Mystical Cats Tarot

The Mystical Cats Tarot (Llewellyn, 2014), authored by Lunea Weatherstone and with beautiful artwork by Mickie Mueller, is the latest in a long line of cat-themed tarots. While I'll admit I'm a total cat-lover, I also think this is a good, readable deck. While perhaps not as true to the cat's perspective as the Cat's Eye Tarot (US Games, 2011), it has a lot of lovely features, useful symbolism and is very evocative. Take the High Priestess; this elegant grey cat sits in an amethyst cave, outside of which a crescent moon glows in a starry sky. Amethyst is a crystal associated with intuition, and with the crown chakra. Hence also with wisdom and a spiritual connection to the Universe. Between that and the crescent moon, there's plenty of symbolism that speaks to the archetype. The Court cards are another interesting and well thought out aspect of the deck. Recently, Steve of Tiferet Tarot bemoaned decks with no apparent age difference in the Courts. In the Mystical Cats Tarot these are indicated by having a Kitten/Page (definite squee factor!), a Tom/Knight, and then the Queens and Kings. As seen with this Fire Tom (the suits are given elemental titles in line with the most frequent traditional attributions, though Air is titled Sky), the Toms show nicely the dynamic nature of the Knights. Here, the Tom wends his way between a plethora of burning candles, all without setting his tail on fire. His focus is on one candle in particular, but who knows how long that will last... The Aces all have this kind of paw print banner, with a colour and background appropriate to their suit element. This works quite well, I think, suggesting the possibility of making our mark in a given area or field. Nothing exists yet but the potential, action is needed to materialise it, make it more than purely symbolic. Finally, we have the Minors. As we see in the Eight of Sky (Swords), these are RWS-based. A grey cat seems trapped by the branches of a fallen bough. Meanwhile, eight bats fly towards her through a darkening sky. If s/he could get beyond the fear s/he could work hir way out between the branches. And so, it is not the branches or the bats that trap hir, but hir own thoughts and fears. Altogether, I find this deck very cute, and also full of wonderful symbolism and ideas that echo the traditional, while also allowing intuitive readings of the cards. It has many cat-centered delights and pearls of wisdom to share.

This deck has been calling to me for a while and I finally decided to get it as I love cats and I love tarot. The art is water coloury which is my favourite type of painting style. The artist mixed herbs into colours which makes it even more magical! The cats represent messages of the specific cards beautifully, but not in a very direct way (if you want an easier read I suggest Pegan Cats Tarot). One needs a bit of intuition to read these but it is still beginner friendly too. What I love about it the most is that cats aren't behaving like humans - they are just cats in different situations - but somehow they still manage to capture what the message behind each card is. One should also note that cats used to be cherished as gods so this deck holds a special magical power and connection to the devine. Absolutely beautiful.

Beautiful artwork. Follows the RWS tradition. Thin cardstock but shuffles like a dream. Nice guidebook (with black and white card images). Comparing to other cat decks, what I really like about this one is that, for the most part, the cats seem to act like cats would do - I mean the cards depict cats doing cat-things rather than mimicing human behaviours.

A really beautiful deck which will definitely appeal to cat lovers. The illustrations are very true to real cats and their antics. As the deck is based on, but not quite the same as, the Rider-Waite, this deck is probably better used an an oracle deck rather than a straight tarot deck; the accompanying book of interpretations is helpful here. Because of the clear work and thought that has gone into this deck, it doesn't feel right to just translate the reading that one obtains into standard tarot readings. With the accompanying interpretations, though, it seems to work well. Lovely to apply a feline spin to one's life queries!

