There is something mystical about cats. Their demeanor. Allure. How they move! How they walk and matriculate through Earth’s spacing! Their keen observation and mannerisms. Their sensitivities and attentiveness is legendary. Why they stay connected to the sensory of Earth’s natural movement patterns is, legendary. For some reason, cats know they are masters of being meticulous. Their ability to pinpoint the smallest details, they appreciate and respect the gentility of Earth’s silent patterns.
At the American University In Cairo, cats are the symbols of peace and wholeness. There are a number of them on the New Cairo and Downtown campuses. They are cared for. They are pampered. And, on a regular day on campus, you can walk by, and observe those students, faculty, staff, or visitors, who interact with those campus beauties. Whether its sitting next to them, caressing them, or simply observing their movement patterns. However you connect with them, their aura is a source of calm.
The beauty of having cats on spaces of higher education, is how they exhibit that energy of relaxation and wellness, desired by humanity. They do not worry about things they cannot control. In the minds of cats, life is simple. Love is natural. The phenomenon of them, and other animals, is how they sense the energies of human beings. When they come to rub on you, or bring you love, they have sensed something protective or sacred in your Being. Cats have no problem showering you with affection, and blessing you with their touch, if they find you to be worthy. If you don’t know you are worthy, they will remind you. That’s the beauty and joy of their existence.
Having cats on AUC’s campus is essential for the university experience. Their presence awakens excitement to the university gardens. The value of life is amplified in their Being, here. The option of serenity on campus, is vigilant if people choose to benefit from it, and participate with it. Life and nature’s life forms have the power to transform any educational field into a more holistic experience. No matter how rigid, tense, or hardened, it may appear to be. When humanity interacts with nature, there is a release taking place. Stress mysteriously disappears. We become re-balanced in how we should naturally move. They are subtle reminders. The more we interact, the more we are reminded.
Reflecting upon those memories, when those precious felines have caught my gaze, there was another attribute, surrounding their existence. Protectors. For some reason, the cats on AUC’s campus take on a Spirit of guardianship. How they walk, and how they stand, makes it clear that they are the spiritual gatekeepers of the space. They are the protectors of love and wellness. More than ever, they also represent this eloquent euphoria of time. Viewing them in nighttime’s gaze, you see the pleasures of their movements. Egyptian cats are no ordinary cats. They are masters of time and spacing. Delightful, playful, and maintaining that adventurous Spirit, cats bring forth an essence of appreciating every element of life’s decor. Waiting and embodying the Spirit of watchful encounters, cats at the American University in Cairo, clearly have a bond for seeking other Beings who share that same Spirit. That Spirit of calm and inner peace.
For those weary and broken-hearted individuals entering into these University gardens, the audacity of healing awaits. If they are open to it. No individual can permanently linger in their brokenness, unless they choose to. Not in this spacing. Not in a cat’s presence. If your Spirit is gentle and pure, cats clearly invite you to believe in your inner beauty. Reminding you of your reason for being in an academic spacing. Its not solely for a degree or the memorization of knowledge. Rather, its also to get you in understanding how the forces of knowledge are always at play. When we attempt to have power over knowledge, or control it, is when we become stifled. Suppressed. Leading so many into a state of, depression.
I have enjoyed the artistry of capturing the university cats on the New Cairo campus. Their presence was always a therapy after a class or work assignment. On a day, where Egypt’s sun is determined for humanity to feel her presence, you can feel those furry Darlings laying outside to feel her, too. They appreciate nature in every way, and have no problem showing it. They were unapologetic in their display, in receiving affection from nature. Nevertheless, it is a wonder to see them frolic and play on spaces, symbolic of knowledge and education.
One lasting memory, in my photographing of cats, is how they forced me to look deeper into them. Their gaze is one in seek of truth. In just one stance, there is something to be understood when it came to capturing them. This experience is a privilege, not a right. If I captured their image, I better had crafted it well. Which meant I had to go into their feelings, and sensory, if I was going to have their attention. I better had come with the right energy. The right timing. I better had brought an appreciation for their natural movements and navigations of campus spacing. Furthermore, my fury models would not assist me, if I came with any tensions, stress, or energies revealing that I was out of my natural elements of comfort and ease. I had to go into my inner natural in order to reach theirs. My natural movements. Working naturally. Whatever components of Earth’s natural components, which I encompassed into my own Being.
During this time, I can feel AUC’s precious felines lurking around. Wondering where all the humans have gone. Yet, like other animals of the world, the empty spacing has become their work of wonders. Its a long field day! Roaming, running, and playing, free. Just imagining other parts of campus, they have not experienced, prior to. They will master AUC landscapes; knowing their every arrangement. And, once the humans have come back, they will test their presence. Has humanity changed? Have humans evolved out of their ego in having more appreciation for the Earth? Or have we stayed the same? Will we be more devoted to nature? Will our experience be one of humility, in how we connect with the Earth, and her life forms, within? Time will say. But, time will not wait. Its why cats walk in Earth’s timing. Mother Earth is healing herself, and she won’t permit our disrespect my longer. Humanity has the opportunity to cleanse our thinking, and everything surrounding the hostilities we have projected onto our planet. At this point, we have no other option. Be on time, and let nature, guide the way!
Note: All photographs in this article are the sole property of the author of this article. They are not for commercial uses.