The close association between witches and black cats has found expression in painting, literature, music, and fairy tales. These whiskered companions of witchcraft were celebrated by Edgar Allan Poe and Mikhail Bulgakov. With a keen sense of the world around them, women with dark magical gifts supposedly favor these animals. What explains this preference?
Witches can give black cats tasks
It's believed that witches can entrust their four-legged assistants with surveillance of their future victims. Out of sight of an unsuspecting person, the cat notices a lot, and then imparts valuable information to its owner.
The closer the bond between the practitioner of magic and her familiar, the more tangible the results of the spell will be.
Witches can inhabit the bodies of black cats.
During the Inquisition, not only women accused of having connexions with evil spirits were burned at the stake, but also their pets. The presence of a black cat became further evidence in favor of a girl's guilt.
According to legend, one witch managed to escape the execution site by possessing her familiar. After this incident, not only many innocent women perished in the fire, but also their pets, who were unfortunate enough to be born with a night-colored coat.
Black cats help old witches die peacefully
Beliefs claim that a witch must pass on her power to a successor before her death, otherwise the dark soul will not be able to leave the body and find eternal peace.
In the absence of a worthy replacement, a cat becomes the dying witch's sole helper, as it can ease her suffering. By absorbing the unshared magical power, the pet opens the way to the other world for its owner, making the transition more comfortable and painless.
Black cats see souls and can walk in other worlds.
Traveling between dimensions, cats supposedly see things invisible to the human eye. Even owners of these jet-black pets who don't practice magic often notice strange behavior in Murzik or Vaska.
A cat can stare at a non-existent object for a long time and even react to it, meowing and hissing. Sometimes, while rushing about its business, the animal suddenly stops, as if encountering an invisible obstacle.
Witches know about cats' paranormal abilities and skillfully use them: familiars help detect energetic entities and communicate with the souls of the dead.
Many witchcraft rituals require a black cat.
It's hard to imagine a magical ritual without the appropriate paraphernalia and ingredients. Many dark spells require the fur or whiskers of a black cat.
Quarrels, love spells, spells for financial abundance, hexes, and other magical incantations require the direct participation of the witch's occult companion. He will always share with his mistress the missing component for the magical act.
Black cats are used as "carriers" of curses
Many victims of witchcraft have noticed that before an incurable illness, bankruptcy, family breakdown, or other life tragedy, a black cat would appear in their path. It might simply cross the road or start circling the house. Sometimes, a person encounters the animal stalking them for several days.
It wasn't hard to connect the appearance of the black cat with further troubles. This led to the mass extermination of black felines. They were tried and sentenced to be burned, and the unfortunate animals were thrown from a bell tower (in the city of Ypres, Belgium). This notoriety led to the mass death of these graceful creatures, whose only fault lay in their fur color.
People's dislike and fear of black cats are explained by quite rational reasons. These felines are known for their nocturnal lifestyle, mannerisms, gracefulness, and unpredictability. Their love of freedom also often draws disapproval. The vertical pupils and yellow color of these animals' eyes are always alarming, reminiscent of a devilish gaze.
Meanwhile, it is believed that witches always valued the unique qualities of their faithful helpers, caring for them, feeding them, and pampering them. In return, they repaid them with boundless love and devotion. Owners of black cats were less likely to get sick, aged more slowly, and successfully avoided dangerous situations. Such "luck," of course, provoked the envy and revenge of ordinary people.
