Black Silk Tarot

[sawasta]

I've been working on my own deck, the Black Silk Tarot (I'm an artist and I've felt a burning need to make my own deck ever since I started with tarot, it just feels like the best way to have a deck that actually resonates with me)

 

I would love any feedback that you guys have to offer! Especially since I'm sure a lot of you have more experience with tarot and indie decks in general. I am open to suggestions and revision ideas. I have about 14 cards, a box design, and a card back design but I'll just start off with my first card and the card back design for right now.

for each card I decided to use symbolism I personally feel drawn to (the overall style is more representative of my identity as an artist, and a lot of the deck is symbolic or metaphorical in nature)

for the card back design, I mostly went with a design that fit the aesthetic style of the deck, I'm very drawn to plants and nature in general and for me personally plants are a big part of my sense of spirituality. This deck has a lot of emphasis on nature and the beauty of the natural world, it also has an emphasis on minimalistic design.

 

 

for the fool card, I used the mouse to represent the fool. On the right, the mouse is passing close by to a snake, showing the naivety and idea of beginners luck associated with this card. Since this card is also associated with new beginnings, but more specifically the idea of a leap of faith, the mouse is clearly escaping and the snake appears passive. In this situation, the fool is embodying the positive nature of this card in that it is showing the way that idealism and taking chances can work out in ones favor. On the left, there is the warning aspect of this card, showing the dangers of recklessness, etc, through the snake being ready to strike. The negative message of this card is conveyed as skeletons because it is a warning, telling you what you might have to face or may currently be dealing with in terms of the nature of your situation.

While this card is positive when upright in that it can show that it is the time to make that leap of faith, I feel the emphasis on this card is always a gentle warning to be aware of risks and the reality of your situation. When upright, the mouse has escaped, yes, but still had to pass a snake (aka, you have to dive into your situation, whether positive and upright or reversed and unwelcome). I would like to note that on the left, the snake has not caught the mouse, the mouse is alert and facing the snake as well. This is because this is still not an overall negative card, though my personal leaning is to emphasize the cautionary tale of the fool.

 

 

If anyone took the time to read this, thank you! again I appreciate any feedback or criticism 🙂

 

[sawasta]

The image quality didn't translate very well on here but if anyone has Instagram I've posted all the cards there 🙂 I'm @sawasta on Instagram if you're interested

[AJ-ish/Sharyn]

excellent that you are getting the words down with the cards. It will help you clarify much 😉 

Enjoy the journey! 

[katrinka]

On 9/4/2021 at 10:48 AM, sawasta said:

for the fool card, I used the mouse to represent the fool. On the right, the mouse is passing close by to a snake, showing the naivety and idea of beginners luck associated with this card. Since this card is also associated with new beginnings, but more specifically the idea of a leap of faith, the mouse is clearly escaping and the snake appears passive. In this situation, the fool is embodying the positive nature of this card in that it is showing the way that idealism and taking chances can work out in ones favor. On the left, there is the warning aspect of this card, showing the dangers of recklessness, etc, through the snake being ready to strike. The negative message of this card is conveyed as skeletons because it is a warning, telling you what you might have to face or may currently be dealing with in terms of the nature of your situation.

 

The line work is excellent, you did a particularly good job on those snake bones.
I agree, the Fool has a somewhat positive slant in the RWS tradition, but it's not without danger. He's going off a cliff! I once saw it described as "the fall into matter" and while I can't say with any certainty that this is an intended meaning, it does fit. We're born and we get to have beautiful experiences, but there is also horror, pain, sadness, etc.

 

The skeletons could be emblematic of the breakdown of structures. You've managed to work several of the inflections into this. The only thing missing is the head in the clouds dream/fantasy aspect, and who knows what the mouse was thinking? It passed right by the snake. So maybe that's there, too.
 

On 9/4/2021 at 10:48 AM, sawasta said:

While this card is positive when upright in that it can show that it is the time to make that leap of faith, I feel the emphasis on this card is always a gentle warning to be aware of risks and the reality of your situation. When upright, the mouse has escaped, yes, but still had to pass a snake (aka, you have to dive into your situation, whether positive and upright or reversed and unwelcome). I would like to note that on the left, the snake has not caught the mouse, the mouse is alert and facing the snake as well. This is because this is still not an overall negative card, though my personal leaning is to emphasize the cautionary tale of the fool.

 

I like that you've divided it vertically instead of horizontally. The two sides can influence neighboring cards accordingly. 🙂

[katrinka]

I had a look at your Instagram and those are good, in a distilled, almost minimalistic kind of way. And there's a mythic angle. I like it.

[sawasta]

@katrinka thank you so much! I'm really glad to hear that 🙂

[katrinka]

And thank you for the effort you're putting into this.
It can be difficult making money doing art, and so many artists aren't really into Tarot, but see it as a venue where they can make money. Decks apparently tend to sell better than art prints, paintings, etc. I've seen some of these people collecting card meanings on facebook! 😬 Artists absolutely should be able to make a living at what they do, but there's so many really bad Tarots out there. I wish people would just buy more art and not put non-readers in a position where they feel like they have to do a deck.
This is not one of those decks, by any stretch of the imagination. 🙂