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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. The Wandering Moon Tarot 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: The Wandering Moon Tarot

Our latest interview is with Mercedes Auman - the creator of The Fantasy Art Tarot Deck. The deck is filled with unique artwork by Mercedes and has the fantasy realm in mind. A lot of the designs and characters within this deck are from Mercedes' previous artwork and stories that she has created over a few years. Each card is hand drawn, inked, then painted in watercolour - gold ink is added to certain pieces. Each card is then scanned, placed in photoshop, and edited. A long process, however one that is certainly worth it to produce such a beautiful deck. Kickstarter - The Fantasy Art Tarot Deck Where in the world do you call home? Buffalo, NY What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? Actually, my mother first told me about tarot. She would visit this place called Lily Dale a few hours from our home. It’s a place full of mediumships and spiritual healers and she likes to travel there once every few years. However, I never physically experienced tarot cards until I was in college. Unfortunately, that first encounter was a bad experience. I had a reading from a friend who was brand-spanking new to tarot and honestly didn’t know what she was doing yet. I felt awful afterwards. When I told a different friend about my reading they explained to me that was not what tarot is about and that it should never make you feel down, but help guide you or lift you up to work toward being your most authentic self. Then a few years after college my close friend who does tarot reading and is an empath re-introduced me to tarot and really put it all into a different perspective for me. She really opened my eyes to how loving it can be. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? Honestly, my friend that I mentioned above. She is very comforting and explains everything in detail, and she has a very loving aura. She even commissioned me once to make her very own personalized deck exactly how she envisioned each card. Just going into detail and feelings and visuals of each card with her really showed me the depth and emotion of tarot, and the visuals alone really made me interested and inspired to draw some of the cards and characters how I envisioned them. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I absolutely love the Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot Deck by Matt Hughes. It is a beautiful and very detailed yet simple deck. It is created in an art nouveau style, which I adore. Each card has gold foil. As soon as I saw his deck I knew I needed to support the Kickstarter of it. I needed this deck, Matt Hughes has beautiful artwork. I actually own his recent Dreamscape Oracle deck as well. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general)? If so, why is it your favourite? My absolute favourite card no matter the deck is the High Priestess hands down. The first time I learned about her I was like, “yes this is the one. She is my favourite card.” I love everything about this card and how it looks. The High Priestess is beautiful, full of wisdom, knowledge and intuition. The High Priestess is very spiritual, she has a lot of meaning and I was immediately drawn to her. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? It has been both positive and negative. If anything, it made my creative juices flow more. Being in a pandemic and having to break down our working schedules, I got to be home quite a bit in the beginning of 2020 and that allowed me to work on more art and not get distracted. The negative thing however is it put a pause on commissions from coming in because people really weren’t looking for art (and understandably so). I know so many people that were laid off and weren’t able to get an income. No one wants to spend money on art. They need to focus on bills and make sure they can get food. Oddly enough though, it was a blessing in disguise. Being in quarantine allowed me to focus on artwork for myself and gave me the opportunity to come up with my tarot idea and sketch out all of my designs. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Time. There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done as fast as I’d like, along with researching and figuring out international shipping. I’ve never done this before and I really wanted to try and offer the lowest price that I could find while getting a box to ship that I could fit everything in. My eyes were bloodshot from staring at my computer screen for so long reading, watching videos and researching for the best shipping. This deck is based on your fantasy artwork – what sparked your interest in this genre of art? I have loved the fantasy world since I could remember. Everything is mystical and magical with the fantasy genre and as a child you of course want magic to be real. And as I got older, not only do I still want magic to be real, but I believe the unimaginable can come from fantasy art and stories. It is a get away from the world, especially as of late. Fantasy takes you to a world of magic and dreams. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? A lot of relaxing for sure. Probably have a nice dinner with family and my boyfriend but, lots and lots of relaxing. I don’t want to touch my computer for months after this. What is on offer for people who pledge? Of course, the Tarot Deck itself along with its booklet. I offer two types of stickers, Zodiac Stickers and black and gold simple tarot stickers, both holographic. A bookmark with 2 crystal illustrations, front and back, that I designed, cardstock prints and posters of artwork from the Major Arcana in my deck are all available. And my favorite stretch goal reward, if we reach it, is a decorative tarot spread mat with a design I created printed on it. It will be a nice mat to lay out all of your cards on to view and to do readings. To add a little magic and fantasy to your tarot collection, click here: Kickstarter - The Fantasy Art Tarot Deck ·Website: http://www.mercedesauman.com/ ·Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MercedesAumanArt

Our latest interview is with Juanita Benedicto (Astrologer and Tarot Reader), one of the creators of FAUNABELLE Tarot Deck. A compassionate and kind tarot deck for children and the young at heart. Along with Nicola Allan ( a children's artist), they have created a tarot deck featuring an illustrated cast of animals subtly loaded with symbolism. The accompanying guidebook offers warm-hearted meanings for each card appropriate for kids ages 3-12. But this deck is not for children only, it's for anyone who needs a little more kindness, compassion and beauty in their life. Kickstarter - FAUNABELLE Tarot Where in the world do you call home? San Miguel de Allende, Mexico! What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I first got involved with tarot when I turned 30. I was going through a divorce, had moved across the Country (USA) and had just finished grad school while starting a new career while single-momming it with my two little girls. I didn’t have any friends yet in my new town and felt overwhelmed with responsibilities. I turned to tarot for advice and as a way to tune into my inner strength. It was an invaluable experience and I’ve never stopped turning to tarot. What made you want to create your own tarot deck?What was your inspiration? Children’s illustrator, Nicola Allan, and I began meeting to let our dogs play in a giant soccer field. This was last March 2020 when the entire world was closing down due to Covid. We like to think that the spirit of this deck brought us together. It needed Nicola’s illustration’s skill and my embodiment of tarot. I also used to be a children’s librarian. Given our histories, this disembodied creative idea saw its opportunity and within a few weeks of meeting with Nicola and her dog, this idea presented itself to us! Our inspiration is bringing more kindness and compassion into the world! Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I use the Rider Waite with clients as I appreciate the symbolism of the cards. We migrated much of its symbolism into our own deck, Faunabelle. My favorite deck for myself is Lumina Tarot. The personality of this deck and its energy are deeply spiritual which supports my outlook on life. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? My favorite tarot card is The Star. I pulled it for my New Year’s card in 2017. After a time of a lot of job instability and loss, it gave me a healing hope to begin a journey of empowerment. In Faunabelle, my favorite card is The Hermit. I love how we’ve created a wise Raven of the woods who is self-sufficient with her indigenous crop of Three Sisters. The symbolism of self-discovery and containment in the card appeals to me, very much, as does the witch in the woods archetype. We chose Raven to represent our Hermit. Raven symbolism is connected with crone energy, introspection and self-knowledge which I love for Virgo, its astrological correspondence. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? It’s given me the precious space and time to devote myself wholly to my work. If I didn’t have protected time as I do now, because socializing is out of the picture for me, I would not be able to pour myself into this project while maintaining my astrology and tarot practice. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? There have been very few challenges. The biggest one for me would be spending time on the not-so-fun parts such as researching vendors and figuring out shipping! This deck is created for use by both children and adults alike. What skills or knowledge do you think children will gain from playing with the tarot and do you think the cards should be explained to them or allow them to rely on their intuition? Just like adults, children have ups and downs. They need something they can turn to for comfort at times. Sometimes they turn to books. Sometimes to stuffed animals. Sometimes to a parent. The tarot will be another helpful tool to turn to. In doing so, they’ll gain the skill to see things from another perspective. Using tarot will stimulate their creativity as well. I imagine them creating little stories for our major arcana ambassadors for instance. What’s the Devil up to in that suit? Who are the other elephants behind The Emperor? A guidebook accompanies the deck. They words have been thoughtfully distilled into a kind and compassionate interpretation. Children will be able to rely on their imagination and use the guidebook. The two are not exclusive. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? I’ll take a day off! Or ten!! I’d love to be able to take a little trip somewhere and not touch my laptop for a week! :) What is on offer for people who pledge? We’ve got a bunch of goodies: the deck itself, now bedazzled with gold sides as we’re reaching our stretch goals! The guidebook. A tote bag, large stickers, notebook, a tarot reading via Zoom, enamel pins, and a little velvet bag to enclose the cards. We have different combinations of items paired at the varying tiers. We’ll also have a pre-order store which will enable folks to include more items when they pay for their pledge. To bring some kindness and compassion to your life with this beautifully illustrated deck, pledge here: Kickstarter - FAUNABELLE Tarot ·Faunabelle Tarot: Website + Instagram + Facebook ·Juanita Benedicto: Website + Instagram Nicola Allan: Website + Instagram

Our latest interview is with Adam Zonca. He is the creator of The Black Ritual Tarot deck. The Black Ritual is a black and white tarot heavily inspired by the popular Rider-Waite deck. Adam created this tarot with the intent of challenging himself and paying homage to the incredible work of Pamela Coleman-Smith. Each card displays a highly detailed illustration providing the reader with straightforward imagery that may be interpreted in a similar manner to the most prevalent Tarot deck in the world. Kickstarter - The Black Ritual Tarot Where in the world do you call home? I’ve always called Michigan my home; for the last five years I’ve been living and working in Grand Rapids. What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I had been interested in tarot for a very long time and I had never seen or handled a deck in person, but a few years ago I decided to make my own rudimentary deck using what little knowledge I had. That deck was terribly fun to make and use, but I really had no idea what I was doing. After doing more research and being exposed to mystical thinkers like Carl Jung and Manly P. Hall, I became fascinated with the symbology, mechanics, and history of the tarot. The result of this interest is the deck you see now. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? After creating that first deck and dipping my toes into mystical and esoteric thought, I decided to just dive right in. As I consumed more information, my interest in tarot only grew. I’ve always enjoyed making art, and the tarot seemed a marvellously appropriate vehicle for a large scale illustration project. When I began to work on my deck, I naturally looked around at what some other artists were doing. To my surprise, I found a considerable amount of content that put a bad taste in my mouth. Some decks even seemed almost disrespectful to the very concept of tarot. I was resolved to create something that would offer homage to and respect for the work done by the mystics that came before us. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I only own one other deck than my own, and it’s a Rider-Waite-Smith; however I’m definitely looking to expand my collection and I’ve seen some absolutely marvellous decks out there that I’d like to acquire. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? There’s so much joy for me in the suit of Cups - I’d have so settle on the Two of Cups. I really value social contracts and keeping one’s word, and this card is a marvellous visualization of the power of creating and maintaining relationships. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? I’m usually a bit of a hermit so spending most of my time at home hasn’t been the biggest change, but during this time I’ve really learned to strap down and work uninterrupted for long periods. Still, not having the option of going out and being social has certainly weighed on me; having a large project to work on like the tarot really gave me some long-term vision and helped me pull through some gray days. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? A major challenge for me when I was creating the Black Ritual was my self. I frequently wondered if creating the deck was worth it at all. “Another Rider-Waite clone? There are already so many!” Even though I felt good after finishing the deck I still felt a bit uncertain about how it would be received, but so far I’ve had nothing but positive feedback. I’m extremely grateful for everyone that’s helped me along the way with constructive criticism, advice, and encouragement. Why did you decide to create the whole deck in black and white? I’ve always valued the simplicity and authority that monochromatic color schemes provide; most of my art is in black and white. Creating the art for the tarot in this way not only felt natural for me, but functioned pragmatically as I didn't have to fret over creating unified color schemes for 78 individual art pieces. Each card also bears the same black background - a unifying reminder that each of the illustrations on these cards exist in the same impartial space. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? The deck may be published soon but the work is never finished! I suppose I’ll drink some wine and smile. What is on offer for people who pledge? The Kickstarter offers the 78 card Black Ritual Tarot in a printed tuck box, as well as stickers, oversized prints, and shirts bearing illustrations of the Major Arcana from the deck. Much to my surprise, the highest reward levels have already been snatched up! I had some hand-made Rosaries that were bundled with the deck as well as a one-of-a-kind painted skull box for holding the deck. To add this mono=chrome themed tarot deck to your collection, pledge here: Kickstarter - The Black Ritual Tarot

Our latest interview is with Charlotte Mui. She is the creator of the L'Œil de L'Âme Tarot deck. L'Œil de L'Âme, means 'third eye' in French, and refers to both the intuitive elements within each card as well as the method in which you need to read them. The cards, based on the RWS deck, are delicately illustrated with watercolour on paper over the course of two years and are the illustrative manifestations of how Charlotte views the world. To back this intuitively inspired deck, click here: Kickstarter - L'Œil de L'Âme Tarot Where in the world do you call home? I was born in Hong Kong and have lived here all my life. What was your first experience with Tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I was fifteen when I first discovered my aunt’s tarot decks and other occult goodies hidden away in the back of a shelf. Out of curiosity and a love for the occult, I taught myself to read them using the Rider-Waite-Smith deck and the accompanying tarot books. Since I am an artist, I loved that you could tell stories and see your own life reflected through visual imagery and link them up to form narratives. What made you want to create your own Tarot deck? What was your inspiration? Since I encountered tarot decks rather early, I’ve also spent more time reading them and learning about the imagery - however, I couldn’t feel at ease with the Rider-Waite-Smith deck as they didn’t resonate with me as much. So it’s been my dream since 2010 to create my own deck and I’ve been playing around with my own reimaginations for years before I finally decided to complete the full deck design nearly a decade later. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I do have to admit despite the slack I give the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the original does have its own pedestal. However I also love The Universal Celtic Tarot by Floreana Nativo, but it’s mostly because it was gifted to me by my partner so there’s a bit more of a sentimental thing. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? From my own deck, I love The Fool and The World, which are the first and last cards I painted of the Major Arcana, so I’m not sure if it’s a sentimentality thing again. The cards represent both the beginning and the end of a journey and it certainly represented an emotional journey for me in 2019. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? Not much really. I feel for everyone and I’ve also spiralled into some rather dark times during the beginning of the pandemic but here in Hong Kong, it’s been a roller coaster ride since the beginning of 2019 that everything’s kind of just smushed together. Also, being raised in a city like Hong Kong, we’ve just been adapting nearly every moment of our lives so I think I’m also rather numb to the crazy by now. That actually sounds sad now that I’ve written it. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Nearly every step was a challenge until I overcame it while creating this deck haha! It’s my first large scale project in which I committed a year and a half to painting all of the cards while trying to juggle life and a full time job, so not only was finding time to work on it a struggle, I’m the type to make a lot of revisions with my work in which I can have up to 5 different watercolour renditions of the same card. But right now, my biggest challenge is to find a printing company that I love and trust to print these cards -- I have a back-up printer and an extremely expensive high-end printer if things don’t work out but neither are my first choices. So I’m still on the search to find a way to manufacture this labour of love. The deck is unique in that the major arcana are very colourful, the minor arcana (Aces to Tens) are black and white, and the court cards are monochromatic. Why did you choose to design the cards in this way? The colours reflect the way I read the cards, where you could essentially interpret everything you need to know from the Major Arcana cards and the Minor Arcana are there as clarifications and for more details. The Court Cards (or Face Cards) are in a league of their own in which I often use to read personalities -- in order to tie in the link between the Major and Minor Arcana, I also intentionally selected colours that match the Court Cards with their respective suites. (Red/Fire/Wands, Blue/Water/Cups, Green/Earth/Pentacles, Purple/Air/Swords). How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? I’m definitely going to take a very long nap first, then I’m gonna enjoy a nice meal with my family and friends who’ve been so supportive through out these two years. What is on offer for people who pledge? I have several reward tiers that are groupings of the deck itself, stickers, postcards, readings, original paintings, and a customised portrait of you or a loved one painted in the same style as the L’Oeil de L’Ame tarot deck. To add this delicate, watercolour tarot deck to your collection, pledge here: Kickstarter - L'Œil de L'Âme Tarot

Our latest interview is with Rozenn Grosjean, about his new lenormand deck - The Magpie's Lenormand. This deck is a hand-painted Lenormand deck inspired by Rozenn's deep love of nature and animals. Lenormand is a specific type of cartomancy, similar but different to the tarot you probably know from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. While RWS has dense symbology and mysticism, lenormand is more personal, direct, and simplistic. It feels almost conversational, and better suited for daily life. The Kickstarter for this deck closes in less than 24-hours, so you'll need to get in quick to snag one of these decks: Kickstarter - The Magpie's Lenormand Where in the world do you call home? I live with my family and cats in France, near Lyon. But I’d call home everywhere my cat Nouga lives . What was your first experience with lenormand and when did you fall in love with it? My first experience with the Lenormand was the Seven Spheres app. Every now and the, I’d draw cards for a reading with Arcturus (the writer for the deck’s guide). We would then talk about our results, and I loved the introspection you’d do while reading cards. What made you want to create your own lendormand deck? What was your inspiration? I haven’t found a Lenormand deck that resonated very well with me and thought, you know what, let’s create one! I wanted a deck that reflects nature even more than the traditional deck. When searching for inspiration, I would read Arc’s guide and let the words lead me instead of the card’s title. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? Not… really, but I like the ethereal look of the Seven Sphere Lenormand and the very simplistic imagery of the Green Glyphs Lenormand! Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? I really like the Scythe card, it is going to sound strange since it’s not the most "positive" card, but I am very proud of the representation with the barn owl! We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? I won’t lie, it was -and is- a difficult time, but I’m glad I have friends I could call and play with! Also I’m very glad my cat was here so I wasn’t completely alone ♡. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Finding a look I liked for the cards that will work for the whole deck! I had to restart the project so many times, but I’m glad I did not abandon it. I love the Chrysalis, Caterpillar and Moth cards, and how they line up to represent their progression. What inspired you to create such a unique concept? Thank you! I wanted to keep a card close the Child, and the Caterpillar was a very good representation for beginnings. Following this idea, the Chrysalis and Moth was logical. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? I’m so honoured this deck has received this much success. I’d love to go on a long hike with my friends and horse to take a bit of time for myself. What is on offer for people who pledge? My favourite pledge is without hesitation the Magpie’s Box, I’m so happy with the result of the magnetic box housing the deck and guide, it creates such a lovely product. I wanted to offer the deck without the box too, to have a very affordable pledge. To add this gorgeous lenormand deck to your collection, pledge here: Kickstarter - The Magpie's Lenormand

Our latest interview is with Chris Leech, about his new 80s music inspired tarot deck - a time when music was as important as life and love and as serious as a bad haircut. Chris is the owner of Welkin Tarot and has also produced The Shakespeare Tarot, The Beatles Tarot, The Charles Dickens Tarot, The Golden Age of Hollywood Tarot, and The Alfred Hitchcock Tarot, which can all be viewed on his website - Welkin Tarot The New Wave Tarot is a standard 78 card Tarot deck based on the New Wave music of the early 1980s. The Companion Key, unlike a standard LWB, is a full-size 6x9 trade-paper book and it includes in-depth information about the musicians referenced and a colour reproduction of each card. The New Wave Tarot deck & book is a limited edition set of 100, so you'll have to get in quick to get your hands on one of these limited decks: Kickstarter - New Wave Tarot Where in the world do you call home? I have lived many places in my life – England, Germany, Greece, India – but I now find myself living where I grew up as a child – a small parcel of land on Vancouver Island, Canada. My wife and I live on the property with my parents; she has a small studio space for her jewellery making business (White Raven Craft), while I have both a music and an art studio which I built myself. On a deeper level, I make an effort to feel at home wherever I am, even though at times it feels I'm at home nowhere. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? My first hands-on experience with tarot was through a close friend of mine, 40 years my senior, with a profound knowledge of myth, literature, and the Perennial Philosophy. My own interest grew very slowly over 20 years, and I came at it mostly sideways, from psychological, artistic, and esoteric vantages. When I really became enthralled was when I started looking at the tarot from the inside out, doing experimental readings on history, philosophy, and literature, and then actually creating whole new tarot decks from the ground up. I guess I really fell in love with it when I realised the tarot is an instrument of creation. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? I began by wondering about what made the tarot tick, and what made it work. Just as the subconscious uses dream imagery to evoke feelings and express itself to the conscious mind, the tarot is a set of principles to evoke thoughts and feelings about the physical world. With the I Ching, pennies or sticks or almost anything can be used as long as the fundamental principles are adhered to; the same is true with tarot. I became fascinated by this in and of itself, but also with seeing what kind of things could be used to create a tarot, and then what in turn would these new tarots have to say about reality, given their new and unique perspective. I became something of a Shakespeare scholar late in life and his works were my first real inspiration, to create a working tarot deck based on his characters and scenarios. I made The Shakespeare Tarot in 2016, and I continue to be amazed and inspired by its insights and uncanny accuracy. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? No, I don't have a favourite. I find a good 99% of decks to be terrible. I use the RWS deck as a touchstone, as a universal reference point because it has become the Rosetta Stone of tarots. Of the new decks I've seen, I have been the most impressed by The Carnival at the End of the World. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? I have a few favourite cards – first is The Moon. I respect its mystery, its danger. Maybe it's because I'm a Pisces with my moon in Cancer and my ascending sign Scorpio. I also like The High Priestess, representing as she does Sophia and the Holy Spirit. The Star's grace is also hard to beat. Of the pips I like the 7 of Cups. And full confession: I don't care for the aces and am openly hostile towards the courts. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? I am something of a recluse and COVID cases where I live are quite low, so in all honesty I have been lucky enough to be very little affected by the pandemic. That said, in the first 6 months of this year, I wrote and recorded 5 albums for my band Printers Bloc (printersbloc.org), and in the last 6 months I have created 2 new tarot decks and written their companion books. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Essentially, I made this deck as a fun and welcome relief from the hard work of making the much more serious deck, The Numinous Tarot. The first question I faced was should the deck be made up of the New Wave music that has stood the test of time, whether for myself or other musicians or the public generally, or whether I should include musicians who were less memorable - or whom most of us wish we could forget - and thereby reflect the era as it really was? Connected to this question was how obscure should the deck get, and if I limited the bands I countenanced, would there be enough variety to reflect the panoply of characters and situations needed to properly comprise a working tarot? For the sake of accuracy, function, and the sense of sometimes embarrassing fun the early 80s embodied, I tried to keep my curating to a minimum. How did you decide which song should represent which card? This was one of the more enjoyable tasks, especially since many of the choices were made expressly for the fun of it. An example is the 8 of Water (Cups), where the figure on the RWS card is leaving; I chose I Ran (So Far Away) by A Flock of Seagulls. Of course, there are other factors – details about the life of the musicians, aspects of their persona or how people reacted to the song, etc. The court cards aren't based on songs but on musicians as archetypes. The Majors aren't songs either, but musicians who personified a major archetype such as The Fool (Devo) or an event or situation which encapsulated a theme, as with Live Aid representing Justice. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? I will celebrate by immediately starting work on completing my half-finished project, The Numinous Tarot. Not only am I not much for celebrating but one of my greatest pleasures in life is creating things, so to be able to see a project through to completion is actually, for me, a form of celebration. What is on offer for people who pledge? I like to keep it simple – I find some of the things offered by Kickstarter campaigns border on gimmickry. I prefer to offer the best value for money to people that I can, along with the assurance that backers can receive exactly what they paid for quickly and with a reliable standard of quality. The only offer I have made is to sign the book, which some backers have asked for in the past, and a contribution amount which sees the backer receive both The New Wave Tarot and my previous music-based deck, The Beatles Tarot. For anyone who's interested, I've “offered” a playlist of songs featured in the deck, which costs nothing to enjoy: https://chrisleech.wixsite.com/newwavetarot To add this limited edition deck to your collection, pledge here: Kickstarter - New Wave Tarot

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: Bouchette Designl 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: Bouchette Design

Our latest interview is with Christine Carr, creator of The Path of the Illuminated Soul. an oracle deck that helps us to explore our shadow path. The cards are a guide and aid to self development as we progress along your soul path, helping us to explore the light and the darker sides of ourselves so we reach a state of heightened awareness and Illumination. Kickstarter - Path of the Illuminated Soul Where in the world do you call home? I currently live in Ely, Cambridgeshire in the heart of the Fens. It’s definitely home to me. Just the sight of the Cathedral makes my heart sing. I love the huge skies here and wide open spaces - it’s a very peaceful and (sometimes) barren landscape at times but, once you get used to it, you definitely fall in love with the place. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? My first deck was the Cosmic Tarot which I bought in Covent Garden (from the Astrology Shop - Neal Street) on a trip with my sister - she was into tarot and spirituality before me and so introduced me to decks and crystals when I was in my teens. I veered away from it for a while whilst I was at university studying design and photography, but about ten years ago I started collecting crystals and cards again and it grew from there. I started my Facebook page Turtle Moon in 2014 and initially it was a way of connecting with the spiritual community and sharing my thoughts. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? I actually felt very guided to do it. It was a bit of a spiritual nudge. It’s not actually my first deck. I produced a deck based on the moon cycles called The Moon Energy Deck two years ago which I self published as a limited edition which was a great success. However I took a break from creating and posting on my page for about two years as I needed a break away from social media and instead turned to one of my first loves - photography. I felt a need to be more out in nature with camera in hand and that’s really where this deck all began - down by the riverside. It all started as a very personal journey for me and happened at a time of a huge spiritual awakening that started in 2019. It was a very transformative time for me. One by one the cards were being ‘birthed’ - I think I was constantly writing them in my head on my travels and eventually they turned into a deck that was such a huge guide for me personally that I realised it was so applicable to other people’s spiritual development and therefore I needed to put out there. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I absolutely adore the El Goliath Tarot Deck. I love independent decks and Goliath is an incredible artist. I love the dark nature of his cards and the way he is not afraid to delve into the shadow. I admire anyone that self publishes their work - it is not easy and what comes across is the tremendous hard work and effort that is put into it as well as the energy and soul of the creator - you really get to feel the depth of the work. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? There’s actually two and I can’t choose between! - The first is CLARITY – THE RIVER. It sums up the whole journey for me - the beginning and end is always walking down by the river - cleansing the soul and finding that inner peace by being out in nature. It has been my inspiration and continues to be as I often leave my busy desk and wander off for a while to bring myself back to me. I suppose in a way it’s very much like the Temperance card in the tarot - also being an Aquarius (the water bearer) and air sign - the combination of air and water has always appealed to my soul. The second is CHANGE - THE ORANGE MOON CAT as it actually represents an event that happened to me when I took in a ginger cat on the night of the harvest moon – that card is kept close to my heart. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? I think for me the pandemic actually was an incredible time for me creatively. Initially it was all a big shock to the system. Also as I live on my own it gave me a chance to really go inward and explore myself. I’m a self employed graphic designer but found that due to the initial lockdown my workload had decreased giving me unexpected time to dedicate to myself and the cards. My cup overflowed with creativity and I also completely redesigned my garden space to create a sanctuary away from everything. Once I had my head space back and started to look through my daily photographs I was able to come back to the deck that I had already started and begin to fill in the blanks to tell the story. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? I have to say writing the guidebook was a huge challenge for me. I am a very visual person and trying to get the words out of my head and onto paper was difficult. I realised as I went along that I was actually channeling the meanings and it was very exhausting work. The kickstarter process has also been a huge learning curve as I’ve never done one before and I’m still learning how to use it. Also I’ve had to seriously brush up up on my social media skills and use it in ways I’ve never tried before. All good fun though! Your deck is designed to illuminate our shadow paths. How important do you think it is to work with our shadow selves, even if it is a difficult path? I could probably write you an essay on this but I won’t! I think that shadow is something that we think of as our dark side or bad in a way, but it is totally misunderstood. What we mean by shadow is delving into aspects of our personalities that maybe we don’t actually want to face. Who wants to know that they have a selfish streak or that they are insecure or have deep wounds from past relationships. The soul path asks you to look at these aspects of self and to find balance within so we are comfortable with who we are as a whole inside and out. In a way it’s similar to what is called the twin flame journey where we need to find balance with the inner masculine and feminine and realise when our ego is speaking rather than our soul. It’s just a question of finding balance and alignment. By being introspective we really do get to understand ourselves on a deeper level. Also the themes that run through this are of self love, alignment, balance and inner happiness being the ultimate goal. Also recognising repeating patterns and learning to break the cycle. That’s when we start to shine! How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? I’ll probably go for a long walk down by the river and breathe again! It has been challenging but I think totally worth it. The real pleasure for me will be seeing other people use the deck and I hope it helps them answer questions in their own lives as it has helped me. What is on offer for people who pledge? Well the main point of the kickstarter is to get the cards themselves printed - I’m initially releasing a limited edition run of 200 sets. It’s quite a hefty deck at 67 cards so I designed a lovely hard case box for them to go in. There is a comprehensive guidebook but in order to keep costs down I’m sending this as a pdf either by email or there will be a website link. I’d love to print this and it may be that it becomes a stretch goal. We will see how it goes! I’m also offering personal readings of either 3 or 6 cards as individual pledges or as part of a bundle with the card deck - I am an intuitive reader but I don’t offer these very often so get them while you can! I do pop up daily collective readings on my facebook and Instagram pages though which gives an idea of my reading style. There’s also my really cool portable pendulum boards - I redesigned these to fit with the new deck design. They are A6 card and slip easily into a notebook. I find them really handy for quick answers on the go! And last, but not least, I am making some fabulous hand stitched felt pouches to keep the cards in. I love crafting and who doesn’t like a tarot pouch! Lastly there’s also the option of some screensavers as an add-on of my best riverside photography. I use them myself so thought it would be nice to share as I’m quite an abstract photographer and they make lovely ambient backgrounds. I’m including with every deck pledge a free soul path game which is great fun and will take you back to your inner child and also some pin badges as added extras! To be one of the first to get your hands on this deck and start your journey ,exploring your shadow path, pledge here: Kickstarter - Path of the Illuminated Soul

Our latest interview is with Machaila Jensen, creator of The Deck of Celestials. a tarot deck that is designed with inclusivity in mind. Machaila uses celestial bodies and beings over humans with genders and races so that any race, gender and religion are able to pick up a tarot deck and feel welcome using it and utilise the powerful energy and properties it holds. Kickstarter - Deck of Celestials Where in the world do you call home? I’m from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Only a 45 minute drive to the Rocky Mountains,  so I’m surrounded by cold weather and beautiful mountain scenery. I honestly love snow and winter, I have a ridiculous amount of cancer in my chart so staying home and cozy when it’s freezing outside is what I live for. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I started having dreams about tarot and thinking about it more and more everyday, which led me to do further research and purchase a few books on how to read tarot. After that my journey into spirituality spiralled, I started buying an absurd amount of books on spirituality and my crystal collection grew out of hand.  I fell in love with the community and how accepting and supportive everyone is, it’s truly a positive environment to be in and really helped grow my love for tarot. I’ve been practicing for about 3 years now and have loved it ever since. What made you want to create your own tarot deck?  What was your inspiration? I’ve always been an artist and had a love for drawing. When I discovered tarot and noticed all of the beautiful decks in the world I only dreamed of creating my own one day. It seemed like such an impossible task at the time and something I never thought I would achieve. My inspiration came in June, after participating in the BLM protests in my city and really being aware of all the pain and hurt in the world. It made me want to create a deck for everyone, something that didn’t have humans, race or gender and something that anyone can hold space and identify with. I know there are decks like this in the world, but I felt drawn to creating my own. Tarot is a tool for anyone, you don’t have to be some perfect human to pick up a deck. I wanted my deck to feel safe and welcoming for whoever chose to use it. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I love the Flux Arcana Tarot deck by Micah Ulrich. It’s truly a work of art and I feel that I really connect with the cards and artwork throughout the deck. Micah Ulrich does a lot of mediaeval line work featuring skulls and cloaked figures, all that good stuff. It’s a 78 card tarot deck with no  guidebook in a cute little tuck box, and one of my greatest treasures. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? My all time favourite card in any deck is The Sun card, seems so cliché but holding and looking at any Sun card brings me true and honest happiness. I really feel the magic and positivity of The Sun card shining through me as I’m in it’s presence and that’s definitely why it’s my favourite. Such a beautiful card and message no matter the deck. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? I didn’t draw for months when COVID-19 first hit Canada. I was just in a slump of everything being shut down and adjusting to the new normal that I was honestly not motivated to create anything. It wasn’t until June/July when I started feeling more and more inclined to created my deck, again because of the BLM movements and protests I had attended. I decided to purchase an iPad so I could start creating my deck as I knew I wanted to do it digitally, and from there I have been nothing but creative! I think having a new tool to create with really sparked my excitement. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? The number one challenge was doing it all on my own. I’m a self taught, independent artist which means I’m my own artist, author and publisher all in one. Learning how to launch a Kickstarter, print a deck, and write a guidebook has been challenging but it has all been such an amazing experience! I’m learning how to be more tech savvy one day at a time. Can you explain the use of celestial bodies to represent inclusivity? Why was this important to you? I needed a form of archetypes that weren’t human, I didn’t want any genders or races in the deck in order to create that inclusivity. So I decided on the moon face we see so much in the deck to stand in as my celestial being. I first drew that moon face three years ago, and it has been a huge part of my artwork ever since, but I always wanted to do more with it. I feel that the celestial bodies give the deck such a dreamy, magical feel. And using the cloaked moon figure leaves to much to the imagination. This figure can be whatever you need it to be, that’s the beauty of it. There are no visible male or female traits on any of the celestial bodies, just a moon with a face. This way you aren’t focused on not being able to identify with a card when you pull it, but can focus on the card itself and the message you are being given. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? After the adrenaline rush of even being able to bring this deck life, I would like to just take a day to do absolutely nothing! Eat some of my favourite pizza and hangout with my boyfriend, cat and dog, the perfect celebration in my opinion! What is on offer for people who pledge? All of the Kickstarter stretch goals have been met, meaning the deck comes in a two piece upgraded custom box with a guidebook, as well as 3 holographic, waterproof vinyl stickers, and a super cute 1 inch enamel moon pin of the moon face seen throughout the deck! All of these goodies come with each Kickstarter pledge, so even if you just purchase some artwork or thank you card to show your support,  you will still receive the stickers and pin. To be one of the first to get your hands on this deck that will appeal to all, pledge here: Kickstarter - Deck of Celestials

Our latest interview is with Jessica Purser, creator of The Crystals Forest Oracle. a series of hand-watercoloured images which she is creating with the help of her backers. The deck incorporates the deep wisdom of the ancient woodlands with the beauty and guidance of crystals. Jess is also the creator of the Wisdoms of the Forest - intuitive oracle deck. Kickstarter - The Crystals Forest Where in the world do you call home? That's a tough one. There are certain places where we can immediately sense a kind of magic beneath our feet. I felt it when I was very little, living in a mountain village in Cyprus, then felt it again when I lived in West Wales in the mid-late 90's. If you mean my actual body, it currently lives in Surrey, UK ;) What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? Oddly, I can't remember when I first acquired my RWS Tarot deck, but I think it was in my early teens and I've kept the same deck ever since. I don't remember a time when I didn't feel a connection to them and the wonderful depth of imagery. I do wish Pamela Coleman-Smith could have had more recognition during her lifetime. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? I've been pretty much exclusively painting forests for a few years now. In 2017, I realised my life was out-of-balance. I felt physically unhealthy, weak and completely out-of-touch with my own flow-state. It was time to make some major changes. I started gently, by taking ten minutes a day to sit and meditate, to clear my mind as much as possible and keep to that new habit every single day. I followed it with waking earlier, changing my diet and taking up yoga for 15 minutes per day and walks in nature. If things were going to get better, I had to push myself to make changes. During this time, I began keeping journals and going through my old notebooks and sketchbooks for ideas. There were so many synchronicities and it seemed all of them could then also be related to the forests and trees I was already painting. I began making images which I felt related to thoughts and methods of healing ourselves. These images turned into my first oracle deck 'Wisdom of the Forest'. Earlier this year, I began painting more colourful versions of the forests and felt drawn to the crystals I already had as inspiration. I imagine what the atmosphere would be like in the forests if they were imbued with the properties attributed to each crystal. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? Of course, my old RWS Tarot deck, then a relatively recent purchase - the Crystal Power Tarot by Jane Wallace and illustrated by the lovely Roberta Orpwood. Also, I feel I'm almost ready to take on the Thoth Tarot again (I had to put it away for a few years as it's pretty intense!). Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? I find this changes with different stages of life, but recently I've been more drawn to the High Priestess. As you can imagine, she has taught me a lot recently. I've always had an affection for the childlike sweetness of the Fool too. As for the Crystal Forests, I'm loving the card I'm currently painting - 'The Malachite Forest'. In this forest, there's no hiding from your own negative traits - it's a place to face your demons down. As you can imagine, it's taking quite a lot of energy to paint, though! We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? Only in a physical sense has it been difficult - during lockdown, I was homeschooling my youngest daughter, so all my usual 'work' time was taken by that and it was incredibly draining, although I'm also thankful I got to spend more time with her. I found that my creative ideas still flowed, but I didn't have the time to put most of them down on paper. Only really since my children went back to school in September have I been able to get back into a good workflow. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? So far, only time has been a constraint. I love that you have chosen to allow the backers to vote on parts of the look and design of the cards. Was it hard to hand over some of the design process to other people? Yes! But it's also so exciting! I love the idea of choosing a few possibilities for each stage of the design process, then keeping that process as clean and simple as possible. I trust backers to make the right decisions. There is also the very real possibility of outcomes putting people off, but that would be just as possible if I had done the whole thing myself haha! I just love the idea of it being a community effort - just like a forest ;) How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? When I've finished all the paintings, the deck will be published during July 2021 at the latest. I'd like to take a few day's break between sending the images to the printers and receiving the decks themselves - time to just breathe before working on the final packaging, fulfilment and getting those decks out into peoples' hands :) Only then would I take a proper break and hopefully travel further afield to refresh and gain new inspiration for the next project. What is on offer for people who pledge? There's something for everyone - from £5 digital wallpapers, to the large, original painting tier at £500. The base Crystal Forests deck itself is available, along with some beautiful, complimentary creations from my collaborators Quire & Quartz (hand-crafting some stunning, crystal-inlaid card-holders), Sur La Lune (Amy has created a whole new crystal tree design especially for us and will be attaching each gorgeous little tree to a hag stone she has found on her local beach!) and Gem Stone Rox (Nick ethically sources some beautiful tumbled pieces from around the world). I will also be making up some beautiful quality prints so if anyone feels particularly drawn to any image (or multiple ones), they can either choose that tier or include them as add-ons in their pledge. I was so happy when we reached our initial goal that I'm also sending out a double-sided, gold-foil bookmark to every backer who has a physical reward. We've reached our first stretch goal of a sticker sheet. The next stretch goal (£10,000) will be the Kickstarter-exclusive enamel pin. Then after that, we'll be going for gilt-edges to the decks - I really hope that happens because it will look truly AMAZING! To be one of the first to get your hands on this deck and to also have a say in the final creation, pledge here: Kickstarter - The Crystals Forest

