A week with the Medieval Cat Tarot

[Rachelcat]

(I like Joan Marie's title, so I'm stealing it!)

Time for a cat deck! And this is an odd one. We have cartoon cats in medieval/renn fair costume. It looks like computer art to me, but I don’t know. The background is a not very pleasing mustardy brown. Maybe it’s supposed to be a gold background like the Visconti decks? And even though it’s a US Games deck, the cardstock is terrible, kinda thick and very shiny and sticky.

Now the good points! The minors are pips with RWSy vignettes, and some of them are quite clever. Coins are decorated with mice, cups with fish, swords with birds, and wands are salamander scaly with what looks like an egg on top (you’ll see). I especially like the courts which have a different form of the element in the background for each rank. The cleverness and system of the deck outweigh the color and tactile problem for me!

Let’s see what it has to say for itself. Interview time!

Most important characteristic: Ace of Wands
Its most important characteristic is its overall energy. And the association of animals with the suits. And the pips design.

Strength: X Wands
It was a lot of work, and that shows. And it’s kind of an effort to use it, but that’s a good thing.

Weakness: II Cups
You either love it or hate it.

What deck can teach me: Strength
I can be strong without taking it out on someone else. She is subduing the lion but not hurting it. Love the red gown!

How can I learn it? VIII Cups
Instead of walking away from the cups, this cat is dropping them down a well, just as effectively letting them go. To be strong without being harmful, I should let go of hurt or angry feelings, and be strong and do right because it’s right, not because of my reactions to a situation.

Outcome of our work together: V Coins
Poor kitty, out in the cold rain, and the tree doesn’t provide any shelter. Working with this deck might encourage me to thin out my herd of cat decks? Or other decks I don’t like as well as this one? We’ll see what happens!

Have a great Sunday! See you tomorrow!

[Rachelcat]

Monday on Tuesday
Yesterday was a real Monday, busy with 100 things, etc. So it’s catch up time for the cats!
How about Why the Who is in the What because I want to see more aces and some court cards.

Ace of Cups, Page of Cups, V Coins, The Pope
I’m still learning to understand how to deal with my emotions (Page of Cups, Ace of Cups) taking into account my rejection (V Coins) of religion (The Pope). I’m totally cool with it intellectually, that’s really where it all comes from. I just can’t accept religion rationally or morally. But what do I do with feelings of gratitude or awe? I guess I have to get used to the idea that the world is red in tooth and claw and also beautiful and amazing. This is the story: I got poison ivy from my cat walking on me. It wasn’t horrible, but it was annoying. This morning I thought how amazing it is that my skin is automatically healing itself! And how strange yet typical that poisonous plants exist. If that isn’t Page of Cups, I don’t know what is!

[Rachelcat]

Tuesday
What do I need to know about my week off next week?

Me: VII Wands
I will enjoy the struggle of figuring out what to do. I need to recharge my energy.

Issue: II Swords
I will have to decide what to do. and it will probably be learning something! My favorite thing to do!

Outcome: II Wands
I like this non-RWS scene. Kitty is using a compass, composed of two “sticks,” to point out where he wants to go. In the end, I will get somewhere, or at least do something, I want to go or do.

Advice: The Hermit
Well, this is plain! I’ve been thinking I can get out to shops and museums, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I’m vaccinated, but I don’t want to spread things around. The advice is stay home and work on myself instead. I can do that!

Deck critique stuff: I like the vignettes, but this spread really shows the color limitations. I feel like there should be something in the colors that distinguish the swords from the wands, and also something (maybe not color) to point out the two twos.

Have a very happy Tuesday, everyone!

[Rachelcat]

Wednesday on Thursday
More catching up!
Just something I need to know. Opportunity, Challenge, Resolution

Opportunity: III Swords
This is a work thing I’m dealing with. I’m seriously procrastinating because I don’t know how to do what I’m supposed to do. And I can’t think about anything else until it’s done!

Challenge: Ace of Wands
It’s the just do it salamander!

Resolution: King of Cups
I love the water wheel harnessing the power of water, the fire of water! The solution is to use my feelings of responsibility (instead of feelings of helplessness) to just do what I need to do to figure it out and do it.

[Rachelcat]

Thursday
I’ve run out of ideas. So why the who is in the what again, I guess.

Ace of Swords, Knight of Swords, X Wands, The Magician
Well, that’s very airy! In my mind (Ace), I’m tilting against the troubles of the world (X Wands) with rationality (Knight). Not that that’s really working. But it’s because I want to actually do something, not just think about it (Magician). Well, this needs even more thinking(!), but it certainly makes sense!

[Rachelcat]

Friday
I need help! I can’t get my head in the right place. A positive and encouraging read for today.
Elemental star should work.

Physically: IV Coins
I need to protect my physical self. I think that means I need to get my head together because there’s going to be more quarantining. Love all the locks and keys!

Emotionally: IV Cups
Another four. I need to protect my emotional self, too. I don’t have to take all the cups the world is offering me, just the ones that I want and are healthy for me. It’s always ok to say no to things, especially emotionally affecting ones.

Intellectually: Queen of Swords
I can enjoy using my intellect and geeking out on things, but I need to do it with emotional intelligence. She has organ pipes, which use air (and knowledge) to create emotionally affecting music.

Energetically: King of Coins
I need to keep eating cherries! I love cherries, and will keep buying and eating them until the store runs out! This means it’s ok to support myself in a physical way, even with food, if it’s good for me food! I need to take charge of what I take in, including food, my energy source.

Spiritually: VII Wands
I can enjoy the controversy, but only if I’m really enjoying it and it’s worthy of my attention.

I’m kind of surprised this worked, but it did! Plus I was able to share more of the court cards, which are why I like this deck.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

[Rachelcat]

Saturday on Sunday, last day for the medieval kitties.
I went to visit my mom yesterday, and that was good and turned out well. (And my sister sent me home with lots of veggies from her garden, too!) So one more catch-up day!
Because I have time to play, let’s do a tryout of my Norse Nine Worlds Spread, no question.

(Little cat feet got in the picture somehow! )

North, not happening: Death
I’m not in an ending phase. Maybe this is pointing out that I should be letting some things end so others can start, like the butterflies. But that’s not happening now.

South, happening: Page of Cups
Maybe the ending phase is over, and I’m going into a new beginning phase already. I’m back to being a beginner still learning about feelings. She’s keeping her eye on her cup, but she’s still spilling it a little, which might be a good thing for the grass. Hmm.

East, against: III Swords
Sometimes the truth hurts, and that’s holding me back in some ways.

West, for: Knight of Swords
But continuing to be a knight, caring about and on a quest to find the truth will be good for me in the end. His air is shown with flags. A knight is showing off his ability to move forward.

Inside: Knight of Wands
What I need and what I feel are the moving forward. I want to put my energy into making things happen. This knight has torches, similar to the flags of the Knight of Swords, a knight can carry them forward and people can see where he’s going.

Outside: II Swords
On the outside, I look like I’m carefully and sensibly weighing options and thinking things through, but I’m already on the other side of that and wanting to move forward with my new way of thinking and living (Knight of Wands).

Below: The World
The world the way it is is the foundation. I need to be grounded in the truth and the way things really are, not a fantasy world of the way we want things to be. This is a very historic/Visconti World, that I really like. The world, including nature and human creations, and the sun and the moon, are all in a beautiful snow globe, while a divine being (angel? God?) offers the horn blast of fame and the crown of salvation. Or of earthly sovereignty?

Above: Page of Coins
I should aspire to be a Page of Coins instead of a Page of Cups: Once again, grounded in reality (earth of earth), but also staying a beginner open to learning new aspects of reality as I go on my path.

Center, outcome: King of Wands
I think this is my potential. I can move from being a Page of Cups to a Page of Coins to a King of Wands. A true accomplished person in charge of her own life. Energy directly and used as it should to live my best life. His fire is in a huge hearth and surrounding fire pits. He doesn’t have to carry it around anymore like the Knight, but he is always surrounded by it and uses it to benefit his whole home.

Wow, I really enjoyed that, and digging more into the deck. Have a wonderful August, everyone! I’ll be back with a new deck soon!