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Mitra Cline introduces us to her mermaid themed tarot in this interview. The images of mermaids evoke imaginations of fantasy creatures that show us the duality of life - there are times when we feel entirely at home, just like the mermaids in water, and times where we may struggle, like a mermaid out of water. This deck is not only beautiful in it's imagery, but also in it's messages. This kickstarter was successfully funded. To purchase, click here - The Mermaid Type Tarot Where in the world do you call home? I live in Santa Barbara, California. I am most at home near the ocean. What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? My first encounter with tarot happened in college, around 2002. Inspired by a class project with Carl Jung's book, Man and His Symbols, I memorized the tarot cards and started reading fortunes. Within a year, I was reading regularly at house parties and special events. I love reading cards because it is emotionally and creatively magical for myself and others. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? Over the years of reading, I noticed how many people come to tarot with questions about romantic love and intimate relationships like family and friends. I'm 38 years old, and I still struggle to keep a healthy balance in my close relationships. One day, while talking to my then-boyfriend about mermaid sightings, I found an old black and white print of a mermaid couple that seemed to be arguing online. The image captured my attention, and I decided to work with the image in my art. I was in a depth psychology MA program at the time and wanted to try a therapeutic technique called, sticking to the image. I understand that when people are stuck in limiting patterns, it can be helpful to expand the vision with this method slowly. I started by drawing the same mermaid couple in different letter shapes, and more diversity emerged as the alphabet developed into numbers and special characters. Mermaid Type is my image of balance, interconnection, and wholeness. I see this deck as a holographic image with repeating patters from the micro to macro level. Each letter card is a complete character, and together they make a language tool open to infinite possibility. When I finished the font set in late 2019, I suddenly realized that the art should be a tarot deck. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I now own 57 decks and my favorite deck changes with the context of the day, but I seek unique indie decks. Like my mermaids, my deck collection is another practice in sticking to the image. I see using the different versions as the therapeutic and part of my creative work as an artist. It's almost like being fluent in many visual languages, and I find great joy in expanding my ability to communicate with others. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? The star card is my favorite in general and in my deck. The image on this card is the last painting I made in this mermaid series. The star contrasts with the evolution from the initial arguing couple, seen in the two of pentacles, into a colorful spiritual union. The painting style is fluid like water, and the figures are almost angelic. I put this image as the back on the Mermaid Type Tarot Party Edition. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? What's challenging is to know when to stop and share the work. I'm holding two truths at the same time. One certainty is that I am proud of the deck I have created. I also know that I could improve it, and if given the opportunity, I will most likely do that in future editions. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? I can see now that this project is heavily influenced by my struggles with language comprehension as a dyslexic person. A psychologist told me, as a child, that art was my best option because I would not be able to do anything else in life. It was devastating news at the time, and it's also ironic that my career has proved the opposite to be true. I now see vulnerabilities as a source of strength as they taught me resilience and patience, which are practical life skills. Your deck is inspired by intimate relationships and depth psychology. How does the mermaid theme fit into this? The Mermaid Type is a balance of my artistic strengths and vulnerabilities as a dyslexic person. Mermaids are powerful in their watery element. However, out of their element, they are immobilized. Likewise, my experience with words is an experience of extremes. This tarot deck reflects this experience as the letters are alive; they move and dance as you look within to read the cards. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? To celebrate publishing the Mermaid Type Tarot during the time of COVID requires some creative thinking. Most likely, I will treat myself to a day at the beach with my dog, Lucky. The weather is beautiful here this time of year, and I haven't been able to swim in the ocean this summer. What is on offer for people who pledge? In addition to the tarot deck and guidebook options, I offer more creative materials to people who pledge. People can explore the mermaids creatively on their own with the coloring book, stickers, and tarot reading offers. I even made the mermaid font file available for those who would like to try typing in mermaids on their computers. To purchase this gorgeous deck and bring the magick of mermaids into your life, click here: The Mermaid Type Tarot

In our latest interview, Patrick Spargur, creator of The Fox's Wedding Tarot, gives us an insight into the interweaving of art with tarot and explains why his deck is best used on a daily basis rather than as a deck to tell your future. Unfortunately, this kickstarter did not reach the required funding level. Where in the world do you call home? I live in Novato, California, a small town in Marin County 30 miles north of San Francisco. Marin County is home to many musicians, a thriving spiritual community, and hundreds of miles of forest and ocean. What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I started playing with cards when I was very young. My grandmother and I would often play Concentration and that was my first experience with really listening to the cards and paying attention to the relationships between cards. This naturally led to ‘cold reading’ which I still love to do. There’s no more raw way to read than grabbing a deck of playing cards off someone’s shelf and doing a reading on the spot. There’s an underlying structure in a deck of playing cards that makes it an incredibly useful story telling tool, that story creation and story telling is at the heart of Tarot. When you really dig in on the inferences of the suits and the path and patterns moving from Ace to King it’s a very powerful experience. When I was 22, back in 1989 I received my first real Tarot deck The Voyager Tarot which had just come out (coincidentally it was also created here in Marin County.) My roommate was Wiccan at the time and she thought I’d enjoy it for its very modern approach to Tarot. I still have this deck and use it daily. I’ve had James Wanless (the Voyager’s creator) read for me and weigh in on my design journey as well. This deck has been with me through all of my experiences and travels and is still my go to deck when I’m reading for myself. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? I think everyone who reads considers creating their own deck in order to add to the community of Tarot. It took me a long time to believe that I was ready to start down this path. As I connected with the online Tarot community I was really floored by all the energy and creativity going on. There are decks for any viewpoint and some of the simplest, like Kawaii are actually the most powerful. The community on Kickstarter, Reddit, Instagram & Discord is incredibly creative and I really wanted to contribute to it. I’m from a family of painters, I’ve spent a LOT of time in art school so that was a natural starting point for my deck. There are so many evocative stories, personalities and images embedded in art history that transcend time. These formed the perfect raw material for me to construct my own story. The artists whose work I have co-opted to make this deck were all big influences in my life as well. Singer-Sargent, Millet, Rodin, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, William Morris and the Arts & Crafts Movement, Turner’s landscapes, all have inspired me throughout my life. Their works capture and stop time for the viewer, many of them look directly at you and want you to intuit their story. A woman from Norway recently told me that my deck seemed to sit outside of time, it wasn’t current or dated it was simply timeless. I loved hearing that. Before the pandemic hit I had a very long commute to work each day, just over 1 hour in each direction on a bus. So I had a LOT of time alone to research and work through the first few cards from my iPad. Once we all switched to working from home I found I had even more time to dedicate to the deck and that’s when this turned from a personal journey to actually wanted to publish it via Kickstarter. Danielle Noel’s Starchild Tarot, Arthur Wang’s Trueblack, Sullivan Hismans’ Tarot Sheet Revival, James Wanless’s The Voyager Tarot and Natalia Silva’s playing card designs all used innovative approaches to design and production to create an entirely unique experience and they motivate me to explore what else could be done. The community on Discord; Ammers, Starsailor & Twist The Leaf and the rest all provided great unvarnished feedback along the way. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I have two go-to decks now for reading. First is James Wanless’s Voyager Tarot which has been my main deck since I started reading over 30 years ago and I think really kicked off the Tarot revival of the late 1980s early 1990s. The other deck I’m finding really insightful though is from Sullivan Hissmans Tarot Sheet Revival’s Jean Dodali deck. It’s an extraordinarily meticulous recreation of an original Marseille deck from the 1700s. The creator started with wood block prints from Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the British Museum and recreated the deck faithful to the original, these are then printed on paper he made himself and hand painted. To me his decks create a direct conversation with the past which is a critical step in learning Tarot. Sullivan has created a number of different historic decks from the 1400s – 1800s and each one is like discovering a new root that underlies everything you’ve learned about Tarot. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? The King of Cups has always been my favorite card. In a deck of playing cards he is the King of Hearts or the Suicide King, some choose to carry that into Tarot and others don’t but I think it’s very romantic. The reason I love it is he represents that sort of creative drama around following your passions at any cost. He’s a passionate and emotion driven drama queen but he knows what is beautiful in the world and will stop at nothing to create it. To be clear, the Suicide King never commits suicide, he just loves creating drama. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? First has been finding time, I work a full time job and I’ve had to squeeze in my design time late at night, early in the morning and anywhere there is space between other things. Because it’s all digital though I have had the opportunity to take notes wherever I am, grab a photo if I’m in a museum or on the road and capture them all then go back to those ideas later when I have a minute. The other has been pulling my ego out of the deck and letting the imagery speak for me. This deck isn’t a way to show off what a good painter I am, it’s to capture the history of painting and culture and reshape it into a Tarot story. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? First, I come from a white male, western background and that is really the only honest viewpoint I can have. Other people from other viewpoints are creating incredible work and I don’t want to ‘bandwagon’ on their message by falsely sprinkling in dishonest diversity within my deck. There is a bit of gender fluidity within the Major Arcana, and cultures other than white and western represented in the court cards, but I am aware that it comes from a white western male point of view because that’s just who I am. I encourage everyone who uses The Fox’s Wedding to use it as a tool to hone your intuition. It’s important to build a foundation of Tarot meanings but also to listen to your intuitive voice. The Major Arcana are designed to elicit an immediate, emotional, subconscious story in your mind. Listen first to this story and make sense of it before turning to the guidebook. Because it’s a Marseille based deck the minor arcana is even more challenging. They are naturally more abstract but there are layers of number and pattern woven within and meaning behind each card that elicit a subconscious response. That primal response is more relevant than the traditional meaning. So use the deck frequently, and trust in your intuition as you work with it. You will develop your own stories over time for each card that will make your relationship with the cards entirely unique. You suggest that we use the deck as a daily divination tool rather than looking to the future. Can you explain why your deck is best used this way? As I was starting down the path with this, a friend of a friend asked me if she was ‘going to end up a spinster’. As readers, and I am very uncomfortable with reading, we hear these types of questions a lot. People living in fear of a specific outcome but not really focusing on the small choices they make that create those outcomes. Terrence McKenna said that if you look at life from one day to the next it all sort of seems the same, you can’t discern the pattern. But if you look at decades, or centuries you see the stark contrast and arc of history. It is the every day choices, habits, and decisions we make that shape that larger arc. Nothing in our past or our future is written until we write it with our own actions. My favorite daily reading is to write on a piece of paper (In a positive way) what I want to create. Then on another piece of paper write down why I can’t create it, what are all the things standing in my way. The positive one goes to my right, the negative one goes to my left, and in between the two I place my one card for the day. That card isn’t meant to be a psychic prediction of whether or not I’ll end up in a happy place, it instead shows me the approach, the way to go from where I am today – the paper to my left- to where I want to be- the paper at my right. Do I need to act like more like The Emperor? Do I need to ‘find the others’ and take The Lovers approach? Or is a walk alone in the mountains the right course of action like The Hermit would do? Think about the path vs the outcome, and think about embodying the message of each archetype vs being afraid of its negative or positive portent. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? I don’t have any special plans yet, I think what I’m really looking forward to is hearing how people who have the deck are using it and what they’re discovering from it. I’ve seen a LOT of interest from Australia, Turkey, Argentina, and Mexico which is already giving me new ideas about creating this in other languages. The best things in life are the surprise outcomes of your efforts that you never expected. I can’t wait to see and hear how people engage with my cards. What is on offer for people who pledge? I’ve created a very affordable version of the deck that is being printed by Expert Playing Card Company. This is a beautiful linen finish deck that is not too large so it is easy and comfortable to work with even if you've got smaller hands. I’ve also created a silver edged version of the deck that feels and handles very beautifully. I’m seeing a lot of decks coming out that have a factory applied gilt edge but some of the samples I got were flaky or felt wrong. For this version I’m having a company that only does gilt edging for books, cards and invitations do the edging after printing. This will create a true gilt edged deck that handles beautifully but will also endure for decades. I’m a big fan of using your deck every day and carrying it with you, I really want this deck to be that durable. For higher level backers I am working with a fine art printer in San Francisco to create larger format prints of select cards on archival quality paper. All decks will come with a digital guide in several formats so you can search and browse through them easily while reading, and longer term I’ll be publishing an in depth guide that brings more of the history of the chosen images into the understanding of the deck. Depending on how the Kickstarter goes I may add the printed guidebook as a stretch goal that is included for at a certain level of backers.

