Wisdom of Ancient Egypt Oracle

Our latest interview is with Nils and Nadine from Hidden Realms Publishing, the creator of the Wisdom of Ancient Egypt Oracle - an oracle deck that will take you on a journey through one of the most powerful civilizations in the history of human kind: The Ancient Egypt. The illustrated cards feature the most well known and important deities, gods, goddesses, pharaohs, monuments and symbolism of the Old, Middle and New Kingdom. Dive deep into the Wisdom of the ancient Egyptians and discover how they can guide you in the present.

Hidden Realm Publishing is an indie publisher from Berlin, Germany, specializing in tarot and oracle decks

Kickstqrter - Wisdom Ancient Egypt Oracle

Where in the world do you call home?

First of all, my sister Nadine and I want to thank you very much for your interview request.

We both live in Berlin at the moment, but Nadine has also lived in Brisbane for a year and really enjoyed her time there. Australia is such a beautiful country! Where do we feel at home? I think that both – me and my sister are lucky to feel at home everywhere in the world. The world is so big and has so many beautiful places.

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

Oracle cards, tarot and astrology were given to both of us in the cradle so to say and that's why we both started quite early with it. I think I had my first deck when I was 15 years and Nadine was only 12. There was always a deck of our mothers lying around somewhere in our house and of course that made us curious.

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

You know, if you deal with decks a lot, I think the desire comes almost by itself, especially because we both constantly equip ourselves with new indie decks. Nadine just confessed to me the other day that she urgently needs a new cabinet for her decks because she has no more space and if I'm honest, it's the same for me. As we both share the same passion for tarot and oracle decks – it didn’t take us long to decide that we wanted to create something together.

What would you say is unique about your deck?

I think the spirit with which we have created this deck is something special. When you start to deal with millennia of history, gods and pharaohs, this magic of fascination quickly jumps over to you. Also, it was and is important to us to provide the buyers of "WISDOM OF ANCIENT EGYPT ORACLE" with a great, high-quality deck with lots of details and extras and I think we did that. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank every single supporter and backer. Without your help, this would not have been possible! Thank you so much.

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

The first time we talked about it was in the summer of 2019, I think it was in June. As children, ancient Egypt fascinated us in an inexplicable way: the pyramids, the Nile, the wonderful temples, and all the imposing statues. The mysterious and magical culture that existed more than 4,000 years before us and who has left us such a remarkable cultural legacy filled with knowledge and spiritual wisdom. On several trips to the land of the pharaohs, our enthusiasm grew steadily and when we first started discussing collaborating on an oracle deck project together, we both quickly realized that it should be an Egyptian themed deck. All in all it has been a little bit more than 2 years including the completion which will start soon and this project will reach fruition in June/July this year.

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

Everything in the universe has at least 2 sides I think and the fact that we found the possibility and time to fully concentrate on our project due to numerous and sometimes long lockdowns has definitely had a positive effect. A deck of 50 hand-painted cards takes a lot of time and also a detailed guidebook is not written overnight. So for the creative phases, the pandemic hasn’t been that bad, but of course, we both hope that things will go back to normal as fast as possible, for all of us.

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

In fact, there have been some challenges. When you start to get into the mythology and history behind ancient Egypt, you quickly realize that there is a lot of information out there and some of them differ from one another. The reason for this is probably simply that we are dealing with records that are several thousand years old.

Why do you think Ancient Egypt is so fascinating to so many people?

We both think that the magical and mythical time of ancient Egypt inspires and interests so many people. Not only that the Egyptians were already a fascinating and advanced high culture - the buildings, the masks, the temples and pyramids - I myself was several times in Egypt and I can assure you, it is simply fascinating. In addition, already in ancient Egypt, about 4-6 thousand years ago, astrology was practiced - and this must be appreciated, right? Since we couldn’t really find an ancient Egyptian-themed oracle deck – there are certainly some wonderful decks out there - we have decided to change that.

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

To be honest, we haven't really thought that much about celebrating yet. Right now, our work is still in full swing, and we're cheering every day as we look at the current numbers from our Kickstarter campaign. I think we will meet for dinner afterward to celebrate what we have accomplished. But first, there's still some work to be done.

What is on offer for people who pledge?

Our supporters during the campaign and also our customers after the Kickstarter phase can look forward to a high quality oracle deck. In addition, there is a comprehensive guidebook in two different versions and also many extras that you can select, such as the limited card deck with the gilded edges, beautiful altar cloths and much much more. And last but not least, there is a special price for our Kickstarter backers.

Nils & Nadine

To add the wisdom of Ancient Egypt to your collection:

Kickstqrter - Wisdom Ancient Egypt Oracle

Moon Void Tarot - 3rd edition

Our latest interview is with Stefanie Caponi, the creator of the Moon Void Tarot.- a unique deck that follows the journey of one singular character - The Fool, pulling the reader inward with the purpose of self-reflection, shadow work, and healing while learning to develop & trust one's intuition.

