#createthisoracledeck challenge prompts

As promised, here are the prompts for the #createthisoracledeck challenge on Instagram during March. I hope you'll join in. You can also sign up now for my FREE course too! It's where all of the challenge information will be compiled along with a few extras. Sign Up For Create This Oracle Deck Course.

Read more about it in this blog post: http://overthemoon-oraclecards.blogspot.com/2017/02/createthisoracledeck-challenge-coming.html

Join in by following the daily prompts to create your own personal oracle deck. You can draw, collage, or use apps to create your deck. We'll do a total of 30 cards. On March 31st, you can show your entire deck!

We'll also be creating a guidebook to accompany your deck. It will include your personal symbols and interpretations of the prompts. You can use a plain composition notebook or sketch pad.

We begin March 1, 2017. This list of prompts has been posted on Instagram so you can follow along. Each day, I'll post my own interpretation of the prompt along with questions and symbolism insights so you can develop your guidebook.

Follow me on Instagram for updates!

#createthisoracledeck challenge coming in March

Have you ever thought of creating your own oracle deck? Of course you have! I know because I get questions about this ALL. THE. TIME. I've even written an entire article about my process of creating decks which you can find as a guest blog post here on Little Red Tarot: http://littleredtarot.com/how-to-make-your-own-tarot-or-oracle-deck/


THE CHALLENGE
One of the things that always surprises me is how super artistic people seem stuck in terms of creating an oracle deck. I'm talking about YOU!! I've seen your drawings and doodles on Instagram. They're awesome. Just put them onto cards and you have an oracle deck! I realize there is a bit of creative paralysis that interferes with ART-ing sometimes so I've developed a challenge to get past that obstacle. It's called #createthisoracledeck challenge and it runs during March on Instagram. It's a way to create a unique, personal oracle your way. I hope it will also help you understand how to translate a symbol into meaning. For some of you, this might be the first step to creating an oracle deck you're ready to share with the world.

This will be done Wreck This Journal style (I'm referring to series of journaling books by Keri Smith) with a prompt for each card. Join in by following the daily prompts to create your own personal oracle deck. You can draw, collage, or use apps to create your deck. We'll do a total of 30 cards.

WHAT YOU NEED
✨Cardstock, blank cards, index cards, etc. You can find blank card decks on amazon and makeplayingcards.com
✨Pencils & non-bleed pens and markers for drawing (rubber stamping is also a great idea)
✨Magazines, stickers, scissors and glue stick for collage
✨Apps like Tayasui Sketches, ArtStudio, to make digital drawings

*Remember that using watercolors or too much glue will curl your blank cards or index cards and they will be difficult to shuffle.

The intention of this challenge is to create a usable oracle deck without getting hung up on the details. That's why there are prompts and a time limitation of one day per card. If it's taking you more than a day to do each card, you're doing too much. If you're getting stuck in a perfection rut, repeat this mantra: "It doesn't have to be perfect. I have plenty of great ideas and unlimited opportunities to create." 

Feel free to make your deck as simple or complex as you like. It's not about the art. I mean, seriously, have you seen my drawings??? It's about creating a unique tool that reflects you + having fun. The prompts are deceptively simple. But they reflect a variety of symbolic systems such as numerology, dreamwork, inner child work, totem animals, and more. I'll also be sharing spreads throughout the month to use with your deck.

We'll also be creating a guidebook to accompany your deck. It will include your personal symbols and interpretations of the prompts. You can use a plain composition notebook or sketch pad. Some of you may want to take an art journaling or mind mapping approach to it. My guidebook is purposely more decorative than my deck and I've recreated my simple line drawings. But this isn't necessary for your guidebook.


WHEN WE BEGIN
March 1, 2017. A list of prompts will be posted on Instagram and here on the blog at the end of February.

After completion of the challenge, I plan to assemble a playbook with the challenge steps, prompts, spreads, and hopefully some of your photos for inspiration. It will be available as a free guide here on my blog.

Follow me on Instagram for updates!

how to make your own tarot (or oracle) deck

Have you checked out my guest blog post over on Beth Maiden's Little Red Tarot blog? I wrote about how to make your own tarot (or oracle) deck. I basically give an outline of things to consider if you're inspired to make your own deck. Check out the article on Beth's blog and let me know what you think. You can also download the article as a .pdf file here on my Patreon post.

