“There was a black cat across the way and I caught him staring at me” has different meanings for different people. Some people throughout history have believed black cats and all cats in general are evil forces connected to the king of hell and that they come to lead people astray. Others believe that all cats, but most especially black cats are shamanistic animals and animal mediums that bring great spiritual and psychic power to the people fortunate enough to be visited by them. This article will explore:
A black cat crossing paths meaning can either be considered a blessing or a curse depending on your beliefs. Some people find black cats to be the very meaning of disaster coming their way and others consider black cats to be a good omen, meaning good luck. What is a black cat cross paths with someone meaning and what is the meaning of the color black itself? What are some popular cat superstitions, and how can you connect with your cat magically regardless of what color it is? Are cats psychics? Can they communicate with the dead? Read on to find out!
A Black Cat Crossing Your Path
“ A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere.” – Groucho Marx
What is it about black cats that get a reaction that is much more powerful than any other animal seems to get? Is it their beauty or their mysterious appearance? Is it how their eyes glow in the dark, or how they seem to float through the night? We may never know exactly why people have such strong reactions to cats that are specifically black, but there are some pretty strong beliefs about what their divine timing meaning is when they cross paths with you. Some people see this as a good thing, and others see it as a bad thing, but still other people say it all depends on the context in which the cat has been seen, and how you react whether there will be good or bad things come about from this visit.
It is believed that if you see a black cat while driving and you run over it with your car, you will have bad luck. So be careful and make sure the cat is safe. Some people believe that if you see a black cat outside and it follows you that the cat is one of the powerful animal mediums and its message to you is that it has foreseen good things coming your way and it is letting you know. It can be one of the powerful shamanic animal readings and the cat is telling you to open yourself to great opportunities that are coming your way. A black cat following you can also be letting you know that you have its spiritual protection or that it is just an innocent soul, meaning a sweet animal you are being invited to adopt.
A black cat can act as a divine messenger, bringing a warning about making mistakes when it is staring at you. This is an omen that you should open your mind, and eyes, and really pay attention to things before making a decision or you could regret it! Indeed, an old English charm says, “Black cat, cross my path- good fortune bring to home and hearth. When I’m away from home, bring me luck wherever I roam.” An old Latvian belief is that cats are the spirit of Rungis, the god of harvest, and they are thrilled when cats come to their granaries, believing they bring with them his blessings.
Black Color Meaning
“ Black is the queen of colors.” – Anonymous
The color black meaning, personality wise or otherwise, means different things to different people. In the Bible, it represents mourning, suffering, death, famine, and the grave in various different Old Testament scriptures. Black is the color of mourning in American, Italian, and many European cultures, and it is the proper color worn at funerals. So as a result, some people see black as a scary color associated with very bad things, and all things black including black animals are seen as terrifying.
However, not everybody associates black with bad things. Black is worn by judges and represents the law and justice to many people. It also represents formal elegance and is worn to pay the highest respect to people at rites of passage like weddings and honorary events that are “black tie occasions.” Black is also seen as a color of protection, magic, deep spirituality, psychic powers, strength, power, and it also symbolizes authority. It symbolizes sophistication and creativity as well as mystery.
There is really no neutral reaction to black. It is either seen as a very good color or a very bad color and black symbolizes all the best of things or the very worst of things depending on who you ask. Burning black candles meaning can equal disaster, meaning horrible things or it can symbolize great sacredness.
Cat Superstitions
“ Jokes about crazy cat ladies seem harmless enough, but at their core is a disturbing echo of the hysterical witch superstitions of the Middle Age.” – Tom Cox
Cats in general, be they black, white, tabby striped, or even calico cats, are animals that human beings are especially superstitious about. Superstitions are beliefs sometimes called folk beliefs or old wives’ tales and some of them have been proven to be unfounded. Others, however, like a haze around the moon portends that rain is on the way, have been proven to be true. Superstitions are often passed down for generations and people sometimes automatically believe them without question. Different superstitions say cats are either good luck or evil. Others say they are spirit guides, magical helpers, or bringers of psychic illumination.
Good Luck
Believe it or not, it has been found that over thirty percent of cat adoptions are of black cats even though some people see them as bad luck and that includes black and white tuxedo cats. Perhaps the idea of a formally dressed cat who is always looking their best for pictures appeals to people and the color black does not deter as many people as would be thought! Read more cat adoption statistics here: 61 Fun Cat Statistics That Are the Cat’s Meow! (2023 UPDATE) | Petpedia It is an old Romany belief that if you see a cat, most especially a black cat crossing your path, that it is an omen of good luck coming your way! In Ancient Egypt, black cats and cats in general were seen as good luck and embodiments of the goddess Bastet. Having a cat at home brought in prosperity and fertility, and warriors adorned their shields with images of cats for luck and protection in battle.
