Our interview this week is with the creators of the Superlunaris Tarot. This project is a collaboration between artists Jess and Jacob. With a fusion of fantasy and modern reality, the art in this deck can only be described as gorgeous. Jess and Jacob wanted to produce a tarot deck that supported the connection between the collective consciousness and the collective heart. In the times we are now living in, this aim is more important than ever.
Kickstarter - Superlunaris Tarot
Where in the world do you call home?
We live in Vero Beach, Florida with our dog Juna Moon, where it is summer pretty much all year long.
What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it?
We were drawn to Tarot in our early teens, way before we met each other. We both experienced significant loss at a young age and turned to the cards as kind of a safe harbor from what we were experiencing, and as a tool for self discovery during a confusing time. I guess life started to get strange, and I think Tarot provided us each with a way to search for some meaning behind it all, while revealing the medicine behind the events that we couldn’t fully grasp on a surface level. When we met each other as adults, we were both on the other side of a very big life transformation, and Tarot was a huge part of our healing process. We bonded a lot over discussion of the imagery, bought each other decks and then 4 years later got the opportunity to team up on the creation of our own.
What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration?
Jess: I found myself at a point in my Tarot journey where my go-to deck fell flat and wasn't communicating with me on the same level. I spent a lot of time searching online for a deck that spoke to me, when I realized that it was time to attack one of my life-long dreams and create my own. As a professional artist it was always something I wanted to accomplish but life kept getting in the way. Jacob was inspired by what he was seeing and began creating art as well and this was really the spark for it all. Seeing what he was coming up with was when the dream felt like it was actually achievable. So we united forces and soon after the magic was unfolding!
Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one?
Jacob: We love this question but it’s so hard to pick just one. One of my favorites, and the one I use most often, is the Darkness of Light. The whole vibe of the deck speaks to me and there is a lot of magic in the way the cards work together as far as telling a story.
Jess: My favorite deck is the borderless Smith-Waite Centennial. This is probably the most basic boring answer, but the RWS deck is what I learned on and I just remember staring at the cards with young eyes and feeling so much magic and mystery in the imagery. I still get so awestruck when I am having a deep connection with this deck.
Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite?
Jacob: My favorite card is the Two of Pentacles because I like the playful nature of the balancing act in this card. It’s how I like to approach my own life.
Jess: The card that feels most sacred to me is Death, because it took me so long to fully comprehend the energy and lesson behind this card. Only after a complete loss of my own subjective self-identity did I understand the destruction necessary for the promise of renewal.
We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity?
This year has definitely been intense, as so many truths have been revealed to us collectively and individually. This project has been a refuge and a form of therapy while navigating through these times. It has also provided us with an opportunity to learn and do better as individuals, which we are still working on. We feel very grateful to have had this safe space where our creativity could flow during such a difficult time for so many others, and we both look forward to a new world with equality, rights and justice for all.
What have been your challenges in creating this deck?
Sharing our Tarot artwork with the world and feeling completely vulnerable and exposed has been the biggest challenge for both of us. We both had to learn how to put ourselves out there in a different capacity than we’ve had to in the past with our personal and professional art. We’re both private people and are still working through this lesson, and even though it’s been challenging and we’ve stumbled a few times, it has been a very expansive time for both of us.
The two of you have both contributed your art to this deck. Was it hard to meld the two styles together or did you intuitively both know what would work to achieve the final vision?
Even though we are both artists and live together, we’ve always kept our creative paths separate and had never collaborated on a project before this one, so it was very surprising for both of us to see how well we were melding together. We balance each other out very well in life and we saw this come into play during the creative journey as well. When we had different feelings about choices in imagery, we would each do our research and hash out details in what was like a Tarot court session, which was usually a peaceful debate. The artwork evolved along the way and ended up finding a voice of its own, so we just worked in that flow in a very even split.
How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?
This all still feels like such a dream, it’s hard to imagine the amount of joy we will feel the moment we are actually holding this deck in our hands! We are going to have a little release party at our favorite local witch shop with our friends who have shown us so much support. We will definitely be dancing and sharing our gratitude with the many people who made this dream possible!
What is on offer for people who pledge?
Right now, everyone who pledges for the deck also receives a signed photo-sized art print of one of the cards, along with a vintage key ‘card of the day’ holder. There’s an option to add on a bottle of Witch’s Sight Oil, which is a blend of oil and herbs traditionally used to aid in mental clarity and boost the power of intuition. Backer’s also have the option to add a Healing Spell Jar which is a combination of herbs and natural elements that activate your personal intentions for healing.
To be one of the first to get your hands on this amazing deck, pledge here:
Kickstarter - Superlunaris Tarot