We interviewed Marije Miller about her new oracle deck - Gates to Soul Wisdom Oracle. It is an interesting deck as it is inspired by Human Design, which is a fusion of a few different esoteric areas as well as science, such as Astrology, I Ching, the Chakra System, Kabbalah and Quantum Physics. If you're like me, and have never heard of Human Design, read on ... Where in the world do you call home? I am originally from the Netherlands, but I now live in in Santa Cruz, California. For many years I moved around every two to three years, but Santa Cruz has been my home for the past 14 years. It’s beautiful here! What was your first experience with tarot or oracle cards and when did you fall in love with them? I think I was 12 when I visited a travelling carnival and won a set of Lenormand cards. I was intrigued! It arrived in my life at that awkward time, where everything inside and around me felt uncertain, and using the cards gave me a sense of knowing what to expect. That was my entry into divination: Astrology, I Ching, Runes, of course the Rider Waite tarot, etc. soon followed. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? The Gates to Soul Wisdom Oracle is inspired by Human Design. I have studied this knowledge for over 15 years: it combines Astrology, I Ching, the Chakra System, Kabbalah and Quantum Physics in an amazing way, which is both incredibly insightful as well as practical. I do readings for people and teach classes, but the information is vast: there is so much to learn if people really want to start using their chart in a practical way. I’ve been wanting to make it more accessible for everyone for a long time. Then one morning in August 2019 I woke up with this inspired knowing: I sat down and started writing for three days straight. It was incredible! All this information came through in a different structure, in the form of an Oracle. The deck actually contains three separate card decks that work together: the I Ching is one, the Chakras determine another set, and Elemental Wisdom came out as a way to deliver the strategies that are mentioned in Human Design. I love how it all came together! Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? Oh, that is such a difficult question! I have collected quite a number of decks over the years and I do change the deck I work with depending on the specific issue, or season, etc. However, some of my favourites are the Rider Waite, Crowley Thoth Tarot, Osho Zen Tarot, Lucy Cavendish’ Oracle Tarot, the (Un)Sacred Oracle, and Alanna Fairchild’s Wild Kuan Yin Oracle… Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? Another great question! There is a card in my deck that is called “The Now”. The artist I worked with, Timothy Eyes, captured it with a painting of a Japanese Torii gate. It represents such a picture of the Present. For me, the Present is a place of real possibility, as well as a peaceful moment: there is no guilt or regret of the past and no worry for the future… What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Hmm, overall the whole process has been so beautiful and smooth. The one challenge I had, was that about a week before going to print, I suddenly found there were three other decks with the same name “Soul Wisdom Oracle”! Mind you, I did do my research beforehand, and had not noticed this. Then Mercury Retrograde came along and suddenly I found the other decks with the same name. This caused me to change the name for my deck to Gates to Soul Wisdom, which coincidentally is a reference to Human Design, so it worked out well! What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? What I love about this deck is that in addition to providing insight into a situation or challenge, it actually provides 7 practical ways to tap into your own intuition to find a solution. It really captures that practical aspect that I love about Human Design. Your cards incorporate I Ching and Human Design. I am very curious about Human Design. Could you please explain what this is? Absolutely! Human Design is a knowledge that incorporates a number of different wisdom systems: Astrology, I Ching, the Chakra System, Kabbalah, Quantum Physics and even relates to DNA. Based on your birth information a chart is created that shows your Blueprint. The information encoded is very insightful and often answers questions about those curious things you do that make you ‘you’. And then there is that practical aspect in your Design, that helps you tune into your specific way of navigating life, so you get to live your Purpose. Very often in life we tend to have that negative voice in the back of our minds, reminding us of not being good enough, etc. Knowing your Design you get to have more peace with that voice. There is this incredible sense of feeling deeply seen when you get to understand your chart. It’s beautiful. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? I am so looking forward to that moment! I’ll want to share it with my family, including the artist, as well as with the many Kickstarter Backers who have supported the campaign to get the deck printed. It will be a fun party! How can people pre-order? People can use this link to pre-order the deck at a discount via Indiegogo: Gates to Soul Wisdom Pre-Order There are also options to add-on a beautiful Oracle Cloth, or a special wooden box to keep the cards protected and safe. I am very much looking forward to sending out the Gates to Soul Wisdom Oracle to people, as soon as it arrives from the printer!

Our latest interview is a little different from the previous ones as there is no Kickstarter. It is with the creator of the Divine Heart in Flight oracle deck, Claudia (or Cloud) of Seeking Celestial Grace. It is a beautiful healing love oracle with vintage bird images. The deck will be sold on etsy and pre-orders will open soon. To keep up to date, follow the link to the Seeking Celestial Grace newsletter at the end of this interview. Where in the world do you call home? I am a Canadian from Hamilton, Ontario who followed my dream and moved to Paris, France. I found my soulmate here, and I haven’t left! What was your first experience with tarot or oracles and when did you fall in love with it? I was given my first Tarot deck and book by my mother at 12 years old. It instantly felt familiar and I was soon bringing it to sleepovers with my girlfriends and doing readings at lunch in school. Eventually, I turned Tarot Reading into a side-gig (in 2015) and in 2020 I was able to make it my primary source of income. Work no longer feels like work; every day is exciting for me being able to do what I love! What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? All of my decks come to me in dreams. I know it sounds crazy, but I’ll be taking a nap and wake up with an idea that didn’t exist there the day before, and I literally pull out my laptop and get to work! The inspiration behind this deck was driven by the fact that my love story is a real-life fairy tale (this is not an exaggeration!) and so many friends and clients come to me asking for advice or how to manifest this kind of love into their own lives. Healthy relationships start with healthy partners as individuals, and this deck aims to shift your thinking and strengthen the bond between partnerships of any kind. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I have a few! For reading clients, I like the White Cat Tarot (a gift from my brother and sister-in-law). For reading myself, I like the Petit Prince Tarot (also a gift from my brother and sister-in-law). And my most spectacular deck is the deluxe Taschen edition of the Dali Tarot (gifted by my husband). As for oracle decks, I’m really loving the Oracle of the Hidden Worlds right now. 