Seeds of Its Own Destruction

From the Druidcraft Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Druid Animal Oracle, Cat:

 For rigidity of mind, there is no antidote. It carries the seeds of its own destruction.

—Anton Myrer

The phrase "Is this the hill you want to die on?" comes to mind with this Ten of Swords. The military metaphor asks us if this battle is really worth sacrificing everything for. Do we care so deeply for our opinion or idea, thinking it more important than anything and everyone else? What Myer says about rigidity of mind rings true - we become weapons of our own destruction. Cat, in particular the Scottish wildcat, is capable of tackling prey much larger than itself. Yet before it does anything, it will observe the situation quietly, seeing if this is a risk worth taking. Nine lives peter out pretty fast for one lacking in objectivity and discernment. 

Independence with Boundaries

From the Ferret Tarot, the Page of Wands; from Nature's Wisdom Oracle, 'Cat:'

          My eldest nephew was a handful when he was a toddler. He was one of those kids that if you said something was dangerous, he'd translate that as exciting. There were no reasons for some of his escapades, he just liked to see if he could do them (like getting his head caught between the bars of a chair, which then had to be taken apart to release him). I'm convinced parents and other guardians are the ones who keep these adventurous ones alive until they develop more foresight. The Cat was worshipped by the Egyptians because of its usefulness and independent nature. That independence is what needs careful attention with the Page of Wands types. They may need boundaries, but they don't need any cold water dousing their fires.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won’t feel insecure around you. We are meant to shine, as children do. 

~Marianne Williamson

Complete Focus with Claws Extended

From the Druidcraft Tarot, the Eight of Pentacles:

There's nothing like working with molten metal to help keep your focus. This fellow has had to learn innumerable skills to get to this point: the amount of each metal to use, how to carve a mold, the temperature needed to melt the metal, how to pour it into the mold and how to file and smooth the figure once it comes out. Without distractions, he can practice and perfect his knowledge and craft. I've had a project I've been working on, but the daily unexpected stuff I've had to deal with has kept me from making too much progress. It's hard to keep plugging along when it seems you're moving inches instead of miles toward the goal. Today promises to be a day that I'll have time to devote to my work, which would be a welcome gift.

From the Druid Animal Oracle comes the Scottish wildcat ("Cat"):

This animal is my ancestral clan's symbol, so it is doubly important to me. The wildcat is no domestic cat; it is both fierce and cautious. It will watch with detachment to see if the object of its attention is prey, predator or a something that it doesn't need to be concerned about before it takes any action. But if they feel threatened, they can be a force to be reckoned with - rangers and others who have tried to capture them are quite aware of their ability to bite clean through protective gloves and hands. This cat suggests I guard my work and share it only with those I trust. Plagiarists lurk everywhere, particularly on the internet.