Search Results

Our latest interview is with Mariza Ryce Aparicio-Tovar, creator of The Gentle Tarot - An indigenous-made, colourful and uplifting, nature inspired tarot deck. Inspired by our natural environment, Mariza explores issues of mental health and self-love with hopes of advocating care for our planet and ourselves so that collectively we may experience our full potential. Kickstarter - The Gentle Tarot Where in the world do you call home? Alaska has been my home since 2014. I presently live in a remote Alaskan community of roughly 4,500 people in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island in the Aleutian Island chain. We are out in the middle of the Bering Sea. The lifestyle feels different than any other place I have lived and even different from any other place in Alaska I have been. Life has a slow pace, which I really love. The year-round natural beauty and unique, supportive community is why Unalaska is home. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? My first experience with tarot was in college, but I didn’t fall in love with it until after college in 2010. I had quit my job in Seattle and was about to hitchhike solo down the west coast to LA when a couple of close friends of mine offered me a reading. Every card in the spread gave me chills and the energy in the cards and in the room was like an introduction to a new friend. I have since practiced on my own. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? As mentioned above, the energy from tarot/oracle cards has felt like a friend. This friend has always felt gentle, patient, and loving and I had not come across a deck with art that had this kind of energy. Since 2012 I had wanted to illustrate my own deck, but it wasn’t until this past summer while working (even more remotely) on a salmon river far from reception and roads, I finally had the time and space to start. Daily practice this summer, with my sweet friend and co-worker Kanesia, also helped feed the flame. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? It’s hard to name only one! I absolutely love the Brady Tarot, her craft is priceless. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? The Tower is definitely my favorite. This may change at some point, but it excites me the most. Maybe I am just desiring upheaval or simply attracted to change. I love how a visual that would seem negative is in fact powerfully positive. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? Being creative is my stress relief. The more stressed or depressed I am, the more I create. Even before the pandemic, the state of the world was a huge weight on my emotional well-being (as I am sure it has been for most of us). Parallel to my stress levels, creativity has shot through the roof. Although I am thankful to have this outlet, I hope our world reaches a healthy equilibrium on all fronts. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? My biggest challenge was starting. It took me eight years to finally give it a go. It’s hard not to feel intimidated or question your right to interpret something so old. After starting though, and I began with The Moon card, I knew that my calling to create a deck was greater than my fear and doubt. I love that you are so dedicated to the environment and will be planting two trees for every pledge, as well as using a portion of the pledges to donate to ocean and climate change research. Have you always been this environmentally conscious or was there some event that raised your awareness? As an indigenous woman, having been raised to foster a relationship of honor and respect for our natural environment, taking care of our planet is simply common sense. Our survival depends on ecological harmony. The earth has provided fruitfully for millennia, our out-of-balance practices need to change. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? I am pretty sure that I will shed celebratory tears. :) I can still hardly grasp what has happened in the past five days since the Kickstarter launched. My ultimate celebration will be when I donate to the planting of trees (as of right now we are at 884!) and to ocean and climate change research. What is on offer for people who pledge? On offer is the First Edition Gentle Tarot deck and guidebook! The cards are classic 2.75” by 4.75” with 78 cards on 350gsm matte laminate paper with matte gold sides. The book will be slightly larger in size at about 3”x5” and both will come in a two-part box. I also have Gentle Tarot earrings, session cloths, limited edition signed prints, tote bags, postcards, tapestries, and stickers. If we reach stretch goals I will be adding cozy wear and maybe even dresses! In addition to Kickstarter, the Gentle Tarot website will be up soon. Please check it out to grab goodies you want and to stay posted! Also, my Etsy has Gentle Tarot items not offered in the Kickstarter campaign, such as mugs, full print tote bags, tapestries, and biodegradable phone cases. Thank you so much for having me here! Nothing but love. Mari https://www.instagram.com/mariinthesky www.thegentletarot.com https://www.etsy.com/shop/mariinthesky To be one of the first to get your hands on this stunning deck, pledge here: Kickstarter - The Gentle Tarot

Our latest interview is with Briona Jolie, the creator of The Wild Wolf Tarot - an earthy, minimalist 78 card Tarot deck surrounding the beauty and intuition of Wolves. This deck is meant to help people connect to their ancient wild instincts, and to embrace the many beautiful archetypes of the wolf. Kickstarter - The Wild Wolf Tarot Where in the world do you call home? Physically I never felt more at home than I did in New Paltz, NY which is the town I lived and went to college in. New Paltz and places like it fuel my sense of adventure and love of nature, with beautiful tall mountains, lakes, and a relaxed artistic community. Emotionally, home is anywhere that is with my partner Dieter and our dog Storm. What was your first experience with tarot/oracle and when did you fall in love with it? My first experience with cards was when I brought my first oracle deck in my college town (it's where most of my spiritual awakening began). I bought this deck before ever having a reading, or even researching how to use cards and their exact purpose. I just went in knowing I wanted to explore what cards meant after looking at them with extreme curiosity every time I went to buy a new crystal. So I took home my first oracle deck which was a very early 2000’s deck called Universal Wisdom by Toni Salerno and I explored! I did some reading of the how-to’s but mostly played and intuitively began reading for myself by using the messages inside the book to guide the reading. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? I always thought having my own deck one day would be amazing, but I didn't start seriously thinking I would really feel the need to put those ideas to action until I started reading tarot for others. I desperately wanted to read from my own cards, to make the readings that more special. One night I thought to myself, I really need a wolf inspired tarot deck (considering my whole brand and heart is surrounded with the beauty of wolves). So I went to my search engine and realized that no one has successfully done it the way I felt a wolf tarot deck needed to be displayed. I then thought, well if no one has done it...then I guess it needs to be me. I also was extremely inspired by a friend of mine who created her own deck and was young like me Seeing more young women take leadership of their dreams and desires is so empowering, so after experiencing more women like that in my life I immediately went to my notebook to start writing and planning The Wild Wolf Tarot. