Fantastic Menagerie compared to Baroque Bohemian Cats

I have the Fantastic Menagerie. It's an ok deck. I dont use it for readings, though. So I might just pass it on. If I do, I'm thinking of buying the Baroque Bohemian Cats. I'm not really into cats...but I am into the RWS. And I like the cats' clothes and the color scheme. It looks like an interesting RWS clone. I recently realized that I dont do well reading for others with decks that are too themed and deviate too much from RWS (something about RWS just inspires me the way no other deck can. I find other decks just add too much unnecessary clutter and its easy for me to get off track).

For those of you who have both of these decks, will you please tell me *your* honest opinion of these decks as reading decks (compared to each other)? Thanks

Oh and if you know of an RWS deck that is themed but still sticks really really close to the RWS feel free to recommend. I thought of Tarot of Prague but dont really want to pay the $60 it was priced. I thought of the Morgan Greer but decided that it was too boring.

Hi Olivia

I don't have either, but have seen the images of both many times.

I'm just wondering, when you saw Fantastic Menagerie did it resonate with you, but then when you got it, it didn't? When you look at Bohemian Baroque Cats, does it seem like a deck you want to read with? Since which decks speak to us is so personal, what works for one rarely works for another and we all love the decks we love and want to read with for such really personal, unique reasons. I look at pictures of the cards online, usually I can tell immediately if I want to read with them, if I'm not sure at first, I may study them for a few weeks before purchasing. That's kind of eliminated me getting any decks I don't want to read with, but then I'm not a collector, just someone who would like some favorite decks to read.

I have both. The Fanastic Menagerie didn't really do much for me until I tried reading with it. Actually even once I did the first reading I wasn't sure......until I got feedback from the querent. I was thinking I wasn't getting much from the cards because there was only one or two sentences of information. But she said it was spot on...exactly what she needed to hear. So I learned, at least for me, the FM is a very cut and dry reading deck. You only get exactly what you need without all the embellishments. Now it does have a dry sense of humor but again I don't get awhole bunch of information from the cards.

The BBC is a fun reading deck. The book has little cat meanings for each card as well as the "normal" RWS meanings. The cards are baroque and frilly without being foo foo, if you get my drift. They read very much like a straight RWS deck, just with the extra fun of the cats. I love this deck!!!! Other people love it too, even ones who aren't cat people like it!!! There's not much to say about the reading style because like I said it's pretty much a RWS deck with the baroque style and cats. If you would want to add the cat meanings in there as well during your reading it will give some added dimension but you don't have to!

Hi Greatdane

Thank you, Greatdane

greatdane said:

I don't have either, but have seen the images of both many times.

I'm just wondering, when you saw Fantastic Menagerie did it resonate with you, but then when you got it, it didn't?

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Sort of. I liked parts of it but didn't like some of it. After awhile I actually grew to like it a lot. But then I realized that I did a better job reading my RWS clones.I used to think I was an intuitive reader but the fact that I read the RWS clones the best kind of makes me doubt that I am. I am able to take cards from RWS clones and make up really cool stories for the characters...and sitters actually related to it. I cant do that with decks that are too heavily themed and deviate too much from the RWS without it coming out a big mess I have a reader friend who has the same problem.

When you look at Bohemian Baroque Cats, does it seem like a deck you want to read with?

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Yes, it looks like a fun deck. But I dont know if that is a good criteria because I really thought some of the cards in the Robin Wood were ugly. But it quickly became my favorite deck.

I look at pictures of the cards online, usually I can tell immediately if I want to read with them, if I'm not sure at first, I may study them for a few weeks before purchasing.

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you sound like me.

I'm not a collector, just someone who would like some favorite decks to read.

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me too

thank you, faunabay

faunabay said:

I have both. The Fanastic Menagerie didn't really do much for me until I tried reading with it.

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same here.

Actually even once I did the first reading I wasn't sure......until I got feedback from the querent. I was thinking I wasn't getting much from the cards because there was only one or two sentences of information. But she said it was spot on...exactly what she needed to hear. So I learned, at least for me, the FM is a very cut and dry reading deck. You only get exactly what you need without all the embellishments. Now it does have a dry sense of humor but again I don't get awhole bunch of information from the cards.

yes, this is very true with this deck.

The BBC is a fun reading deck. The book has little cat meanings for each card as well as the "normal" RWS meanings. The cards are baroque and frilly without being foo foo, if you get my drift. They read very much like a straight RWS deck, just with the extra fun of the cats. I love this deck!!!! Other people love it too, even ones who aren't cat people like it!!! There's not much to say about the reading style because like I said it's pretty much a RWS deck with the baroque style and cats. If you would want to add the cat meanings in there as well during your reading it will give some added dimension but you don't have to!

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Thank you. this does sound like a great deck. do you think the pictures/images are more inspiring than a traditional RWS deck?

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olivia1 said:

Thank you. this does sound like a great deck. do you think the pictures/images are more inspiring than a traditional RWS deck?

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Oh I think so but I don't really read with the traditional RWS very often. I like the decks with those meanings but different artwork to pull from. So I might not be the best person to answer that question. LOL

This thread will just sprawl and sprawl and sprawl, everyone loves talking about MRP decks!

For me, Fantastic Menagerie wins hands down (though I love both decks). It is so full of life and wit and energy and has an element of the unhinged about it which resonates hugely with me!

However, I have to say, I really don't go for decks which stick closely to the RWS. If I want RWS, I go to the RWS. A deck like the Fantastic Menagerie has so much extra non-RWS gumph and panache, anarchy and sheer joi de vivre (is that spelt right? LOL) that it would be a shame to shackle it to the RWS. I can imagine it sobbing in a corner if you tried to make it exclusively RWS. Poor thing.

Love them kitties but somehow the Fantastic Menagerie just chatters and chatters and chatters till the Granville cows come home...

Le Fanu said:

TLove them kitties but somehow the Fantastic Menagerie just chatters and chatters and chatters till the Granville cows come home...

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Really??? Does it chatter to you? That's so interesting. hmmm......

I like my FM, but it does not chatter at all. It gets straight to the point and says nothing else for me.

Fantastic Menagerie is a superb reading deck. The imagery is so strangely different it makes me smile. A beautiful, quaint deck

Don't shoot the messenger, but aside from my lovely Victorian Romantic Gold, The Fantastic Menagerie Tarot is my favorite (and is the most underrated) MRP deck, by far! It's also one of my favorite reading decks...ever.

The artwork just speaks to me, and there is so much going on in some of the cards. It pushes the limits with archetypes (there are only animals, and a quirky bunch at that). Baba Prague would make JJ Grandville so proud.