Full Moons & Golden Eyed Cats: Concerning The Great Mother Cybele

Tonight is full moon. The weather changed suddenly, and the plum blossoms that so joyfully greeted the sun last weekend are now covered in snow. Tonight, there will be drumming and singing and hot apple cider.

This morning I refilled all the bird feeders and I can hear the Douglas squirrels arguing with the jays over peanuts. These squirrels are new to me. They are so small and so fond of the second breakfast we provide that we've dubbed them Hobbit Squirrels. One bold, cheery fellow is my favorite, and I've named him Pippin.

This week I was finally able to trap a scared, wounded stray cat we've been feeding for the month and a half. He had open, infected bite wounds on his leg and neck. He was covered in fleas and had a tick under one arm.

A long haired, golden eyed ginger cat, he's obviously a family pet, and could not even hunt for himself the way the feral cats who roam these woods can. He's got scratches on his pretty face, mostly likely from run-ins with these same butch ferals. At least he avoided the coyotes and raccoons. We found had motor oil in his lovely fur no doubt from huddling under cars to get out of the rain, and we had to shave him in places. He'll get his looks back - he's a beautiful boy, and I've named him Beau. Someone must have dumped him on or near our property. When you live in the country you see this a lot.

Bea is a real sweetheart. He wasn't going to last much longer in the wild, weak and sick and unskilled as he was. I'm glad I got him in before this last snow hit. He's young, only a year and a half old and will heal quickly. We've had him fixed, he is on antibiotics, and his blood tests were clean, so he is otherwise in excellent health. Soon, he'll have all his shots. Right now, he's sleeping warm, with a full tummy. He likes the attention he gets from my wonderful Vet and her staff, and blinks at us in trust and contentment. Next week, he'll go to a no kill cat shelter where some lucky family will give little Beau his happy ending.

Let's see, what else? I've walked the dog and played with our cats. (You guys are so lucky - do you know that?). The housework is done (or as done as it's going to be) and my article for PanGaia is finished, as well. (Whoever said that "Writers don't write, they rewrite" truly understood the process). The rest of this day is mine and I've filled my cup with the promise of some quiet time, books and, later, good company. On days like these my best prayer is simply to go outside and say "Thank you".

In honor of this moon and one golden-eyed cat, I would like to share a post from a mythology blog called Between Old and New Moons on the Great Mother Goddess Cybele. Helping stay cats find their way into humane traps is not, strictly speaking, on her classic list of attributes. Still, Cybele (like Bast and Freya) loves lions and cats and, like most women I know, she does any job that needs doing, so who knows?

May the blessings of the Mother go with you,

Sia

Photo: Photo courtesy of Unusual Lions