What do you think?
Rate this book
Cat Magic: Mews, Myths, and Mystery
• A fascinating, illustrated exploration of the integral roles cats have played in our myths, legends, and history.
• By the highly acclaimed author of over 30 books on magic and folklore, including the bestselling Goddess in My Pocket .
• Examines the mythological significance of cats in our legends and folklore, and provides an overview of cats and feline imagery in spiritual traditions around the world.
• Presents the feline connection to magic, including amulets, charms, spells, and rituals.
In German they are called ket, in French, chat, in Arabic, quttah--but with little concern for what name we've assigned them, cats have sauntered into almost every corner of human society and history. In ancient Egypt a cat-faced goddess was worshiped and immortalized in the art of Egyptian tombs. In Scandinavian lore, Freyja, a goddess of the night, rode in a cart drawn by cats. Cats appear in our folktales and in our literature, even in our everyday speech.
In Cat Magic , Patricia Telesco takes us on a fascinating tour of the different roles cats have played in human experience, with over 150 illustrations documenting the appearance and importance of cats in our mythology, in the spiritual teachings and religious practices of our ancestors, and in totems, spells, and other rituals of magic. Cat Magic tells of cat ginii and of charms of protection. It explains astrology for determining your cat's personality, creating magical blessings, and using crystal and color therapy for the feline in the house. Mysterious and independent, cunning and fierce, gentle and affectionate, cats continue to win our hearts and imaginations, providing a link to our past and present, and to ourselves.
• By the highly acclaimed author of over 30 books on magic and folklore, including the bestselling Goddess in My Pocket .
• Examines the mythological significance of cats in our legends and folklore, and provides an overview of cats and feline imagery in spiritual traditions around the world.
• Presents the feline connection to magic, including amulets, charms, spells, and rituals.
In German they are called ket, in French, chat, in Arabic, quttah--but with little concern for what name we've assigned them, cats have sauntered into almost every corner of human society and history. In ancient Egypt a cat-faced goddess was worshiped and immortalized in the art of Egyptian tombs. In Scandinavian lore, Freyja, a goddess of the night, rode in a cart drawn by cats. Cats appear in our folktales and in our literature, even in our everyday speech.
In Cat Magic , Patricia Telesco takes us on a fascinating tour of the different roles cats have played in human experience, with over 150 illustrations documenting the appearance and importance of cats in our mythology, in the spiritual teachings and religious practices of our ancestors, and in totems, spells, and other rituals of magic. Cat Magic tells of cat ginii and of charms of protection. It explains astrology for determining your cat's personality, creating magical blessings, and using crystal and color therapy for the feline in the house. Mysterious and independent, cunning and fierce, gentle and affectionate, cats continue to win our hearts and imaginations, providing a link to our past and present, and to ourselves.
176 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1999
2 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Patricia J. Telesco
94 books96 followersPatricia "Trish" Telesco is a professional author with more than 50 metaphysical titles on the market.
Trish considers herself a kitchen witch whose love of folkore (and a bit of Strega) flavor every spell and ritual. Her strongest beliefs lie in following personal vision, being tolerant of other traditions, making life an act of worship, and being the magic!
Trish travels minimally twice per month to give lectures and workshops around the country. She has appeared on several television segments and maintains a strong, visible presence in the public through journals like Circle Network News, and on the internet.
Her current pet projects include supporting pagan land funds and coordinating spiritually oriented tours to Europe.
Telesco began her Wiccan education and initiation on her own, but later received initiation into the Strega tradition of Italy. She is a trustee for the Universal Federation of Pagans, a member of the Authors Guild, a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism and a professional member of the Wiccan-Pagan Press Alliance.
In March 2012 her husband, Paul Telesco, was diagnosed with a tumor on his brain stem. Since that time, Telesco has been focused on raising awareness and fund-raising
Trish considers herself a kitchen witch whose love of folkore (and a bit of Strega) flavor every spell and ritual. Her strongest beliefs lie in following personal vision, being tolerant of other traditions, making life an act of worship, and being the magic!
Trish travels minimally twice per month to give lectures and workshops around the country. She has appeared on several television segments and maintains a strong, visible presence in the public through journals like Circle Network News, and on the internet.
Her current pet projects include supporting pagan land funds and coordinating spiritually oriented tours to Europe.
Telesco began her Wiccan education and initiation on her own, but later received initiation into the Strega tradition of Italy. She is a trustee for the Universal Federation of Pagans, a member of the Authors Guild, a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism and a professional member of the Wiccan-Pagan Press Alliance.
In March 2012 her husband, Paul Telesco, was diagnosed with a tumor on his brain stem. Since that time, Telesco has been focused on raising awareness and fund-raising
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 5, 2017
This book sounded like an interesting book when I first saw it and then I started to read it a bit while I fell in love with the list of symbolism for members of the cat family and some cat-hybrid creatures, which is like two of my favorite passions at the same time. Definitely after this point I truly wanted to read this book and see what it is about.
Basically the easiest summary for this book is Wicca For Cats. Although there are no spells and how-tos for your cat to follow it is more or less for the Wicca follower who is owned by the cat. Along with the cat symbolism is a look into cat-related deities, cat-related totems and so much more while the book itself closes on a note of how to take care of your cat using earth-friendly practices and herbal remedies.
