Adred the Magic Cat

My very dear and highly intuitive sister-from-another-mother, Jackie, knew her friend Mark and I were going to be great friends before she’d even introduced us. Little did any of us know he and I would be living together in his hometown in the Detroit suburbs just a few short weeks later. But that’s what happened. Seriously.

In addition to her unnerving powers of prediction, Jackie is an amazing writer and developer of characters. She’d written one in particular, Mark and my favorite, about a neko witch named Adred.

As we prepared to move in together, Mark joked a few times that as soon as I arrived in Michigan we would have to get a black cat and name her Adred in honor of Jackie.

Having recently lost two beloved pets, a dog and a cat who were each with me over 11 years, and still very new in the grieving process there, I shut him down completely every time he mentioned it. No more pets! Ever!

I settled into my new dwelling at the Taj Mahal of Michigan. It was a bizarre (and haunted) two-bedroom apartment managed by a crazy lady and falling apart at the seams in a rundown and notably flatland town called Mount Clemens.

Nearby lived a huge indoor flea market called Gibraltar. The name alone begs at least one visit so, on a sunny fall day, we left the Taj Mahal to visit the Gibraltar. And it was a sight to see.

The parking lot held an infinite sea of pickup trucks of all makes, models and colors. Once inside, the delicious fragrance of roasted cinnamon almonds filled my lungs as I took in the endless rows of vendors selling old books, near-worthless antiques, glass jewelry, guns and cheaply-made imitation Persian rugs. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of bins lined the center aisles offering everything you never knew you needed for $5 or less.

We moseyed around thumbing through books, fingering the rugs and considering the bongs on display. As we turned the corner towards the back of the building I noticed a pet shop. “Pollywood Pets & Accessories, Inc.” read the sign and I hurried to check it out.

No, I didn’t want another pet. But I do love animals and they love me back so, while I find even the nicest pet shop a little depressing, I always make it a point to go in and say hi to everyone.

I bounded in eager to smile at all the cuteness. But this particular pet shop was not like anything I’d ever seen nor could’ve ever imagined. I was stopped in my tracks.

Cage after cage held a suffering face, emaciated body and lifeless eyes. Once-beautiful tropical birds now displayed huge puss-filled and bleeding patches of flesh where they’d ripped out their own feathers in frustration. Every puppy’s eyes were sewn shut with dried mucous and dead hamsters lined the beds of the living.

I stood silent at the horror and I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a glimpse of the shock those first soldiers must have experienced when they marched in to free Auschwitz.

“Let’s go.” I said to Mark. My voice fell flat as my throat choked back tears.

Just as we were leaving and almost at the exact same instant, Mark and I looked down to see a cage on the floor outside of the shop’s entrance. In it were two black cats. One was older by at least a year and looked very ill, matching the rest of the god-forsaken animals there.

The other was younger, still a kitten. I bent down to take a closer look and she jumped up to meet my gaze. I stuck a finger through the bars to scritch her ears and she returned a grateful and hearty purr.

I knew it was her. Adred. Fucking Mark had conjured this kitty and now we had to either succumb to this truth and take her with us or find the strength to walk away.

Mark and I looked at each other for a long moment, both thinking the same thing.

“Let’s go,” I repeated, this time with a hint of urgency.

“OK, it’s up to you,” he said leaving the obvious and still unspoken decision we now faced in my hands.

And we left goddammit, because I was NOT having any more pets. We even made it a good 20 or 30 feet, too. So there.

Then just as quickly and before I even knew what I was doing, we were back forking over $78 for the only spark of life in that death camp of a pet shop: a little black cat named Adred.

I kept her close to my chest, holding her almost over my shoulder as one does an infant. I could feel her bony body trembling against mine.

“You want a box?” the acne-riddled checkout boy asked.

“NO!” and I turned on my heels to head towards the exit.

Wait, what the hell was I thinking? After making it a few yards it suddenly occurred to me I was holding a terrified cat who’d likely been penned up for months and I was about to make the very long trek out of the Gibraltar, into the outdoors and through the process of locating our red pickup truck in that fucking sea of pickup trucks all while trying not to let her go. If I made it halfway without her shredding my clothes off and tearing one of my eyeballs out I’d be one lucky cat owner.

Amazingly, however, she only tried to escape once which did result in a few scratches but really nothing like I had feared.

We’d almost made it to the Gibraltar’s exit when the Pollywood Pets Death Camp owner, apparently returning from lunch because even heartless Nazi bitches need to eat, stopped to congratulate us on our purchase.

Upon hearing her voice, Adred immediately began to fight me to get away. I stepped up my pace to put some quick distance between us and the Nazi while trying desperately not to let loose the poor kitten.

“It’s OK, let’s just get you out of here.” I spoke calmly as my grip tightened on the terrified cat. Miraculously she settled back into my arms. Her claws dug deep into my flesh as she too strengthened her hold on me.

I could hear the Nazi woman calling out behind us as we hurried away, “God bless you!”

God bless us? No. God forgive you.

We made it to the truck, drove home and hiked up the two flights of wooden stairs to the balcony door of the Taj Mahal. All the while Adred and I held onto each other like nobody’s business. It was as if she knew. We knew.

Mark looked at us and offered his warmest smile, “She’s a witch’s cat for sure.”

Ever since then, Adred loves to climb up on my shoulder and press her body to me, insisting I hold onto her as I would an infant. As I did that day.

Adred drank an entire bowl of water when we got home but other than being thirsty, the vet told us the next day, she was completely healthy. He was not just a little surprised by this fact, having been familiar with the Pollywood Pets Death Camp. Actually, everyone in the vet’s office seemed very surprised at how healthy she was. Everyone knew about this place.

“I’m marking her down as a rescue,” he said.

“If this shop has such a terrible reputation, why hasn’t it been shut down?” I asked still naive to the economic plight of the Detroit area over the past several decades.

“There’s no money to enforce the laws. There are only two state humane inspectors for all of Michigan.” He sighed and shrugged and shook my hand good-bye.

Two years later, Adred is healthy and happy but is saddened to know there are still many more animals  living the nightmare she was in. She hopes all humans will pitch in and do what they can to help those who are suffering.

In spite of its unpleasant appearance, The Tower card signifies great change, growth and spiritual enlightenment. We see the tower struck with lighting coming from the sun. The drops of light falling represent the descent of the collective life force from above down into the conditions of material existence. The lightning’s flash represents the power of spiritual truth, tearing down ignorance and false reasoning.

This card suggests the breakdown of that which exists now to make room for the new forms of existence. This flash of lightening is constructive, not destructive, representing the momentary flashes of enlightenment and glimpses of truth we receive.

Adred says:

During times of great upheaval or change in our lives, it can begin to feel like our world is crashing down around us. We feel like we’re falling down endlessly into an abyss rather than being lifted up to the next level. Do not despair in these moments. These feelings of destruction are only an illusion. The true gifts we receive all come in the form of change.  OK…where’s my kibble…the Seer has spoken…zzzz….

This week: Strength

Over the woman’s head we see the sign of eternity indicating she is conscious of the truth of her eternal life. Without fear, she leans over and gently closes the lion’s mouth. Her waist is decorated with braids of roses symbolizing the convergence of conscious desires. When combined, these desires create a strength great enough to overcome the wild and subconscious.

Adred says:

For those who are aware of the eternal nature of their existence, there can be no obstacles or resistance. Strength is Truth.

There, the Seer has spoken…but lemme tell you, if she put her hands in MY mouth like that I’d nom her thumb! (Not hard, don’t worry, I’m a gentle kitteh)…zzzzz…

This week: Temperance

“Temperance” here refers to modification or tempering. The angel is shown with a sun on his forehead and the sign of the Sacred Book of the Tarot on his chest. He pours the elixir of life from one chalice to the next, with one foot on earth and the other submerged in water. In the distance a crown shines over the twin peaks of wisdom and understanding. A path is clearly laid out.

