the exact symbolism changes from person to person. Many people see cats as intuitive or independent so cats often represent the dreamer’s intuition. I still get domesticity in your case, and as you do not have domestic animals in your house I get the feeling you’re not in favour of bringing wild animals into the home environment or in tying yourself down to looking after an animal.

Your dream cat had its belly, its softest most vulnerable part, facing up and it was suffering. Were you feeling particularly vulnerable at the time of your dream? How were you suffering emotionally?

You were in the dining room, the place where food is eaten and you are nourished, so it’s interesting that the cat is about to vomit, about to bring up the food that should be nourishing him, but isn’t. Were you feeling emotionally unnourished? Were you finding it difficult to digest emotional circumstances around you? Were your domestic beliefs under challenge from your boyfriend’s mother? Had you taken all you could stomach and were you ready to vomit it all up?

The cat had a cough. We say ‘cough it up’ to mean ‘speak up’ or to imply getting something off your chest. Did this apply to how you were feeling?

No-one was really paying any attention to you in the dream, suggesting that you felt unsupported in your emotional suffering.

The cat died. Was this the death of domesticity or the death of its wild side? What cat-like energy did you feel was dying or ending within you at this time? Was this a good thing or a bad thing?

You will find it helpful to read ‘The awesome wild animal’ in Dream Alchemy, pages 150-6 and ‘Death and murder’ in Dream Alchemy, pages 283-88.

DREAM ALCHEMY PRACTICE

Dialogue:

Your dialogue is between you and the suffering cat. Start by saying, “Why are you giving up?” and see what the cat automatically answers. Keep it going for 20 minutes.

How to do this:

Give yourself no longer than 20 minutes. When you do this exercise do NOT think! Don’t plan ahead. Just let whatever happens happen. Let the two entities speak to each other on paper using whatever words come up. It’s a bit like writing a film script or play – but without the brain being involved.

How does this work?

By not thinking, by keeping the words flowing, you are letting your right brain and unconscious mind do most of the work. They created the original dream so they know what these symbols mean for you. They will reveal. You will be surprised.

More details on Dialogue as a Dream Alchemy Practice in: “Dream Alchemy”, by Jane Teresa Anderson, pages 321-4 and 333.

Jane Teresa Anderson

You can consult with Jane Teresa or her Dream Team and receive your interpretation by email within five working days.

ORIGINAL THREAD

Below is the original forum discussion on this dream, contributed before Jane Teresa's 2004 interpretation.

Star

18:33 03/09/2001 

Hi Lili - welcome.

Cats for me represent my wild feminine independant psychic instincts. In this case, if it were my dream, it would indicate that the domestication of those instincts which does occur as we compromise and tame our free wild natures because we often believe we are expected to, is in the process of dying.

Vomiting, again for me, symbolises something I am not digesting in life. Sore throats/coughing etc. usually show me that I am not saying the truth I need to. That I am holding onto something that I really want to say.

Mothers often indicate nurturing. That this lady is washing the dishes, again if it were mine, would indicate that I need to clean up clear away a domestic issue of some sort.

Hope that helps, there's obviously more in your dream but want to leave room for others different views if they choose to comment. Most important is looking at what each symbol means to you.