Unfortunately, though, it did seem the book could have been trimmed in size since a lot of the information just ended up seeming to repeat itself and/or telling you to look back at a particular chapter. Although I enjoyed reading the information in the start I truly didn't need to read it yet again even if it originally fascinated me.
And second I have done some extensive studying into mythoi while a bunch of the mentioned gods and goddesses that I read about didn't really have much to do with cats so I am interested in where that information came from. My other mythoi problem is the fact that the wrong names were used for the wrong system - again for the thousandth time Diana isn't Greek but Roman.
I was also surprised that in her mentions of a few breeds that she didn't bring up the Egyptian Mau, which has the closest ties to the cat goddess, and the Nebelung, which is mentioned to be one of the most mystical of all cats. It is true there are a lot of cat breeds to cover but she seemed to focus more on the "Oriental"-types instead of some of the other closer types.
All in all for those who are interested in cat trivia, mythoi, symbolism, history and other cat-related subjects this is a great book to get started upon. Just be cautious with the information that you read, check with your vet and remember unlike the way the author put an emphasis try to save cat lives first before buying them from a breeder or pet store.
Basically the easiest summary for this book is Wicca For Cats. Although there are no spells and how-tos for your cat to follow it is more or less for the Wicca follower who is owned by the cat. Along with the cat symbolism is a look into cat-related deities, cat-related totems and so much more while the book itself closes on a note of how to take care of your cat using earth-friendly practices and herbal remedies.
Unfortunately, though, it did seem the book could have been trimmed in size since a lot of the information just ended up seeming to repeat itself and/or telling you to look back at a particular chapter. Although I enjoyed reading the information in the start I truly didn't need to read it yet again even if it originally fascinated me.
And second I have done some extensive studying into mythoi while a bunch of the mentioned gods and goddesses that I read about didn't really have much to do with cats so I am interested in where that information came from. My other mythoi problem is the fact that the wrong names were used for the wrong system - again for the thousandth time Diana isn't Greek but Roman.
I was also surprised that in her mentions of a few breeds that she didn't bring up the Egyptian Mau, which has the closest ties to the cat goddess, and the Nebelung, which is mentioned to be one of the most mystical of all cats. It is true there are a lot of cat breeds to cover but she seemed to focus more on the "Oriental"-types instead of some of the other closer types.
All in all for those who are interested in cat trivia, mythoi, symbolism, history and other cat-related subjects this is a great book to get started upon. Just be cautious with the information that you read, check with your vet and remember unlike the way the author put an emphasis try to save cat lives first before buying them from a breeder or pet store.
December 15, 2014
It's a cute book, full of cat stories, folklore, legend, & quick factoids. However, it reads like a book written in 1999 (which, of course, it is). Some of the facts are out of date & it even hints at declawing being acceptable - which is now known to cause more serious issues than it fixes, including cats refusing to use the litter box & other destructive behavior worse than scratching the furniture. This may be a strongly held personally belief, in some ways, but numerous vets & animal care experts agree it's unwise & barbaric.
July 8, 2021
Two stars, but only because it's beautifully illustrated. Otherwise the book is a quite bad collection of randomly thrown "facts", some of which are so utterly stupid that left me with my mouth agape. Looks like no editor ever read the manuscript and tried to put this shapeless mass of sentences in some order. And this being said by me, The Ultimate Crazy Cat Lady, who reads everything about cats and likes it.
July 19, 2022
Please do not use these remedies and tips on your cats. Giving your cats random herbs, spices, or plants can make your cat sick or be fatal. These "health" tips don't work and it would be stupid to believe they will. This author (not vet) also recommends flower and color therapy for your cats. Supposedly using certain flowers or colors can help your cats mood and lets hope she's not using poisonous flowers. After reading I felt so sorry for her cats and their probably very short lives.
April 18, 2019
Entertaining and informative, Cat Magic is a great read for anyone interested in our feline overlords.
Read
January 1, 2020Patricia Telasco is a very entertaining writer and I loved this book.
January 12, 2025
You will want to sleep with one eye open.
Who is that stranger sleeping next to you? Well, this book “Cat Magic” by Patricia Telesco, author of over 30 metaphysical books, may hold some answers.
There are plenty of pictures and diagrams to peruse. Lewis Carroll: ''What is the use of a book', thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversations?''
Be cautious as many previous readers have pointed out mistakes, dated information, and 1999 medical advice.
Overlooking the defaults this is a fun read and should hold a good place in your cat collection library.
Who is that stranger sleeping next to you? Well, this book “Cat Magic” by Patricia Telesco, author of over 30 metaphysical books, may hold some answers.
There are plenty of pictures and diagrams to peruse. Lewis Carroll: ''What is the use of a book', thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversations?''
Be cautious as many previous readers have pointed out mistakes, dated information, and 1999 medical advice.
Overlooking the defaults this is a fun read and should hold a good place in your cat collection library.
January 1, 2011
Having two beloved cat familiars I thought this book was wonderfully written. I loved the lore, spells, stories and magic that Telesco used.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews