The Cosmic Seeker Tarot Deck

Our latest interview is with Nadine Sophie, the creator of The Cosmic Seeker Tarot Deck - a fantasy-based tarot deck that is set in a fictional universe full of magic, fantasy characters, and creatures.

This is the 5th deck that Nadine has created. The Major Arcana are all represented by different fantasy archetypes that suit the original RW meaning. The deck begins with the Cosmic Seeker (org. The Fool). With this deck, you can embark on a journey through the ever-curious eyes of the Cosmic Seeker in a world full of magic and wonders. On this magical trip, you will meet all sorts of archetypes that will teach you important lessons and give you insights into the journey of life.

Kickstarter -Cosmic Seeker

Where in the world do you call home?

Currently, I am in Germany - which is where I am originally from. However, I have visited and lived in several countries and will probably go on another adventure soon.

What was your first experience with tarot?

I got my first tarot deck around the age of 14 and have been fascinated by tarot and oracle decks ever since.

What would you say is unique about your deck?

The Cosmic Seeker Tarot is a modern interpretation of the traditional Raider Waite deck that takes place in a fantasy world. All Major Arcana were replaced with fitting fantasy archetypes. The Minor Arcana are represented by the elemental suits of Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. I wanted a deck that is easy for beginner's use so it still works within the traditional tarot system but it is also a great divination companion for more experienced readers as well! I also put the traditional reference on the cards so you can work with the deck without needing to look into the guidebook if you are already familiar with the traditional RW interpretations.

How long has it taken you to create this deck?

I have created this deck entirely on my own including all artwork, texts, and design. It will have taken me around 2 years once all cards are finished.

Your deck is set in a fictional universe. Where did the idea for the fictional universe come from?

I have always been a huge fan of fantasy literature, science fantasy as well as of video games, and tv shows that take place in a fantasy universe. I started drawing in Kindergarten, writing my own fantasy novels as a teenager, and started doing tarot readings around the same time therefore this project combines my three biggest passions! This deck is just really speaking to me as a tarot reader and fantasy geek. This deck also has a strong personal node. People who know me in my personal life know that I am a bird lover. I have two Cockatiels which I absolutely adore. Hence this deck features a lot of birds. I just can’t help adoring these masters of the air.

What card are you most proud of and why?

I really enjoyed painting all of the cards. However, my current favorite is the Guardian of Water with the sea dragon. I am really proud as I can see how much I could develop my artistic skills over the years. Although I have been drawing my entire life, it wasn’t until 2018 that I started to paint digitally. Apart from that, I like the fact that my deck includes darker characters and scenes as well to create contrast. This is what I’m personally missing in a lot of tarot decks as a deck collector myself.

What impact would you like your deck to have on its readers?

I would like for the readers to be taken on a journey through the eyes of the Cosmic Seeker, which is the Fool in the traditional RW deck. A journey through a world full of fantasy and magic and I would like them to dive deeper into the meaning behind this deck.

Was it hard to incorporate a fantasy theme with the traditional Rider Waite system?

Since I have been studying the traditional Rider Waite system for nearly 20 years now - I could easily link the Major Arcana to fantasy archetypes. My creative flow with the Major Arcana was going really smooth and I think it took me about 2 days to come up with all of its characters. However, the Minor Arcana were a bit more challenging. I first wasn’t sure if I should keep the traditional suit: Cups, Swords, Wands, and Pentacles or if I should change those as well. I really liked the idea of having different elemental settings for the fantasy journey to take place. In the classical system, we see those items matching the number of the card shown. The 5 of Swords would show 5 swords to make it for the readers easy to identify the cards. But how can you visualize an element like air or earth in numbers? It took me a long time to decide whether I should implement numbers into the system as well or just visualize the meaning of the cards. Finally, I decided to still showcase the traditional Swords, Pentacles, Wands, and Cups but WITHIN the elemental settings of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

Creating a hand-illustrated deck is very time-consuming. It takes me around 8-16 hours to paint one card - multiplying that by 80 leaves me with nearly 1000 hours to just create the artwork for this deck. That doesn’t include the brainstorming, designing, and writing part of creating a tarot deck that adds another few hundred hours on top. The challenge here is to make enough time for that whilst juggling a regular job for financial safety.

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

I plan on celebrating this event with my partner, friends, and family.

What is on offer for people who pledge?

People who support the Kickstarter campaign will get the deck for a reduced price and receive them a lot earlier than those who buy it later on. I am also planning on a little exclusive surprise goodie that backers will receive with their deck that I don’t want to reveal yet. ;-)

To embark on a magical journey through a fantasy world, pledge here:

Kickstarter -Cosmic Seeker

Eros Tarot (Second Edition)

Our latest interview is with Nick Ribera, the creator of the Eros Tarot (second edition). The deck is the second edition of Nick's most successful project - the initial Eros Tarot.

This simple idea began with one card- The Tower. Nick knew it as a position in the Kama Sutra before he knew it as a tarot card, so when he made that connection his imagination ran wild.

Kickstarter -Eros Tarot

Where in the world do you call home?

I grew up in Miami, Florida, had a short stint in Nashville, Tennessee, but have lived in St. Petersburg, Florida for the last 9 years. I own a home here, with my wife and three dogs, and this city will be my forever home. I’ve made a name for myself here as a local artist; I’ve won awards and painted murals here. I love St Pete.

What was your first experience with tarot?

It started with board games. I have a friend who is a board gamer, and while browsing through her collection I found her tarot decks. At the time, I didn’t know there was anything besides the Rider Waite deck, so she introduced all of it to me. Meanwhile, I was doing a lot of erotic art at the time, so when I saw the Tower card, I was reminded of the Tower position in the Kama Sutra. Then came my idea for the hanged man, the wheel of fortune, and the ideas just kept flowing.

What would you say is unique about your deck?

As an illustrator, I don’t have a style of my own. Every project I do uses a different color palette and different styles. For this one, I wanted to present an ethereal watercolor-like style of pastels and glowing lights. Thematically, I wanted to make it inclusive of gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, and sexuality. I did not shy away from any body parts in the imagery.

What cardstock and finish will be used?

The cards will be printed on 18 pt C-2s. It’s the thickest material offered by my printer, Community Printers, in California. The cards have an untextured coating.

How long has it taken you to create this deck?

The first edition’s illustrations took around 4 months from idea to completion. I began it as my city began to quarantine. This second edition uses the same art, but the graphic design elements have changed. That coupled with creating new graphics for the Facebook ads, Instagram ads, promo decks, and Kickstarter graphics and video was about a month.

You previously published the Eros deck, why did you decide to print a second edition?

The first edition was, at the time, my most successful project ever. I created 400 copies, 37 of which got lost in transit from the factory in China. After delivering to my Kickstarter backers, the remaining 150 decks sold out on my online store within two months. I got to know the people in my local post office pretty well. What this taught me was that there is definitely a market out there for my naughty art.

I wanted to immediately start the second printing, but the factory got in trouble with their local government because erotic art is forbidden in China. It took me a long time to find a factory willing to do the reprint. Even in the United States, I found printers unwilling to deal with the material.

What card are you most proud of and why?

Ironically, the illustration I’m most proud of is the only one that doesn’t feature nudity- the Lovers. It’s an image of two skulls kissing. I love that there is no gender assigned to either skull, so I find it to be a simple and pure expression of love, independent of any outside influences or burdens. Just one person kissing another person. This image now appears on my business card.

What impact would you like your deck to have on its readers?

I want readers to become used to this deck and not be shocked by the imagery (past their first flip through). Right after the first Eros Tarot Kickstarter campaign ended, I created Satisfy- a board game designed to help couples with sexual communication. It was an extension of the ideas that led to the creation of this deck. My intention is not to shock, it’s to provide an environment of empathy through titillation.

The world is becoming more open with expressing their sexuality, why do you think there are still some that find the subject confronting?

There’s a lot to unpack with this question. I once heard someone say “Men are most afraid that women will laugh at them, and women are most afraid that men will kill them.” That phrase always helps me put things in perspective. I feel that since society has traditionally been a patriarchy, its rules are all predicated on protecting the male ego. Many men are still raised equating desire with weakness, while women are raised equating desire with power. This sows the seeds of the imbalance that results in the quote.

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

Total honesty here- I can get a little “distracted” while researching reference photos for the illustrations. Plus, it is funny when the wife walks in on me google image searching “dripping lesbian cunninlingus” and I’m like “It’s for a card, I swear!” But the biggest issue was finding the printer for the second run. After signing the contract with Community Printers, I found one in India that I'd like to try for a third printing should there be demand for it.

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

I’ll celebrate by starting to build my next Kickstarter project. I never rest (it’s actually a problem I’m working out through therapy). I’ve got my next 6 Kickstarter projects planned. I want my brand, Chain Assembly, to have a never-ending supply of intellectual property tied to it so it seems like it’s the creation of a team of people, and not just me and a computer.

