Le Fanu
I picked this up today in my local esoteric shop. I go out to buy fruit and vegetables and bread and come back with a new tarot deck...
I rather like it. I think it warrants more attention than being written off as a "bendy" cat tarot.
It has a great deal of character. Looking at it, I was thinking how those who like cat decks can be divided into two types; those who want cat decks to somehow sum up the true essence of cat-ness (Pagan Cats, Cats Eyes...) and those who enjoy the artificial, unreal aspect; (Baroque Bohemian, White Cats and this one). I have concluded - with this deck - that I am of the latter group. I like the fact that the artist has created something unreal. It has a definite Eastern folk art vibe which I like. Like Russian folk tale illustrations, something slightly sinister and melancholy. As with all LoS decks it is superbly produced and the artwork is very high quality.
It is interesting how I get nothing from the Tarot of the Pagan Cats and yet love this one. If I want true cat-ness, I play with my real cats here at home and enjoy their mad antics. I have discovered that what I really like is a cat deck with an element of the unreal. I don't need tarot to try and mirror their uniqueness as it is. I like a cat deck to go in a different direction.
However, it does make me a little sad as I had a dear, dear black cat who died after many happy years so seeing images (like The Sun) of black cats frolicking in feline heaven with sunflowers makes me sad. One image that unnerves me a little is that Arcana XXI (The World / Universe?) shows a black cat shedding its skin and becoming - oh bliss! - a white cat, as it smiles, blossoming on a lotus flower. What does that mean? Realisation? That what every black cats dreams of is to become a white cat? I find that a bit unfair. Why would all black cats aspire to be white? Black cats are beautiful in their own right.
I like the anthropomorphic aspect and the cats wearing gold like gypsy cats...
I rather like it. I think it warrants more attention than being written off as a "bendy" cat tarot.
It has a great deal of character. Looking at it, I was thinking how those who like cat decks can be divided into two types; those who want cat decks to somehow sum up the true essence of cat-ness (Pagan Cats, Cats Eyes...) and those who enjoy the artificial, unreal aspect; (Baroque Bohemian, White Cats and this one). I have concluded - with this deck - that I am of the latter group. I like the fact that the artist has created something unreal. It has a definite Eastern folk art vibe which I like. Like Russian folk tale illustrations, something slightly sinister and melancholy. As with all LoS decks it is superbly produced and the artwork is very high quality.
It is interesting how I get nothing from the Tarot of the Pagan Cats and yet love this one. If I want true cat-ness, I play with my real cats here at home and enjoy their mad antics. I have discovered that what I really like is a cat deck with an element of the unreal. I don't need tarot to try and mirror their uniqueness as it is. I like a cat deck to go in a different direction.
However, it does make me a little sad as I had a dear, dear black cat who died after many happy years so seeing images (like The Sun) of black cats frolicking in feline heaven with sunflowers makes me sad. One image that unnerves me a little is that Arcana XXI (The World / Universe?) shows a black cat shedding its skin and becoming - oh bliss! - a white cat, as it smiles, blossoming on a lotus flower. What does that mean? Realisation? That what every black cats dreams of is to become a white cat? I find that a bit unfair. Why would all black cats aspire to be white? Black cats are beautiful in their own right.
I like the anthropomorphic aspect and the cats wearing gold like gypsy cats...
