In the Bronze Age mythology, which is the basic mythology of antiquity, the lion is associated with the solar image. The moon dies into the sun every month and is born from it again. So the sun is the mother of the moon.

The animal that is associated with the sun primarily is the lion, whose wonderful solar face and his roar scatters the animals of the grazing plain as the rising sun scatters the stars of night. The lion is the great image of the power of consciousness and energy.

The solar lion, the womb of woman and the sacrificial fire are the same fire; they are the transforming fire. And, so, all is within the Mother. She is time, space, causality.

Sukavati: Place of Bliss  
 A Mythic Journey with Joseph Campbell

 Look deep into your cats eyes, past the beauty to the far side of beyond. Let those eyes guide you through a magical and mythical journey spanning time and cultures. Explore the cats role, theme and symbolism in Egyptian, Native American and Scandinavian mythology.

All mythologies occur where you have polytheism, says J. Joseph Edgette, professor of education and folklorist at Widener University in Chester, Pa. Because monotheism replaces polytheism, all of the sacred animals drift to the side. But they live on in the mythology and writings we come across. Modern writers will make reference to them, and if you don't know the connection then you miss a little piece.

**For the full article, pick up the July issue of CAT FANCY**