The Tulku Oracle

Our latest interview is with Karla Refoxo, the creator of the Tulku Oracle. a collection of 53 oracle cards that are portals into the wisdom of heart, nature and ancient traditions. The images of the cards include totems, archetypes and symbols—all based on the blessed amulets from Karla's sacred jewellery range - the Tulku Jewels amulet collection.

The Tulku Oracle is an invitation to connect with timeless companion presences who show up to remind us of our gifts, intuition and knowing. .

Kickstarter - Tulku Oracle

Where in the world do you call home?

I live in the beautiful Rocky Mountains—in the Arapahoe National Forest in a small town named Jamestown, CO. near Boulder.

What was your first experience with tarot or oracle and when did you fall in love with it?

My first WOW experience was when I was about 35 and I got a reading by an elder tarot reader named Gladys. She was visiting a friend of mine and staying with her and offered to do a reading for me in exchange for some small offering. I was living in an ashram, making my living as a fresco painter, making antique thangka reproductions (Tibetan paintings) and Tibetan art restorer at that time. I was also working with bronze casters making a large guru statue on commission in Kathmandu Nepal for 4 months of every year. And it was hard to make ends meet. In the reading, I asked Gladys about my livelihood as a fresco painter, and she came back with seeing me making pendulums in Nepal. I really didn’t see that, but there were so many other things she said that really were spot on and got my attention. About 5 months or so later I had the idea to make amulets and to start a small business working with traditional artists in Nepal, which has since grown into so much more. I always thank Gladys for the encouragement and light she shined on that part of my journey. It was really a pivotal moment for me.

What made you want to create your own oracle deck? What was your inspiration?

Years later, the idea to create an oracle deck based on the images of the amulets arose from my desire to synthesize years of living in the ashram and learning a Tantric, Hindu, Buddhist perspective that honors non-dualism, ancient wisdom traditions, and the power of imagery to enliven the sacred.

Over time, other influences have shaped my world view, including my work as a Plant Spirit Medicine healer (as taught by Eliot Cowan) and a deep dive into the world of dreams through DreamTending. Spirituality and art have always gone hand in hand for me, and indigenous wisdom and following a pilgrimage path reawakened my natural orientation towards animism, shamanism, and nature. As I have grown over the years as an artist, and engaged with others using the amulets, the imagery and symbols have revealed many levels of deeper meanings. Creating the oracle deck has been a way for me to express my own unique understanding and experience of what the symbols behind the Tulku amulets represent.

I also really wanted to create art again, as Tulku (the jewellery business) took off and I found myself spending my time much more as a business person rather than creating art. So this has been a delicious journey for me, diving back into the images and discovering what more they have to share with me as an artist as well.

What would you say is unique about your deck?

I think it is not only that each card has a very special, handmade, blessed amulet companion available for purchase should someone really want to bring that energy home, but that it is an eclectic mix of traditions and images that I have developed a relationship with over a long period of time. The companion book (266 pages) goes into some depth about the symbolism as well as the oracle, and my hope is that it will help others deepen into relationship with some of these images in ways they perhaps have not. This deck would resonate with people who practice yoga, Hindu and Buddhist esoteric meditation traditions, and also with people who want to connect in new ways to the power of Symbols, Totems and Archetypes.

How long have you had the idea for the deck for and how long has it taken you to create it?

This deck has been in the making for about ten years!

We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity?

It was actually the pandemic that created the window of time for me to dedicate to finishing this long project. And it made me realize the time is now. Prior to the pandemic, I was traveling about once a month mostly for the jewellery work—selling at retreats and events (mostly with the Chopra Center) around the world. So this being at home for such an extended amount of time, with little business happening on the jewellery front, has given me permission to finally create this long held dream. And I got a government loan so that I could help fund it!

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

For me the writing has been the most challenging part, it’s not my natural medium and it really stretched me to go deeper. I think in images and expressing my experience in words has been really profound. I did procrastinate and struggle a lot with that part though. Since I also began this project ten years ago, I have changed and grown a lot during that time so I had to redo a lot of what I had created initially. That was hard to do as well!