Black cats have better luck in some ways with their health than cats that are other colors. For one thing, their color camouflages them in dark places, making them harder for predators to see. They are naturally resistant to some kinds of cancer, and it has been said their fur carries things that are immune to HIV. It is also believed in some parts of Germany that if a black cat crosses from left to right in front of you it brings luck. Some pirates believed a black cat walking away from you brought luck, and some people also believed a black cat walking up to you brought you luck. Many believe a cat will bring luck to the household by keeping rodents and other small critters that spread disease away.
Indeed, a Welsh charm from the late eighteen hundreds says, “ A black cat, I’ve heard it say can charm an ill away, and keep the house from wherin she dwells from fever’s deadly sway. “ Sailors traditionally kept a “ship cat”, most especially a black one, and their wives kept black cats at home so their good luck could influence home and family away at sea. It was believed that a single lady who had a black cat would have many men interested in her romantically and the ancient Norse associated cats of all colors with fertility and the goddess Freyja, so new brides were gifted kittens! It was also believed that black cats could grant wishes.
Evil
Believe it or not, in the Middle Ages, cats were considered evil servants of the devil who aided witches in using malevolent magic. Cats in general were suspected, but all black animals including dogs, goats, and even birds were considered animals of the devil. The Pilgrims who came to America were strictly against members of other faiths, and they believed strongly in the existence of demon worshiping witches and that cats, most especially black cats were witches' familiars, or servant animals. They believed that black cats were “an integral part of their craft” and they regularly killed every black cat they could find. In some parts of Europe, black cats were burned in Midsummer fires, and during the Inquisition, if a cat was seen around someone, most especially if a black cat seen around any woman, she and the cat were accused of witchcraft and were executed, sometimes after horrible torture.
Black cats are associated with Halloween, and some superstitious people see Halloween as a night of the devil when death is glamorized, and evil deeds abound. In America, many animal shelters hold onto black cats near Halloween to protect them from the ill will of human beings, ensuring no black cat is punished for human’s misunderstanding of them. Some historians believe that black cats are associated with the devil and evil not just because of their color, but because their eyes glow in the dark, and there was a time people did not understand that is just a part of nature. Other animals whose eyes glow in the dark are wolves, who were considered to be of the devil, and it was once believed that black animals, but black cats especially were malevolent witches who had shape shifted.
Spirit Guides
Despite what some people believe, many understand that black cats are not evil creatures, and some people consider cats to be their animal spirit guides. If a black cat is your spirit guide, they will bring you special gifts that only they bestow. Black cat spirit guides bestow the gifts of how to recognize your own magic, playfulness, and the ability to make your own wishes come true. Black cat spirit animals call their people to really examine their spiritual selves and learn what their own strengths and weaknesses are. Black cats bring the ability to see beyond the physical, looking beneath the surface to solve mysteries, and to meditate deeply about matters of the heart.
If the black cat is your spirit guide, they give you the ability to embrace your unique qualities and understand that you are never an outcast, you just might be searching for others who are unique in the same way as you. They have the power of invisibility and teach you how to blend in when you need to, so you can walk undetected when it is necessary. Some people believe a black cat spirit animal brings you the power to remember unfinished things from past lives so you may complete things you meant to before, and they help you to remember spiritual lessons learned from reincarnating. Black cats bring you the courage to take risks and the adaptability to change in positive ways whenever you need to. Black cat spirit animals bring you luck, grace, and beauty as well.
Bringers of Psychic Light
Although superstitions that black cats create malevolent magic are unfounded, it is believed they do have some good magic of their own. Psychic Cat Mediums exist, but they help open their people’s awareness to psychic abilities and they help make magic happen. Obviously, some cats have more psychic skills than others, but some cats can portend death, and have been known to magically heal other animals and people as well. It is accepted that cats are emotionally supportive, which improves both physical and mental health, but one cat in particular became famous for its skills of being a “nurse” cat!