Stefanie Caponi is an illustrator, intuitive writer, and practicing witch from Brooklyn, New York. She is the creator of the Moon Void Tarot 1st & 2nd editions as well as the author of Guided Tarot For Seamless Readings (Penguin Random House) and she writes the monthly horoscopes for Dame Wellness that focus on sex and intimacy. Her work combines many forms of creative expression to explore shadow work, healing, spirituality, and self-reflection by blending tarot, astrology, witchcraft, and story telling with the help of her two tuxedo cats, Onyx & Luna.

Kickstqrter - Moon Void Tarot - 3rd edition

Where in the world do you call home?

Brooklyn, New York is home for now!

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

I got my hands on my first tarot deck when I was 14 and instantly fell in love. It was a RWS deck, purchased long before the internet existed, and I kept it a secret for many years because I went to catholic school and it really scared my parents. I’m happy to say they are now very pro-tarot!

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

I did not set out to create a tarot deck at all. I was writing a memoir about the spiritual awakening that happened during my divorce when I began doodling what the book would look like (automatic drawing is a way I connect with source energy) I drew a book with open pages containing text, and on the other page I started drawing The Fool. Then I realized my story was just like the tarot and I began drawing the first Moon Void Tarot illustrations, just for myself, as a way of working through the pain I was feeling.

What would you say is unique about your deck?

I created the deck to help myself through some serious shadow work and to my knowledge I have not seen another deck that follows only one character.

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

Each time I’ve created an edition of Moon Void Tarot, the idea has sprung up suddenly and the artwork pours out of me in a matter of a few weeks, which is my favorite part! Then come the production logistics, which take several months and are rewarding in their own right.

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

I’m honestly very grateful for losing all of my work in early 2020. What started as a very scary Tower moment has helped clear the path for some of the most creative work I’ve ever accomplished. During this past year I’ve created 2 versions of Moon Void Tarot, wrote my first traditionally published book, Guided Tarot for Seamless Readings, Illustrated a young adult fiction book that is coming out in June, and I’m starting work on the second book this month. It has been a wild time. I hope that everyone is learning to trust the void spaces, learn to let go, and surrender gently.

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

Formatting my artwork digitally! I wanted to teach myself how to be my own graphic designer, and it hasn’t been pretty, but the learning process has been fascinating, and when I manage to get something right it’s just so satisfying.

Can you explain the significance of the moon, and associated rituals, with the tarot?

For me, the moon and associated rituals are so significant with tarot because the moon is symbolic of what is hidden and it serves as a safe, compassionate guide to shining light into our personal darkness. It also celebrates our intuitive gifts, helping us to unlearn societal conditioning that only rewards active accomplishments. The moon in tarot helps us normalize waiting, cultivating patience, and tuning back into our bodies for answers, rather than making hasty decisions out of fear. With the moon, we embrace the unknown.

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

I will be buying lots of flowers and a lovely dinner!

What is on offer for people who pledge?

I’m thrilled to be able to finally make packaging upgrades, moving from a tuck box to a beautiful two piece rigid box, as well as higher quality paper, and silver foil edges! I am most excited to add three additional cards to the 78 card deck, including two crystal oracle cards, Morganite and Black Diamond, that correspond to the heart and root chakras, and a card called The Planchette, which upright says “yes” and reversed says “no,” eliminating any ambiguity that can sometimes be present in our readings. These special touches are exclusive to the Kickstarter campaign 3rd Edition and will not be found in future editions. I’m so grateful to everyone who has helped bring this project to life, and I’m so excited to be able to make art and connect with so many wonderful people through something I had to hide for such a long time.

To own a copy of this revamped iconic deck, click here:

Kickstqrter - Kickstqrter - Moon Void Tarot - 3rd edition

La Flora Tarot

Our latest interview is with Iara Cortes, the creator of the La Flora Tarot.- a botanical tarot deck based on the Rider Waite Smith system. It goes far beyond the aesthetics of plant drawings. La Flora Tarot is a true study on the correlation of plants and all the Tarot archetypes in a deep, meaningful way.

Stylistically, La Flora is based on a highly curated selection of centuries old drawing masterpieces originally created for scientific purposes but pushing the edge on the realm of pure art. Far from being a collage, these botanical masterpieces were beautifully reproduced using a drawing technique called stippling. In its purest form, a stippled image is composed exclusively of dots. One must look at it at a precise distance to genuinely appreciate its richness. As such, stippling became the common thread weaving together all the art in La Flora Tarot.

Kickstqrter - La Flora Tarot

Where in the world do you call home?

My husband and I were born in Brazil. We chose to immigrate to Canada where we became proud Canadian Citizens and parents to a wonderful two-year old boy. We live in Southern Ontario, and that’s where we are delighted to call home.

