Everything Under the Moon

Okay, so I am relatively new to the craft, but have already read quite a bit of background (of course not enough) and I was just wondering if someone could help me with this.

A few months ago I had an experience in a cathedral of a divine energy surrounding me (I now recognise as one of my deities) but at the time I had essentially no knowledge of paganism, and so my mind was reeling on what this being could be or what I could refer to it as. It didn't feel like the Christian God, but Omni-benevolent stuck... the name Ben felt right at the time.

I began writing my diaries to Ben. Slowly Ben seemed different from the divine energy, and something different. Until recently I didn't realise, but now I think he is my guide. The first time I exclaimed this out loud I felt a happiness and acceptance that I knew it was the truth emanating from my heart.

I haven't been able to contact him through meditation or anything, but I have felt his presence before while meditating and I think that he can open my bedroom door (that may be my imagination).

That's the background. Here comes the cats. I planned a New Moon ritual to begin the cycle fresh and free from the troubles of the last few weeks, and every time I go into the garden there is a cat sat in it. But that is relatively normal around my area, but the day before yesterday I went up to talk to the four oak trees in the garden surrounding the place I planned to form my ritual. As I was communicating with the trees, I had my eyes closed and as I opened them a loud yowling sounded. It came from a black and white cat standing close-ish to the tree I was talking to. It then stopped and looked at me, and trotted away. Then a cat watched me while I meditated and cleansed the items I was going to use in the ritual.

Today, while completing the ritual, a tortoiseshell cat was sat watching me during it, and afterwards I greeted it and it was very interesting in what I was doing. We have netting in our garden, and it slunk over to it, looked back at me and started sniffing in the netting. I realised that a blackbird was stuck in it! The cat trotted away, and while I ran to fetch help the cat perused the area where I had cast the ritual.

So my question is, how can I tell whether my guide is actually a cat, as they have suddenly appeared a lot more often, or are they just being used to tell me things?

It could be both.

Snow

Some cats are very attracted to energy. Friends had a cat who was always joining their Reiki circles. My cat loves Reiki too, and also gives energy. At any rate the cats may be attracted to the energy of your workings. It's also possible that your guide has a connection to cats.

Thank you SnowCat and Myrth.
I didn't think about the attraction to energy when making this post, so thanks for opening up that view. I guess I'll just have to wait and see if anything else happens.

Our animal companions are very intuitive much more so then we who allow logic to interfere with intuition. Their extended senses are intuitive and often ethereal. I have nurtured the qualities of a "Familiar" in my cat Shadow and now I see by doing so I have done a great disfavor by deprived him of much free spirit so essential for a cat. I have imbued him with sentience beyond his comfort level. He experiences abnormal guilt, shame and emotions and endlessly watches for my approval or disdain. He follows me incessantly, always is gazing at me and alerts to my every move and command and in effect is enslaved to worshiping me. He knows what I think, feel and plan to do long before I am aware of it myself. I cannot disengage such a high level of entanglement. He is deeply indentured to me and that is not a noble relationship. The lesson here is to think before we act, creating a "Familiar" is a selfish act.

The cat can't be forced to adore you. He chose to. So if he is indentured to you he chose to be out of love. Receive it graciously.

One of my former cats adored a particular spirit who I contacted as a trance medium. When he was there, the cat would sit on "our" shoulder, and as soon as he left, the cat would sli-iide down and trot away. She didn't respond to other spirits with such enthusiasm. Maybe Dreamingwithwolves, your backyard cats are attracted to your specific guide.