Marseille Cat Tarot

Marseille Cat Tarot - classic Marseille with cats in every role

The Tarot of Marseille has a reputation for austerity. Sharp lines, historic colours, little room for interpretation. This deck takes that same structure and puts cats in it. It sounds simple, but the effect is real.

The cards follow the traditional Marseille structure completely. Same positions, same colours, same symbolism. But where you would normally see an emperor, there is now a cat with a crown. Where the Fool walks, a playful cat leaps. The expressions of the cats, their ears, tails and postures, add a layer that was not there before.

What the cats add

Cats are expressive. A tail held high says something different from a tail hanging low. Ears pointing forward tell a different story from ears lying flat. Those details are woven into this deck and give you reference points you would have to search for in a classic Marseille deck.

The colours stay true to the original: bright yellow, deep blue, warm red. The cardstock is smooth with a slight gloss, not matte. The cards are compact enough to shuffle easily, but large enough to see the details clearly.

How this deck relates to classic Marseille

The Minor Arcana follow Marseille tradition, which means they consist mostly of symbols: wands, cups, swords, pentacles in geometric patterns. No scenic illustrations like in a Rider-Waite deck. Cats are woven in here too, but the emphasis remains on the symbols themselves.

The Major Arcana are fully illustrated with cats playing the classic figures. The High Priestess is a cat with a book. The Moon is a cat looking upward. The symbolism stands, the tone softens.

When you draw a card, pay attention to the direction of the ears and the position of the tail. Those details often tell you more about the emotional charge of a situation than the symbolism alone.

Who this works for

This deck is accessible for beginners who want to learn the Marseille structure but shy away from the austere look of a historic deck. The cats make the symbolism quicker to recognise and easier to remember.

For those already familiar with Marseille, this deck offers a fresh perspective without letting go of the structure. You can do serious readings with it. The humour is in the design, not in the meaning.

About the creators

The illustrations are by Severino Baraldi, an Italian illustrator with years of experience in comics and books. The concept comes from Luca Raimondo. Both worked together for publisher Lo Scarabeo, which has a long history in tarot publishing.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78 (22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana)
• Card size: 66 x 120 mm
• Material: smooth cardstock with slight gloss
• Guidebook: multilingual booklet (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian)
• Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
• ISBN: 9788865277003
• Illustrator: Severino Baraldi
• Concept: Luca Raimondo

Questions we often get

Are the Minor Arcana cards illustrated with scenes?
No. This deck follows the traditional Marseille layout, where the Minor Arcana consist mainly of symbols: wands, cups, swords and pentacles in geometric patterns. Cats are woven into the designs, but there are no narrative scenes like in a Rider-Waite deck.

Can I use this deck for serious readings?
Yes. The humour is in the design, not in the structure or symbolism. The cards follow the classic Marseille layout completely, which means all traditional meanings and reading methods still apply.