The cards are all brothers and sisters to the amulets of the Tulku Jewels. Could you please explain what amulets of the Tulku Jewels are?

Tulku amulets are like talismans, or charms. They are created not only for adornment, but with the intention to provide instruments of healing that bring support to others. They are caringly hand-crafted with consciousness by several loving hands, hearts, and souls to awaken their powerful quality. Each amulet is carved in repousse by master artist Rajendra Bajracharya—a 17th generation Buddhist priest; then blessed by a Nepalese holy woman known as Mata. These amulets are imbued with the power inherent in traditions where there is no separation between pure spirituality and the act of creation. Through wearing these amulets, that power supports, inspires, and protects us on our own particular Paths in Life.

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

I will take time offline and go deep into nature to give thanks!

What is on offer for people who pledge?

The deck, the 266 perfect bound full-length guidebook all wrapped up in a beautiful elegant box. Other pledge items include a two-sided spread cloth, a handmade pouch to hold both the book and the deck, jewellery, a special amulet and prints. You can see more details on the Kickstarter. Thank you so much for your support!

Websites:

tulkujewels.com

paintedream.com

To connect with nature and ancient traditions through these cards, back it here:

Kickstarter - Tulku Oracle

Lovely Om Tarot Deck

Our latest interview is with Darshanie Sukhu, the creator of the the Lovely Om Tarot Deck. The deck features Gods and Goddesses from the Hindu pantheon and mystical Beings from the many dimensions that intersect our reality.

This deck helps you to access your intuition so that you can explore different perspectives, communicate with your subconscious and bring in the wisdom of your Higher Self.

Kickstarter - Lovely Om Tarot

Where in the world do you call home?

I’ve lived in so many countries, and they have all been a home for me. Right now, I am in the enchanted lands of New Mexico. The nature is magnificent, and the people are so sweet and beautiful. I love it here. It is where I am now, and it is home.

What was your first experience with tarot and when did you fall in love with it?

Trying to avoid a broken heart, haha. I was young and desperately in love and wanted to know what the other felt. I played the tarot incessantly and, in the process, learned a lot about myself. Nothing came of the relationship, but I found a true friend in the tarot.

What made you want to create your own tarot deck? What was your inspiration?

I’ve been doing psychic work for many years and have gotten so many insights that wanted to find an expression in the world. The tarot is such a great language to communicate truths from the psychic dimensions. It was a perfect fit and it just flowed.

What would you say is unique about your deck?

The Lovely Om Tarot is a deck that can bring about big psychic release. You can use it to process deep subconscious patterns and thereby grow in awareness. It has mystical Beings from the earth and Gods from the divine realms. This huge range of frequencies allows a lot of transformation to take place.

How long have you had the idea for the deck for and how long has it taken you to create it?

I’ve often fantasized about a deck with Indian Gods, but it was only after the inspiration for the Ace of Wands, that this impulse became a real idea. Once I started, it took me 10 years to complete. It was an amazing and intense process.

We are living in such crazy times. How has the pandemic affected your creativity?

It has been a difficult time for everyone. What I really missed is being around people. I get so much creative inspiration from friends and the world in general. It balances the amount of time I end up spending in my own space.

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

Patience and surrender to the process. I didn’t realize it would take so long. Every year I would set goals for finishing the deck, but each painting took its own time and could not be rushed. I am so grateful for the process each card brought to me.

The art for your cards came from mystical beings through meditation, visions and dreams. Is this something that has happened to you in your life before?

Many times. I have a very lively dream world and I spend a lot of time in psychic spaces. Creating this deck was a great exercise in communicating and grounding that part of my reality.

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

Wow, I am not sure yet. I’ll have to think about that.

What is on offer for people who pledge?

A full 78 card deck with 100+ page booklet. There is a companion certification course on the Lovely Om Tarot and a few original art pieces of cards from the deck.

Website https://lovelyom.com

To create a sacred space for this lovely deck of cards, back it here:

Kickstarter - Lovely Om Tarot

HeroRise Masculine Archetype Deck

Our latest interview is with Isaac Cotec, the creator of the HeroRise Masculine Archetype Deck. The deck is an immersive oracle deck to explore and expand your connection to Positive Masculinity. It was inspired by Carl Jung, myth, and tarot cards.

The HeroRise Masculine Archetype Deck gives you a map to unlock the power of your Masculinity. Furthermore, awakening your connection with the Masculine Archetypes can help you move past the hidden patterns that hold you back, and give you the momentum to grow into your highest potential.

Kickstarter - HeroRise Deck

Where in the world do you call home?

I am blessed to live in Portland, Oregon.

What was your first experience with the Tarot, and when did you fall in love with it?

I grew up as a Mormon. I remember a friend showing me a Rider-Waite-Smith when I was 15. My parents would have been furious if they knew I was playing with Tarot, so I snuck away after school and found a shop to buy a deck. I was instantly enchanted.

What made you want to create your tarot deck? What was your inspiration?

Honestly, I was looking for a Masculine Archetype Deck and couldn’t find one. I was in a moment of transition with work, relationships, and my purpose. I began looking to my Masculinity for some of these answers and looked for a deck. After months of looking… on a fateful night… the muse just inspired me. The next day I started writing out the deck. I reached out to the different artists and kept coming up with dead ends. Before I knew it, I was writing the book and making the artwork. It all just kind of happened to me. Like a flow of water running downstream effortlessly. I put in hundreds of hours, but as long as I showed up, the process just unfolded—one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

What would you say is unique about your deck?

This deck centers around the positive aspects of Masculinity. Using Jungian archetypes as a template to understand the self. There are so many goddess decks and work around the feminine. I wanted to create something to connect to the positive aspects of Masculinity.

How long have you had the idea for the deck, and how long has it taken you to create it?

I had a whisper of the idea about ten years ago. Life took me in different directions. Then in March of last year, I told someone the idea at my birthday party. The Pandemic hit hard the next day, and I found myself dedicating all my energy as a way to find purpose in that difficult moment. I have spent 40-50 hours a week since march 2020 in creating this deck. So somewhere around 2,000 hours. I just launched a Kickstarter for the deck, and when I plan on sending the deck to print a year and a day from when I started.

We are living in such crazy times. How has the Pandemic affected your creativity?

I have been fortunate to be a full-time musician and artist for ten years. I realized the other day that I have loved creating environments through my music to get in touch with their emotional self—using dance and music to support a healing space. Once the Pandemic hit, I moved over to visual arts with this project. Looking back… it makes a lot of sense. I am now using artwork and this deck to help individuals create a space to know themselves deeper. It feels like the same mission but a different pathway.

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

The hardest part wasn’t the art or the idea, it was figuring out how to share it. I am very social, and I would be talking it up at events, but things feel so fractured with the way life is now. I have lost touch with so many friends. So there is a weight in our culture right now -Grief and confusion. Figuring out how to navigate that and share the message has been the most challenging part.

Why do you think there is a lack of male-centric tarot decks out there? What impact does that have on male tarot readers?

I have loved seeing the movement towards inclusion with the artwork in many tarot decks. Like the Fifth Spirit Tarot, the Lady Tarot Cards, and so many more. I think it is beautiful and needed. As the feminine has been rising, I feel there haven’t been as many tools for male-identified people to see themselves reflected. I think our culture hasn’t put as much emphasis on spirituality for men. This has left many men searching for a way that they can step up their spiritual practice and don’t know where to turn. I see this changing with organizations like Sacred Sons, The Unshakable Man, The Rising Man podcast, and many other projects that I have seen in the men’s field. It’s changing, but I think it is a powerful thing to feel seen and represented in the journey. That is why I am excited to create the HeroRise Masculine Archetype Deck.

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

In an ideal world… a big hug with my loved ones. Most likely, I will take a trip to the woods. Thank the stars, moon, and earth for the honor to do this work.

What is on offer for people who pledge?

I am delighted to be sharing this deck through Kickstarter. If you pledge, you will not only be getting the deck at a discount from the in-store price, but you will also be helping me spread the message of positive Masculinity.

I also have altar cloths, an online course, and other goodies to offer people that pledge.

For all those collectors, searching for a unique masculine deck, back it here:

Kickstarter - HeroRise Deck