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 Tarot card is the 2 OF CUPS because it represents, to me, the healthiest and happiest soul-mate bond in the deck. Love is at the root of everything in life; love is energy. And a card that oozes love just brings me such joy! In regards to my own oracle deck, I love the DIVINE DEVOTION card. The vintage imagery I chose for this really resonates, and I think we should always give ourselves completely - and trust that the Divine has intentions to keep us safe in this partnership - to everyone in our lives. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? The challenges in creating this deck is that initially it was going to be a mini deck with solely vintage bird imagery at the centre of it. It started with 20 cards and the feedback I got was, “That’s not enough,” and “Expand the imagery,”. I began to think of how I could expand it while also keeping the message and vintage feel without adding more birds; I wanted some variety. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? What I really want people to know about this deck - and my decks in general - is that I never make something that I don’t love. Everything I make comes from my soul (literally dream-built!), and I put all of myself into all I create. I truly believe that everyone deserves healthy, happy, and stress-free relationships of all kinds in their life, and love is at the root of that. I just want people’s lives to be filled with joy. Everyone’s life should feel like a fairy tale. I hope my deck helps them get there. There are many decks out there focused on romantic relationships. Yours covers the spectrum of all relationships. Was it difficult to make the messages relate to any relationship, not just a romantic one? Like I mentioned - love is the root of the universe, it’s energy given a name. And all our relationships, whether friendship, work partners, family, or romantic, are rooted in that same desire to be loved. Everyone wants to be loved, respected, understood, and strengthened by the person they’re sharing their energy with. All of the messages on this deck aim to strengthen that energy by better understanding the blockages that may stand in the way of that. Therefore, it’s easy to apply these strategies to all relationships. For example, a message like ‘affection’ doesn’t necessarily mean intimacy, but could mean giving someone attention when they are needing it most. And a message like ‘privacy’ is infinitely applicable to any of the relationships you are in. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? My goal with every deck I create is to get it into hands where it will be loved and shared with others. That is a celebration, alone, for me! I will celebrate when I start getting tagged in photos and receive messages from customers saying how impactful the guidance was for them. And maybe I’ll have a glass of champagne with my husband -- I am in France, after all! How can people pre-order? As of right now, I am anticipating running pre-orders through my Etsy site. The best way to be informed of when this pre-order goes up and how to get your hands on it is to fill in the survey at the bottom of my Announcement Newsletter, here: Seeking Celestial Grace Newsletter

The Spiral Oracle Deck is a deck full of soul-searching art. The creator, Lili, gave us an insight into how she has poured her heart and soul into this amazingly beautiful deck that she hopes will bring more love and compassion into our lives. To pre-order - The Spiral Oracle Deck Where in the world do you call home? There are two special places for me: Chile, my homeland and where my family lives... and Australia, where I live. What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? It may sound unusual... but I like being honest. I had never owned or even used a Tarot nor an Oracle Deck before creating my own. What happens, is that I grew up in a place where this form of art was not something common at all. Back then in Chile, I didn’t know anyone that had one. Maybe they were known within some circles, but I didn’t really have any experience with decks until I started creating the Spiral Oracle. In fact, still today I have to explain to many people in South America what an Oracle Deck is, and how it works. When I finished the very first edition, I was already living in Australia. I remember showing what I had created to my friend for the first time, and explaining the wonderful magic that happens when one interacts with this tool of love. He was fascinated, because he felt that it was very different from all the other decks that he knew. I was surprised, because I had no idea that there were so many types of decks. There was a whole universe to be discovered. Until today, I marvel with the mysteries that these precious and sacred tools let us explore. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? My inspiration comes from the people, the planet, the plants and the animals... from life in all its forms. Many years ago I had an inner vision: to put my paintings and everything I had learned with each of them at the service of the people, so that everyone could explore and listen to themselves through a kind of inner mirror. At first I didn’t know how to do it. My first attempt was with some postcards I had made with my art.  I wrote all the meanings on the back of the postcards and laminated them all. Then I put them inside one of those fancy socks box, which I painted. (My mum still has that very first prototype :D) I remember feeling so delighted as I came to finally understand the vision, once having the prototype in my hands. That was when I knew exactly what I wanted to do. From that moment, I have been shaping the Spiral Oracle with paintings and teachings I find especially meaningful. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? The only Oracle I came to know well is "The Warrior’s Oracle" by Lucas Estrella. It is a very small, pocket-sized book with teachings from Martial Arts. All you had to do was pick a random page and read a short tale that would help you gain some insight. As I write this, I’m thinking that it was THE seed that planted the beautiful “Oracle” idea in me. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? I don't have a favorite card. There is one painting though that is especially meaningful to me. It marked the beginning of a new stage in my life. In 2012 I was living in Argentina, and on this particular day I was painting and feeling very sad, because I was living in the middle of a crazy city, and I just wanted to be living closer to nature. Then the sadness began to turn into anger against the piece that I was painting. I put the canvas against the wall, as if I was telling it off.  I said: "I have put in all my effort to create you, it is time for you as well to reflect on what your responsibility is!". …While looking at the painting right there, it appeared to me like it was facing the wall in punishment. I felt like I was dissolving and I received a monumental insight. I understood that it was pointless to be angry, because in that very moment I became everything. I don't know how to explain it very well with words. I felt that I was the air, the cement, the soil. I felt there was no separation from anything. I was pure consciousness. So I realised that I had never been separated from nature, and that everything was connected. From that very moment of insight, the way I painted and my whole lifestyle changed forever. The card that reflects that moment of my life is called: “I am the Source”. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? My biggest challenge for sure has been the translation of the texts into English. I wrote all the messages originally in Spanish. I knew I didn’t have the level of English that was needed to be able to express the depth of what I wanted to say. Luckily, I did have a team of amazing people (that love me as much as I love them), who were available to help me in that journey of building a bridge to another culture. My husband Francisco prepared the first draft. He knows me impeccably, and he is also a Language Teacher. We knew that everything had to be revised by native speakers, so three friends from Australia did the proofreading: Rae, Rakib and Andy. Each one of them, with holy patience and love, took the time to accompany me on this journey. Together as a team, we made sure that the texts would remain faithful to the essence of the original writings. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? What I want people to know is that the Spiral Oracle Deck is a nurturing guide, and that love and compassion are its compass. Each card is a painting that you have personally created. How has it made you feel to put your own soul’s journey out there for the public to see? It makes me feel really happy, because I feel that this is one of my purposes on this planet Earth. I feel that Art is meant to be shared… If a person connects with one of my creations and discovers a forgotten part of their soul, or remembers the mystery, the beauty and the love that resides within, I feel incredibly grateful and blessed. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? Going to the sea at dawn, sending thanks to the planet Earth that supports us, and raising a prayer for each one of you. Thanks to the contributions of the Kickstarter backers, we are now able to allocate a percentage of the profits to plant, protect and conserve medicinal and native plants in South America. Just imagining that puts a smile on my face. What is on offer for people who pledge? There are basically 3 beautiful rewards that people can choose from: The Spiral Oracle Deck: 56 cards with original paintings + (hopefully) some extra cards if we can achieve our stretch goals. It comes with a guide book with a message for each card. The deck comes in a beautiful sturdy box which has a painting called "Pure Medicine" on the cover. That painting portrays some of the myriad of medicinal plants there are in the Amazon. In order that people carry with them that source of strength and wisdom from Nature itself. Stickers: A set of 8 with paintings from the deck. Signed Giclée prints: There are several options to choose from, printed on 310gsm museum grade paper. I will post them from Australia, packaged with much love. (The decks and stickers ship from within the US). I want to thank Cindy for the Interview, and invite you all to check out our campaign on KickStarter. Sending much love. To get your hands on of these beautiful decks, click here: The Spiral Oracle Deck

Lisa Santine has created this sensual, luxurious tarot deck, each card featuring a beautiful work of art. The deck integrates astrology with tarot for an added dimension. To order - The Destiny Deck Tarot Where in the world do you call home? Los Angeles, California What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? On Sundays after church, my dad used to take us to the local bookstore because it was his opportunity to get the international newspapers. We would stay for hours. I would go to the very back section that was called the ‘new age’ section back then... I would find my favorite tarot book.. and get lost in the descriptions and the beautiful illustrations of each card. My dream was learn how to read these cards… but I could only do this on Sundays until my father agreed to buy me very own book on tarot. I still remember the day he came into my room and surprise me with my first Tarot book. I must have been 12 years old. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? I wanted to create a deck that was not intimidating. As much as I love all tarot, sometimes the imagery can be overwhelming to some people. I wanted to create a deck that exuded love and positivity. I am also drawn to single needle tattoo art, so I wanted to merge my love of this art form with my love for tarot. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I love so many. But one of my favorite decks that I was very drawn to is The Fountain Tarot. The gorgeous illustrations and the ephemeral imagery. It is my go-to deck and I am obsessed with it. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? Well, I have 2 favourites: The Empress, because it is a card that I resonate with. I love that she is the supreme archetype of femininity, nourishment, and security. I look at the Empress as the Divine Goddess..the goddess of all goddesses. Another card that I love just as equally is the 3 of Pentacles. This is the card of The Architect. And that is not only my profession, it is also my love…just as much as Tarot and Astrology. This card represents, for me, building something from nothing. The act of creation. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? One huge challenge was that I felt that I had a deeply held secret that I had not told my friends and family about. This was something very close to my heart, and I did not think I wanted to ever reveal it. However, the messages I was receiving from spirit was otherwise. So..kicking and screaming, I went to work. It felt a higher guidance as I was in creation mode. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? I want people to feel the positive energy these cards emanate. They are created with a very open heart and mind..during a time when the world needs so much love and healing. Each and every deck, each and every card in each deck, comes from the most positive place and energy. I also want anybody who has ever been intimidated by Tarot to feel welcomed into this beautiful and mystical world. Tarot has aided in the healing of so many people, and this is my desire for every person who picks up this deck. Your deck integrates astrological symbols into the cards Have you studied astrology? How do you see the connection between tarot and astrology? I have studied astrology for as long as I can remember. My fascination of the planets and how they are reflected in our human experience is a huge part of who Lisa Santine is. I am a better person because of astrology. Each card has it’s own astrological association and takes on the personality of the astrological sign or planet it is associated with. And this helps me understand the wisdom and message of each card when I am doing a reading for myself or for someone else. It adds a certain depth and almost scientific layer to the cards. And my engineer brain loves this. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? Well, first of all, I will sleep. Many don’t realize that a campaign on any crowd funding site is a full time job. Also, I came in with nobody knowing who I was and no help from outside resources. No advertising. So…this is why..I will sleep. And then I will have a small celebration with my family and friends. I will probably shed a few tears because I cannot believe I did this. What is on offer for people who pledge? Each deck has 2 bonus cards. They are symbolic of life path 9 and life path 22. I have created a beautiful silk chiffon scarf that can be used as a tarot cloth to lay spreads on, or to protect the cards. It also becomes a beautiful accessory for yourself. I can’t wait to wear mine! I also have an upgraded box that was a design challenge in itself. I have never seen a tarot box like this, and I am super excited about it. And finally, the PDF book is full colour and there have been hundreds of hours of work put into that. I will be publishing this book in the future. It will be a hardcover book with gold gilt edges. I can’t wait to do this. And I have a lot of future ideas in the works. To get your hands on of these gorgeous decks, click here: The Destiny Deck Tarot

This galactic themed oracle deck is truly a work of art - from it's positive, uplifting messages to it's amazing visual appeal. It's creator, Cassi White, has tied the two together with a sense of unity and hope. Kickstarter - Starry Beginnings Where in the world do you call home? Central Coast, on the east coast of Australia What was your first experience with tarot or oracle and when did you fall in love with it? My first experience was when I joined a beach meditation group, over ten years ago, and the lady that ran the group had a wide selection of oracle decks. Before each meditation, we would each choose an oracle deck that appealed to us and choose a card from the deck. The cards always gave me the messages I needed to hear. The intuitive guidance I received brought healing and reassurance to whatever situation or questions I needed help with. I fell in love with oracle decks from then. Oracle cards are so easy to use, the messages bring clarity and positivity, and are empowering and healing. In times of anxiety and uncertainty, they help me find peace and comfort. I love that! If I'd found oracle cards when I was younger, I believe it would have given me huge support for those times when life seems so difficult to navigate. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? Last year, I really stepped up my oracle card use. I was having difficulty dealing with my emotional self. As a super sensitive person, I found that each day I would ride the emotional roller coaster and it was very unsettling. So last March, I would make time every day to sit with my cards, intuitively choose the card that I needed and use its positive, empowering message to meditate with. Creative writing is my passion, so after my meditating, I began automatic writing. Whatever messages came through me I would write down. The words flowed onto the page, I would read them back and found them to be healing and uplifting. They really helped me clear and balance my emotions, giving me unconditional love and healing, and the courage to step onto my own unique path. I was guided to share these messages by creating my own oracle cards. They have a galactic theme, which I love, the information comes from beyond this world to heal humanity. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I have lots of oracle decks that I love to work with - Archangel Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue, Flower Therapy Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue and Robert Reeves, Oracle of the Dragonfae by Lucy Cavendish, Animal Magic by Alexis Cartwright - but the one I use the most is the Liquid Crystal Oracle by Justin Moikeha Asar. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? It is difficult to choose, I love them all. If I had to choose, my absolute favourite card from my deck would be, number 28 - You are your greatest gift, Your life's journey is your masterpiece. I love this card because it reminds us that we are all amazing, just as we are. That life, no matter the ups and downs, is a path of learning. We need to be supportive and loving of ourselves, no matter our mistakes. We are a gift, our journey is a gift - and to love, unconditionally, who we are. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Working with the images was a challenge, it took time to get them the way I want so they are clear and beautiful for the deck. But I'm so happy with the way they turned out and know they will look amazing as oracle cards. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? Starry Beginnings is an oracle deck for everyone. It's easy to use. The channelled messages are powerfully uplifting, and the images are beautiful and draw you in to help connect with your intuitive self, bringing love, healing and positive messages into your life. I also loved creating this deck. It's wonderful to see the mock images in their full colour and I can't wait to have them made into cards. The messages for the cards are channelled, were you guided to create the cards based on galactic images to match the messages? The channelled messages came first, and then I was guided to choose the galactic images that complement the messages. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? Good question. I really need to give that some thought. I can't wait to have my own deck in my hands, to let it work its magic on me. I would celebrate by taking my family out to dinner for a well earned meal. They've all had to put up with me putting all of my time into creating this deck. They love Starry Beginnings too, and have been very supportive in helping me on this creative journey. What is on offer for people who pledge? Backers will receive a copy of the 44-card deck with a 100 page guidebook in a sturdy 2-part box. The larger pledges offer a companion journal & 2 stickers in addition to the deck, if we meet the stretch goals the cards will be upgraded with holographic edging. To get your hands on of these decks, click here: Starry Beginnings

Our latest interview is with Christabel, who has created a beautiful nature based deck that is also environmentally friendly and sustainable. Unfortunately this kickstarter did not reach the required funding levels. Where in the world do you call home? Beautiful Sussex in the UK What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? When I was a young teenager I fell in love with runes, tarot and myths about forces that shape our lives that we never see. The first reading I did for myself was a one card reading in which I drew the four of cups. I was going through really difficult times and that simple reading really taught me that life is all about what you make of things. I think that's helped me to always be grateful for what is already around me, even if life doesn't always feel like it's giving you the easiest journey :) What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? I wanted to create an earthy deck that connected people to the sense of magic and power you find in nature. The inspiration is everything Celtic- artwork, mythology, forces of nature, and British wildlife. I wanted to create a deck in which you didn't see any humans at all, animals take their place as the focus much of the time, as well as everything you'd find in nature.  Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? So many are so wonderful in different ways! I particularly like Vikings Tarot deck, as it has powerful images of the Nordic myths and gods. I'd love to make a deck based on those some day.  Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? I've loved drawing the Page/Knight/Queen/King for each suit, these are always based on powerful animals in accordance with the element associated for each, and its been lovely to draw them like a family for example a baby owl Page of Swords all the way up to fully grown wise Queen and King owls.  What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Probably learning to use the various computer based programs to transform the artwork into actual cards! Drawing the deck itself has been an absolute joy, learning the technology side of things has been the challenge for me, but still a fun and creative one.  What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? That these cards have real power behind them. Each and every card took so much thought and care, hours of drawing and creative energy is poured into each card for it to go from a sketch into a finished piece. Each card to me is very special, so I suppose I want people to know they can have faith in the great energy this deck has to help and to guide them whenever they need support.  You make a point that you will use recycled shipping materials and try to source from small businesses with positive mission statements. How important is the environment and sustainability to you? Hugely important! The whole ethos behind my deck is in connecting back to a culture that lived off the land, that regarded themselves as part of and in tandem with nature. I think it would be hugely hypocritical not to use sustainable materials for such a deck, and am delighted to say I have now found the perfect ethical FSC approved small business who use recycled materials, sustainable production methods, and even eco-friendly soy bean ink to print stunning and beautiful quality cards.  How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? I will send a grateful prayer to the Universe and then go and cuddle my cats :)  What is on offer for people who pledge? Options ranging from three card sets and t-shirts, to the full tarot deck, all the way up to the original signed artwork and double sets of decks.

