Our very first interview is with the talented Linzi Silverman from Eye of Astro.
The kickstarter has been funded, but you can pre-order here - Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot
Where in the world do you call home?
Brooklyn, NY is where I call home with my partner and cat.
What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it?
My first experience with tarot was watching the movie Now & Then. The girls in the movie were investigating a ghost and went to a tarot reader played by Janeane Garofalo. She pulled a swords card and I remember wondering how someone could know how to interpret the meanings, thinking certain people were just marked at birth with understanding. I stayed curious about the cards for a while, having a fortune teller at my 12th birthday who read my cards, but didn't get my own deck until high school. I will say I didn't actually fall in love until I made my own deck though. For years earlier I always interpreted the cards of Tarot as too dark and would turn to other oracle decks. While creating my own language with The Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot, I learned to really understand and love the lessons of the system.
What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration?
I had always been a little curious to make my own deck as an artist and reader. I had completed a 100 days of Art challenge where I had to create a new piece everyday, and really enjoyed devoting myself to a project. After that, I decided designing my own tarot would be a great way to adapt that work process. I made several attempts at aesthetics but was never happy with what they looked like. A few years ago I took a solo roadtrip/camping trip around the Southwest and while meditating in the desert one evening, the vision of the cards came to me. Once I got home, I started working on them and they flowed with ease to create worlds full of magic, nature, power, and strength. I am an energy healer and that practice transformed the way I live my life and the way I experience each day and my own healing. I wanted to bring that experience into the cards and by extension, into the lives of the people who work with them.
Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one?
I'm not sure I have a favorite deck but some decks that I really love are the Supra Oracle, Momento Mori Oracle, The Marigold Tarot, and the Jonasa Jaus Tarot.
Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite?
For a long time The Moon was my favorite card because I am in love with the moon, but honestly my real favorite is the seven of cups. I love all the mystery and potential.
What have been your challenges in creating this deck?
The challenges in creating this deck were overcoming fear of sharing this deeply personal work as well as navigating the process of having a deck mass produced and making sure everything is as best as it possibly can be; i.e. technical aspects, finding the right printer. The writing of the companion guide was also challenging. I can read and talk about the cards all day long, but cementing and codifying took a while. I am really proud with the end results and every challenge met, made me feel good and made the next hurdle easier.
You state that each card was created through channelling and divination. Have you always been able to channel? Do you channel any specific being/s?
In some ways, I have always been able to channel. I was psychic even as a kid and very connected to dreams, but I wasn't necessarily spiritual. As stated earlier, I believed that psychics, mediums, and readers were these people marked at birth, and the rest of us were just others to their talents. My moments of intuition were just these little sparks that I couldn't connect beyond the weird or wow factor. When I began my spiritual journey just after graduating college, I learned that we all possess these gifts, some of us just have an easier time than others. I wouldn't say I necessarily channel any specific beings, but I work more with universal energy. I have guides that I call in that take the forms of animals and beings and they provide information and healing for me and my clients. My intuition is channelled but it feels more like its connected to everything.
What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck?
This deck is about empowering yourself, finding healing, finding grounding, finding strength. Through you, so much is possible and the cards illuminate these aspects while navigating the joys and hardships that life offers.
How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published?
I will celebrate with loved ones! I have two launch parties planned, one at Chinatown Soup in Manhattan, a space that has supported me for a long time as both an artist and healer. The owner, Michelle Esteva, was the editor of the companion guide, and it only makes sense to share in the splendor or our hard work in such a joyful space. There will also be a party at Catland Books in Brooklyn, an internationally known witch shop, that I have been a tarot reader and practitioner at for over 3 years. They have been super supportive as well in my journey with this project. I have so much gratitude to so many who helped along the way and these nights will be for us all.
What is on offer for people who pledge?
If people want to donate to the kickstarter, there are reward tiers for prints, decks, posters, cloths, and pouches. We are currently working towards our second stretch goal and if we make it, everyone who orders a deck will receive a complimentary tarot cloth and pouch.
To get your hands on one of these amazing decks, pre-order here: