Rachel’s DoW 36 Major Cats!

[Rachelcat]

I was purrusing my collection list (as one does), and re-discovered that I have 17 cat decks, of which 2 are oracles, 1 is a lenormand, 10 are regular tarots, and, yes, 4 are majors-only decks. So this week I present to you:

Tarot for Cats
Chat du Marseille
I Taro Gatti
I 22 Arcani “Gatti”

I’m sorry to say I’m pretty sure these are all long out of print, but I wanted to share them anyway! I love the art of all four, even though they’re very different. And the variety in card sizes just adds to the fun!

Quick deck notes:

Tarot for Cats is a novelty with the book written as if the readings are for cats, complete with spreads called “Bird and Pounce,” “Food Bowl,” and “Catnip Cross,” and sample readings for cats. It’s illustrated by Kipling West, the illustrator of the Halloween Tarot (which counts as another cat deck because the same black cat is on each card).

Chat du Marseille is a line-drawn deck by ATer Elaine Moertl, based on the Conver. It’s so much more in the Marseille spirit that the LS Marseille Cat Tarot, which has totally unwarranted rounding effects.

I got I Taro Gatti used in a collecting binge years ago. I don’t know much about it. It’s Italian, and has a little folded paper with info in several languages. It concludes, “Arcanum Cat or Felix the Cat?” It has most unusual packaging, corrugated cardboard with a printed paper wrap. Oh, and all the cards are black and white and red, my favorite color combination!

22 Arcani “Gatti” is an Il Meneghello mini in its little ribbon-tied shelf book box.

I think the easiest way to use four majors decks in one DoW is to show the same card from each deck every day. I don’t think I can face doing four interviews, so the same goes for today. I’ll shuffle and cut the Il Meneghello and find the same card from the other decks. Enjoy!

What can I learn from the major cats this week?

L’Imperatrice
I didn’t realize three out of the four would have the same language name. Cool!
I will learn to appreciate the majesty, beauty, and enjoyment of tarot trumps/majors. An important part of tarot for me is the pleasure of collecting and sharing. And caring for and curating my collection. My decks are my kittens! Isn’t that fluffy white mommy cat card a perfect picture of comfort?

Have a perfect Sunday! I look forward to sharing more cards with you this week!

[Rachelcat]

Monday
A card for today

Le Diable, Il Diavolo, The Devil
We have some pitchforks, chains (love the orange and black paper chain!). The devils are all cats, except the dog. Is the dog the devil or the cat? Interesting the think about. The smiling cat demons are great! And this devil is properly creepy, with bird feet, wings, a scaly tail, and horns. I was going to say only one card has fire, but it looks like there’s fire at the end of this devil’s sword, too. Commenting on Tarot of Pagan Cats, I once ranted that cats don’t hold things with their tails, but since this is a devil cat, maybe he has special monkey-like tail powers.

I’ll have temptations today. I’m back on the weight loss horse, and I hope I can make it through today without getting too discouraged. And I hope food is the only temptations I’ll face!

Have a good Monday!

[Rachelcat]

Tuesday
Card of the day!

Le Bateleur, Il Bagatto, Il Mago, The Magician

What tools do our cats have on their tables? A chalice and a tail caduceus, very esoteric, but does that mean the cat has two tails? A ball, dice, coins and a wand, and a very dapper hat, a good representation of a stage magician. Toy mice, string, and a dead bird, and is that a deck of cards? and a fab had with ear holes. All things a cat would conjure with, except the hat. Toy mouse, feather, fortune telling fish, and a box of matches. Oh, maybe it’s matches on the other card, too. And urboros, roses, sun and moon. Very catlike and esoteric, too.

What does this all mean for me today? I’ll be dealing with a combination of the usual and the esoteric. I’ll enjoy playing with ideas and maybe rearrange them in my mind a bit.

Have a fun Tuesday!

[Rachelcat]

Wednesday, full moon in Pisces
I’ve adjusted my moon names for the rest of the year, so instead of using one of the moon spreads, I’ll just use a generic full moon spread, with the Chat du Marseille, today.

