blog hopping again...with Willows East

I've connected with Gretchen at Willows East for another blog hop. It's a pretty simple one where we share stuff about what we do and why.

The idea is to briefly introduce visitors to your Tarot or Intuitive blog, journey, mission, or business.

Here's a link so you can visit Gretchen and the other blog hoppers: http://willowseast.blogspot.com/2016/07/tarot-blog-hop.html

1. What brought you to Tarot?
When I was 19 a long-time friend handed me a tarot deck as a gift and said, "This looked like something that would be right up your alley." At the time, I had never heard of tarot before and I'm not sure she had either. But she did know I interpreted dreams and analyzed handwriting so tarot seemed equally mysterious and awesome. It was the beginning of a life-long love affair.

2. Which deck is your favorite?
My oldest favorite tarot deck is the Tarot of the Ages. It has the most sumptuous artwork I've ever seen and I appreciate the realistic body images.

But since I mostly use the decks I create now, my favorite would be a toss up between Tarot Everywhere and The Animal Tarot. Tarot Everywhere began as a photo project. I began noticing tarot cards in photos and soon those photos became this tarot deck. It seems to be a deck that most people can relate too. The Animal Tarot is a deck that features photos of animals instead of people. I like that it's not a fluffy, pretty deck -- the animals are serious and in their different natural habitats. It's a great deck for combining tarot and animal totem wisdom.

Tarot Everywhere

The Animal Tarot

3. Link to your Tarot business page, shop, or explain the purpose of your blog.
I have started many, many blogs. The one I had before this one was a collection of my posts on cartomancy, tarot, and divination tools (https://twelveofhearts.wordpress.com/). During that time, I started creating my own decks. My initial purpose was to make or use images to represent tarot cards since there are so many copyright restrictions on using deck images. When I posted photos of my decks, people asked: Are you going to sell them? When can I buy it? Why won't you sell it?

At the time, I didn't know of a simple way to sell them until Printerstudio (the printer I use) offered a SELL YOUR DESIGN feature where you can make your designs available for others to purchase. By that time, I had made two decks that I was ready to share. So, I started this blog as a way to  demonstrate ways to use them in readings. Now, I've published 15 decks on Printerstudio (and counting). You can find my decks in my Printerstudio shopspace: http://www.printerstudio.com/sell/otmoraclecards

4. What makes your journey or business unique?
I don't know that my journey is unique. I'm just another tarot nerd obsessed with cards!

5. Ask your deck, higher self, or guide, what it would like to share with visitors. Draw one card and/or share your response.
I'm working on an exciting new deck concept that uses haiku as a divinatory and meditation tool. Each card features one line of a translated haiku by Matsuo Basho. When you pull three cards, you create a new poem.

in a world of one color
flecked with mud
spring rain

Since I've been having strong empathic reactions surrounding recent #BlackLivesMatter incidents, I believe the poem is a commentary on it. I'm interpreting the spring rain as an impending and necessary healing that will wash away the mud (blocks/places where we're stuck) in our one color world (we're all one).

I'm making tarot & oracle decks, and divination courses

Support me on Patreon

May rewards and other news

Here's what's going on this month on Patreon and beyond!

First of all, a hearty thank you to all of my Patreon patrons for your donations last month. Your support helped me to purchase some prototype decks that I'm currently working on, including a unique Kipper deck concept.

If you're wondering what Patreon is, it's a place where you can support your favorite ongoing creative projects and creative people. I've decided to use it as a repository for all my goodies (my divination ebooks; tutorials on making your own tarot or oracle deck; sneak previews of decks in progress; FREE readings with new decks; a study group for practicing tarot and other forms of divination; mentoring feedback; and much more) Plus, you can participate in my deck creating process by providing input on artwork and card interpretations!

I've decided to launch The Geomancy Deck this month after a request on Instagram and an increased interest in this subject from the divination community because of Kelly's (The Truth in Story) recent YouTube lessons on geomancy.

This month on Instagram, I'm sharing a mini-course on the 16 figures of geomancy. I'll be pulling this information + additional resources and background on geomantic divination into a little ebook as a reward to share with my Tier 2 ($5/month) Patreon supporters.

For next month's Tier 2 reward, I'm planning to share an ebook on tarot and handwriting. It will expand upon my recent blog post. I think you'll get some surprising insights about both tarot and your handwriting!!

Patreon posts you missed last month (these posts are only accessible by patrons):

Have you tried the Wayne Cook posture?

