The Deck of Celestials Tarot

Our latest interview is with Machaila Jensen, creator of The Deck of Celestials. a tarot deck that is designed with inclusivity in mind. Machaila uses celestial bodies and beings over humans with genders and races so that any race, gender and religion are able to pick up a tarot deck and feel welcome using it and utilise the powerful energy and properties it holds.

Kickstarter - Deck of Celestials

Where in the world do you call home?

I’m from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Only a 45 minute drive to the Rocky Mountains,  so I’m surrounded by cold weather and beautiful mountain scenery. I honestly love snow and winter, I have a ridiculous amount of cancer in my chart so staying home and cozy when it’s freezing outside is what I live for. 

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

I started having dreams about tarot and thinking about it more and more everyday, which led me to do further research and purchase a few books on how to read tarot. After that my journey into spirituality spiralled, I started buying an absurd amount of books on spirituality and my crystal collection grew out of hand.  I fell in love with the community and how accepting and supportive everyone is, it’s truly a positive environment to be in and really helped grow my love for tarot. I’ve been practicing for about 3 years now and have loved it ever since. 

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

I’ve always been an artist and had a love for drawing. When I discovered tarot and noticed all of the beautiful decks in the world I only dreamed of creating my own one day. It seemed like such an impossible task at the time and something I never thought I would achieve. My inspiration came in June, after participating in the BLM protests in my city and really being aware of all the pain and hurt in the world. It made me want to create a deck for everyone, something that didn’t have humans, race or gender and something that anyone can hold space and identify with. I know there are decks like this in the world, but I felt drawn to creating my own. Tarot is a tool for anyone, you don’t have to be some perfect human to pick up a deck. I wanted my deck to feel safe and welcoming for whoever chose to use it. 

Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one?

 I love the Flux Arcana Tarot deck by Micah Ulrich. It’s truly a work of art and I feel that I really connect with the cards and artwork throughout the deck. Micah Ulrich does a lot of mediaeval line work featuring skulls and cloaked figures, all that good stuff. It’s a 78 card tarot deck with no  guidebook in a cute little tuck box, and one of my greatest treasures.  

Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite?

My all time favourite card in any deck is The Sun card, seems so cliché but holding and looking at any Sun card brings me true and honest happiness. I really feel the magic and positivity of The Sun card shining through me as I’m in it’s presence and that’s definitely why it’s my favourite. Such a beautiful card and message no matter the deck. 

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

I didn’t draw for months when COVID-19 first hit Canada. I was just in a slump of everything being shut down and adjusting to the new normal that I was honestly not motivated to create anything. It wasn’t until June/July when I started feeling more and more inclined to created my deck, again because of the BLM movements and protests I had attended. I decided to purchase an iPad so I could start creating my deck as I knew I wanted to do it digitally, and from there I have been nothing but creative! I think having a new tool to create with really sparked my excitement. 

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

The number one challenge was doing it all on my own. I’m a self taught, independent artist which means I’m my own artist, author and publisher all in one. Learning how to launch a Kickstarter, print a deck, and write a guidebook has been challenging but it has all been such an amazing experience! I’m learning how to be more tech savvy one day at a time. 

Can you explain the use of celestial bodies to represent inclusivity? Why was this important to you?

I needed a form of archetypes that weren’t human, I didn’t want any genders or races in the deck in order to create that inclusivity. So I decided on the moon face we see so much in the deck to stand in as my celestial being. I first drew that moon face three years ago, and it has been a huge part of my artwork ever since, but I always wanted to do more with it. I feel that the celestial bodies give the deck such a dreamy, magical feel. And using the cloaked moon figure leaves to much to the imagination. This figure can be whatever you need it to be, that’s the beauty of it. There are no visible male or female traits on any of the celestial bodies, just a moon with a face. This way you aren’t focused on not being able to identify with a card when you pull it, but can focus on the card itself and the message you are being given. 

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

After the adrenaline rush of even being able to bring this deck life, I would like to just take a day to do absolutely nothing! Eat some of my favourite pizza and hangout with my boyfriend, cat and dog, the perfect celebration in my opinion!

What is on offer for people who pledge?

All of the Kickstarter stretch goals have been met, meaning the deck comes in a two piece upgraded custom box with a guidebook, as well as 3 holographic, waterproof vinyl stickers, and a super cute 1 inch enamel moon pin of the moon face seen throughout the deck! All of these goodies come with each Kickstarter pledge, so even if you just purchase some artwork or thank you card to show your support,  you will still receive the stickers and pin.

To be one of the first to get your hands on this deck that will appeal to all, pledge here:

Kickstarter - Deck of Celestials

The Crystal Forests Oracle

Our latest interview is with Jessica Purser, creator of The Crystals Forest Oracle. a series of hand-watercoloured images which she is creating with the help of her backers. The deck incorporates the deep wisdom of the ancient woodlands with the beauty and guidance of crystals.

Jess is also the creator of the Wisdoms of the Forest - intuitive oracle deck.

Kickstarter - The Crystals Forest

Where in the world do you call home?