Adred says:

The same life flows through us all and it is both masculine and feminine. It is the spirit entering the material world and the effect of the spirit on matter. Like the stream at the angel’s feet, our minds flow through the present moment from the past and to the future. Stay balanced and in the present to tap into the Divine all around you…WUT’S THAT?? is that my new catnip ball?…cancel my readings for the rest of the day. The Seer has spoken….zzzzzzzzzingggggg

This week: The Star

The large eight-pointed star above the woman represents radiant cosmic energy from the Divine. Seven smaller stars surrounding it signify solar energy radiating onto the young woman below. Like the woman in Temperance from last week, this woman kneels with one leg on the land and one foot in the water indicating the balance of matter (earth) and universal consciousness (pool of water). This woman is Nature, eternal youth and beauty. She pours the Waters of Life freely and equally onto both the pool and the earth. The tiny bird represents the soul sitting atop the tree of life.

Adred says:

Abundance does not come in the form of money, nor possessions, nor accomplishments. Abundance comes from the Divine, from Nature and all Her generosity. If you want to shift from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance, look no further than the ocean, forest, meadow or even that squirrel outside the window…WAIT…SQUIRREL! *Adred leaps from her bed head-first into the window* Ow. It’s really time to take down that forcefield, k? The Seer has spoken and must commence squirrel-stalking now…*BAM!*…ow…

A princely man sheltered by a starry canopy sits in his chariot drawn by a white sphinx signifying mercy, and a black one signifying hard justice. The symbol on the chariot shows the union of positive and negative forces. The wand in the man’s right hand is the wand of will and authority. The man and his wand maintain control over the chariot. But should the man’s will falter or grow weak, the two opposing sphinxes would take off in different directions, destroying him and his chariot.

Adred says:

You humans manifest the self’s dominance over other things through the vehicle you call “personality.” If you pull to hard, too fast in any one direction you will be thrown completely out of balance. Resist the lower impulses and conquer your animal passions in order to maintain your true power. Wait…animal passions…scratch that…I mean this, my ear…yeah that’s it….now the other one…yessspurrrrzzzzzz…

Each of the four corners of this Tarot hold a mystical Biblical animal which each, in turn, correlate to the four fixed signs of the Zodiac: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. While the wheel turns, these four forces remain constant. Around the wheel we see Anubis, the jackal-headed God, on the right and the serpent on the left representing cosmic energy moving into form. Balancing it all, the Sphinx sits atop the wheel representing Self’s true eternal nature, that which lies beyond our egos and personalities.

The word TAROT is spelled on the wheel. Also, alchemical symbols for mercury (12:00), sulphur (3:00), Aquarius for water (6:00) and salt (9:00).

Adred says:

The wheel, like our planet, never stops turning. It never stops changing. But around the wheel lies the unchanging Truth of what was, what is and what ever shall be. This never changes. Oh…and you promised to retrieve my shiny ball from under the fridge. Soooo, ahhh…what’re we waiting for?? Let’s go! The Seer has spoken and wants her ball back!”

This week: The Hermit

The Hermit stands alone on a snow-covered mountain holding the lantern to light the way for the climbers below him. The Hermit, Tarot #9,  is Absolute Wisdom. Tarot #0, The Fool, is this same Absolute before manifestation. The Fool is a young man looking up to the light while The Hermit is a wise, old man looking down into the darkness providing the light.

Adred says:

The goal of every spiritual practice is the alignment of personal consciousness with the will of the Universe. We travel from youthful hope to wise acceptance. Without this alignment, one is likely to remain stuck in Never Never Land. Oooohh! I wanna watch Peter Pan. Put in the DVD nao plz…the Seer has spoken…”

Justice is seated between two pillars upon which is draped a similar veil as in the High Priestess card. But where the veil in the High Priestess represents the opening to the subconscious, Justice’s veil opens to the superconscious, the enlightened state where all wisdom resides. She holds the scales of justice in her left hand and a double-edged sword in her right.

Adred says:

Spiritual justice wears no blindfold. She sees all and knows all. Her sword cuts both ways because in order to penetrate matter and inform it of this spiritual justice, action is absolutely required. What action are you taking to break through to your inner wisdom? And how come every time I play with my plastic balls do they roll under the fridge??”