Hey diddle diddle, a cat and a (stupendously rare) fiddle.
A rare fiddle was at the heart of Fritz Purrski’s performances A hush always descends over the house for the third act in “Smitten by the Kitten”. The slightly trite love story of a noble indoor cat falling for a feral street urchin comes to…
And now… a new Chariot descends from on high, with striped cat, leopards and a starry sky.
Our lavish new Chariot card has an operatic drama – and leopards! The new Chariot card for The Bohemian Cats Theatre Tarot came about because of inspiration from a film. When we saw the Aria of Dario scene from “Farinelli” (the link is below), we…
In urgent need of love and assistance – the Five of Pentacles and cat rescue.
Our Five of Pentacles is a reminder of cats in need, and why cat rescue makes a huge difference. The Five of Pentacles is one of those cards that many people dread coming up in a reading. It speaks of deprivation, hardship, poverty and need.…
The Two of Wands: happy dreams of a wider world
The traditional Rider Waite Smith Tarot (RWS) Two and Three of Wands are somewhat odd cards. In our new cat tarot, we have given the imagery a romantic, and dreamy atmosphere. This is a cat who longs for something larger in her life.
Our new Strength card – drama, conflict and confidence
The design of our Strength card was quite a challenge. Appropriately enough, fortitude and patience were needed. Embarking on the design for the Strength card for The Bohemian Cats’ Theatre Tarot was no small challenge. The quest for the perfect solution led us through trials…
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain: a film review
A film shines light on the life of an overlooked and troubled artist. In the modern era, amusing pictures of dressed up cats engaging in typical human activities had their start with Victorian artist Louis Wain. His rather troubled life is outlined in The Electrical…
A sparkling Queen of Wands goes to the ball
The Queen of Wands is arguably the most seductive and immediately attractive of the Tarot Queens. She represents a mature female who is energetic, warm, quick to throw herself into new activities – and sometimes new relationships – and who radiates an irresistible charm. She…
The Fool – how to depict a free and feckless feline?
The Fool is one of those cards that everyone has an opinion about. In the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) Tarot, he is shown as someone smiling blithely as he steps off a cliff. He (or indeed, she) is reckless, in some ways thoughtless, and yet…
A happy harmony – a Temperance card to love.
The Temperance card, appropriately enough, isn’t one that tends to be particularly spectacular or attention-grabbing. It seems to us that few people would describe it as one of their favourite Major cards (The Star, The Fool and The Devil would all generally have more fans),…
A remarkable animal illustrator, now sadly forgotten
As with almost all genres of art, the contributions of women have usually been overshadowed by their male colleagues. One woman who produced wonderfully stylish dressed-up cats – and other animals – in humorous scenes is Austrian writer and animal illustrator Käthe Olshausen-Schönberger. She is…
The amazing history of Puss in Boots, beloved for centuries.
When it comes to cats donning costumes, one feline–the splendid Puss in Boots –stands head and front paws above the rest. The birth of printing in the mid 15th century meant that illustrated stories became easily available to the average person, and fairytales very soon…
Slow but sure on his hobbyhorse. The cautious Knight.
Some people find the Knight of Pentacles (or Knight of Coins as he was known prior to the Rider Waite Smith “RWS” system of Tarot) slightly boring. Compared to the dynamic Knights of the other three tarot suits, he can certainly seem less exciting. However, we…
Mainzer dressed cats began as whimsical but odd postcards
Cats dressed up and behaving like people have long been on the fringes of pop culture. In the 1940s and ’50s, Mainzer Dressed Cat postcards hit the scene, showing felines in then-contemporary costumes riotously pursuing leisure activities from sports to watching movies, or simply having…
The Bohemian Cats’ Theatre project – new beginnings
The original Baroque Bohemian Cats’ Tarot and the Bohemian Cats picture book date all the way back to 2003/4 and has been through several versions since. We’ve always loved living with cats and it came naturally to us to build to make an entire fantasy…