That's a tough one. There are certain places where we can immediately sense a kind of magic beneath our feet. I felt it when I was very little, living in a mountain village in Cyprus, then felt it again when I lived in West Wales in the mid-late 90's.

If you mean my actual body, it currently lives in Surrey, UK ;)

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

Oddly, I can't remember when I first acquired my RWS Tarot deck, but I think it was in my early teens and I've kept the same deck ever since. I don't remember a time when I didn't feel a connection to them and the wonderful depth of imagery. I do wish Pamela Coleman-Smith could have had more recognition during her lifetime.

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

I've been pretty much exclusively painting forests for a few years now. In 2017, I realised my life was out-of-balance. I felt physically unhealthy, weak and completely out-of-touch with my own flow-state. It was time to make some major changes.

I started gently, by taking ten minutes a day to sit and meditate, to clear my mind as much as possible and keep to that new habit every single day. I followed it with waking earlier, changing my diet and taking up yoga for 15 minutes per day and walks in nature. If things were going to get better, I had to push myself to make changes.

During this time, I began keeping journals and going through my old notebooks and sketchbooks for ideas. There were so many synchronicities and it seemed all of them could then also be related to the forests and trees I was already painting.

I began making images which I felt related to thoughts and methods of healing ourselves. These images turned into my first oracle deck 'Wisdom of the Forest'.

Earlier this year, I began painting more colourful versions of the forests and felt drawn to the crystals I already had as inspiration. I imagine what the atmosphere would be like in the forests if they were imbued with the properties attributed to each crystal.

Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one?

Of course, my old RWS Tarot deck, then a relatively recent purchase - the Crystal Power Tarot by Jane Wallace and illustrated by the lovely Roberta Orpwood. Also, I feel I'm almost ready to take on the Thoth Tarot again (I had to put it away for a few years as it's pretty intense!).

Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite?

I find this changes with different stages of life, but recently I've been more drawn to the High Priestess. As you can imagine, she has taught me a lot recently. I've always had an affection for the childlike sweetness of the Fool too.

As for the Crystal Forests, I'm loving the card I'm currently painting - 'The Malachite Forest'. In this forest, there's no hiding from your own negative traits - it's a place to face your demons down. As you can imagine, it's taking quite a lot of energy to paint, though!

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

Only in a physical sense has it been difficult - during lockdown, I was homeschooling my youngest daughter, so all my usual 'work' time was taken by that and it was incredibly draining, although I'm also thankful I got to spend more time with her.

I found that my creative ideas still flowed, but I didn't have the time to put most of them down on paper. Only really since my children went back to school in September have I been able to get back into a good workflow.

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

So far, only time has been a constraint.

I love that you have chosen to allow the backers to vote on parts of the look and design of the cards. Was it hard to hand over some of the design process to other people?

Yes! But it's also so exciting! I love the idea of choosing a few possibilities for each stage of the design process, then keeping that process as clean and simple as possible. I trust backers to make the right decisions. There is also the very real possibility of outcomes putting people off, but that would be just as possible if I had done the whole thing myself haha! I just love the idea of it being a community effort - just like a forest ;)

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

When I've finished all the paintings, the deck will be published during July 2021 at the latest. I'd like to take a few day's break between sending the images to the printers and receiving the decks themselves - time to just breathe before working on the final packaging, fulfilment and getting those decks out into peoples' hands :) Only then would I take a proper break and hopefully travel further afield to refresh and gain new inspiration for the next project.

What is on offer for people who pledge?

There's something for everyone - from £5 digital wallpapers, to the large, original painting tier at £500.

The base Crystal Forests deck itself is available, along with some beautiful, complimentary creations from my collaborators Quire & Quartz (hand-crafting some stunning, crystal-inlaid card-holders), Sur La Lune (Amy has created a whole new crystal tree design especially for us and will be attaching each gorgeous little tree to a hag stone she has found on her local beach!) and Gem Stone Rox (Nick ethically sources some beautiful tumbled pieces from around the world). I will also be making up some beautiful quality prints so if anyone feels particularly drawn to any image (or multiple ones), they can either choose that tier or include them as add-ons in their pledge.

I was so happy when we reached our initial goal that I'm also sending out a double-sided, gold-foil bookmark to every backer who has a physical reward. We've reached our first stretch goal of a sticker sheet. The next stretch goal (£10,000) will be the Kickstarter-exclusive enamel pin. Then after that, we'll be going for gilt-edges to the decks - I really hope that happens because it will look truly AMAZING!

To be one of the first to get your hands on this deck and to also have a say in the final creation, pledge here:

Kickstarter - The Crystals Forest

Anecdotes Tarot

Our latest interview is with Yve Lepkowski, creator of the Anecdotes Tarot. The deck is based on Joanna Newsom's music and the artwork is a whimsical representation of a specific lyric, or a song as a whole. 

The 22 trumps follow the sequence of our old friend, the Tarot de Marseille. The imagery in all the cards has been inspired by other historic Tarots, such as the Sola Busca deck, the "Mantegna Tarocchi," and the decks of the Etteilla school. The songs of the trumps span the entire discography.