What is obvious in the light? Le Chariot
This looks like a Covid world reading to me. It’s obvious that we have to move forward in a continued quarantine. Back in March, we were all thinking this will probably be over in the fall. Today I’m planning on online presentations for my Tarot Society through the end of the year and beyond. And I registered for the virtual Jane Austen Society meeting in October. Le sigh. But that’s just the way it is. Best to accept it and keep going. We’ve adapted so far, we just have to use what we’ve learned and keep adapting. (Love the dogs pulling the chariot, and the lioness? crest!)

What progress is being made? Le Monde
Same idea here. Everything is changing, but we’re handling it. We need to recognize that the world is going to be a different place, even when quarantining is over.

Something in abundance to celebrate! Le Mat
Well, there’s certainly a lot of foolishness going around, but I don’t know if we should celebrate it! But, yet again, people have had to adapt, and try new and crazy ideas and see what works. It’s been an opportunity for alternative thinkers, and video conference developers!

What is fading away? Le Maison Dieu
Well, thank goodness for that! The sky is no longer falling, but things will continue to be different. And maybe this means that in the US, people are getting fed up with all the foolishness that causes, or at least exacerbates, crises every day, and things will change soon.

Well, that’s what happens when you read with all majors, larger issues show up. I feel strange reading every card as basically the same, but that’s how it struck me. I hope the Tower fading away comes true!

Happy full moon, and have a lovely Wednesday, everyone!

[Rachelcat]

Thursday
Card of the day!

Le Stelle, La Stella, L’Etoille, The Star
Impressions: The stars are reflected in the pool. Starry eyed, pouring, smiling.
I never really read the Star this way before, but these illustrations make me think: One can see the greater and what’s above by looking within and pouring life and something of value into oneself. You can’t really understand the big picture, the big questions, until you put something of yourself into them. It doesn’t have to be the Hermit’s wisdom of age, but it’s the wisdom of living. The stars inside illuminate the stars above. If you make the effort to really look at them.

Deep thoughts from a shallow mind! Enjoy your Thursday!

[Rachelcat]

Friday card of the day

Temperance, La Temperanza
The cat’s tail becomes a wing. A scrawny kitten pours. That angel cat has an enormous tail! But the Tarot for Cats is the most interesting. There are two bowls, but with the sayings posted on the fridge, I think it pointing out that cats are sweet, fuzzy, silly, warm companions and ruthless killers at the same time, and they’re able to balance that: it’s their nature. The sayings are “Love mice; hate dogs; patronize humans,” I don’t do mousework,” and “the game is over when the mouse is DEAD.” There are also a child’s drawing of “my cat” and letters spelling out KITTY.

So the message for today is be everything that I am. Allow all my selves blend into a seamless whole. That’s the only way to truly be myself.

[Rachelcat]

Saturday, last day for major cats!
Card of the day

Le Pendu, L’Appeso, The Hanging Cat
Hmm, where have you seen this before? I picked this card as my avatar pretty much randomly, but I’ve come to identify with this slightly anxious tuxedo. I’m not cool enough to be a fully black cat. And I have a photo of me as a very young child holding a cat in just this same way. Not comfortable for the cat, but I was born a cat person and just had to get my hands on them! (My parents were very good about making sure my toddler self didn’t inflict too much uncomfortable “love” on the resident cats.)

We also have cats hanging by tail, hanging by foot, and grabbing a fish on the fishing line as if it were a cat toy on a string. So it’s the fish that’s hanging, the cat is just taking advantage of the fact.

What does all this mean for today? I’m going into the holiday weekend with no plans, which makes me a little anxious. I feel like I should have some plans to do something different than what I do every day. I feel like I want to spend some time getting into some learning project, but I don’t know what that is. And I have to pick a deck for next week. I’m very lucky indeed that these are the only things I have to worry about right now!

Have a lovely Saturday and happy Labor Day to US folks!