January of 2024 had (seemingly) 70 something days in it before it finally moved on. February is only half way over, but it feels like it may outlast January’s reign.

February 1st marked the day my son Jasper experienced an avulsion fracture of his right patella, found through X-ray that day, and that alone began a journey. Only two days later, on February 3rd, I was notified that a cat I affectionately helped raise many years ago, maybe I dare even say “co-parented”, had to be put down. In the midst of my son’s happenings, I had tabled processing this loss.

Lots of proceedings for Jasper’s injury ensued. Many calls, several doctor visits, a second opinion, coordinations and some scheduling later, Jasper had surgery on his right knee on Thursday the 15th. I literally became exhausted during that journey though, in the path to surgery, exploring avenues. After the initial X-Ray, there was an MRI done, to which surgery was the recommendation. In an effort to get a second opinion to validate that surgery was needed, there were several dead-ends encountered, and obstacles such as not being able to get in for a visit for weeks.

The final leg of that journey was an experience of resolve and even divine will, however. An avenue explored on Tuesday the 13th, led to an in-person visit on Wednesday the 14th that confirmed surgery was needed, and the second opinion doctor and facility felt right, so it was decided to pursue surgery there, to which they had an opening the very next day of Thursday the 15th.

I come back to a time of rest from that process, and aloneness to contemplate this and the dear cat, to write this blog. The cat’s name was Jorie. I am one who gives nicknames a lot, and the first nickname she had was JoJo. That evolved when I told my dad back then about our cat JoJo, to which he smirked and said “Mojo JoJo!” - a reference to a supervillain character in the cartoon (and archenemy to the) Powerpuff Girls. Mojo JoJo stuck for me at that point, and I would toggle between the three. She had other nicknames given to her, such as Boo and Nan. I had to inquire with Jen on how long it had been - Jorie had lived 20 years, which is a decent life for a cat. Jorie had only been in my immediate life for a small amount of the beginning of those years, but I loved her much the same as every other pet I ever had, and treated her as if she were my own. I’ve owned a lot of cats in my life, and yet I’m allergic to them (see, love hurts). It was just about 9 months ago that Jen told me she was worried about Jorie, that she was acting weird, and I sent Reiki to her. Jorie was the last cat I had, and thus the most recent one I held a bond with that left a personal mark in my heart and soul. She will be missed, and in her honor, I’m placing her picture as the image for this blog. I can only imagine the depth of the loss for Jen, who had her for the duration of Jorie’s life.

I went to the Dream Arc earlier tonight and looked up Cat. Of course, it’s associated with Gene Key 40, and the Gift of Resolve. While I do not have key 40 in my Gene Keys Golden Path, nor gate 40 in my Human Design bodygraph, nor was it in transit…it is one that has finally come up for me. “Unlock Your Design” labels 40 with the Archetype of “The Father”, and I immediately saw the correlation to my son and Jorie in this. While such archetype was limited with Jorie, it carries on with my children. In Human Design, 37-40 is the Channel of Community, where the 40 plays the part of the provider within context of a family. The gate 40 itself in HD is called the Gate of Aloneness. This gate comes with a need for balance between providing and rest with alone time, as that providing could result in exhaustion if not tempered. This weaves well with the Gene Keys description of the 40 having the Shadow of Exhaustion, the Gift of Resolve, and the Siddhi of Divine Will.

The Gift of Resolve is several things. It is about having boundaries and saying no to the right things, saying yes to the right things, not forcing anything, dropping back into self and relaxing…and falling in love with aloneness. It is in this solitude that connection with the divine is truly felt, and a remembrance that one is always supported by not only the divine, but others as well. Resolve is what alchemized through the journey of Jasper’s injury. Resolve is what happening for myself when I think of Jorie, because it is the turning over of the providing to God and all the divinity therein. I’m positive that Jorie had resolve in her transition, as she knew she was supported and loved in both realms, and she could relax to let herself fill up with that love.

I then think about how a cat embodies that Resolve on a daily basis. They sleep when they want, play when they want, let you know when they don’t want to be bothered. Clean themselves and attempt to clean others. They flow. They seem to interfere with you when you’re working or doing other busy things, but if only we took awareness of the notification they are giving us in those moments to take a break and sit with ourselves (and them).

Borrowing an excerpt of a post from Allison Adams in the Gene Keys Global Facebook group, a reflection on the Cat and the 40 from the Dream Arc perspective:

“Gene Key 40/Dream Arc

The Cat: Relaxed Resolve (Divine Relaxation)

"I am Cat. There is something important you are not seeing in your life. But that is about to change. With my hunter’s eyes, you will see something for the first time in a completely new way. Look at your lifestyle. What is it that is causing you disturbance? This is not something you can fix from the outside. This is fundamental to the pattern of your inner life. Life is trying to tell you something. You are not a victim.

All suffering comes to reveal that which is hidden. Go within. Go deep within with my hunter’s spirit. Too much energy you are wasting on external matters, when the resolution you seek must first be discovered within. You are looking too much at others, or to others for answers. What do you really care what others think? Listen to others, yes. But then you decide what is true and what is not true. Sometimes we even have to transcend our teachers. Look at my people. We are masters of relaxation. We are people of the Bliss. Where is your bliss? How often do you curl up in a corner and just purr for the sake of it?"

(quote from Richard Rudd's Dream Arc)”

Some more solitude time for the imminent internal shifts, and processing of the above, feels right.