What apps save in high resolution?

On The Road Again: A Spread for Life Path Cards

Life Path Cards Exercise: Light & Shadow

Prototype Update

Video Tutorial: 3 apps to create black and white photos

Digital Archive for Photos and Illustrations

This month, in my private Patreon stream, I'll also be sharing...

• FREE readings using deck prototypes
• sneak previews of decks in progress
• an exercise to develop your psychic ability
• a tarot timing exercise
• a unique wallpaper based on a new Kipper cards deck concept

How can you get access to my private Patreon stream? Just become my supporter. You can make a pledge as low as $1/month.

~ Kristen

Shop For My Decks

HERE

i see white people in my tarot cards ~ my thoughts on #tarotsowhite

I just found out about this hashtag #tarotsowhite from reading Benebell Wen's blog post: My Perspective and #Tarotsowhite. The hashtag was created by Kelly-Ann Maddox on her cardslinger vlog, Episode 307: Cardslinger: Reversals | Mini-Decks & Complaining About Whiteness. If you check out the video below, she brings it up in the video at roughly 25:00. She's talking about the overwhelming lack of race diversity in tarot and oracle decks and invites people of color to share their views. I applaud Kelly-Ann for bringing awareness to this topic and for inviting other viewpoints.

Here is her introductory statement but please watch this entire section so you'll understand my comments:

"I am completely aware that another White voice is not what we need on this issue. My intention is to use my platform to open up this dialogue and to start having this conversation so that we as purchasers of tarot and oracle decks can let creators and publishing houses know that we find the lack of race diversity in decks to be disturbing and perturbing and unsettling and all around yucky...."

I am Black, American, almost 50 years old, and a tarot and oracle reader for over 25 years. I've been in the online divination community for about 20 years. I'm also a deck creator and I believe that telling deck creators who or what to include in their decks is the equivalent of telling an artist what to draw and how to paint it. I certainly wouldn't want anyone telling me what to create or who to include in my decks.

It's great to bring more awareness to this but I believe we should be focusing attention on the consumer. The finger should be pointed back at ourselves. If we truly have an ethical problem with a deck, we should not be purchasing it, promoting it with giveaways, showing it on our Instagram feeds, or doing video reviews of the deck. As deck purchasers, we need to change our mindset and buying habits, and use the power of money to create change.

Tarot Everywhere deck ~ purchase HERE

No Quotas Please
I'm not into the idea of deck creators adding people of color to their decks just to suit popular opinion or to fill a publisher quota. I'd rather they create a deck that is authentic to them without forcing a racially integrated experience. Why? Because cultural authenticity is just as important as race diversity. If a deck creator/artist doesn't know any Black folks in real life, how do they know how to depict us in their deck? Are they in tune with our cultural nuances? Are they attentive to our physical features? When you create art or anything else, you create from what you know. The issue isn't about simply putting people of color into every deck. The real issue is about getting to know real people of color in the real world. When we ALL start doing this, it will naturally lead to more inclusion. 

Tarot For Lost Souls (personal deck)

Don't Hate...Create!
In the Black community, I've found that we're much more responsive to decks that are also created by us so we can put our money into our community and support each other. But many of the decks that prominently feature people of color are not actually created by them. If you don't feel included in tarot and want a deck that represents you...create it! Don't wait for someone else to do it. Anything worth having is worth pursuing.

Untitled deck in progress

A Little Help
If you're looking for more diverse decks, don't wait for those decks to stream by in your Instagram or Facebook feed. Go find them! Here's 20 decks to get you started! If you can't find anything on this list that resonates with you, then it's time to make your own deck!! With all of the self-publishing options and resources at your fingertips, you have no excuse not to.

Tarot of the Ages
Black Angel Cards
Afro-Brazilian Tarot
African-American Tarot
The Urban Tarot
Gaian Tarot
African Goddess Affirmation Cards
The Motherpeace Round Tarot Deck
Tarot de St. Croix
Vision Quest Tarot
The Sweeney Tarot
Vudu Tarot/Espiritismo Tarot
Medicine Woman Tarot
Tao Oracle
The Charming Tarot
So Below Deck: Book of Shadows Tarot, Vol. 2
Universal Goddess Tarot
Vanessa Tarot
Tarot of the Boroughs

The Stretch Tarot

Support someone who is creating NOT hating!
Become one of my patrons on Patreon! 

support my creative alchemy through Patreon.com

Have you heard of Patreon.com? It's a relatively new platform that allows people to support artists and other creative types on an ongoing basis. Unlike Kickstarter, where you're funding a specific project, Patreon.com funds creatives on a monthly or per project basis. I've just set up my Patreon page. You can check it out HERE.