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite one? Spirit song tarot by Paulina Cassidy. I actually found her deck when I was getting a reading done at a local shop near where I live now. As I was watching the reader explain my messages I remember half listening to her and the other half of my brain was saying, “What deck is she using? I’ve never seen an all animal deck before? I need to find this deck after.” Her deck was the first one I found that actually felt like it had my style written and illustrated on it, soft and minimalist. Do you have a favourite card? My favorite traditional card is “the moon” because it always shows two wolves and a moon as the image, I actually have a tapestry in my bedroom of this card because I just love the imagery so much. My favorite card in my deck I think has to be “The White Wolf.” This card expresses the message of the empress who holds divine femininity and strong intuition. I have placed this card everywhere on the branding of this deck because I just find the image my designer helped me create to be so striking. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? Aside from my job as a Tarot and Akashic Reader, I also teach kids art full time so you can say my sacral chakra is extremely open. That being said, It's normally hard for me to find time to honor the rush of creativity that is always trying to come out of and be expressed. The pandemic has honestly been a blessing because I finally have made time to express myself. Truthfully this project wouldn’t have happened until years down the road when I finally “made the time,” so I’m extremely grateful for the universe allowing me to see where I needed to focus my energy and finally create. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? I believe it's just been learning everything for the first time. I’ve never had any experience with launching a kickstarter before, or determining a budget and reaching out to printers before, so every step of this journey has been a completely new learning experience. So my biggest challenge has been remaining confident as I navigate this new terrain. That's when I turn to my wolf guides who remind me of my leadership in the decisions I make, it will all lead me down the right path. You channelled this from your wolf guide Aleu. Do you believe she has been with you your whole life and has she inspired you to create prior to this deck? Aleu has remained a prominent guide in my life ever since childhood. So strong in fact I decided to tattoo her face on my ribs which is a similar image mirrored in the card “The White Wolf.” Just like the card The White Wolf, Aleu inspires me to take leadership in my feminine. I find her when I feel confidence to create and share my creations, she also finds me when I take action on my intuition. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? I would love to do a fun trip to the mountains again with my partner and dog but with the pandemic It might be on hold for now. We will definitely have a great family day outside to celebrate, let go, and just be present in the vibrations of the moment! Then It will be quickly back to work to get the orders out to my backers haha What is on offer for people who pledge? I put a great scale of offers together ranging from $5-$300. Some of the rewards include art prints, a discounted offer on the official deck, readings with me, and an incredible opportunity to give back to the wolves! If we hit our stretch goals within the second half of the campaign I have lots of freebie offers for deck owners like limited edition cards and pouches! To be one of the first to get your hands on this gorgeous deck, pledge here: Kickstarter - The Wild Wolf Tarot

Our latest interview is with Yousef Bushehri, the creator of an architectural themed tarot deck. Each suit of the deck is inspired by a landscape theme and the cards of each suit can be lined up to create a single panoramic image. The combination of architectural imagery with the soft visuals of watercolours creates a deck that blends reality with fantasy. Kickstarter - The Architect's Tarot Where in the world do you call home? That’s a complicated question for me. I was born and raised in Kuwait, which is where my entire family lives. I moved to the United States when I was 17 and have been here for 13 years. Right now I live in Atlanta, Georgia and I feel very settled here and have put down roots. I live the majority of the year in Atlanta but need to go to Kuwait at least once a year for a few weeks to be with my family. I guess I would call my home both Kuwait and Atlanta simultaneously. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? 2 years ago I was having a hard time sleeping for a few months and a dear friend brought me an amethyst and told me it would help. Even though this wasn’t anything I had ever explored, this was a person I trusted deeply and so I trusted her offer as well. The amethyst helped and it opened me up to a world that I hadn’t explored which included oils and crystals and herbs and, eventually, tarot. I’m a big time gardener and I love giving and receiving seeds and plant cuttings and plant knowledge. it feels so anti-capitalist and empowers people’s independence and self-reliance. I think for that same reason I fell in love with tarot and the democratic nature of it. Unlike many large organized belief-systems, where the rules are passed down from established authority, this world of magic wasn’t owned or controlled by anyone and was open to everyone and however they choose to participate in it. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? I’m a trained architect and designer and my aunt taught me to paint as a child so visual art has always been a part of my life. After discovering tarot I began searching for an architectural tarot deck – one that plays with architectural themes like scale, procession, path, and entry – and wasn’t able to find one. At the time I also began exploring watercolour. One day while laying on the couch watching TV it occurred to me that I could practice watercolour and illustration by creating architecturally interpreted tarot cards. I did maybe 5 or 6 and I posted them online and people asked me when the deck would be complete because they really wanted one. Keep in mind I was only doing this as an exercise and did not intend to create a whole deck. But here we are. I’ve drawn inspiration from lots of places - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass, Greek temples, significant buildings around the world that I’ve visited, specific moments of my life, dreams I’ve had, videogames, literal representations of what the card is meant to signify. All sorts of places. My phone’s photo gallery is mostly images I’ve collected to base my cards on (as well as photos of my cats of course). Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I have a copy of the Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot and I think its my favourite that I’ve come across. The level of detail is amazing and I continuously discover new things in each card. I feel like there are 2 types of movies (this is relevant, I swear): in one type, when a character coughs, their cough will be relevant to the plot, in the other type of movie the characters cough for no reason other than to flesh out the world and detail it and make it realistic. I prefer the second type. I feel like the Ethereal Visions tarot fits under the second type if it were a movie. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? Oh this is a hard one. From my own deck I have 2. First is Temperance. I love the way the colours turned out and the way the world of the card bends on itself. I didn’t know what the word meant and when it was time to work on it I asked my friends to define it to help me understand the word. Second is the 6 of swords. In most decks this card depicts a boat with one or two people, one sitting and one standing and pushing the boat forward. When I first came across the card I wondered where they were and so in my version of the card I zoomed out to understand their surroundings. In my version you can see the boat with the 2 figures in the bottom. This theme of zooming out of scale to understand the context is reoccurring in The Architect’s Tarot. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? I draw a lot of energy and creativity from my social life which of course was really hit hard by the pandemic. When the pandemic started I focused a lot of my anxiety and confusion into working on the deck, but about a week or 2 into lock-down I felt overwhelmed by the world and felt like my creativity was blocked. Social media was being littered with toxic posts like “if you don’t finish writing that novel/writing your thesis/etc during this quarantine then it was never a problem of time. You’re just lazy” and I was very irritated by that mentality. People were flexing their “I’m making good use of this time at home” muscle online and it felt so disillusioned to me. So instead of feeling guilty about not having any creative energy or trying to force it I let myself rest and spent time reading and gardening. A few months in I felt a surge of creative energy one night and I got right back to it – without realizing it I finished the minor arcana. While I still had the energy, I planned out what all the major arcana cards would be. I think by then I had come to terms with the state of the world. A few months ago I bought my first house and I think that helped my panic calmed down – It helped me feel safe – and by accepting that “this is what its going to be like from now on” I was able to tap back into my creativity or at least overcome the block. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Mostly motivation and juggling responsibilities. Over the course of the year and a half of working on the deck it wasn’t a continuous exercise. It would be 2 weeks of focus where I would create 10-12 cards and then a month or two of art-block and the cycle would repeat. Of course I’ve also been working on my PhD as well as teaching, on top of having a garden and robust social life (which of course suddenly changed). It was a lot to be doing – but painting and illustrating is my alone time and what I like to do when I need to quietly recharge. Another challenge that I hadn’t anticipated was that as I developed the deck I was also developing my artistic style and skills. I was getting better at painting and water-coloring and I would go back to the first few cards I made and remake them. It felt like as I continued the marathon toward the finish line I would come up with ways to improve the earlier pieces and the finish line would move a little further away. One of the most unique details I have found about this deck is that you can line up the suits of cards to create one panoramic landscape. Where did this idea come from? This is one of my favourite things about my deck and something that a lot of people have been really excited about. The idea comes from how I approach my architecture work. On top of working on my art I’m also a PhD student and I teach first year architecture studio at Georgia Tech. I realized that most students, when creating their graphics for their projects, cut their images into rectangles and tile them, as one would for a PowerPoint presentation. This makes the image very static. I would encourage students to not think of their presentation as a series of images and to ‘break the box’ by pulling certain elements past the edges of the image. This makes it somehow come to life. A class-mate and good friend of mine told me this funny story: during finals week another student asked him for some feedback on her final presentation and he suggested that she “break the box to make the images more dynamic” and she said to him “wait…did you get that from Yousef?” (spoiler: he did). In most tarot decks that I’ve come across the characters depicted are established. They usually are presenting a specific race and gender, you can tell about how old they are and what they are doing, but you aren’t given much context (re: 6 of swords). I was more interested in their story and where exactly these figures were so I focused heavily on narrative. I removed gender and race and age from the images and instead show you where they are, where they might have just come from, and where they might be going, so to speak. I also wanted to create a story for people who are using the deck – let them place themselves into the suit and follow along the story and maybe they’ll answer some questions for themselves. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? I have no idea. The whole experience since starting the Kickstarter campaign has felt like a dream – like I’m going to wake up at some point and it never actually happened. I think my way of celebrating would be to accept that people like my art and connect with it. Maybe I’ll have a bonfire and cook a delicious meal and let a feeling of accomplishment hold me for a while. What is on offer for people who pledge? Right now on the Kickstarter as a base pledge people can get a copy of The Architect’s Tarot. For a higher pledge people will get a signed copy of the deck as well as a signed large print of a card of their choice from the deck. At the next tier up, people who pledge will get 2 signed decks and I will recreate an original large scale version of a card that they can pick. I had a few extra pieces of 20”x30” watercolour paper laying around my studio last year and I thought I would experiment with large scale illustrations for a change. I recreated the 3 of swords and I absolutely loved how it turned out and thought it would be a special thing that people could have in their home. The campaign does have 2 more stretch goals that I am very excited for and hope we reach – the first one is for an enamel pin and the second is for a tarot reading mat. I’ve already finished their designs and have contacted the people that would manufacture them. If we reach the goals, these will only be available for Kickstarter backers and each deck will be shipped with them and will not be available after the campaign is over. To be one of the first to get your hands on this unique architectural deck, pledge here: Kickstarter - The Architect's Tarot

Our latest interview is with the creator of the Angel Tarot, Occult Tarot, Demon Tarot, Vlad Dracula Tarot and the Oracle of Heaven and Hell, Travis McHenry. We are talking about his latest creation, The Hieronymus Bosch Tarot. A deck of daydreams and nightmares, Travis has utliised artwork from 15th Century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch's paintings. They are not redrawings, but actual excerpts from his fantastical artwork, which he has then turned into a stunning deck of cards that would be a wonderful addition to any collection. Kickstarter - The Hieronymus Bosch Tarot Where in the world do you call home? I've lived in Los Angeles, California for the past 12 years. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I first discovered Tarot cards in 1993, when I was a teenager. It was a knock off Rider-Waite-Smith deck with a little interpretation of the card at the bottom. I didn't really understand the cards or how to read with them, but I slept with the deck beside my bed and put a different card of the Major Arcana inside my pillow case each night. That was the only deck I owned for many years until 2013 when I challenged myself to learn a new skill. I was originally going to learn how to read cuneiform, but that basically requires a PhD, so instead, I taught myself to read Tarot cards. After really immersing myself in the Tarot, its history, and the meaning behind the symbols, everything changed and I started reading for friends and giving myself readings each month. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? I created my first deck in 2017, the Demon-Possessed Tarot (now re-branded as the Occult Tarot). I made the deck because I felt that my knowledge and experience with the Tarot was deep enough that I could really start to share it with other people though the creation of a deck. Originally, I tried to create a deck based on the works of Hieronymus Bosch, but my skills as a digital artist weren't good enough to tackle that very complex project. I had been interested in the Occult and demonology after being introduced to the subject while investigating the deceased leader of a coven of witches (Frederick Santee of the Coven of the Catta) in 1998. The coven turned out to be lovely people and I've since become friends with several of their members. But my studies into demonology and ritual summoning seemed to be a natural fit to the Tarot, especially because the 72 demons of the Goetia each have a link to astrology, as do the 78 Tarot cards. After the tremendous success of the Demon-Possessed Tarot, I gained the courage to take another stab at the Hieronymus Bosch artwork and slowly found ways to work with it. It's a bit like taking a piece of clay and moulding it into a new form. You can't force it to be something that it's not. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I absolutely adore the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot by Linnea Gits and Peter Dunham (published by Uusi). I grew up in a tiny town out in the middle of the woods, so the nature-theme of the deck really speaks to me. Additionally, the quality of the cardstock and the tactile feel of the box put it into a different tier of decks. My only problem is that the cards are too big for my little hands to shuffle hahaha. 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 card from my own deck would probably be the Mistress of Terror from the Hieronymus Bosch Tarot. She's my version of the High Priestess, and it took a ton of work on my part to create the image because Bosch cut off the woman's hat, so I had to literally reconstruct about half of the image which was obscured by a weird boob creature holding a chessboard. So I love that card not only for the image itself and the meaning behind it, but also because of the work I put into making it. From the Tarot in general: my favorite card is The Magician. I struggled with that card for a really long time, but when I finally started using it as the significator card during readings for myself, my entire outlook on life changed. Up until that point, I had always used The Fool (my second favorite card). For some reason, since I was young, I've had a secret crush on the Queen of Cups. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? The pandemic lockdown has greatly impacted my ability to travel, which has prevented me from doing some vital research for future projects. I've found I can only do so much research over the internet, and it's really important to actually visit some of these locations to do the legwork and see them for myself. For example, while I was creating the Tarot of Vlad Dracula, I went to Romania for a week and drove around the countryside by myself visiting all the locations that were featured in the deck. I was supposed to visit Spain and Egypt this year on research trips, but those plans have been put aside for the time being. Aside from that, the lockdown has given me plenty of time to do the other work involved with creating a deck: writing the guidebooks, designing the cards, and thinking of new ideas for future projects. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? My concept for the deck was to allow Hieronymus Bosch to decide what the composition of the deck would be and which painting would correspond to which specific Tarot card. The problem was that his paintings fit really nicely into the Major Arcana, but the numbered cards of the Minor Arcana didn't really make sense for this deck. So, I carefully studied his entire range of work and found common symbols and themes, and those became the suits of the Minor Arcana. It's quite different from a traditional Tarot deck, but it's important to remember that the 4 suits only exist because they're based on a game of trumps from the 1400s. If that game had featured 5 suits, then subsequent decks would use that number instead. Rather than try to force a square peg into a round hole, I created a Minor Arcana comprised of 8 suits with 7 cards each. It might seem really radical, but once you flip through the deck, it works so fluidly, you'll soon realize it's superior to any pip deck and holds its own against a traditional numbered deck. Did the idea of a tarot deck using Hieronymus Bosch’s art come to you instantly or only after studying his art for a while? I can't really put my finger on the moment I was inspired to create a Bosch deck. I have loved his art and was blessed to see his painting Death and the Miser at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 2008. He was active as a painter during the general period the Italian and French Tarot decks were first created and the images used in the deck were common archetypes used throughout Europe. As a result, many of Bosch's paintings contain artwork that belongs in a Tarot deck. The Fool, the Magician, the Empress, Death, the World, and even The Last Judgement all have nearly perfect analogues in Bosch's work. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? I usually wait to celebrate until I've successfully fulfilled all the backer rewards from Kickstarter, which is generally 3 months after the end of the campaign. At that time, after the last box has been placed in the post, I get a nice bottle of single barrel straight Kentucky bourbon and enjoy a glass or two by myself. My preferred brand is Knob Creek. What is on offer for people who pledge? We've actually hit a lot of stretch goals for this project, so backers will be receiving a bunch of free stuff (like stickers, an enamel pin, two bookmarks, a velvet Tarot bag, and a Tarot / altar cloth) in addition to their deck. The basic pledge will receive a deck, or they can upgrade to get a deck with a really nice wooden deck box. The higher levels include a hardcover guidebook, but the top tier features a leatherbound book featuring completely original woodcuts of Bosch's creatures in the style of a Medieval bestiary. This is limited to 10 copies and they all already spoken for, but backers can opt for the more reasonably-priced linen bound version instead. To add this amazing series of artwork to your tarot collection, pledge here: Kickstarter - The Hieronymus Bosch Tarot

Our latest interview is with Anielle Reid, who is running a campaign for the second printing of her Magick and Mediums Oracle. For anyone interested in Magick or who would like to bring a little Magick into their everyday lives, this deck is a must. Kickstarter - Magick and Mediums Oracle Where in the world do you call home? NJ, USA What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? My first experience with the tarot was with the Llewellyn tarot when I was very young. I fell absolutely in love with tarot again after encountering the Wildwood Tarot. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? My love for cards made me want to create my own oracle deck. My inspiration was my own experience with magick and life as a psychic-medium. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? Yes, the Everyday Witch Tarot. 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 card is the Believe card from my Magick and Mediums Oracle. It is my favorite because I believe that the ability to believe is crucial in magick and in living the life of your dreams. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? The pandemic has not affected my creativity but it has impacted how I have to think about the creation of decks logistically. I have had to think about what countries outside of China would be the best to print my decks and source materials from. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Picking a printer has been the most challenging. Your deck incorporates divination, mediumship and spell casting. Do you find that the combination of all 3 creates a more powerful experience for the reader? Yes I think the combination is very powerful because it allows the reader to get information from the other side and then apply it into their world. This combination allows readers to have a more magical experience and a more empowering experience than they would from a deck that doesn’t incorporate these elements. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? I will celebrate the end of this Kickstarter campaign by allowing myself to experience gratitude for myself and others. What is on offer for people who pledge? People who pledge to the campaign can get the: Magick and Mediums Oracle Deck, a 45 card deck with an 152 page guidebook in a fully illustrated box A 22x22in soft cotton reading cloth with artwork from the deck A fully illustrated softcover journal filled with writing prompts, inspirational quotes and space to document their card reads. To enhance your reading experience with a touch of Magick , pledge here: Kickstarter - Magick and Mediums Oracle

