PurrfectCatNames.com visitors, if you love both cats & Tarot, then we have a real treat for you. A review of the Mystical Cats Tarot Deck & Book. This is a Tarot deck by Llewellyn Worldwide.
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One of the first things I noticed about these cards was the backs of them, which have two single paw prints facing in the up and down position with greenery and flowers around them. This is a wonderful introduction to the deck, as you will see the cats shown in their natural beauty while in a “mystical” way.
The deck was created by Lunaea Weatherstone and the art was by Mickie Mueller. Weatherstone was the owner and editor of SageWoman magazine and is a priestess, writer, teacher, and tarot counselor. Mueller is an artist known for fantasy, fairy, and myth art themes. For this Tarot deck, Mueller used both colored pencil and watercolor, infused with magical herbs to create the purrfect Mystical Cats.
If you are new to Tarot, I’ll explain that every Tarot deck is similar to a deck of cards – it has specific cards that have significance. These are the Major Arcana (which you will not find in a traditional deck of cards, these are “face cards”) and then the Minor Arcana (the classic four suits you’ll see in a deck of playing cards).
The Mystical Cat Tarot renames the Minor Arcana as “The Cat Clans” for the Fire Cats, Sea Cats, Sky Cats, and Earth Cats, so all of the Minor Arcana cards are represented. Most of the Major Arcana cards have their traditional names, with a few given unique names for this deck – such as Justice now called Consequences, and Temperance is now called Grace. It is clear that every detail of this deck was well-organized and well-thought-out, with both the left-brain and the right-brain creativity involved in making a beautiful deck for cat lovers.
Just turning over the cards and looking at them, the first thing you notice is how natural the cats look and now each cat in the cards is distinctly different, with its own purrsonality. The Minor Arcana cards seem to have cats that don’t necessarily all have the same color coat or patterns – which would probably be too “matchy-matchy” but they do compliment each other in subtle ways and look like naturally created feline families, with cat coat colors and patterns that blend. So it is easy to see that these Tarot cards were created by cat lovers who have been around cats, have seen cats and kittens and generations of cats, and also understand the relationships that cats have with each other. I also liked looking through the cards to see the cats in different positions (lounging, sitting up, sleeping in the sun) and doing things that cats would naturally do but also in a Mystical environment and sometimes wearing Mystical accessories like a pretty gemstone collar.
Suppose you’ve used Tarot cards before you may notice that this deck has a gentle subtle style to it. The Tarot symbols are there and it has a wonderful charm, with the cats and the Mystical theme. I looked at the cards fully before reading the book about them and could understand then that the artist Mueller used colored pencils and watercolors to create the deck. The colors do “pop” in surprising ways but are also very soft and natural, which makes the cats feel all the more real.
Out of 78 cards, it is hard to pick favorites, sort of like walking into an ice cream store and picking one or two flavors.
But in the Major Arcana, I especially like the Moon card, showing a crouching spotted grey cat under a full moon. The cat has luminous, glowing eyes and is ready for nocturnal adventures! The Hermit is a wonderful card too, showing a striped tabby perched up in a pomegranate tree enjoying a bit of time by himself. This surprised me, as The Hermit card has not been a card I’ve been drawn to in other decks, but this one I especially liked. The Empress is very charming, showing a mama cat nursing her brood of five hungry kittens in comfy, lush surroundings. It will make you smile! The Strength card I thought was another fun one, with a black cat out in the sunshine near a bird feeder, being patient with baby bluebirds perched on it, certainly, one showing a lot of strength!
Some of my favorite Minor Arcana cards include the Six of Sea, showing cats swimming in a pool or jumping in. The cats look very natural and it is a refreshing scene, even if we logically cannot imagine our beloved kitties taking a dip anytime soon! The Sky King from the Sky Clan is quite regal, outside in the snow with a jeweled collar. Even without seeing he is a King, the mere look on this cat’s face notes he is one to admire and his fur looks so lush and soft. Sky Kitten is quite charming, showing a cat leaping at streamers – any of us can recall our cats at play and thinking of kitten-y antics it is a fun scene depicted in this card, an excellent choice for an Air card. Four of Fire shows 4 cats playing with a bright, firey ball in the air, a beautiful card with such a Mystical theme.
I recommend this tarot deck if you love cats and Tarot. If you are curious about Tarot and would like to give it a try, it comes with a book that gives descriptions of each card’s specific meaning and also some terrific Tarot card spreads to do. This is a beautiful cat-themed Tarot deck. Cat lovers enjoy!
Disclosure: Some of the products that I review here are received from companies, publishers, PR agencies, and authors. It does not affect my opinion and review.