What is on offer for people who pledge?

Kickstarter backers are getting an extra set of exclusive cards! These were being parsed out via stretch goals, but as of this writing, all five have been unlocked. So with your pledge, you’ll get an envelope of additional cards that won’t be part of the retail set. The Bound, The Consumed, The Penetrated, The Unarmed, and The Exposed are Major Arcana inspired by The Goracle, a gore-themed Oracle deck I published via Kickstarter at the end of 2021.

To get in touch with your sensual side, pledge here:

Kickstarter -Eros Tarot

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/chainassembly

Instagram:

http://www.instagram.com/chainassembly

Website:

http://www.chainassembly.com

Shades of Gold

Our latest interview is with F. Nathan, the creator of Shades of Gold - Modern Tarot Deck in a "New" World. The deck was created for those interested in experiencing the old teachings in the "New World". It’s intended for those willing to deepen their connection with their true selves, accept and make small changes that will ultimately lead you toward the true divine nature of yourself.

This deck is extremely unique in that the drawings and design were created by the Author themself through meditation and intuitive downloads of guided Divine messages for the collective in the now.

Kickstarter -Shades of Gold

Where in the world do you call home?

I truly believe in the phrase “Home Is Where the Heart Is.” To me, this World with everybody in it is home for as long as I am physically alive. So, there is no exact destination or place I could point to because it all feels like home.

What was your first experience with tarot?

My first experience with tarot came from an oracle deck purchased by my soul sister which was the first I ever laid hands on. At that point, I realized how much of our life is truly iterated by the cards that are laid out. It isn’t something that can be read off guidebooks or a “normal” belief system. It all came from within the soul.

What would you say is unique about your deck?

I would say this deck is unique as more than the drawings are spiritually downloaded ideas that cannot be found on available tarot decks at present, they are about carrying some of the “Old” ideas into the present “New” World of the collective.

How long has it taken you to create this deck?

I took about 6 weeks to complete the drawing and finalization. Once I started, I couldn’t stop as the spiritual messages and intuition just kept flowing.

Can you explain the purpose of the hidden messages and identification numbers in some of the cards?

In some of the cards, the numbers are still retained as those of the standard Rider-Waite and other decks available. These are some of the “Old” I have kept on to allow some of the readers to still understand and relate to them. The hidden messages are what I call the “New”. If you ask me tarot reading is all about intuition, it has nothing to do with guidelines or something that can just be assumed. True messages are attained by those who are able to tap into the Third Eye and Crown Chakra and it relates to each individual being read for differently. Hence, these messages can definitely be brought forth by those with the ability to do it.

What card are you most proud of and why?

I am very happy with the entire deck but if I had to choose one then I’d go with the card of Saint Michael. It represents the Throat Chakra and I believe that life is all about speaking “Your Truth”, standing for justice, and using words in the best manner possible. The essence of the representation of the image speaks volumes to me.

What impact would you like your deck to have on its readers?

I would hope that readers would be able to incorporate the “New” World into the “Old” and let the cards speak to them by themselves. There is no wrong way or right way. It’s just the intuitive, “sense of knowing” way.

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

There were no challenges when it came to the design. However, I would say the main challenge was finalizing the size and resizing for the printers.

With everything going on in the world, do you believe it is easier or harder for people to connect to The Divine?

I truly believe that the Divine has, is, and always will be trying to connect to people through any life situation for that matter. Right now, it seems like what’s going on at present is the “worst” situation for many as it’s happening globally. But honestly, through life, we experience many things, and that guidance has never stopped. It’s just that we haven’t truly opened our eyes to connect with the Divine. So, it’s always easy but the true question is “How many of us are willing and listening to it?”

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

My celebration happens when people are able to use it to the utmost good of the collective and when they are able to come back and share their stories with me. It would be great to know how each individual story is always different but all relatable from different contexts.

What is on offer for people who pledge?

We offered early bird prices for those who pledged, and we are coming up with ideas at the current moment for those pledging. So, stay tuned on the site for more info!

To deepen your connection with yourself and the Divine, pledge here:

Kickstarter -Shades of Gold

Website: www.fmna1808.com

Instagram: Consciousness1808

Facebook: Consciousness 1808

Twitter: www.twitter.com/fmnata1

Email: fmna1808@gmail.com