Kickstarter - Anecdotes Tarot

Where in the world do you call home?

I’m from Northern New Jersey. It’s a place with a lot to offer in the way of inspiring landscapes – the forests, the ocean, the ominous marshes, flame-spouting electricity plants, and the looming, increasingly pointy Manhattan skyline.

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

I’ve always loved playing cards, but I first heard of trump suits through science fiction & fantasy books. The two big ones are Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber (where the main characters communicate and teleport using special trump cards), and Gene Wolfe’s novel The Sorcerer’s House (which seems to be structured around tarot trumps and/or Lenormand). So my start in tarot was actually looking at it as a series of artistic symbols, more than an oracle!

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

Anecdotes Tarot is the second tarot deck I’ve drawn, and it’s all inspired by Joanna Newsom’s music. Creating tarot art is appealing in the same way as treating mythological and religious themes – it gives you a certain language and way of looking at the world to work with. My background is in math and I really like having this semi-formal framework for art as well. It was really satisfying to look for all the connections between the music and the tarot archetypes. But I think my favorite aspect of tarot art is that it’s functional. These pictures won’t be stuffed away in a portfolio or hanging on the wall for the rest of their lives. They’ll be shuffled and used, and the pictures develop and change in relation to each other.

Aside from your own deck, do you have a favourite deck? If so, which one?

I’ve only been using it since January (that is, after I started creating this deck), but my favorite deck is the Etteilla-based “Grand Jeu d’Oracle des Dames.” These are from the late 1800s and done in a faux-medieval engraving style, using Etteilla’s keywords and oddly rearranged trumps. It has a really gorgeous antique look and lively poses. My favorite pre-Etteilla deck, not without its own oddities, is the Jacques Viéville tarot. I used this deck as inspiration for a lot of Anecdotes Tarot, in particular the “Moon” card, and the colors and feel of the entire Suit of Coins.

Do you have a favourite card (either from your deck or just the card in general). If so, why is it your favourite?

It’s difficult to choose, since I spent a lot of time on each picture. I like my version of the Ace of Cups, since I think that in this case the lyric I used (“sun pouring wine . . . “) fit particularly well with the temple-like cup from the Marseille pattern.

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

I’ve heard that the pandemic and lockdown has been giving people stranger and more vivid dreams (or at least the chance to remember our dreams better), which is certainly helpful. The generally hectic atmosphere made taking the time to draw difficult, in the beginning. The positive side of things coming to a halt was that it gave me time to slow down and work on the deck more deliberately. I was initially planning to finish early in the year, but instead I went back and redid the majority of the trumps, which I think made the deck a lot more cohesive.

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

The most difficult part of making a themed deck like this is avoiding two extremes: either making the deck a dressed-up redraw of an existing tarot, or taking images from the source material with little connection to tarot tradition. I hope that this one doesn’t fall into either trap. When I started, I was using exclusively the Tarot de Marseille, as a standard base. You can see the Marseille compositions in many of the cards still, particularly the court cards, and trumps like XXI. But some of my remakes felt dead no matter what I did, so I ended up looking elsewhere drastically rearranging the characters to bring them to life. Some I remade after an initial attempt, some like X and XVI gave me so much trouble visualizing that I left them for the very end. For these I knew there was something there relevant to the meaning of the symbol, but contorting it to fit the “traditional” image felt impossible. For X I took inspiration from the Mantegna Tarocchi, and for XVI from the Florentine Minchiate.

The other more mundane difficulty for me is writing a guidebook. Some people are blessed with an internal monologue, but my process is distinctly non-verbal. Going back and explaining things clearly is a challenge!

You have translated the medium of music to a visual medium. Did you find it an easy process to create images from music?

Drawing based on music is no easier or harder for me than drawing anything else. To draw each of the pictures, I’d put the corresponding song or album on loop to help it take shape. The goal was to make it look as if each card could itself sing, or hum, or whatever sound an inanimate object makes. Joanna Newsom’s lyrics are mostly very detailed and gave lots of imagery and characters to incorporate into the pictures. The lyrics as well as the overall mood and sound palette of the songs guided the colors I chose: bright and hollow, or warm and muffled. There’s music that gives the feeling of open space and air, and music that is dense and deep, and this affects the visuals too.

The challenging part was lyrics about more abstract concepts. For example, this deck’s version of The Empress is based on the song “’81,” which is short and sweet. The trout in the card is mentioned in the song, but to fit lyrics like “I believe in innocence . . . I believe in everyone,” I had to add other images like the vines on the tree and the stork (an unintentional similarity to the Thoth tarot).

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

By moving on to the next project! I’m taking a bit of a break now to work on the deck’s guidebook, and after the campaign is ended it will be time for making the rewards and shipping, so it will be fun to start on something new.

What is on offer for people who pledge?

In addition to the deck itself, I’m offering prints of the artwork, as well as commissioned art, or a hand-embroidered case for the deck.

To be one of the first to get your hands on this beautiful, whimsical deck, pledge here:

Kickstarter - Anecdotes Tarot