Wednesday, 2 July 2025

Pawmistry by Megan Lynn Kott




✦ BLURB ✦

From the past hidden in their paws to the future predicted by their leftover kibble, discover the true magic of cats in this hilarious guide to feline divination.

Pawmistry is a tongue-in-cheek guide to the feline oracle and the supernatural signs your cat may leave behind. Written and illustrated by the beloved creator of Cat Tarot Megan Lynn Kott, this playful and informative book offers instruction in a number of types of divination to practice with your cat, where messages and portents may be delivered by scattered cat toys, particular tail positions, and sleeping on your face. What does that barf in your shoe really mean? You may even consider learning the dark magic of their litterbox leavings (if you dare). Each section includes write-in pages to record your own cat's messages from the universe, and a removable, fold-out Feline Divination Board included with the book will allow you to take your arcane partnership to the next level.

MAKE CAT PLAY TIME PAWMISTRY TIME: Using the easy step-by-step instructions, turn your cat's daily routine into opportunities for mystical discovery. Play with toys to consult the oracles! Discover messages from the universe in leftover kibble! Dare to read the dark portents hidden in their litterbox!

FOR CAT LOVERS: This is a unique gift for the "crazy cat person" in your life—even if it's yourself! Learn the mystical meanings behind the "slow blink" or the past hidden in your kitty's bean toes, and celebrate the magic of cats.

DIY SHAREABLE CONTENT: Along with playful instructions and illustrations, the book also includes a fold-out Feline Divination Board—a talking board for cats—which not only makes for a fun interactive element, but also a perfect photo opportunity to share with friends.

GREAT GIFT: This playful book is perfect for a birthday present, white elephant gift exchange, or to celebrate a new cat adoption. Add it to the shelf alongside You Need More Sleep: Advice From Cats by Francesco Marciuliano, Ask Baba Yaga by Taisia Kitaiskaia, and Crafting with Cat Hair by Kaori Tsutaya and Amy Hirschman.

A mystical, meowgical guide to feline divination, where every slow blink is a spell, every kibble is a clue, and the litterbox… contains dark and terrible truths.


✶ PRE-READING ✶

I already adore Megan Lynn Kott’s Cat Tarot deck - it’s funny, spooky, and perfectly captures the cryptid energy of cats - so I was expecting Pawmistry to be weird, wonderful, and delightfully absurd. I was ready for whisker-based prophecy and doom foretold in hairballs. I was not ready to feel seen by a page about face-smooshing. (“I put a smell on you, and now you’re mine.” Yes, actually. Same.)


✶ POST-READING ✶

Pawmistry delivers exactly what it promises: it’s hilarious, wildly creative, and sneakily insightful about actual cat behavior. The tone walks that perfect tightrope between parody and reverent adoration - like if your familiar wrote a zine while knocking things off your altar.

But what truly makes this book shine is Megan Lynn Kott’s art. Scattered across the pages are illustrations that are somehow extremely cat and very human at the same time. That little chin tilt of judgement, the trance of the slow blink, the too-real chaos of the midnight zoomies - it’s all there. She captures their moods with uncanny precision and layers it with human emotional nuance. It’s witchcraft, truly.

Each chapter explores a different form of divination: toy casting, kibble augury, tail positioning, the dark (and very brave) art of litterbox reading. Every section has places to write in your cat’s own mysterious behaviours and messages, making it interactive in the most chaotic, delightful way. Bonus: the fold-out Feline Divination Board is purrfect for photoshoots or confusing your cat into psychic submission.


✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦

Book: Ask Baba Yaga by Taisia Kitaiskaia – poetic, bizarre advice from something wilder than wisdom
TV/Film: Kiki’s Delivery Service – if Jiji had his own spin-off show where he taught you to read portents in paw prints
Extra: Anyone who has ever been stared at by a cat and thought, “...what do you know?”

✦ MUSIC PAIRING ✦

Because sometimes, the heart of a story plays out like a song.

🎵 Featured Song: "Strange Magic" by ELO
A little retro, a little enchanted, and exactly the vibe of a cat staring at a blank wall for twenty minutes like they know something you don’t.
🎶 Vibe Album: Something dreamy and eccentric - maybe Cosmic Thing by the B-52’s.
🎧 Artist Recommendation: Trixie Mattel. Because camp, charisma, and chaotic good vibes.


✧ VIBE CHECK ✧

🎨 Colour Palette: Black cat fur, glowing moonlight, bubblegum pink, glittery purple

🎬 Soundtrack: Windchimes, creaky floorboards, and a distant “mrow?”

🍂 Season: Late October into “my cat’s haunting me again” season

🪟 Mood: Campy mysticism meets chaotic neutral

📖 Scent: Catnip, lavender incense, and mystery tuna

★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★

The Magician – Cat Tarot
This joyful jumper of a cat is surrounded by bowls, toys, and treats - everything he needs to manifest the reality he wants, whether it’s a new bag of kibble or your spot on the couch. The infinity symbol above his head reminds us: cats are eternal, omnipotent, and deeply uninterested in your schedule.
This card captures the entire spirit of Pawmistry - playful, chaotic, and fully confident in its weird little power. You don’t need to understand the magic for it to work. You just need to respect the whiskers.


Pawmistry is available now. I received a free copy and am giving an honest (if slightly enchanted) review.

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