Our latest interview is with Yve Lepkowski, creator of the Anecdotes Tarot. The deck is based on Joanna Newsom's music and the artwork is a whimsical representation of a specific lyric, or a song as a whole. The 22 trumps follow the sequence of our old friend, the Tarot de Marseille. The imagery in all the cards has been inspired by other historic Tarots, such as the Sola Busca deck, the "Mantegna Tarocchi," and the decks of the Etteilla school. The songs of the trumps span the entire discography. Kickstarter - Anecdotes Tarot Where in the world do you call home? I’m from Northern New Jersey. It’s a place with a lot to offer in the way of inspiring landscapes – the forests, the ocean, the ominous marshes, flame-spouting electricity plants, and the looming, increasingly pointy Manhattan skyline. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I’ve always loved playing cards, but I first heard of trump suits through science fiction & fantasy books. The two big ones are Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber (where the main characters communicate and teleport using special trump cards), and Gene Wolfe’s novel The Sorcerer’s House (which seems to be structured around tarot trumps and/or Lenormand). So my start in tarot was actually looking at it as a series of artistic symbols, more than an oracle! What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? Anecdotes Tarot is the second tarot deck I’ve drawn, and it’s all inspired by Joanna Newsom’s music. Creating tarot art is appealing in the same way as treating mythological and religious themes – it gives you a certain language and way of looking at the world to work with. My background is in math and I really like having this semi-formal framework for art as well. It was really satisfying to look for all the connections between the music and the tarot archetypes. But I think my favorite aspect of tarot art is that it’s functional. These pictures won’t be stuffed away in a portfolio or hanging on the wall for the rest of their lives. They’ll be shuffled and used, and the pictures develop and change in relation to each other. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I’ve only been using it since January (that is, after I started creating this deck), but my favorite deck is the Etteilla-based “Grand Jeu d’Oracle des Dames.” These are from the late 1800s and done in a faux-medieval engraving style, using Etteilla’s keywords and oddly rearranged trumps. It has a really gorgeous antique look and lively poses. My favorite pre-Etteilla deck, not without its own oddities, is the Jacques Viéville tarot. I used this deck as inspiration for a lot of Anecdotes Tarot, in particular the “Moon” card, and the colors and feel of the entire Suit of Coins. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? It’s difficult to choose, since I spent a lot of time on each picture. I like my version of the Ace of Cups, since I think that in this case the lyric I used (“sun pouring wine . . . “) fit particularly well with the temple-like cup from the Marseille pattern. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? I’ve heard that the pandemic and lockdown has been giving people stranger and more vivid dreams (or at least the chance to remember our dreams better), which is certainly helpful. The generally hectic atmosphere made taking the time to draw difficult, in the beginning. The positive side of things coming to a halt was that it gave me time to slow down and work on the deck more deliberately. I was initially planning to finish early in the year, but instead I went back and redid the majority of the trumps, which I think made the deck a lot more cohesive. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? The most difficult part of making a themed deck like this is avoiding two extremes: either making the deck a dressed-up redraw of an existing tarot, or taking images from the source material with little connection to tarot tradition. I hope that this one doesn’t fall into either trap. When I started, I was using exclusively the Tarot de Marseille, as a standard base. You can see the Marseille compositions in many of the cards still, particularly the court cards, and trumps like XXI. But some of my remakes felt dead no matter what I did, so I ended up looking elsewhere drastically rearranging the characters to bring them to life. Some I remade after an initial attempt, some like X and XVI gave me so much trouble visualizing that I left them for the very end. For these I knew there was something there relevant to the meaning of the symbol, but contorting it to fit the “traditional” image felt impossible. For X I took inspiration from the Mantegna Tarocchi, and for XVI from the Florentine Minchiate. The other more mundane difficulty for me is writing a guidebook. Some people are blessed with an internal monologue, but my process is distinctly non-verbal. Going back and explaining things clearly is a challenge! You have translated the medium of music to a visual medium. Did you find it an easy process to create images from music? Drawing based on music is no easier or harder for me than drawing anything else. To draw each of the pictures, I’d put the corresponding song or album on loop to help it take shape. The goal was to make it look as if each card could itself sing, or hum, or whatever sound an inanimate object makes. Joanna Newsom’s lyrics are mostly very detailed and gave lots of imagery and characters to incorporate into the pictures. The lyrics as well as the overall mood and sound palette of the songs guided the colors I chose: bright and hollow, or warm and muffled. There’s music that gives the feeling of open space and air, and music that is dense and deep, and this affects the visuals too. The challenging part was lyrics about more abstract concepts. For example, this deck’s version of The Empress is based on the song “’81,” which is short and sweet. The trout in the card is mentioned in the song, but to fit lyrics like “I believe in innocence . . . I believe in everyone,” I had to add other images like the vines on the tree and the stork (an unintentional similarity to the Thoth tarot). How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? By moving on to the next project! I’m taking a bit of a break now to work on the deck’s guidebook, and after the campaign is ended it will be time for making the rewards and shipping, so it will be fun to start on something new. What is on offer for people who pledge? In addition to the deck itself, I’m offering prints of the artwork, as well as commissioned art, or a hand-embroidered case for the deck. To be one of the first to get your hands on this beautiful, whimsical deck, pledge here: Kickstarter - Anecdotes Tarot