My Animagus

As we saw, Professor McGonagall's patronus and her animagus are the same form, a cat with spectacle markings around the eyes. At first, before I really thought about that, I thought it was a bit odd that my patronus and animagus were the same animal, but then I realized just how important cats have been to me.

When I brought up the topic of patronuses to Brae, he said he thought the patronus form was a bit more subconscious than the animagus form, which was more conscious and, therefore, literal. Most people's animagus form is the animal that they see in themselves, perhaps their favorite animal. So, we'll start there since that is the main topic of this post.

I am very catlike. I crave human contact and am, therefore, a very physical person. I hug just about everyone I meet, love cuddling with my significant other (when I have one), enjoy having my hair combed/played with, etc. On the flip side, I can also be very withdrawn, wanting nothing but solitude when the mood suits me. If someone intrudes on this “me time”, I can become very cranky. Anyone who has been around cats at all knows this exactly how they can be. One minute you're playing and petting them and they're the cutest things in the world, content with your attention; in about a second, it can all change and the claws come out when they want to be left alone.

I've always adored cats, finding them beautiful and lovable. Unfortunately, I've only owned one cat in my memory (we had one when I was about one as well). We got her when I was in fifth grade, and I fell immediately in love. She wasn't big on other people, preferring me and my father, but I understood her. I have fond memories of Chelsea from the moment I saw her in the pound and the workers told me she didn't take well to people, only to be shocked when she gave me a kiss while I held her to the moment my mom broke it to me that she was giving her to my sister to keep at her house. She died a few months after my sister took her in. I was going to spend the weekend at her house, and I got off the bus to be greeted with that news. I was devastated.

The rest of this post will sound completely weird to anyone not familiar with the Younger, Middle, and Higher Selves (a psychological concept used a lot in magical practice) and familiars or spirit guides. So, be prepared.

I still work with Chelsea. She comes to join me in ritual to this day whenever I call her. It's just like old times when she used to patrol the perimeter of my circle whenever I cast one in the basement (where she spent most of her time). I find her presence an enormous relief and gift. It strengthens me and my workings.

So, it's no real surprise that my animagus form is a cat, especially if we subscribe to Brae's theory that the animagus is more of a conscious choice.

But what of the patronus, which is unconscious. Why are they the same in my case?

Cats represent a lot from a psychological and magical standpoint from mystery, knowledge, intuition, independence, and resourcefulness. I find all these things to be fairly prominent in myself, so the cat continues to fit me in these ways, but there's more.

The Younger Self can appear to someone in many ways. These may include (but are not limited to) simply a younger version of one's self or an animal. Mine has always been a cat. Always. Given that I didn't really expect it to appear to me in this way, I found it to be a further sign from my unconscious that I am linked with the feline.

So, perhaps it is boring to some that my patronus and animagus form are the same, but it does speak volumes about me as a person and is fascinating to me, at least. But then again, I find myself to be a very interesting individual, and you might too if you've kept reading all this time. Lol!