Horse Goddess

I spent most of the weekend thinking about how to honor Grey Cat. All afternoon on Friday I kept seeing her signature with the distinctive swipe of the G and the curl in the C. And then I started remembering the little things from all of the classes, gatherings, and tradition meetings. The best way to honor her was to write about the memories and share that here.

• Cat holding court in her little house in the hills of Tennessee. A bunch of us sitting around her, listening, laughing. A cloud of cigarette smoke from other people smoking.
• Cat sitting with the red and brown cigarette roller rolling cigarettes on her lap using the Kite tobacco in the blue canister with the skill and ease of years of practice. It’s familiar tick-tick as she pushed the arm up and over and then pulled it back and pulled a finished cigarette and placed it into the little tin next to her chair.
• Arriving to a gathering late Friday evening, just before evening ritual. Cat telling me that I had to do the opening ritual in half an hour. My friend and I wrote the ritual, found people to help, and managed to pull things together. One requirement for Second Degree down: be able to do things on the fly with little to no preparation.
• Being in circle and being reminded to “Project! Speak up!” Years later, I repeated those same words to students of my own.
• Calling Cat while in any number of situations and listening to her advice, knowing that how hard it was to hear, that she was usually right.
• Potluck dinner during trad meetings with spaghetti, meat or veggie sauce, garlic bread, salad. Sharing dishes patrol with other trad members.
• Learning the hard lessons of what being a priestess means by watching her some times controversial example.

I had spaghetti tonight with hamburger in the sauce. Garlic cheese bread. Chocolate cake. Watched The Wicker Man and Practical Magic. Talked with one of my former students about Cat.

Realized just how much one person can impact a life.

Merry meet and merry part, Cat. May She bring you home.