"Cougar" is in my clan of animal friends, and I've never found a satisfying/convincing interpretation of him on the animal totem sites. What he represents in my perspective is something I could use these days. But then, there's an awareness of a disgusting association with him in pop culture.
In pop culture, the use of the term is pejorative, referring to middle-aged or older women, preying on younger men. So how ironic for me, old biddy, to don him, just at the time we are discussing "aging" on the board. Needless to say, I reject this pop interpretation, and I think, "Poor cougar - what did he ever do to deserve such a seedy slant? Besides being the big cat he is, that is."
The sites consistently say that he is about the responsible use of power, and that he is solar... but that's not enough. One site cited Zuni folklore, in which he is said to be the intermediary between the spirits and animals (including humans): that more approaches what I see, which is a clarity and purity of sight.
