My Favorite Cat Breeds: Sphynx and the Different Types of Hairless Cats

*Disclaimer: I promote adoption first, my cat is a rescue. But I have a love for some of the unique breeds that are rare to find in shelters and I would likely adopt another before being able to afford these breeds.)

The Sphynx breed actually has many sub-breeds which include: Elf, Bambino, Canadian Hairless, Russian Donskoy, Peterbald, and Ukrainian Levkoy.

Starting with the Canadian Hairless, this is what most people see as a hairless cat

The breed was developed in the 1960's and they are not truly hairless. They actually are said to feel like chamois. They can have whiskers or they may be broken or non-existent. Their skin displays the coloration or patterns they would have with fur.

Then we have the modified versions, like the elf and bambino.
 The elf was created when a sphynx was breed with an American Curl producing a hairless cat with curled ears.

The Bambino was created when a sphynx was breed with a munchkin, producing a hairless munchkin.

These breeds are distinct from the Donskoy and the Peterbald which are both Russian breeds, whose characteristic hairlessness is caused by a dominant gene, whereas the Canadian hairlessness is caused by a recessive gene. Otherwise, though, the Donskoy and the Canadian Sphynx look a lot alike.

The Peterbald, however, has an oriental appearance from a Donskoy being breed with an oriental shorthair. This gives it a long face and a leaner look with its long legs.

A drawing shows the differences between the three main breeds:

The final breed I will mention is the Ukrainian Levkoy, which I think looks like a grumpy old man.
This breed was created by crossing a Donskoy with a Scottish Fold so it has the folded ears.

Overall, my favorites from this group of breeds would have to be the Elf and the Peterbalds for their unique and exotic looks. I am well aware of the care that is required for these breeds and if I ever was in a situation where I could afford one of these babies, I would would do plenty of research before deciding if this breed is truly for me.

Tarot: The Magician I

We move to the second card of the major arcana. This card is associated with wisdom and I love the imagery of a winged cat. If I was to make my own deck, however I would like to make this card "The Artisan". As the Magician is a person who knows their craft, not necessarily magical. This card's background is one of my favorites because of all the details.

My Meaning:
This card symbolizes working towards a goal and bettering yourself through a pursuit of wisdom. With this card you are inspired to apply skill and initiative to accomplish all your goals.  This card honors the wisdom of someone who knows what they do, and works with creativity by utilising the skills, tools and resources that are available to you. This fits the cat (and my idea for The Artisan) because of their secret wisdom and creativity to use their resources to get what they want.

Reversed:
Just as a cat can use their creativity and resourcefulness to manipulate, the reverse of this card warns of greed and manipulation that can happen with the skills. This means your true potential is not realized because you are using your skills to take advantage of others, not better yourself. Similarly, the Magician reversed can suggest that you have a particular skill or talent that could help your growth but you are not yet using this skill.

In fact this card recently came up in one of my spreads for myself so I am having to look within to find that skill I may be overlooking. When researching this card one line of an example stuck out for me:

"For example, you may be studying the Tarot and reading for friends and family but what you do not realise is that you have a real talent for reading Tarot and could be reading professionally for a much wider audience. If you were to expand your Tarot reading, you may find that it also has benefits for your own spiritual journey." 

Tarot: The Fool 0

The Fool is the first card of the Major Arcana. It represents the beginning of a story that is told through the Major Arcana. In my deck the card features an Amphisbaena, a 2-headed poisonous snake with feathered wings from Greek mythology. While this is not one of my favorite cards in this deck art-wise, the actual card meaning is one that comes up frequently in my life as I am trying to find my path.

Booklet Meaning: Expect the Unexpected. New beginnings or journeys into unknown areas. A leap of faith is required. Decisions must be made. If this card represents a person, she/he will be very unconventional, or may be a wanderer without goals.

This meaning is choppy and left me unsatisfied. And also doesn't fit the poisonous snake that they chose for the artwork. So I spent some time going over my connection with this card, and what others have written on it. While I can't add much without seeing it into a spread, I wanted it as a reference to myself.

My Meaning:

The fool symbolizes the beginning of a journey, and the youthful joy and naivete that comes with it.  This can mean a new job, a new house, or a new love, or the beginning a search for them. This card represents the querent almost always, however if it is the first card in the spread it can mean that the querent is not asking the right question or they are struggling with choosing a path.

Reversed:

When reversed the fool represents damaging indecisiveness. With the Amphisbaena the two heads must work as one so any indecisiveness between them would lead them to going no where. This could point to a conflict between the head and the heart or just stuck between two choices. It can also be a warning to not "play the fool", a warning to be careful to not be naive or foolish in your journeys.

Thoughts on Derpy's Cutie Mark

So after listening to this song, I started wondering if it was possible that Derpy's bubbles could symbolizing lifting others spirits, or self-confidence. Because she is so different, in looks especially (though that is endearing), she is often teased or dismissed by the other ponies, so who is she supposed to lift the self-confidence of? Perhaps the viewer? Even if it is not canon, Derpy has taken on a fandom persona of a sweet and sensitive pony who is happy despite the teasing and possible handicap. So she has inspired many who are different to feel accepted and loved, or at least accept themselves. In such stark contrast to the harsh words of bullies, our self-esteems can seem as fragile as bubbles. But they float and reflect the rainbow, what is said to be a unique and special thing in MLP so, it could symbolize what makes you special and different. You have to let your self-esteem rise by loving yourself, differences and all.

Invocation to Freya

This is probably one of my most personal invocations since I have a cat, but you could leave that part out if you wish to use it and don't have a cat.

Hail Queen of the Valkyries,

Chooser of half of the slain,

Teacher of Odin,

teach me the ways of seidr,

so that I may teach others,

and protect those I love.

Remind me of the burning passion of love,

and let my love never extinguish,

nor my passion for life.

Bless my life with wisdom,

honor in all that I do,

and the strength to pursue my love,

even to the ends of the earth.

Protect my cats,

my dear companions,

past, present, and future,

as one of your own;

and may they pull your chariot

after their time on earth is over.

Freya,

Witness This!

Invocation to Brigid

So this is my invocation to the Celtic Goddess Brigid. She is my fiance's goddess so I honor her too. As before, these are rough drafts, I may edit them at any time. I also take inspiration from around the web, but I try my best to avoid any copying.

Hail to the sacred flame,

the protector during childbirth,

the patron of craftsmen.

Let me sit by your hearth,

you of pure heart,

beloved of the people.

Tell me the secrets of the herbs

drying throughout your home.

Protect my future offspring

at their time of birth,

firey midwife to the earth.

Inspire my crafts

to shine with beauty

and hard work.

Inspire me to find my calling,

and grant me 

your wisdom,

vision,

and mirth.

Brigid,

Witness This!

An Introduction to my Cat

Belladonna is a rescue, I adopted her when she was 9 weeks old. I had originally wanted another kitten who looked like a baby cheetah with all her spots, but she was already being adopted. Broken hearted, my fiance took me to their back cages where the pets that were not being featured were kept. There they had several black cats, tuxedos, and tabbies. Of the kittens, there was a tuxedo girl who was a talker, a black male missing half a tail (it looked too long to be Manx or Bobbed, but it could have been), and a fluffy black kitten who hated being alone. My fiance, loving long-haired cats, went to "Millie" (the name they gave her to keep up with her information) and asked to take her out. I was still upset about not getting the kitten I had wanted, so I was resisting falling for her. Then my fiance put her in my arms. She hated being held, but she loved people. So she would stand on our shoulders, wrapping her extra long and fluffy tail around our necks. Something made me want her and I adopted her on the spot.

We named her Belladonna, Bella for short or around my conservative Christian family, and she was loved by all. She would sing instead of meow to greet us and loved to play fetch. She loves stealing pillows and blankets, and while she still hates being held, she doesn't mind pets. Now she is too big to stand on our shoulders, but she loves to run up and down stairs. She has what we call Speedys and Wild Kitty moments when she runs full speed around the house for no apparent reason. This is how we think she chipped one of her canines. But she is goofy, laying on her back with all four paws up to sleep, singing and fussing to us to go to bed so she can prowl in the dark, and she has an obsession with honey-baked ham.

She has rarely been alone so we are considering getting her a buddy. We have talked about a Sphynx, a Ragdoll, a Norwegian Forest Cat, or even a Javanese/Balinese, but it will be once we have our own place. Until then, this little fluff ball is princess of my heart, right after my Queen, my fiance.

Christmas as Disney World

While I may not always speak highly of my family (as I have to pretend to be something I am not around them) I enjoyed the trip to Disney World we took this year. While I will not show any pictures that we are in, I will share the one of "Elsa's Castle". The park was not horribly crowded and the worst crown was the Osborne family Dancing Lights area in Hollywood Studios. But other than that one spot, it was bearable for me and I have anxiety attacks in large crowds.

The new wristbands that they use make everything streamlined. If you stay in the park hotels, like we stayed at The Art of Animation in a Cars suite, it is your hotel key. It has your fastpasses which you reserve online, and your dining plan. You can even buy a picture plan in which you get any pictures taken in the park (including rides which can somehow sense your bands) for a set price. And if you set it up that way, you can link a credit card to the band for purchases or charges you make. It just make everything easier and allowed us to enjoy the vacation without worrying about keeping up with cards, fastpass tickets, etc.

Also the bands allow you to stay for the magic hours, so we went to Magic Kingdom both nights (we were only there for 2 days and nights) and stayed to 3am. During those hours you can almost walk on any ride (except for the newest ones) and the park feels almost empty. Especially the night it rained, there were so few people, it was like we had the park to ourselves just a few days before Christmas!

Probably the most magical thing was on our last night it "snowed" on Main Street as we walked towards the Castle all lit up to look like an ice castle. Coupled with the fact that pretty much everyone is in a nicer mood at Christmas, and especially at Disney World, it made for a wonderful trip!

(I was only sad that I did not get to celebrate Yule with my fiance.)

Invocation to Braggi

So before I get to the invocation, I should say that I combed the web as I prepared to write these so if a line or two remind you of someone else's, I probably read it as inspiration. This (and my others) are rough drafts. This one is not overly personal (written specifically for me to use) but others are. Feel free to use them, but if you post them on the web, please link back to me. As for why I am calling upon Braggi, as the bard of Valhalla, he is a wordsmith, so who better to help me write my blog?

Hail Rune-Tongued Bard,

Keeper of Songs and Stories,

Teller of Tales,

Skald of Valhalla.

Inspire my words;

Grant me your clever wit,

your silver tongue,

and your confidence to share my tale.

Teach me the wisdom of the ages,

and the answers to life's oldest riddles.

Remind me of the the past,

the triumphs and failures,

woven in your songs,

so that one day

I may tell them to the next generation

who need your wisdom.

Braggi,

Witness This!

An Introduction

I am Zephyr and I created this blog as a place to share some things from my Book of Shadows, some of my learnings from studying my Tarot (possibly including a few readings with permission from the person I am doing the reading for), and some of my interests outside of my pagan studies. Now those interests can range from cat breeds to video games to historical clothing to crocheting. I hope you can enjoy what you like of it, and feel free to ignore the parts you don't. Perhaps you will learn something new or find something that speaks to you. All I can do is post what I enjoy.