Our latest interview is with Kerri Snook, creator of The Meraki Tarot, a unique tarot deck that was inspired by the magic of nature and animals, and is a whimsical look at the world around us. It is intended to speak to the passion we all have shining within us as the best version of ourselves. The messages of the Tarot are simply a guide, that allow us to become aware of what was previously unknown, so we may move forward in the most successful way.
The kickstarter campaign for The Meraki Tarot has finished. It was fully funded and is now in production!! To stay up to date with any pre-orders, when they are made available, visit Kerri's website:
Where in the world do you call home?
My family and I live in beautiful Washington State at the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, just 30 minutes to and from Seattle. We have been in the region for about 6 years now and feel quite at home in the Great Northwest.
What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it?
I have been interested in the world of magic and the supernatural since I was young. As I got older, I gathered as much knowledge as I could through books and publications since the resources that we have today, like the internet, was not available then. When I was about 15 years old, I purchased my first tarot deck, which was the Thoth by Aleister Crowley. I could not put it down and invested a lot of time in understanding tarot and the Thoth deck, performing readings for myself and family at every opportunity. I still have that original deck today!
What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration?
Tarot has been a part of my life’s journey for decades now. For years I wanted to create my own deck, expressing my connection with the tarot with my own art and companion guide. About 2 years ago, I decided to go all in and create The Meraki Tarot. This deck is meant to feel magical, dreamy, light-hearted, and captivating to the imagination and intuition of readers of all ages and experience.
Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one?
I own about 30 decks and enjoy every one of them. There are so many amazing decks available now, both new and old, and one that I have connected with recently is the Playful Heart Tarot by KittenChops. It has so much depth and beauty while remaining playful!
Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite?
My favourite card is probably the Ace of Pentacles. I am an Interior Designer and, in my field, I create spaces and places for tech and other companies that I get to see come to life and become something special to the occupants and users of the spaces. I enjoy putting my effort into creations that are empowering through my BouchetteDesign work. I love starting something from the ground up, creating it with my heart and soul, and casting it out to the world. That for me is the Ace of Pentacles, and what I love to manifest.
We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity?
If it has heightened anything, it is how important connection is. It is very important that we support each other, in every way we can. With the communications tools we have today, connecting with one another is easier than ever, though I admit that nothing replaces in person dialog and energy being with one another in a tangible, shared atmosphere. I have been fortunate to be able to work from home, and because commuting has been removed, I am able to spend that extra time with my family and doing the design work I love. Knowing that the creative work I do can result in a positive impact to others helps fuel my drive to bring as much love, happiness and beauty to as many people as I can.
What have been your challenges in creating this deck?
The biggest challenge was making sure the common visual and connotative threads remain strong throughout the whole deck. I spent over a year illustrating The Meraki Tarot, and a good portion of that time was cross referencing look and feel, meaning, and use of the cards as part of the development feedback cycle, while reaching out to friends and family to provide critical reviews of the work. Even when the deck was finished and launched on Kickstarter, I continued to update the cards until I felt it holistically and fluidly communicated the deck’s core concepts.
Each of the major arcana is associated with a different crystal. How did you work out which crystals should represent which card?
I have worked with crystals for as long as I have worked with divination and felt that this was a great opportunity to tie in the energies of crystal work with the architypes of the major arcana. For the most part, I associated the crystals with the majors from my knowledge of their characters and features. I researched how other experts may have matched the two divinations together. I always believe that nothing is fixed and it’s the individual that creates the magic bonds and associations, using the deck as a tool and guide.
How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?
I am so honored and blessed to bring this deck to life and know that each person receiving this deck will make it their own. That is what I will celebrate in my heart, and my friends and family will celebrate with me. How will I celebrate is by continuing to do what I love – designing and creating. I have a number of projects in development and the success of publishing this first effort has given me the motivation to keep going!
The Meraki Tarot a beautiful deck that can be used for many years, and is something I am proud to send off to everyone.
To keep up to date with pre-orders for this deck, visit Kerri's website here:
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