Ron was a stray kitten in Colorado who was lucky enough to be rescued by a kind soul and taken to Northfield Veterinary Hospital. At first he was scared, and hid, but soon, Ron came out and approached other scared animals and acted to comfort them. News about his special skills soon circulated and various articles have been published about how he knows just what to do in order to soothe and comfort worried pat patients. He stayed with pets after surgeries, helping cuddle them and keep them warm, and he even allowed scared baby kittens to sleep on him after they lost their mother. He gave kindness and healing to other pet patients at the Vet Hospital until he was adopted by a family who benefits from his psychic abilities to know who needs emotional healing and you can read about him here: Cat Becomes Nurse At Vet's Clinic, Calms Scared Dogs
Multiple different Nursing Homes and Assisted Living facilities have resident pets, including birds, dogs, and cats, but it is the cats who are often reported as knowing when a resident is about to die, and reacting by lying down with them so they don’t have to cross over to the other side alone. One cat in particular is said to have never been wrong when he exhibits this behavior. His natural psychic abilities are so trusted, that staff calls family members when he behaves this way to let them know their family member is likely going to die very soon. You can read more about his incredible cat here: Hospital Cat Seems To Know When Patients Are Going To Die
How To Connect with Your Cat
“ In the beginning god created man, but seeing him so feeble, he gave him the cat.” – Warren Eckstein
So, you have read all about beliefs in good luck, psychic powers, and the spirit guide abilities of cats, but how can you connect with those powers? The simple truth is we don’t get to choose if cats share their magic with us. Instead, they choose their people. A wise woman once told an overly enthusiastic child not to chase after cats. “You let the cat come to you,” she said and she was right. You simply open yourself to the love of the cat, and if the cat decides it likes you, it will start spending time with you.
No two cats are just alike, however. Some cats react well to treats and cuddles. Other cats don’t want to be snuggled and feel confined when they are picked up. Getting to know your cat and his or her preferences will take time, but if you respect the cat’s boundaries, it will learn to trust you and it will spend more time with you. You can leave gifts for outdoor cats you feel drawn to and the old saying of “If you feed a cat, it will come back” is very true. Outdoor cats may have never been around humans and might not want to be petted, so they need space and time to learn that they can trust you. Just respect their boundaries and before you know it, you will feel your new cat friend’s magic blending with yours.
Protecting Black Cats
“ Want to know what’s scarier than a black cat on Halloween? Humans who believe in old superstitions and harm black cats for it.” – Smokin’ from Callie’ n’ Solace
Black cats bring luck, blessings, and quality of life to people, but believe it or not, they need our protection too. There are over six million animals surrendered at animal shelters each year, and PETA estimates that tens of millions of cats are homeless. Black cats are more at risk of being attacked, abused, and killed than cats of other colors because of ignorant superstitions, and black cats are especially vulnerable.
Statistics show that black cats are abandoned far more than any other color of cat and black are less likely to be adopted. Black cats are far more at risk of being euthanized, and black cats are attacked, tortured, and killed more than any other color of cat worldwide because of ignorant beliefs that they are evil. For these reasons, black cats need all the help they can get. You can read more black cat facts here: National Black Cat Day: Here are five facts to know about our black feline friends | CNN
If you want to help save black cats, the first step is to spay or neuter all of your cats to help reduce the risk of homeless endangered animals. Next, you can adopt black cats or give money to your local animal rescue if you cannot adopt. You can also spread the word that beliefs that black cats are inherently evil are based on unfounded superstitions, and we have enough scientific knowledge now, that we know better. Most any animal rescue that helps cats will be thankful to accept help with protecting black cats, but there are two in America that are known for their work helping black cats. One is Black Cat Holistic Rescue in Los Angeles, California, and they can be found here: Adopt a Black Cat | Black Cat Holistic Rescue | Los Angeles
Another is in Boston, Massachusetts and can be found here: Black Cat Rescue
Besides domestic black cats, other black cats are endangered as well. Black panthers, a black variant of the leopard, once roamed the wild but in the United States, there are only about two hundred left in nature. Native to parts of Africa, Asia, and South America as well, they are seen as a threat to livestock and were nearly hunted to extinction by the 1950’s. Today, multiple organizations, including zoos are working together to keep the species alive and thriving. Besides naturally occurring disease, encroachment on habitat by humans is their biggest threat. One organization that helps big cats is called Wildlife SOS. They don’t specifically just help big black cats, but the heartwarming story of how leopard cubs are saved and raised lovingly by them can be read here, and they accept donations: Raising Orphaned and Abandoned Leopard Cubs - Wildlife SOS
In regards to pet readings, your black cat can help you decipher what is going on spiritually if beliefs are correct, and if you are lucky, you can say “My black cat is my animal spirit guide.” Your black cat could cross your mind, meaning they will be in your heart when you are away because they are such wonderful additions to the family, and they may become your best friend. Black cats will love you and protect you and of all the cats, black cats need the most protection from harm and being misunderstood by humans. Just make sure that when you see a black cat in front of your car, you stop so it can cross safely, and when a black cat crosses your path, pet it!
About the Author: Lady Saoirse has studied magic and lore for most of her life but started walking her own Magical Path after being spiritually reborn in the desert. Today she is a High Priestess for The Temple of the Goddess, she is a psychic advisor and spiritual counselor, she shares her gifts as a Psychic and Content Writer for SpiritualBlossom, and she writes for The Green Egg. She has written for Mysticsense and PaganPagesOrg emag.