Why Patreon?
One of the reasons I was interested in Patreon is because I've been looking for a place to put ALL of my stuff. I've got a newsletter where I share my updates on new decks available for sale. I have a freebies folder where I put my downloadable LWBs (brief guide to decks I create). I share my personal readings and tarot challenges on one Instagram account and weekly free readings on another Instagram account. I've written many divination and symbolism articles, tutorials, and ebooks that are just sitting in my computer. My interest and training in symbolism also expands beyond divination into feng shui, handwriting analysis, spiritual aromatherapy, toe reading, crystals, dowsing -- I find myself answering questions about these topics on a regular basis. Here's a week's worth of questions:

• The number 21 has been trying to get my attention. What does it mean?
• What do purple orbs mean?
• I had a dream about spiders. What's that about?
• What's the best essential oil for ________________?
• How do I space clear my house real quick?
• What gemstone/crystal should I buy for my throat chakra?
• Why can't I sleep?
• Should I hire this person? Look at their handwriting for me.

My initial thought was to create an online academy and condense much of my accumulated work into mini-courses. But then I'd just be creating another platform where I could only share a limited amount of information in one format. With Patreon, I can share everything in one place.

How does it work?
Patreon is a platform for recurring funding for creators. You make a monthly donation to the creator to support their work. Your payment is set up as a recurring subscription which you can always change or cancel.


What now?
Make a pledge of $1 or more a month to become more involved in my creative alchemy and support my efforts. With each pledge level, you'll gain additional rewards.

Can you pledge a one-time donation?
Unfortunately, no, Patreon isn't set up like that. However, they're cool with this option:

If you'd only like to support a creator on Patreon for one month, simply delete your pledge after the first of the month, when we process pledges to creators.


Sample Posts
I've set up pledge levels based on tarot archetypes. When you pledge for $1/month, you'll be rewarded with sneak previews of up and coming decks. Plus you'll have the opportunity to become one of my beta testers for readings with new decks. Here are examples of already published posts:

SNEAK PREVIEW: Productive Weekend with the Heroines of Shakespeare Oracle

Over the weekend I edited 40 images for a potential oracle deck - The Heroines of Shakespeare. Each image features an illustration from the 1850 book The Heroines of Shakespeare. The old book illustrations were edited in three apps: PhotoToaster, Superimpose, and Snapseed. I also used the PhotoViva app to create the textured backgrounds.

There weren't enough images to make a tarot deck so this will be a unique oracle deck. I had to use sparknotes.com to check the literary reference for each heroine. Some of them I removed from the deck because they have too minor a role in the play. It will take a good deal of research to develop even a LWB for this deck but I love a good challenge. I would love to get feedback from you Shakespeare fans as I work on it.

I'll be ordering a prototype today so we'll see what it looks like in a couple weeks.

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Q&A: I want to make an oracle divination deck with vintage photographs... 

I want to make an oracle divination deck with vintage Black/African/African American photographs. From the 1800's to maybe the 40s. I also was looking to have some more varied type of situations as well, family life, looser work and social interactions, etc, which is why I wanted to go up to the 40's and not just the victorian era. I know there are sites with photos for purchase, but what was the protocol for using them with your decks? Are those the sources you used?

Photo stock images are great for contemporary images but I don't see many with vintage images. So, my thought is that for what you want, you'll have to go through collection archives like the Library of Congress. There are a couple of collections that might suit your project and they already have the rights and restrictions listed.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/anedub/

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/lomax/

http://sirismm.si.edu/siris/sirisimagegallery.htm (search by culture groups)

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STUDY GROUP: Comparative Tarot with The Magician 
The purpose of this comparative tarot exercise is to EXPAND your understanding of the tarot card.

Make a list of the interpretations/meanings you derive from the visual image of each card.

Compare and contrast your lists for each card. How do the images present a unique interpretation of the card? Where do the interpretations overlap?

Consider what new insights you've gained about this card. Use your discernment to determine which interpretations really resonate with you and this card.

Based on this exercise, make a new list of interpretations for this card. Feel free to share your new interpretations in the comments.