It's not often i give a 4 star to and item I completely adore so I'll explain first ... from the box to the book and artwork this deck is a 5. The box is magnetic and study with the boom sitting on top and then the cards in a carboard cutout underneath which hold them still. It also has a little ribbon for removal. The book is sturdy and wonderfully laid out including a black and white picture of each card inside before it's meaning. The meanings are shortish (a page and more than enough - much better than any lwb however maybe shorted than some other books with smaller font) but punchy, giving a useful and productive meaning very much in line with rider waite. They also include reversals if you read them. The artwork is stunning. Cudous to the artist as this is the best cat deck in my personal opinion, whilst I enjoy others this depiction is wonderful. They are behaving catlike yet they still manage to express the card meanings Cleary. I personally find I don't need the book to read these cards however enjoy it anyway. Again I feel the pictures are very in line with rws so if you're familiar with this you will have no problems. So my reason for dropping a star is the cardstock. Llewellyn have returned to their Uber thin card. I know not everyone will share the dislike for this, I know several who like this card, I also know many many more who really don't enjoy it and I am one of them. It feels like the book or book could have been made cheaper if they were trying to keep production costs down. The card is more of a Matt yet sheened finish but slippery very. I've shuffled lots to try and remove this (as advised) no joy yet but it's early days. The card feels thinner than some card I print on so it was a shock. They are also wearing at the sides a little already and I have been delicate with them in the last month of owning. In honesty had it have been a different deck I'd have probably returned it. The art saved this deck however I am now dubious of buying the green witch tarot and everyday tarot (on my wish list) as both they Llewellyn decks are currently in the same box and card format. I'd prefer the other cheap cardboard boxes with thicker card personally so I'll be holding on from Llewellyn for a while. As I say this is my own personal experience but I would say many many tarot people have been agreeing and also holding off Llewellyn until the cardstock is changed. Example: I have the medicine cards and these aren't particularly good cardstock either. The mystical cats are a fraction thicker and less over flexible however they feel less durable to wear going by the edge finish and wearing. Medicine woman tarot is a fraction thicker. If these cards were finished differently to protect the edges I'm not sure the thickness of the cardstock would be such an issue for me. It's so hard to explain the texture and edges but I've done my best. Despite this I would not let go of my deck. It's a favourite I just hope it lasts with use as I will use this a lot. They might be cut cats but this deck still pulls it's punches and maintains a great balance of light and shadow elements. Sorry for waffling hopefully all the above information is helpful. If my deck was damaged or lost I'd still buy it again. Cat lovers especially this is a must. I'm just not sure how many other Llewellyn decks I'll own now.

This deck is one for cat lovers. It's also has a great book, the card information is given in an easy to understand way and you aren't swamped in details. It might be a good starter deck after basic study, especially if a person fears the Rider-Waite tarot imagery.

Love this deck - the art is amazing and the book is beautiful. It comes in a large cardboard box which isn't really the best for storage as it's not easy to just open like the book types are but it's not that bothersome for me. I find it really easy to connect with this deck. The art is gorgeous and the cats have so much personality. I find it to be a good take on the RWS deck.

Artwork on these cards is stunning, so easy to read with. Book is excellent - not just a LWB. Cardstock is a bit on the thin side but that's what you get with Llewellyn decks, I don't mind it to be honest - shuffles nice.

Arriva questo set di carte che ne contiene 78 più un libro in bianco e nero illustrato che spiega il significato di ogni carta e da' dei suggerimenti sui tipi di letture che si possono fare.Inoltre spiega un po' come prendere confidenza con il mazzo le cui carte hanno nomi un po' diversi da quelle tradizionali dei tarocchi e tutto scritto in inglese per cui bisogna saper capire bene l'inglese e le carte sono veramente meravigliose. llLa parte sul retro è fondamentalmente a sfondo blu mentre la parte davanti ha disegni veramente belli da guardare, sfumati con colori brillanti e accattivanti; esteticamente è un mazzo molto bello .Infatti mi ha attirato per quello ed essendo una amante dei gatti l'ho subito preso.

Adorable artwork! They definitely tell a story. As a beginner this is my second deck, this is gunna take some time to get used to but i can already tell this is gunna be my go to deck for readings now. Many would complain about the cardstock being thin and “flimsy” i find this to be the perfect cardstock to shuffle with. I do wish it was a little thicker but its alright. Just teaches those to be careful with their belongings. The box is huge but i just took out the inner thing and put my other tarot deck in and the books on top. No big deal.

Ich habe die Karten in die Hand genommen und mochte sie sofort. Sie sind gross, handlich und außerordentlich schön gestaltet. Die Bilder weichen etwas vom handelsüblichen Tarot ab, es gibt auch 4 Elemente statt Münzen, Schwerter, Stäbe und Kelche, aber alles ist im Büchlein gut erläutert. Wer Katzen und Tarot mag sollte zuschlagen.

