Black Cats Tarot by Maria Kurara

For everyone who has ever felt that a black cat was a little wiser than it let on, the Black Cats Tarot is a deck to fall for. This Rider-Waite-based tarot weaves feline character and folklore into the traditional archetypes, casting the black cat as a creature at home between worlds, the everyday and the magical, the seen and the unseen. Maria Kurara's artwork is disarmingly cute and quietly knowing all at once, and because the deck follows the familiar Rider-Waite structure, its 78 cards read clearly whether you are new to tarot or returning to it. Inviting, a little mischievous, and genuinely usable, the Black Cats Tarot encourages you to explore your own animal nature and to trust the instincts a cat would never second-guess.

Key Features of the Black Cats Tarot

Rider-Waite structure. The deck follows the classic 78-card Rider-Waite framework, so familiar meanings carry over and newcomers can lean on widely available Rider-Waite resources while they learn.

Feline folklore woven through. Maria Kurara cleverly braids cat characteristics and legend into the traditional archetypes, capturing these creatures as they move between the mundane and the mystical.

Full deck and booklet. You get all 78 cards plus a 63-page instructional booklet with card meanings, everything you need to begin reading right away.

About This Deck

From the publisher, Lo Scarabeo: this Rider-Waite-based tarot celebrates and honors the beautiful and magical black cat. Cleverly weaving feline characteristics and legend into traditional tarot archetypes, this fanciful deck captures these creatures moving between worlds of reality and fantasy, the mundane and the mystical. Disarmingly cute yet unmistakably wise, the black cats encourage you to explore your own animal nature. The set includes 78 cards and a 63-page instructional booklet.

The deck is illustrated by Maria Kurara and published by Lo Scarabeo, the Italian studio known for its richly artistic tarot decks. The companion booklet, like most Lo Scarabeo titles, is multilingual, with English among the included languages, and offers concise meanings along with a dedicated six-card spread.

Product Details

• 78-card full-size tarot deck (22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana)
• 63-page multilingual instructional booklet with card meanings and a six-card spread
• Artist: Maria Kurara
• Publisher: Lo Scarabeo (distributed in North America by Llewellyn)
• Based on: Rider-Waite symbolism and structure
• Theme: black cats and feline folklore
• SKU: DBLACAT

The Spiritual Significance

Few animals carry as much folklore as the black cat. Feared in some places and treasured in others, blamed for bad luck and welcomed as a bringer of good, the black cat has always been a creature of the threshold, easy in the dark, comfortable between the seen world and the hidden one. The Black Cats Tarot gathers that old, contradictory magic and turns it toward insight.

Tarot itself is a tool for reflection rather than fixed fortune. The 78 cards trace the human journey, from the Fool's first step through the lessons of the Major Arcana and the daily texture of the Minor Arcana. Because this deck follows the Rider-Waite system, you draw on more than a century of shared symbolism even as the familiar figures take feline form.

What the cats add is a particular kind of permission: to be curious, to trust your instincts, to move through a question the way a cat moves through a house, unhurried and unafraid. Working with this deck can coax your own intuition forward and remind you that some things are best understood by feel.

How To Use the Black Cats Tarot

1. When the deck is new, clear it in whatever way suits you: passing it through cleansing smoke, resting it under the moon, or simply shuffling while you set your intention for your work together.
2. Spend a little time with the imagery before you read. Notice how each cat embodies its card; the deck is built to spark intuition through feline character.
3. Choose a spread, whether a single daily card, a three-card line, or the six-card spread in the booklet, and shuffle while holding your question in mind.
4. Read the cards with the booklet close at hand, but let your own impressions lead; the guide supports your intuition rather than replacing it.
5. Close your reading with a moment of thanks or reflection, and store the cards somewhere that feels right, wrapped in cloth or kept in their box.

Pairs Well With

• Cat's Eye Tarot Deck: another loving, Rider-Waite-based cat deck, an irresistible companion for feline-minded readers.
• Crow Tarot Deck: an animal-led deck for readers drawn to creatures as guides, told through crows and ravens.
• White Sage Smudge Sticks, Set of 6: cleanse your deck and reading space with sacred smoke before you begin.
• Soul Connection Frankincense Resin: burn a little frankincense as you read to settle the mind and mark the space as sacred.
• Lapis Rune Set: add another voice to your practice; runes offer a complementary path into the same intuitive questions tarot explores.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Black Cats Tarot good for beginners?

Yes. It follows the traditional Rider-Waite structure, so beginners can use the many Rider-Waite learning resources alongside it, and the included 63-page booklet gives a meaning for every card. The charming, character-driven art also makes intuitive reading approachable from your very first pull.

How many cards are in the deck, and what comes with it?

Black Cats Tarot is a full 78-card deck, with 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. It comes with a 63-page multilingual booklet that includes a meaning for each card and a dedicated six-card spread created for the deck.

Who created the Black Cats Tarot?

The deck is illustrated by Maria Kurara and published by Lo Scarabeo, the Italian studio celebrated for its artistic tarot decks. Llewellyn is the deck's exclusive distributor in North America.

What makes a cat-themed deck different from a standard tarot?

The meanings stay true to the Rider-Waite tradition, so readings work the same way. What changes is the lens: every scene is reimagined through black cats and their folklore. For readers who feel a kinship with cats, that imagery can make the cards' guidance land more personally.

How do I cleanse or care for a tarot deck?

Many readers cleanse a new deck before first use by passing it through cleansing smoke, setting it under the moon, or knocking and reshuffling to reset its energy. Store the cards in their box or wrapped in cloth, keep them dry, and handle them with clean hands to protect the art.