Lillie
TreeLeafe said:http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/pagan-tarot/index.shtml
This is the Pagan Tarot's images. There's a lot of cards that reference Pagan religions- specifically ones that work with witchcraft (Like Wicca). With a "Pagan" themed Tarot, I'd expect to see at least some symbolism or images that have witchcraft in a religious aspect in them. Like cats performing a ceremony or spell of some kind.
Ah, OK. It is the one I was thinking of.
It has cars and computers and stuff!
I find that so odd.
Anyway, no, there are no cats 'performing spells' as such. These are 'real' cats, they have paws not hands, they are not anthropomorphic. They are doing cat things on the whole.
However there are nods in scenes and symbolism toward 'pagan' religions, and one possibly where a cat might be performing some kind of ceremony, if only we knew what it was thinking.
There is also the usual connection between cats and pagans and/or witches, as shown on one of the cards you linked. Loads of cats. What's pagan about that card if not the cats? Otherwise it's just an ordinary woman sitting on her porch.
But mostly it is, as you say, an RWS with cats. But very cleverly done, very lovely.
Mostly it's a fun deck, it has more depth than 'RWS with cats' would suggest, and I think it does manage to justify it's use of the word pagan in the title (if only just), but like I said earlier, it's not some deep serious magickal deck. It's not trying to be, and if I was told that it got called that because 'Cat tarot' was already taken and they had to think of something else, I'd believe it.
However, this is just my take on it.
Maybe there is loads of pagan symbolism there that I'm just not seeing. Maybe it's secret so only those in the know will notice it...
And I'm just to thick or something.
Whose to say?