Our latest interview is with a unique group of creators of The Radiant Scales Tarot, a dragon-themed tarot deck. The unique feature of this group is that there are 75 collaborative artists and writers behind this fantastical creation. The diverse artwork will appeal to any dragon lovers or anyone who appreciates beautiful artwork. Kickstarter - Radiant Scales Where in the world do you call home? I - (Tony Collins, lead writer) live in Cincinnati, Ohio - our project lead Nicole Cucinella lives in Naples,Florida, and our art director Elizabeth Goldring lives in Argentina. Our tarot decks are collaborative efforts, and we have artists from all over the globe work with us - so really, it's far more like the internet itself is our true home! What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I was raised pagan, so it's hard to remember the first time the concept of oracle work was introduced to me. I fell in love with the practice, however, when I was nineteen and away at college.I found studying the traditions to be very meditative, and I used to sit out in my dorm's communal lounge doing readings for my classmates - I made a lot of fantastic friendships and meaningful connections this way. I've continued the practice into my adult life, challenging myself each year to learn a little bit more than I knew last year. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration? The drive to create actually originated with Nicole! I'd been friends with her online for a few years before she announced her first collaborative tarot project. Now, I say the following with the utmost love, but I knew right at the start that Nicole was underestimating the amount of research and work that would go into the project - and I knew I had an intensive knowledge set she was missing. So naturally, I stepped forward and politely volunteered my expertise for the project. In a very real way, it was love for a friend and a desire to be helpful that got me involved in this process. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? It's hard to have a favorite deck, the same way it's difficult to pick a favorite child. Each of my decks has its own personality, and are useful in different situations. My favorite deck at any given time isthe one that gives me a bridge to bond with the person I'm doing a reading for! In that sense, I'm very fond of decks that borrow imagery or lore from popular fiction. A layperson may know nothing of tarot, but they absolutely will have a favorite movie, tv show, or book! 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 favorite card is The Empress, because it's my wife's favorite card - every time it comes up in a reading, it reminds me of her and the lessons she's taught me. My second favorite card is Death, especially when it comes up while I'm doing a reading for a novice - I love getting to explain that it's not actually a frightening ill omen, but instead a reminder about having to close one chapter before you open the next. That the old must make way for the new. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? The pandemic is a blessing and a curse all at once. Because I've been working from home, the amount of time and space I've had to engage in creative endeavors has gone up exponentially - but on the other hand, it's become so much more difficult to focus when the world feels so uncertain and unsteady. Right now, I'm just trying to keep my head down and keep on creating - trusting that in time, the world will eventually right itself. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Communication and scheduling have been the biggest unexpected landmines during this deck's creation. Now more than ever, it's really common for real-world emergencies to take one of our artists completely offline for weeks at a time. It's been a lesson in patience, persistence, and flexibility. This deck is a collaboration of 75 artists and writers, was it difficult to work cohesively with such a big group to achieve a common goal? Did the finished product end up as you imagined? The trick with collaborative projects is to not get too married to an idea of what it will be before all he other artists get to have their say too. At the beginning of a collaborative project like this, the core team sits down together to discuss imagery, guidelines, and create some baseline assets to give all the artists we bring on to help us work. We have talks about unity of imagery, and make welcome packets that will help guide everyone's work - but once we have all 75 artists on the project and in a server together, we have to accept and EXPECT that their presence is going to define what the work will be. None of us individually could have made this deck exactly what it is - it's a conversation, it's communication and collaboration, and it's perfectly imperfect because of this. How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published? Our core team loves to meet up on discord video chats at key points in our project - and project completion is a pretty lively time. We'll hang out, watch a movie together and eat a meal, and then we usually finalize the details of the next project. It's that good death card energy all over again. What is on offer for people who pledge? Besides just the deck itself, we have a lot of tiers full of cool merch and extras our artists have designed. Stickers and a lanyard and postcards and charms - we even have an artbook with full size borderless versions of the card art! As we've been blowing through our stretch goals, we've added a reading mat, an enamel pin, and some really cool holofoil features to the decks themselves. Right now we're working on adding a cloth deck pouch too! To help support this amazing, collaborative creation, pledge here: Kickstarter - Radiant Scales

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

Our latest interview is with the one and only Emi Brady - creator of The Brady Tarot. It's a fascinating look into the inspiration and process of the creation of this successful deck. Emi is in the process of creating a new oracle deck, "The Oracle of Deep Time". Keep your eyes out for an interview once the deck is published. In Australia, you can purchase The Brady Tarot here with local postage prices (new stock will be in very soon). To purchase world-wide, or just browse Emi's work, you can head to her website: The Brady Tarot Where in the world do you call home? I live, work, and play in the Baker neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I have a distinct memory of my mother dressing up as a fortune teller and giving "readings" at a cousin's birthday party when I was about 6 years old. I remember looking at the cards and finding all the details so fascinating. I didn't get re-introduced to the Tarot until I was about 13, however. Growing up in the US south, anything even tangentially related to witchcraft was looked down upon, and showing any interest in related subjects was met with disdain and rumors. Being a rebellious teenager, this of course only encouraged me. I loved how all the images held secrets that required study to understand them, but I was just not quite ready to do that study. The first deck I owned and worked with didn't come into my hands until I was in college and the age of 21. A roommate at the time had worked with the Tarot for years, and she started me on my journey. I did use the I-Ching pretty frequently in the year or two before receiving my first deck. What made you want to create your own tarot deck? There just wasn't a nature-themed deck out there that took deep consideration of the actual lives of animals. All the animal decks I tried connecting to handled animals purely as symbols, and not as the breathing, bleeding, living individuals they actually are. Biology is my second love (after art, of course), and none of the decks I found went into the depth of biologic "truth" that I needed in order to do the divination work I knew I was meant to do. So I made it! Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? Herman Haindl's deck was the one I used almost exclusively before creating mine. There are aspects of that deck I absolutely stole from for my own. It was the deck I learned on, and I used the guidebooks written by Rachel Pollack (who authored my deck's guidebook) to do deeper study. Those books were also my introduction to her work, and subsequent study with her books had a big impact, too. Interestingly, I didn't do the really deep study of the Waite-Smith deck until I made the Brady Tarot. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? There are so many good ones! Death might be my favorite, and it's a card that foreshadows my next body of work. The Ace of Arrows: Truth and the Ace of Feathers: Inspiration are big ones for me, too. The 10 of Arrows: Finality makes me laugh every time I pull it. And of course the Hermit card. That one was the 2nd card I carved, and it ended up being the face for the deck. We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity? If I'm perfectly honest, it's made me be able to go deeper into the work. Having this prolonged period of social isolation has made me fully recognize just how much creative energy socializing takes out of me. It's kind of been a revelation, honestly. Sure, I've had a ton of anxiety watching what's happening to my country with this pandemic. Just like everyone else, there's been a ton of worrying about stuff I have absolutely no control over, like a supply chain collapse. I miss human contact with friends and family. But I can't help but notice that the more peace and solitude I get away from "normal" social expectations, the more space I find for creation. The images have been flowing easier, the messages have more clarity, and there's overall less worry and inner chatter that would normally take me out of the creative space. Would you recommend someone go through the process of creating their own deck if they feel inclined to do so? Would you have any advice for them? Yes, I would absolutely recommend it! It's such a magical journey. But only if you are truly ready to fully commit to it. You'll live each card as you make them, so be prepared to ride that roller coaster. Keep an open mind and listen closely to your intuition as much as possible. Have patience. Take care of yourself. Keep yourself grounded. Be honest. What was your inspiration for the artwork in The Brady Tarot? Nature and the wonders of biodiversity are the biggest ones. I've also been inspired by the works of John James Audubon, Walton Ford, Walter Anderson, outsider artists like Aldolf Wölffli and Henry Darger, Maurice Sendak, Trenton Doyle Handcock, Dürer, Holbein, Dennis McNett, and the many beautiful objects and images humans have made in tribute to animals throughout time. Do you have plans for any more tarot decks in the future? I just started a new body of work that will become an oracle deck. There's no preset structure to follow, so right now I'm not even sure how many cards there will be. I've carved one block and just started on the second, so it'll be awhile before it's finished. I believe the deck will be called "The Oracle of Deep Time." Deep time is time on the geologic timescale, where you're looking at the Earth in hundreds of millions of years instead of days or months. The first block has a contemporary species alongside an extinct one, with contemporary human tools contrasting tools and art from 40,000 years ago. I've got a sketch for another image that overlaps what's happening to our environment now with what happened 251 million years ago, when the biggest extinction event that's happened to this planet went down. It will be a deeper and more global look into the animal world than the Brady Tarot, and I'm hoping it will be even better than the first deck! You can check out all of Emi's works on her website: The Brady Tarot

We're delighted to showcase the Terra Qi Goddess Oracle by Leah and Paige. With it's ethereal art and soft pastels, it is the feminine personified. This deck is the fourth they have created and brings us the guidance of 44 Goddesses, each with her own unique power and energy. Kickstarter - The Terra Qi Goddess Oracle Where in the world do you call home? Currently Sydney What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? When I was living in Canada, my housemate had a goddess oracle deck, I had never touched cards before this, I’d seen them used and knew about them but this was the real spark for me…seeing the accuracy + repetition in lessons to be learned and advice given was truly astonishing…I’d never felt a ‘connection’ to communicating with spirit properly up until that point. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? Women are the inspiration. Through and through. I am astounded by the strength and tenacity and softness of the feminine energy on this planet. We thought it would be powerful to bring together a spectrum of women of all different forms/cultures/backgrounds/walks of life that collectively represent as much as possible what it looks like to be divine feminine. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? Fountain tarot, I think gentle imagery is absolutely my style. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? Favourite card from Terra Qi would be Maeve “be in awe of yourself and the strength it has taken to get to here and now”…her message resonates very strongly with me at the moment, possibly for a lot of others as well! What have been your challenges in creating this deck? I think because between Leah and I this is our 4th deck, we’ve learned how to spin the plates of self-publishing…however the main challenge for any creative is being seen amongst the crowds of gorgeous oracle and tarot decks that are created every month. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? This deck is extremely close to our hearts. It is a deck that is a part of both of our soul-led missions and is pivotal in why we have reincarnated in this lifetime. It is a deck to bring the Goddess to light, to share their messages with the collective. Paige and I have known each other in many past lifetimes - and in this lifetime specifically, the Goddess is urging us that the time is now to spread the knowledge of their existence. To raise the consciousness and aid in the awakening. They want to be heard and recognised and have chosen us to help them do so. This deck has been a beautiful dance in collaboration, in which we have brought 44 like-minded souls who emulate and embody the goddess. This deck is about raising awareness to energy - how it can take a form. A form that you may not have expected it would take. We have been called to reinvent the wheel. To take what we have learned in past lives, in our current life and from teachings bestowed upon us from other cultures. The barriers are down - and it is melding together. Moving forward into a new way of thinking. Which Goddess do you connect with the most and what is the message she embodies? Isis - as this lifetime has been one full of metaphysical deaths and rebirths - in which she embodies. Isis the representation of awakening. She is cyclical in nature. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? We will be forever grateful for all the supporters who believe in this deck as much as we do and we will most likely begin to work on another project idea that has been looming. What is on offer for people who pledge? We are offering different tier levels for the deck only at this stage. With each Terra Qi Goddess Oracle Deck you will receive: 1 x Tumbled Stone Crystal from Dark Moon Crystals, intuitively selected for you. 1 x Digital download of 20 high resolution dreamscape wallpapers to use on your phone and share with your network 1 x Mini gloss postcard print of a Goddess along with her guidance mantra and advice on reverse that also contains 25% discount code to Prism + Fleur Store 25% discount code to Dark Moon Crystals Store We have ideas to release some items once the deck is printed and distributed however the message of the goddess is the most important during this stage of the process. To help Leah and Paige bring their beautiful oracle to life, pledge here: Kickstarter - The Terra Qi Goddess Oracle