Genius. Let me explain what I mean by that. Years (decades) ago I bought a photography guide book, and in it are some pictures illustrating the effects of printing on different photo papers. Nothing really profound there, but one of the pictures, of a man working in a chemistry lab, really caught my attention. Even now, so many years later, I still dig out that picture, and every time I see it, I see something new. A new bit of detail, new ways in which things are put together, new impressions that arise from it. That is what I mean by genius: the ability to create images with sufficient depth and complexity that they can continually spawn new ideas and impressions, and yet their details never become irritating and tiresome, as happens with so many Tarot decks. Images that, rather than dictating or forcing their meanings, instead seed the psychic process of creating meanings. That is ultimately what a Tarot deck should do: the Tarot is neither a box of fortune cookies, nor is it a wonder game of psychological trivia. It is an oracle of divination (at least it is to some of us) that draws forth images from the unconscious and weaves them into a vision of a possible world of unknown events and meanings. I first encountered that form of genius in the Tarot in the work of Giorgio Tavaglione. Among many others, Luigi Scapini and Ciro Marchetti also have it. And it gushes from this deck like a fountain. Not in quite the same form -- the details are softer, but the use of color is hypnotic. I'm not enough of an art critic to identify the style, and it really doesn't matter anyway. What does matter is its ability to generate impressions and ideas. The subject matter helps, of course, as does the fact that these are borderless cards. That has always been a big plus for me -- it's what originally attracted me to the Morgan-Greer deck, and it gives it a charm as well as a feeling of being unbounded. Although this deck certainly embodies much of the Rider-Waite tradition, it would be wrong to call it a "clone". I dislike the Rider-Waite tradition for many reasons, and even though many clones are artistically beautiful, they are to me, useless because of their adherence to a lineage of nonsense. While this deck is probably close enough to be recognizable by devotees as a "real" Tarot, it is also sufficiently different to appeal to me as a work of both artistic beauty and esoteric wisdom. Consider the "Lovers", often a problematic card. The Lovers of the Mystical Cats neither forces Adam and Eve -- and all the baggage that goes along with that model of "love" -- down your throat, nor does it dwell on the "choices" silliness that came from who knows where. No, this Lovers, as clearly as possible, illustrates the principle of complementarity. You can read more about that either in the works of Jung or of theoretical physics, both of which complement each other rather well, and is what matters to me about "love" more than anything else. OK, on and on I go, about what basically comes down to the fact that this deck made a deep impression on me when I first saw it. That takes some doing. One of the reasons for it is that one of the first cards I look at, along with the Lovers, is the Death card. That card is especially meaningful to me because I lost three cats in the last year, and it has not been fun. Instead of trying to gloss over the topic with silly "positivity", or trying to change the subject to something it is not, this card portrays both the true horror of it -- the bare sight of death itself -- and along with it the reflection to which death gives rise. I don't know what happens to cats when they die, but some tradition somewhere (in Japan, I think) says that one's last thought is carried into eternity. That is what this card suggested to me. I very much appreciate its honesty and forthrightness, and not trying to wishy-wash out of an often uncomfortable subject. One thing I do not like about this deck is that the only way to get it is to buy it in a set that comes with a book, and like many recent Llewellyn Tarot products, a box that is an insult to the jewel of wisdom it contains. The box is just terrible: it does not protect the cards once the wrapping is opened, it does not keep them in neat order. I suppose this is because Llewellyn wants to sell bags, cloths and boxes, but I have a bunch of these, and I won't be buying that stuff for all of them. The set boxes Lo Scarabeo has are better, and even better are the boxes Ciro Marchetti's self-published decks come in. Note well that I am NOT reviewing the book here. I don't like Tarot books very much; the genius is either in the cards or it isn't -- if it is, one doesn't need the book, and if it isn't, the book isn't going to put it there. I'm probably being a little harsh here, as this book at least is not the same tired nonsense by the same tiresome "experts". I did flip through it briefly, and it doesn't seem like has much to say to me, but others may feel differently. In the end, with this deck, a book isn't really necessary because the deck works on a different level than studied meanings. "Go to the cards, thou sluggard, and learn their wisdom," and with a deck like this that does indeed possess a deep wisdom, that may be the best path to follow. Tarot decks that exude this kind of genius are true divination decks, and there seem to be fewer and fewer of them coming out these days. That sad state of affairs may be due to the nearly universal demand for decks that are "traditional," understood as meaning the "Rider-Waite-Sheople tradition," some kind of incomprehensible Hegelian logic being necessary to mediate those terms into an (in)coherent unity. The RWS, to me, is the Barney of the Tarot, and I don't think much more of its sponge-minions than I do of its clones. That made this deck all that more of a surprise. There have been several "cat" Tarots come out in the last few years, and while pretty, none of them have been terribly deep in meaning. This one just came out of nowhere like clear-sky lightning, a welcome burst of genius in a marketplace of mediocrity.

普通のタロットカードと違って、猫好きにはたまらない、独特の世界観が素敵です。 ソードがSky ワンダがFire カップはSea ペンタクルはEARTH それぞれのエネルギーが美しく描かれていて、見飽きません。