One of the reason I love working for Lo Scarabeo is the interesting assignments they give me. Their instruction of “make a deck called the Book of Shadows that is comprised of 2 different decks” was the most challenging. Their instruction to make a 32 card inspirational deck featuring cats wasn’t quite as overwhelming, but still, there were challenges. What would be the structural feature? How would I decide what cards? What kind of art would I suggest? Unlike tarot decks with their built in structure, oracle decks are wide open.

My first decision was that I wanted the cards to have some internal logic. Cat breeds have certain characteristics that set them apart from other breeds. So I researched cat breeds to learn what kind of personalities or behaviors in, say, a Chartreux or a Birman. I also researched cat behaviors and their meanings. Matching breeds with behaviors, I came up with 32 messages that we might get from cats. Because all this was based on real cat behavior and breeds, it followed then that the cats would be realistic cats doing very real cat things. The result, thanks to Marco Turini’s incredible art, is very beautiful and charming.

Here are 4 of my favorites from the Cats Inspirational Oracle:

cat1 cat2 cat3 cat4

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Written by Barbara Moore
The tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore’s personal and professional lives for over a decade. In college, the tarot intrigued her with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, and history. Later, she served as the tarot specialist for Llewellyn Publications. Over the years, she has ...