Death of an Angel

Written By Damascena Tanis

I am laying here today, beside my dying cat.

Keeping vigil.

And it occurs to me as I caress his frail body, sing sweet nothings into his ear. As I am cognizant of not leaving him alone….

That this love; this is exactly what he has done for me for the last 15 years.

Though his name is Oscar, I have often called him shadow….

For the way he attaches himself to a family member and follows them around.

Perching himself on the couch or bed beside us…

keeping vigil.

Purring.

Nuzzling in and kissing us.

Choosing one family member to travel with for while.

I’ve had a theory that he does this with the family member who most needs extra love….

He and Tanner were especially close.

Then, when Tanner died, I was conscious of how Oscar’s attention shifted towards me. And this seemed to affirm my theory.

It was he who inspired my word for the year; ATTUNEMENT.

He would climb onto my chest in a vertical position. Paws on my shoulder. Nuzzle his head under my chin. The way one might hold a baby.

This was how I’d spend my evenings with Tanner as a baby. Rest him on my chest, and snuggle. Chin over his head. It was my favorite time of day to sit quietly and enjoy him.

How did Oscar know to emulate this sweet act of love in my grief?

For the better part of last 14 months he has nannied and care took each one of us.

He did for us what other humans could not. He gave us his presence. He made it so I was never alone.

When I work, he is here. When I cook, he’s under my feet. When I clean, my shadow.

As I dropped my grieving children off at school for a half day this morning, I thought about how pets come to initiate us in what’s really important.

Love well; because death.

Because nothing lasts forever.

Because life is constantly changing.

I can honestly say I am better for having been unconditionally loved by this angel with cat ears.

Thank you Oscar, for your years of service to our family.

Thank you for walking beside me in my brokenness. For being my constant companion.

For being my teacher.

I love you. Forever. And ever. 🥹

Damascena Tanis

Damascena is an Archetypal Astrologer, Ayurvedic Wellness Practitioner, and The Facilitator of the Transformative Journey through the Mandala of Venus’ Wisdom, called “Sky Dancer”.

She is a passionate devotee of the ever unfolding mystery. As an expert observer, a trait she developed as an only child, she regards herself as both a student of life, and decoder of the cosmos.

Skilled at recognizing invisible patterns, and picking up on subtle shifts in the collective, she gets a thrill from uncovering and revealing the hidden threads that are woven together to create our paradigm.

Her passion for this existential detective work aligns well with her unique approach to one on one client work, as she helps others to discover the building blocks of their archetypal blueprint, and mythic overtones. She does not believe that astrology is static, and therefore works with clients to develop strategies and practices that allow them to transcend challenging aspects of their natal chart.

She lives on the Shores of Lake Erie with her husband, four kids, and Cat, Oscar (the grouch).

These days, when she isn’t interpreting a natal chart, or translating the stars for her astrology blog, you can find her engaging in one of her favorite pandemic pastimes, unraveling her inner “good girl”, cultivating the ability to thrive in the deep, dark, unknown, or playing her favorite game of identifying fun paradoxes called “two things are true at once”.

https://www.RedMoonRevival.org
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