Dylan Pannara created this deck for those who are Deaf, but also those interested in sign language, after seeing that there is not a strong representation of Deaf people and ASL in the Western Esoteric world. The deck incorporates striking colours on a black background and represents the ASL language and is based on the Rider-Waite system. Kickstarter - The ASL Tarot Where in the world do you call home? Rochester, New York! I moved here in 2012, and It is home to the largest population of Deaf people per capita! I work for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and am very close to the Deaf community in Rochester. It has become my home. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I recall my first experience with an oracle/tarot was in high school. I’ve always been in love and interested in the mystical side of the universe as long as I can remember. I had that “Mythology” Book Collection growing up in the early 2000’s and remember poring over the Wizardology book for hours upon hours and being fascinated by the stars, tarot, and much more. However, since meeting my partner, Allie, who is very involved with tarot, it was then that I began to dive into this world much more deeply. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? A combination of things led to the creation of the Deck. Quarantining at home surrounded by art and my partner who is deeply invested in Tarot and the mystical messages that it spreads led to me drawing one piece for fun. That led to more cards, and ultimately an entire deck! Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I don’t collect decks, which is another reason why this deck was created! I would say the symbolism and meaning behind the rider waite smith deck is everything, no wonder why it is an iconic deck. The RWS deck is ultimately what inspired this deck with its own twist. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? I lean towards the Devil. I know you must be thinking, What?! The Devil? A lot of people misunderstand the Devil. It is a positive card for your own personal growth. It reminds you to not investigate things too much, to be more aware of yourself, step away from materialism, don’t harbor ill will, or secrecy towards other and much more. I really enjoyed drawing that one, a another fun one that I enjoyed drawing would be the Sun & Death. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Trying to make sure that a 3D language really translated to something that was 2D and be clear enough for those who had no understanding of the deck to be able to read from it, understanding the meaning of the cards along with understanding the signs behind the language incorporated within it. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? The booklet that it will include will also include instructions of Tarot, descriptions of the major arcana which has the most ASL incorporated in the cards, and what those movements mean. I really focused on making sure people could try to attempt the signs themselves using similar movements as portrayed on the cards, so don’t be afraid to try it! Are you aiming your deck at people already familiar with the ASL language, or are you hoping to share this language with a wider audience and increase awareness? Both! I created this deck so Deaf and ASL users would be able to access something that was previously not available to them. This deck also will be able to expose new ASL users, people who are interested in ASL and the Deaf Community and more. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? I will most likely dig in and get to work fulfilling orders but not without a reading of what to do next. I wouldn’t say no to a camping trip before the beginning of winter though! What is on offer for people who pledge? There’s a lot of different levels to make it as accessible as possible for everyone. Right now, the Deck is at $40 which include stretch goals of the booklet, better card material, and an altar cloth. As the stretch goals continue to grow, hopefully! The following will be unlocked, a high-end book shaped box, gold foil printing on the back of the cards, a tarot bag with a yellow crystal. There’s a range of tiers that people can look at. To support Dylan‘s vibrant and groundbreaking deck, pledge here: Kickstarter - The ASL Tarot

This is Claire Mack’s second oracle deck and it is just beautiful. Each card is hand-made and is inspired by a different facet of life in this imagined garden. Although Claire gives meanings to each card, she is hoping that by using her imagery and your intuition, the cards will mean something individual to you. Kickstarter - The Faceted Garden Oracle Where in the world do you call home? Seattle, Washington has been my home for the last few decades. The Pacific Northwest area in the U.S. is really beautiful, mountainous, and green from all the rain. I’m hoping to move out of the city into a more rural area soon so I can be even more steeped in nature. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I was given a tarot deck as a teenager and was hooked by the rich, symbolic imagery, and the way it really seemed to speak to me every time I used it. Being an artist, it felt like a language I could understand on an intuitive level, without the need for words. Later, I became aware of other decks, each different from one another, and I fell in love with them as a kind of art form as well as being a divination tool. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? When I created my first deck, The Illuminated Earth Oracle, I was inspired by all the incredible indie decks that were appearing like a new Renaissance of this ancient form. I was really excited to see The Wild Unknown for the first time, which got me thinking about non-traditional imagery and how I could focus on my love of nature to create my own deck. Making both of these oracle decks was a very free-flowing and intuitive experience, which is exactly the way I needed to approach it. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? There are so many amazing decks out there now it’s hard to choose, but that first deck I was given was the Aquarian Tarot and I’ve always loved it as a familiar friend. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? It depends on the deck, but I’ve always related to the Queen of Wands in general. I’m also fond of The Tower, in that it reflects that catastrophic darkness, which admittedly, is part of my personality. In the Faceted Garden Oracle, one of my favorite cards is the Fountain, in which I love the colors and the definition I give it as being a cooling elixir to ease the traveler on their journey. This is your second oracle deck, what have been your challenges in creating this deck this time around? I’m happy to say the artwork for both decks was so much fun and came with very little effort or consternation. However, the big challenge for me is digitally preparing the work for print. I’m not very tech-savvy - I’m definitely learning a little more each time, but still tearing my hair out getting through some of the technical details! Thankfully, I have a teenage daughter who was a big help with Photoshop tips. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? I’d like for people to know that their intuition plays a big role in interpreting the cards. Some of the cards do have a very personal meaning to me, but I prefer not to explain too much. I’d rather let the images speak to each individual and have them notice what feelings come up from their own experience. The garden theme has created some amazing imagery. Can you explain a bit more about why you chose a garden and how the faceted part of the title fits in to the deck? Because nature plays such an important role in my life it seemed like a natural theme to carry on after my first deck, which has sort of a broader theme of the natural world. I have a backyard garden and also live in an area that has some pretty amazing species of plants, both cultivated and wild. Watching how the landscape changes with the seasons and thinking about the way we engage with and relate to these variations helped inspire the theme. I was also thinking in terms of the whole planet representing the garden from a macro perspective, and the facets - or different faces like on a cut gemstone - that we interpret depending on our perspective. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? That’s a good question! I tend to dig in and begin the work of fulfilling orders, but it’s a nice idea to mark the occasion with something celebratory...maybe setting up a new altar where I can get to know the deck in its completed form. It’s funny, but I know my first deck like an old friend now and this one will be like bringing home a new baby who’s personality will be revealed the more I nurture it. What is on offer for people who pledge? I tend to keep it pretty simple. The most popular tiers are for the Faceted Garden Oracle deck or the combo of both the Faceted Garden and Illuminated Earth Oracles. I’m also offering a set of stickers, an 8x10 art print w/stickers, and a Deluxe Doubles package where you get 2 decks, 2 greeting cards, 2 prints, and stickers. Oh, and there’s a wholesale tier for a dozen decks for people with online or brick-and-mortar shops. You can also purchase Claire's existing work on etsy: Claire Mack Arts To show your support for Claire and her beautiful oracle deck, pledge here: Kickstarter - The Faceted Garden Oracle

Natasa Ilincic, a published author, has created this oracle deck in response to readers of her book, "A Compendium of Witches", some of whom were already using the book for bibliomancy (using randomly chosen passages from the book in the same way they would randomly choose oracle cards). A tool of self reflection and guidance, this deck would be a unique addition to any collection. Kickstarter - A Compendium of Witches Where in the world do you call home? Home is many places. At the moment, home is Edinburgh, where I live with my partner and a little jungle of plants – but home is also the Italian Alps, where I grew up, and the Dalmatian coast, where my family is from. What was your first experience with oracles and / or tarot and when did you fall in love with it? My first experience with decks was during my teenage years. At the time I was starting to learn about various methods of divination, including water scrying and bone reading. I was particularly interested in researching how various cultures around the world have different approaches to the art of divination. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? The idea was sparked by the readers of A Compendium of Witches, a book I published last year. Many readers reached out to me after finishing the book and asked if I was ever going to make a deck; some of them also told me that they were already using the book for bibliomancy. In 2020, whilst preparing the book for its second printing, I noticed how perfectly my witches embodied specific archetypes, so I decided to feature them in an oracle deck - along with 30 brand new additional companions with symbology derived from myth and folklore. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I do not collect decks, but I do have one that has been with me for a long time and that I really like - called Symbolon. It has an interesting approach that incorporates astrology, and rather than focusing on predicting the future it emphasises self-reflection, much like my deck. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? In tarot, I have always been very fond of the Fool. From my deck I think it would be the Crossroads – a card depicting Hecate. It is a card that invites us to reflect upon our journey – to pause upon reaching a crossroads, familiarise ourselves with the landscape around us, and sometimes retrace our steps. It encourages us to think about our options and choose the wisest path, without being afraid of changing our course. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? After being so focused on exploring the specific meanings of each card, the most challenging aspect was probably visualising the deck in its entirety and making sure it felt whole and cohesive What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? That it is designed to be used as a tool for reflection and guidance, rather than a divinatory instrument, but that should not prevent people from using it in any way they see fit. I think that the organic familiarity between the deck and the reader surpasses any written instructions, and readers should always feel free to follow their intuition and needs. Your deck is based on a book that you published, “A Compendium of Witches”. What inspired you to write the book? Despite working as an illustrator, my background is in Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology. In 2016 my anthropological fieldwork took me to the rural highlands of Bosnia with the objective of researching and learning as much as I could about traditional female tattooing. I interviewed the elderly women who bear the last of these tattoos, the roots of which are embedded deep within a pre-Christian Illyrian past. I collected not just symbols, but the stories and wisdom of strong and resilient women that had survived not one, but two wars. All of this made me wonder; if I could talk to the women of the past, what would I learn? And if I could talk to the wise women of the past – those who were familiar with a wider world, those familiar with spirits and the invisible forces hiding within nature – then what would they tell me? Women were given little space in historical record, and wise women even less, often being from marginalised fringes of society. My mind started to spin, and the idea for this book was born. Through the years I have learnt so much about history, folklore, beliefs and customs, and this seems like the perfect project to put that information to good use. I wanted to meet these witches, to give them faces and voices. Weave their stories in the fabric of history. This is how the book was born. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? With a glass of wine and some rest! I think the best feeling will be seeing the backers of the project share pictures of the decks in their new homes – that will be the true celebration! What is on offer for people who pledge? The deck is available in two editions: a compact one for those who prioritise practicality, and a deluxe one with guidebook included. The Bibliophile tier gives people the chance of getting a copy of A Compendium of Witches at below its retail price, and the Collector’s edition comes with an exclusive altar / reading cloth and an original ink sketch signed card. There are also many pieces of original watercolours available during the campaign, for those who love collecting art. To show your support for this amazing author and artist, pledge here: Kickstarter - A Compendium of Witches