two years in a hut

Magical Feline Scratching Toy If you are a cat owner, you know how important it is to provide a scratching outlet for your furry friends. Cats have a natural instinct to scratch, and without a proper outlet, they may end up damaging your furniture or carpets. That's where the magical feline scratching toy comes into play. This unique and innovative toy is designed to not only satisfy your cat's scratching needs but also provide them with a fun and engaging playtime. The magical feline scratching toy is no ordinary scratching post. It is specially designed to captivate your cat's attention and keep them entertained for hours on end.

It is specially designed to captivate your cat's attention and keep them entertained for hours on end. The main idea behind the magical feline scratching toy is to create a playtime experience that combines scratching, hunting, and chasing. The toy consists of a scratching post at its core, covered with durable and textured material that encourages cats to scratch.

Witches in History

Located in a dark room within Second Sight: Witchcraft, Ritual, Power are three small prints. They are easy to overlook. Monochromatic and diminutive in size, they are not as attention-grabbing as some of the much bolder images on display. But I would urge viewers to look for these prints, as they are responsible for establishing some of the most important imagery that we still associate with witches and hold the key to understanding Second Sight.

Hans Baldung Grien, The bewitched groom (c.1544), Reproduced courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917.

Hans Baldung Grien, The bewitched groom (c.1544), Reproduced courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917.

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, Circe with companions of Ulysses changed into animals (1650-1651).

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, Circe with companions of Ulysses changed into animals (1650-1651).

Albrecht Dürer, Witch riding backwards on a goat (1501-1502), Reproduced courtesy of The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington.

Albrecht Dürer, Witch riding backwards on a goat (1501-1502), Reproduced courtesy of The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington.

For most people today, witches are the stuff of Halloween or Disney. But only 300 years ago, witchcraft was a crime punishable by death. During the early modern period (1450–1750), 45 000 women and men were executed in Western Europe under legislation specifically against witchcraft. Another 45 000 were tried but not convicted. In the eyes of the law, and in much of society, witches were people who had made a pact with the Devil and who had then used their newfound demonic powers to harm their neighbours. Witches were most often believed to be women, frequently elderly, poor, widowed or childless. They were accused of killing children, making men impotent, ruining crops, causing storms and shipwrecks, attending the sabbath, and working together to cause evil and discord. Of course, most of these accusations were only true in the minds of accusers, but that didn’t stop the vast majority of men and women from believing in witchcraft.

But where did these ideas come from? Although witches were believed to exist in medieval Europe, it wasn’t until the fifteenth century that the idea of witchcraft as a diabolical crime rose to prominence. Key texts were influential in establishing this concept, such as Heinrich Kramer’s notorious Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches) of 1486 and a number of lesser known texts from the 1430s. But one of the main ways in which ideas of witchcraft circulated was through visual culture. In Second Sight, we are lucky enough to have three early visual depictions of witchcraft: Albrecht Dürer’s Witch Riding Backwards on a Goat (1501–1502); Hans Baldung Grien’s The Bewitched Groom (1544); and Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione’s Circe with Companions of Ulysses Turned into Animals (1650–1651).

All of these works feature aspects of the now stereotypical witch. For example, Dürer’s witch is depicted as a strong, muscled figure who looks wholly in charge while riding the goat. Her position riding backwards shows the inverse and unnatural role of witches in the world. Similarly, her hair flows in the opposite direction than it should, highlighting that she is outside nature. She is both physically repellent through her masculine body but also strongly sexualised. The distaff (a feminine object used to spin wool or flax) placed prominently between her legs, her long hair and open mouth (all signifying lust), and her suggestive grasping of the goat’s horn all associate her with transgression and sexual desire. Fifteenth- and sixteenth-century treatises on witches associated them with deviant sexuality, with many authors describing the unnatural orgies in which witches were believed to partake. At the sabbath, witches were believed to engage in supposedly unnatural sexual acts with the Devil, with other witches, and even with their own children. This concept of the lustful witch is also visible in Grien’s The Bewitched Groom; although the witch is off to the side, her exposed breast is visible to all. Grien’s work also highlights anxieties about sexuality. Central to the piece is the bewitched groom’s prominent codpiece; this motif is echoed by the horse’s uncovered genitals, revealed through a brief movement of its tail. Although the witch is not central, it is clear that her presence is tied to dangerous sexuality.

It also features various interactive elements like dangling feathers, bells, and crinkle balls that mimic prey and stimulate your cat's natural hunting instincts. What sets the magical feline scratching toy apart from other scratching posts is its magical aspect. This toy is designed to react to your cat's movements and create an enchanting play experience. It utilizes motion sensors and sound effects to respond to your cat's scratches and movements, making it seem like the toy is alive. This interactive feature keeps your cat engaged and entertained, preventing boredom and promoting physical activity. In addition to its enchanting qualities, the magical feline scratching toy is also designed with your home's aesthetics in mind. It comes in a variety of colors, styles, and sizes to match your interior decor. Whether you prefer a sleek modern design or a more whimsical look, there is a magical feline scratching toy to suit your taste. So, if you want to provide your cat with a scratching outlet that is not only functional but also entertaining and visually pleasing, consider investing in a magical feline scratching toy. Your cat will thank you, and you'll have peace of mind knowing that your furniture is safe from their claws..

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two years in a hut