Our latest interview is with Rachael - the creator of The Wandering Moon Tarot. The deck is a hand illustrated tarot deck with a black and white aesthetic, bringing a more intuitive feel..
The deck has a clean, crisp, black and white aesthetic. It's full of symbology and drawings inspired by the cosmos and the universe. stars, moons, planets and constellations. There's also all those pretty things that make life nice, like feathers and cute hand tattoos, as well as astrology and crystals.
Where in the world do you call home?
Home for me is in Geelong, Victoria. I'm very blessed to live so close to the water.
What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it?
Since I can first remember there has been a tarot deck (one of those mass produced RWS decks) sitting in my bookcase. I don't know where it came from or how long it's truly been there. No one remembers purchasing it or receiving it as a gift. It sat on the shelf unopened for years and years. I eventually got around to opening it up and looking at the artwork and I was hooked from there on. I knew the deck didn't suit 'me' so I found an indie deck I absolutely loved and that's when I well and truly fell in love.
What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration?
The creation of my deck came from the need I have to draw. it's what I do every single day. It began from a sketch I posted online of my take on the Death card. I loved the process and sketched a few more cards of the major arcana. I noticed how much better I understood the cards once I'd drawn them in my own style. Once I started I couldn't stop.
I took inspiration from my crazy obsession with the night sky and the cosmos. That's why I changed the suits of pentacles to 'stars' and the suit of cups to 'moons'. I am fascinated by the universe and all it contains. I tried to channel that energy into the deck as best I could.
What would you say is unique about your deck?
I think what makes the deck stand out is the black and white aesthetic. That, along with the more modern and minimal designs, is what makes the deck truly it's own.
I've also taken people out of the deck. As in, there are only a few cards where a human figure is shown.
How long have you had the idea for the deck for and how long has it taken you to create it?
I've had designs for certain cards sitting in sketchbooks for a long time. When people would ask me if I'd ever consider doing my own deck, I'd tell them that it's always been a dream and that I'll get around to it someday. The deck was created without much of a plan and I let each new step or challenge present itself before I'd attempt to tackle it.
From posting the first design of the Death card, to beginning the Kickstarter campaign, it can't be more than a few months in which this all happened. Once I sat down with the intention to sketch each card, the glow of energy swept me up and away. I couldn't stop drawing and didn't want to.
We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity?
I think being in lockdown and the uncertainty of it all helped to give me a new type of energy to work with. Being creative was a great way to escape the bleak images being seen on screens and the peace and quiet has given way to a much better focus.
What have been your challenges in creating this deck?
The entire deck and the packaging have all been done by hand. There was no 'erase' feature I could turn to. if an error was made, most of the time it meant starting that whole card over again. It did make things more difficult, but I feel it gives the deck another level of uniqueness. The deck is imperfect and that's exactly what I wanted.
The cards are black and white sketches. Were you tempted to add any colour?
Not at all!!! I love colour but it's not part of who I am artistically right now. A huge reason why I specifically wanted black and white cards was to limit the 'visual noise' and ensure the cards message and emotion was able to be translated to the reader.
How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?
I think I'll be able to fully relax when it's published and shipped out to all the backers. That's where I see the real hard work having been completed. To celebrate that phase ending, I think I'll stay clear of my office for a few days and enjoy doing absolutely nothing 😊
What is on offer for people who pledge?
For the kind souls who pledge, the deck which is now as luxe and high quality as can be, is on offer. Each deck comes with a cute enamel pin of the Queen of Moons design and the deck arrives in a Wandering Moon stamped calico drawstring bag to keep it safe.
There are prints available also, the backers can choose from The Lovers, The Empress, or Strength as their design.
To add some black and white aesthetics to your tarot collection, click here: