The Dream Book of Self-Knowledge
- the most important alternative female sexual symbol.
- represents in the unconscious one type of woman and we can tell by the gradual transformations what traits the cat – woman (instinctual anima) is endowed with: playful, affectionate, taking care of its appearance, very sexually active, no problem in choosing partners, treacherous – often teeters the thin line between love and hate, knows how to gain the favor or someone who shuns it, sly, tries to gain the most emotion from those around it, reacts to irritation by attacking, can easily gain dominance over a weaker nature.
- accompanied by a cow and hen: the unconscious is very simply describing the three basic principles of instinctual anima in a single whole.
- transformation of the cat into a prostitute: a demonstration of the development of a sexual symbol; as in dream stories, animals change into women or men to show the dreamer the transformation of sexual symbolism into instinctual dependency.
- transformation of a cat into a woman: when a person tries to live an emotional life, a cat is transformed in dreams into a woman (instinctual anima) from which the dreamer must eliminate the instinctual essence for future successful assimilation through warm-hearted feelings; such a change is one of the most frequent transformations in dreams of men heading toward an emotional life.
- transformation of a kitten into a child: when a person tries to live the emotional life and unify antitheses on the instinctual level, the kitten begins to transform in the dreams into a child; such a transformation is, along with the transformation of a kitten into a woman, one of the most frequent transformations in the dreams of men heading toward an emotional life.
- black: enhances the negativity of the symbol (see color); often accompanies the symbol of a witch (see Wizard, witch).
- fighting with a cat: indicates a contradictory mind in which part of the dreamer's consciousness is still inclined toward images of the instinctual level while the other part longs for the mind's emotional content.
- being scratched or bitten by a cat: instinctual personifications have great power to mark the dreamer's consciousness.
- a large number of cats: it will take all your efforts to be able to withstand the onslaught of instinctual components.
- nuzzling: beware of flattery.
- feeding a cat: you are giving strength to the inner instinctual enemy.
- killing: a very negative symbol as if the dreamer stabbed his own heart with a knife since he is unable to understand his own instinctual essence and tries to destroy them out of hatred.
- sleeping: a peaceful period is upon the dreamer in which he will not be bothered by omnipresent instincts.
- playing with a cat: the attempt to understand instincts symbolized by the cat and to alleviate one's instinctual dependency.
- a cat warming itself next to a person: the cat is taking strength from emotions through which it can be personified (e.g. it changes into a woman).
- catching a mouse: elimination of earthly, primitive thoughts in favor of the instinctual symbol of the cat.
- forcing out of a house or workplace: very positive for the future since the dreamer is trying to free himself from the rule of instinctual symbols over his own mind.
- drinking water, bathing in water: the dreamer's emotions (water) gradually transform the instinctual symbol; a fast transformation depends on the purity of the water.
- in a kennel, cage or other restriction: in an attempt to live an emotional and spiritual life, the dreamer has restricted the activity of instinctual symbols in his own consciousness in order to gradually assimilate them in the near future.
- degenerated: the result of long thinking outside the instinctual realm or the result of an emotional and spiritual mindset; the pressure transforms the symbol of a cat into a creature that, with its genetic changes, loses the right to live in the dreamer's mind; such a dream is a frequent image with people who choose and successfully live in voluntary celibacy – more on this theme in the chapter Celibacy and Redemptive Asceticism from the book "Secrets of the Unconscious Order."
- petting: it is important that petting the instinctual symbol does not turn into identification with the instinctual content of the dream, but instead is a way of assimilating the instinctual symbol with a higher mind.
- trained, displaying various numbers: the dreamer has mastered this instinctual symbol and forced obedience and order onto it, whereby this originally very dangerous symbol has enabled undisturbed development on the emotional level.
- speaking with a human voice: the dreamer has understood the instincts and traits linked to the cat.
- assimilation of the instinctual symbol of the cat in perfect indifference.