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

At 19, I bought a Tarot deck on a whim, at lunch break, while browsing a local esoteric store full of crystals, incenses and magic potions. At that time, I wanted to become a witch. I bought it with hopes of being able to glimpse into the future. The Tarot deck came with a guide for beginners. On the guide’s introductory pages, it stated that if you were a beginner, you should start with questions to which the answer should be a simple yes or no. I took the guide seriously and started practicing. Quickly I realized that formulating questions that lead to a yes or no answer was not simple at all. It made me think hard about why I was asking those questions. It made me strip down to the essence of what I was feeling at that time. To my surprise, the more I sat down with my Tarot to “get answers”, the more I was working on the questions. At one point I realized I was not going to get a glimpse into the future. Instead, here it was a gift that made me meditate, think clearer, make difficult questions and face my feelings with honesty. A lot of times I was surprised to find out that my true feelings were actually different from what I had believed them to be up to that point. I was discovering “my true self” through asking those questions. I was discovering what mattered to me and who I wanted to become at an early and confusing age, when you are supposed to make choices that will shape your future. It brought to light a more conscious, clear, practical and rational way of thinking that I had never experienced before. The Tarot was a tool I was using to be my own therapist so to speak. I am grateful to have discovered the Tarot then as I would not have found the same “guidance” around me at that time. Today, after reading and studying more about its history and archetypes, I use it as a tool to help me achieve a calm, meditative state of mind every time I sit down to get to know myself a little more.

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

The thought of creating my own Tarot deck came naturally since it combined my love for plants, art and design with my constant search for personal growth. That is how I look at the Tarot: as a ludic but powerful tool for meditation, self-discovery and by consequence, growth. I know there are other beautiful botanical decks readily available, but I believe I am bringing something new to the botanical Tarot table.

I guess I should mention that the core inspiration for La Flora Tarot was the essay: “The Intelligence of the Flowers” by Maurice Maeterlinck. Once you read it, you can never unlearn the brutality of the plant world.

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

There is so much beauty out there. I adore everything UUSI studio has made this far but if I had to pick just one, that would be the “Carnival at the End of the World” by Kahn & Selesnick. The artwork at first seems old-world naïve, but then, looking closer, you will find so many layers and complexity. It is one of those things where you keep discovering new nuances every time. So much so that the French Laetitia @laetitia.cartomancy, who studied art history at Sorbonne and works as an intuitive counsellor, has created a workshop dedicated to the Carnival at the End of the World iconography.

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

This is silly but I do not have a favourite card, I have three (our four)! Since I discovered everyone has Tarot birth cards assigned to them and mine were The Sun, The Wheel of Fortune and The Magician, they became favourites. That said, I do have a soft spot for The Hermit card. I believe it is the one I identify myself with the most, especially the introversion and search aspects of it.

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

When I first heard about it, I guess just like everybody else I was shocked and in disbelief. There were so many unanswered questions and real, practical fears. Having a small child on my arms made me feel even more vulnerable and worried for the future than I would have otherwise. Being or feeling creative surely took a hit because there were urgent matters to be faced and sorted out. At that time, or just before it, I was hoping to be ready to launch the Kickstarter campaign, but I wasn’t. It took me longer to get things to the level I envisioned them. I considered postponing the whole project indefinitely but, in the end, I have always believed that it is better to have a plan than no plan at all and it is even better if you have something to look forward to. I kept working on the deck and here I am now. The campaign is live!

What have been your challenges in creating this deck?

Undoubtedly, the most challenging and maybe as a consequence the most rewarding aspect of creating the deck was finding what I believed to be the perfect corresponding representation of each one of the very human archetypes represented in the Tarot card in the botanical world.

Apart from the creation process which to me is where the fun is, other challenges have been abundant. Understanding crowdfunding, working on sourcing, defining production and fulfilment strategies and being prepared for “different levels of success” of the campaign were and still are all very time consuming, challenging and intensive work. Luckily for me, Leonardo, my dear husband, is always here to support my endeavours. La Flora is my creation but without him, it would not have become a reality.

Why did you choose botanicals as the theme for this deck?

I am obsessed with plants. I could not have chosen any other subject because plants occupy a great deal of my daily thinking process. I am always gardening on my mind. I am always reading, researching and getting my hands occupied with plants as much as I possibly can.

How will you celebrate when the deck is finally published?

I will celebrate by contributing to an Organization I have long admired called Instituto Terra, in Brazil. Coincidentally located at the state I was born, Minas Gerais. It was created by Lélia and Sebastião Salgado, who is a documentary photographer of great prestige. The Instituto Terra has achieved an almost surreal recovery and “turned back the clock” by reforesting more than 600 hectares of Atlantic Forest and they continue to do so. The German publisher TASCHEN claims to have a zero-carbon footprint by partnering with them. Anyone interested in knowing more can do so by visiting https://institutoterra.org

What is on offer for people who pledge?

I guess this question is best answered by the campaign page itself since besides the deck, I ended up developing many complementary items and even went as far as creating LFX, the La Flora eXperience. I invite all your readers to go to Kickstarter to check it out, I promise they will not regret it!

To add this unique botanical deck to your collection click here:

Kickstqrter - La Flora Tarot