Cats

Traditionally (or at least in Sabrina the Teenage Witch), witches tend to have a black cat companion. Before I even began reading Aura, the cover led me to believe that there would probably be a pet cat involved, and I was surprised to learn that Consuelo's only pet was Saga, the rabbit. In class, we discussed how a rabbit also has witch-like implications and is often involved in sacrifices, but I didn't quite buy it. Why befriend the offering? A cat seems like a much more appropriate choice, especially with all the black magic imagery it conjures.

Of course, Fuentes doesn't hold back on the cat imagery, either. Consuelo lights cats on fire and crushes them between her legs. When Felipe suggests she bring the cats inside to take care of her rat problem, she replies, "The cats? What cats?" (53). Consuelo alternates between torturing cats and denying their existence, and I just can't figure out how this parallels her character. She devotes most of her energy to witchcraft, but wholeheartedly rejects its most universal symbol. Maybe it has to do with some sort of power dynamic. Black cats are seen to have power over humans (bad luck, etc.), and this could be what Consuelo takes issue with. She prefers Saga the rabbit as a pet, who seems to represent a conduit for magic. Felipe serves an analogous purpose as a sacrifice to bring the general back, and Aura appears to have been summoned by a similar sacrifice. Perhaps Consuelo prefers to surround herself with empty shells ready for filling rather than something as mystical as a cat.