Author

Subject: ate the cat

Diane

11:53 04/03/2000 

I am eating out of a bathtub full of grits.

In one spoonful is a black cat which I don't really notice until it is half in my mouth.

It is headfirst. I think, "With the direction the fur is going, it's easier to swallow than to spit out."

Since I've learned that dream cats often represent spirituality, it bothers me that this cat seemed rather lifeless, although I did not feel it was dead.

Dream edited for easier reading - JT, 2005

Read the original thread or Jane Teresa's view.

diannew

17:00 04/03/2000 

Hi, fellow person with my name!

Maybe you feel you need more spirituality or you feel limp/lifeless in your spiritual strength.??? Was it at a time when you felt exhausted and needed strength? Or did you just simply feel like coughing up a hair ball? Grits are "gritty", bathtubs are sometimes grimmy with tub-rings, and cats cough up hairballs. On the other hand, bathtubs also represent a clean-out or cleansing, grits (if your from the south and I am) represent good wholesome comfort food/nourishment, and cats, well they just don't give a damn about much of anything. (the last comment about cats was completely in jest) In all seriousness, what do these symbols mean to you personally, if anything. Maybe you felt like you were swallowing a bunch of emotions at the time or were swallowing your spiritual beliefs rather than bringing them out (spitting out). What were you feeling at that time in your life?

Diannew

Angela

03:46 05/03/2000 

Hi Diane and a big welcome to you!

I am one of the mulitples who dreams of cats... as you've probably read. In thinking on your dream, I'm wondering that the cat may take on a spiritual life once it is ingested. I think of cats as quite instictive animals, so perhaps instinct was telling you to take more spirituality into your life?

I agree on Dianne's bathtub comments. It is a place for cleansing (and 'nourishing', I see too) -- grits and all!

Anyway, just a little bit from me on an ever interesting subject.

Angela.

dianen

08:40 05/03/2000 

Thanks, diannew and Angela! I think you guys are on target. I think I was struggling with my spirituality when I had this dream. I had major problems with the religion I was brought up with,yet I felt it held the elements of truth.How much to swallow and what to spit out? Perhaps at that time I accepted a watered down version of their beliefs(half-alive).Did I "take what I could swallow" and instill it with deeper life and meaning? Maybe that was what the dream meant for me to do. Wish I had the Dream Network then! Grits? Nurishing(nurturing)but bland! I always jazz mine w/ cheese and sausage or ham.I know I had nurturing issues then(still do, working on it!).Breakfast was the only meal my mother did well, in my opinion. It's still my favourite. The grits in the dream were very bland. Not even salted. It was like I was spooning it in because thats all there was. Bathtub? Definitly cleansing. But I don't see how that fits in w/ the rest of the "message". Thanks for your responses and reading my ramblings here.

Rick B

01:12 07/03/2000 

Diane,

It's good to hear from you. I wonder if you were *not* properly nourished by the childhood religion. So the dream tells you to swallow: What? The old, watered down version, or something new? Would a new type of spiritual pursuit have seemed lifeless? I sometimes reject new things from entering me because of fear. Then when I can swallow it, it's always a relief.

I'm picturing you and your mother in the kitchen having a Jazzy Breakfast. Grits is grits, aren't they, until we add the stuff we really like. We need some variety in the things we know nurture us. The grits are my excuse to have the ham and cheese (like I need an excuse to treat myself well).

How about: bath tub, eating from, internal cleansing, cat-spirit, eating, nourishing, mother, simple, grits.

Random thoughts.

Rick B

guest

16:02 07/03/2000 

what are grits, for we aussies benfit?????

diannew

07:18 08/03/2000 

Grits is a corn-meal dish made for breakfast, generally. It's very popular in the Southern United States. They are granular, white and generally bland unless you add salt, pepper, maybe cheese and as suggested, sausage or ham. Although it doesn't sound all that enticing, the dish is really quite good ---- especially mixed with your eggs. :-)

Dianne

dianen

11:59 09/03/2000 

Hi Rick! The idea of the cat being a new type of spiritual persuit intrigued me. While I was thinking on that, I remembered that the cat was actually a kitten! I wish the dream was not so long ago. I'm having trouble recalling my feelings and actions at the time. But I think it was near or before a time that I was fascinated with Carl Jungs ideas on spirituality.(A big stretch from my moderate Baptist upbringing)Don't you just love watching a cat stretch! No creature does it better.

Rick B

07:26 11/03/2000 

Dianen,

Yes, cats are the best strechers - little 4-legged Yogis. And yes, I get the stretch idea. I put my right hand out to indicate the Baptist stuff I was raised in, then my left hand out opposite to indicate the direction I want to go. Do that and accept the direction of the fur. Which way the fur? Try not to choke on the cat. Know it's a little frustrating working on an old dream. Can you go back into it?

Rick B

dianen

21:31 11/03/2000 

Talk about *food for thought*! Trying to go back....

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