Here's the perfect deck for herbalists, naturopaths, and anyone fascinated by herbs, plants and natural medicine: Kickstarter - Materia Medica Oracle Where in the world do you call home? St. Paul, Minnesota. What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I was introduced to tarot via Light Grey Art Lab, a gallery in Minneapolis. I took part in a travel program with them in 2017 where we hiked through Bryce Canyon in Utah, learned about astronomy, and spent a week on a farm reading tarot every morning. I fell in love with it pretty immediately. I was always drawn to mysticism, and my first reading there resonated so deeply that I’ve been hooked ever since. What made you want to create this deck?What was your inspiration? I’ve been self-studying herbalism for a little over a year, and around the time I started, I became wildly obsessed with drawing plants. I wanted to know everything about plants and how they’ve been used as medicine. I started to notice correspondences between plants and astrology when I started taking classes through the School for Evolutionary Herbalism. I realized that plant bodies were like a microcosm of our own bodies, and every plant became a metaphor. I really wanted to share this with other people, and thus the deck was born. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? I don’t think I’ve used enough decks to have a favorite! But I’ve been really interested in the Veleda Tarot Deck for its bold colors and plant symbolism. It feels very akin to the Materia Medica Oracle Deck. I also love the Fifth Spirit Tarot, which was just funded on Kickstarter! The Pagan Otherworlds deck is also great, along with everything Uusi puts out. Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? Lately I’ve been trying to embody the Queen of Wands more. She’s a kickass lady who rules from the heart and knows how to use her talents to help others, and that’s something I really aspire to. From the Materia Medica Oracle, it sounds funny but I love the garlic card. Garlic teaches us a lot about our vital force and just going for it, grabbing life by the horns and showing up as our full selves. That’s something I’ve struggled with a lot in my life and once I made the connection between garlic and aries and put all the pieces together it gave me something to anchor my confidence on. I hope it does that for others, too. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Truthfully, the size of the deck made figuring out the guidebook a bit difficult. I wanted something that was pocket-sized, so I went with a poker deck, but I still wanted to fit the guidebook in the box. Some of the printers I reached out to weren’t able to print at such a small size, and the ones I found that could were overseas. It felt really important to me to keep all the production in the United States for environmental reasons. Finally I was able to find a manufacturer that I’ve been really happy with, and I ended up splitting the guidebook into three volumes because there’s so much information to relay about these plants. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? I just hope people feel how much love went into this project. It feels like a flagship project for me, combining all of my interests into one. From drawing the plants to writing the book, there were many times during this process where it didn’t even feel like it was me doing it. It felt more like I was a vehicle for something that wanted to be brought into the world, and that feels really special. I really hope that comes through. I love how you have combined the practical uses of plants with their spiritual implications. It’s a very unique view of herbalism. How much research went into this deck? So much! Like I said, I’ve been self-studying for a little over a year, and just officially started herb school this month. While working on the deck, I spent at least 6 months with my nose in as many herbal resources as I could get my hands on, working directly with the herbs from the deck, and I also consulted with another herbalist, Britton of Archaic Honey, to make sure I got my facts straight. I will also say, although a ton of research went into this project, there was also a lot of intuitive work. A lot of the more emotional/spiritual aspects described in the guidebook came from sitting with the plants and doing some meditations to feel out what they were trying to say. That might sound a little woo, but we are talking about tarot, ha! I think intuitive work is just as valid and important as hard science, and it sometimes doesn’t get enough credit. Your deck is very versatile, in that not only can it be used for divinatory purposes, it can also be used to identify plants in their natural environment. Do you think this will broaden your audience and perhaps introduce a spiritual world to people who may not have used oracle decks before? That’s the hope! I’ve found that illustration has been a key component of my herbal studies, as illustrations are often more descriptive than simply seeing a photo of a plant in the field. Looking at illustrations, making illustrations of plants, these have helped me commit the plants to memory and I hope it helps others just the same. As for the spiritual aspect, yeah, I think it serves us all to take a second to think about our place in the world and consider our relationship to the natural world. Once we start to see ourselves reflected in the lives of plants, it reinforces the fact that we are nature. We’re not above anything or anyone. We don’t own the land, we don’t own the trees. They are sovereign beings with whom we share the earth. Once we have that understanding in regards to nature, it’s easy to translate into humanity and see that we are one, and that breeds compassion. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? Oh good question, I haven’t stopped to think about it! If I’m honest, probably just a nice hike, or a visit to some of my plant friends to say hello and thank you :) What is on offer for people who pledge? Backers can receive a copy of the deck for $30, 2 copies for $45. Folks at the $60 tier also receive a fancy poster of all the plants from the deck, some stickers, and a screen printed altar cloth. Altar cloths are available to everyone else as an add on for $15. I also have a couple of wholesale options for folks who would like to stock the deck in their shop! To get you hands on one of these unique decks, pledge here: Materia Medica Oracle

The Occult Ornithology deck by Katie Whittle is a majors only tarot deck with beautiful artwork featuring birds. To pre-order, click here - Occult Ornithology Where in the world do you call home? Liverpool, United Kingdom What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? When I was a teenager, probably 14/15 I bought a deck which came with a beginner’s tarot book! It was a simple Rider Waite deck with nothing fancy about it. I loved my deck though. The book advised making a bag for the deck (which I did, out of velvet) and also told me to not let anyone else touch the deck besides myself, which to this day I’ve stuck to, besides the manufacturers and myself, that deck is untouched! What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? I’ve always wanted to make a tarot deck honestly, I’m a sucker for symbolic art and having had decks for years it’s something I’ve toyed with. I’m currently working on a vulture book, and originally I was going to do the major arcana with vultures as there are 21 species and it seemed like a perfect fit (the wheel would have been a nest like now), but planning it out it just didn’t fit right, it was after taking a break and thinking about how birds in general fit the archetypes more that it finally felt right to make this deck! When designing it I didn’t actually plan on releasing it though, It was something to take my mind off the stress of lockdown with no pressure of having to finish it. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? My wish list is a lot longer than my list of owned decks sadly, I have a simple Tarot de Marseille deck I love just because I love medieval art, besides that I have a copy of The Last Unicorn tarot, it’s so beautifully made that I find myself looking through it daily and can’t not choose it! Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite? Oooo tricky! I love The Moon card because it suggests mystery and deception, the idea of hidden meanings is what draws me to tarot anyway so in a way this card embodies it. As for my favourite card from my own deck, Temperance because the card itself looks like something from a sci-fi magazine and also because having a lesser flamingo in the deck was a curve ball on my part, I’ve tried to pick unusual or interesting birds as well as ones that fit into classic archetypes and I feel my flamingo might be the more interesting. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? Balancing traditional themes and iconography, deciding which elements of the Rider Waite were essential and had to be present and finding suitable substitutions for symbolism. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? It’s an absolute passion project, it’s not often that I get to mix my interest with occult art with my interest in animals in a way that is both informative and spiritual! I hope this deck will be educational on all the birds featured as well as a nice tool for divination. It’s interesting that you have chosen birds as your theme. How do you think birds relate to human spirituality? Oh man I could write a book. Every single culture has mythologies surrounding it’s local bird species. Romans had augerys and Greeks had ornithomancy, both ways of using birds for divination. Alchemists held up Pelicans and Phoenixes as pathways to creating philosophers stones. A theme that is repeated in modern dystopian fiction is the disappearance of birds and their songs. I think birds are so prominent in arts, legends and historical documents because they embody a lot of traditional archetypes in society already, the idea that owls are wise and that magpies are thieves is fairly common. It felt very natural to me applying the tarot to birds! How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? It’s lockdown here in the UK so my celebrations will be limited to a £5 UberEATS voucher and some cider. When I have the physical decks I’m excited to smell the fresh print smell though. I was going to say maybe take a break from art for a while but I’ve never felt so inspired to create more! What is on offer for people who pledge? I’ve tried to make the deck as luxurious as possible, so I’m offering a deck that has foil on the front and back as well as gold edged cards. They will come in a really high quality book box because it’s quite important to me to store cards in something beautiful. Higher tiers will be able to get a 48 page perfect bound full colour guide talking about the card's meaning and about the birds depicted (all tiers will also receive this in digital form). At the very highest tier I’m offering to create people’s own personal piece of artwork based on their own card idea. At the time of writing this we’ve also hit 2 stretch goals, so everyone will be getting a free bookmark and a free foiled notebook to accompany the deck! We’re edging towards stretch goal #3 so hopefully everyone will get a nice enamel pin as well! To pre-order, click here Occult Orrnithology Kickstarter

This bright, colourful tarot deck is for all the cat lovers amongst you: This kickstarter has now been funded. To pre-order the deck, please click here - Blooming Cat Tarot Where in the world do you call home? Currently Las Vegas near Red Rock Canyon. It is beautiful here and I love to spend time in the mountains and canyons. I’ve found that when people find out I live in Las Vegas they think I live next to the casinos, but there are very peaceful, non-gambling areas here. And I don’t gamble. Haha. Though I’ve enjoyed living here I’ll be moving back to Los Angeles where I’m originally from. With everything going on in the world I want to be closer to family and friends. What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I grew up in a Catholic family. When I was young, I remember my Mom talking about tarot cards and I was told to stay away from them with no explanation why or what they were. I was the youngest of 4 children, my siblings were 10, 11, and 12 years older than me and I loved to sneak into their rooms while they were out to see all the cool stuff that I never got to touch if they were home. I was around 10 when I found a Rider-Waite tarot deck in my sister's dresser. I thought the cards were so neat and I would look at them whenever I had a chance. That is where my fascination with the tarot began and I still love the classic Rider-Waite deck. I have studied symbolism, archetypes and esoteric subjects ever since. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? I have been a graphic designer for years working for other people. I’ve always wanted to have my own business designing for myself and making my own products with a focus on things I’m passionate about, art, tarot, and handmade goods. I started with a fun cat theme because I feel like we need as much cheer as possible during these strange times. Also, I LOVE CATS! Even though the imagery in this deck is light and fun I used the Rider-Waite symbolism as a guide. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? Well, clearly I love the Rider-Waite deck. Haha. I have quite a few decks and have multiple favorites. A few are The Jungian Tarot, Golden Dawn Magical Tarot and Dali Tarot (the artwork is beautiful). 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 deck is The Devil. It makes me smile as I made him look a bit like a potato. In general, I have always loved The Hermit card. It makes me feel like magick is afoot. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? It took more time than I thought it would but it has been so much fun and a great learning experience. This project reminded me that I can reach goals and get through tough times. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? I want people to know it was made with love and respect for the tarot and I hope they enjoy using and sharing it. You have kept to traditional rider-waite symbolism – how difficult was it to combine with the cat theme? Cats have so much personality and I think they are naturally intuitive and magical so I found it relatively easy. The symbolism isn’t perfect, I was trying to capture the spirit of the Rider-Waite deck more than anything. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? That’s a great question! I haven’t thought of that until now! I’m not against opening a bottle of Prosecco. :) What is on offer for people who pledge? The available rewards on Kickstarter are one or two decks. One deck is $35, two are $65. There were some monetary goals that were hit so if you make a pledge for a deck/decks you also get 3 Blooming Cat postcards, a PDF guidebook with color images and a tarot pouch. To get you hands on one of these unique decks, pre-order here: Blooming Cat Tarot

Unfortunately, this kickstarter did not reach it's required funding level. Where in the world do you call home? I live in North Carolina in the United States. After living in Michigan for 35 years, I can tell you I never expected to live in the South, but the weather is warmer and the people are friendly so it works for my family, and our three dogs and two cats. Behind us is a field filled with quartz and crisscrossing streams. The kids claim to have seen the ghost of a deer after finding its remains. They screamed and ran back to the house. What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it? I learned the tarot while living six years in Florida. It was 2007, and the teacher was brilliant, but it was still a lot of information to absorb. It was only after I practised at a friend’s party and had the most amazing results (scarily accurate) for the attendees who wanted a reading, that I truly understood the power of the tarot. What made you want to create this deck? What was your inspiration? I am a shamanic healer and teacher. I know that providing healing services are valuable, but in the long run, it’s best if people learn how to heal themselves. I applied the same principle to the tarot. I thought it would be best if people learned to do the readings for themselves, but I understood how much time, practice and studying I had spent learning the tarot, and I knew most people would not want to dedicate that much time to it. We all have busy lives. So, inspired by the popularity of emojis on social media, I decided to make a deck that had simpler artwork, but still rich with meaning and symbols that could be easily interpreted. Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one? My favourite deck is my first one: the Universal Tarot drawn by Roberto De Angelis. I love the colours (bright, but not too bright). I own three sizes of it: the mini, standard and professional. 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 in the Great Comoz deck is the Shooting Star because it’s about manifesting your desires, hope, new beginnings and has my favourite number “11”, which is also my birthday and a master number. What have been your challenges in creating this deck? I wanted to make sure I covered all aspects of life’s concerns, which was a little more difficult with only 22 cards. It had to be concise. I spent hours sitting and sketching, letting the inspiration flow through me. What is one thing you really want people to know about this deck? It has been fun watching people who have never used the tarot use the Great Cozmoz deck. I saw the amazement in their eyes. The best response was from a teenage girl who asked me, “How do the cards get in the right place?” The designs on your cards are very unique and the deck is based only on the major arcana. Why did you decide to head in this direction? A woman who was a gypsy did my first reading. Her cards were very old and large. She used only the major arcana and was very accurate. It inspired me to create modern cards that represented the same archetype energies. How will you celebrate when your deck is finally published? I’m sure I’ll tell everyone! And then a nice dinner at a restaurant with outdoor dining would be a pleasurable touch. Embrace the moment! What is on offer for people who pledge? Anyone who pledges on Kickstarter has choices that range from $1 to $62. For $1, they will get positive energy sent their way (we all need that). For $5, they can receive a Great Cozmoz oracle card reading. For $29, they can own a deck of their own, or splurge on the package deal for $62 and get a reading, deck of cards and an uncut collector’s sheet.