DIY Oracle: "Selfie" Tarot for the #diytarotchallenge

When I heard about last month's DIY tarot challenge (#diytarotchallenge) hosted by Prince(ss) of Pentacles on tumblr (see the original post) I was happy to just observe. I had already completed 15 decks within the last 8 months so I was ready to rest.

But after seeing the first few posts on Instagram, I got excited and inspired all over again and decided to do just a few cards. Well, just a few cards turned into all the Majors pretty quickly and my tarot selfie deck was born.

To create this deck I merged one of my self-portrait silhouettes with images from Unsplash.com using the MultiExpo app and a variety of other apps. My goal was to translate the symbolism of each Major Arcana card onto my silhouette.

I think the first 10 cards were better because my inspiration started to wane a bit toward the end, but all in all I'm very happy with them. I really had no intention of making this into an actual deck until I did a reading with them choosing cards at random from my camera roll. It was such a powerful and insightful reading that I ordered a printed deck from PrinterStudio.com the next day.

 

Check out all the wonderful and amazing challenge artwork on IG HERE.

DIY Oracle: make oracle cards with abstract art created on your iPhone

One of my greatest joys is my creativity, but unfortunately I'm not very talented in the drawing department. So, I use my creativity to come up with new ways to "draw." Last year, I learned to create abstract art using iPhone apps.

Sometimes, abstract art is perfect for the oracle deck you want to create. It may provide a simpler interface with the cards, helping the reader fill in the blanks using their intuition. One abstract tarot deck I've seen a lot on Instagram is Eric Soto's Soto Tarot deck. Check it out on his blog.

If you have wondered how to create an oracle deck with abstract images, here are some ideas to get you started:

Geometric abstracts made with Tangent app

Right now, I'm playing with my new Chakra Cards, a simple, square 35-card deck featuring cards corresponding to the seven chakras. I used some simple colors and ran them through Tangent app to add a few lines and shapes for more visual appeal.

With Tangent, you can add geometric shapes, patterns, and texture overlays to your photos. The app is really easy to use. Just open your photo in the app and tap on one of the many patterns or frame presets to create an unlimited number of possibilities.

I settled on a simple pattern with a triangle. With this deck, the triangle is used as a pointer. If the chakra is balanced, the triangle will point up. If the chakra is overactive, the triangle will point to the right. If underactive, it will point to the left and when blocked it points down.


Kaleidoscope mandalas made with Defqt app

These are the minors from a tarot deck I'm calling Shadow Spirits Tarot. I'm not sure if it will ever see the light of day but it's been a fun and really creative process. For the minor pips, I created mandalas using the app, Defqt.

In the app, the effects are called “defects.” Some of the defects include:

Kaleidoscope: kaleidoscopic patterns
Stripes: slices image into stripes
Mesh: unique mesh pattern
Blender: interesting color patterns
Reflect: mirror images
Noise: grainy lines
Wave: liquid distortion

I used the kaleidoscope effect to create these different mandalas for each suit. Just pull any photo into Defqt and choose the Kaleidoscope defect. I usually tap the randomizer in the app until I see an effect I like and then save it.

For a bit more on using Defqt, check out my tutorial using this app to create abstract portraits.

Flower abstracts made with RollWorld app

I haven't figured out how I'd like to use these flower abstracts for an oracle deck, but I really love them. They were made in the RollWorld app. RollWorld produces what's known as a tiny planet effect (also called stereographic, little planet or little world effect) which turns your photo into a circular image imitating a small planet. The bottom third of the photo becomes the center of the planet and the top of the photo wraps around the planet.

Typically, people use these apps to create the tiny planet effect out of landscape photos that have a definitive horizon line. However, I like to use this app with photos of flowers to create a flower planet abstract.

The first step is to take a photo of flowers. It's best to use a bunch or group of flowers in different colors rather than a single flower. Then you simply edit the photo in the app. There are lots of options for creating different images. I like to take the RollWorld image and "paint" it in a few painterly style apps as well. If you'd like a step-by-step on this, read my tutorial at iPhone Photography School.

There are tons of ways to create an abstract effect with photo editing apps, and I'm sure you can find Android apps with these same features. Now, go make something!

DIY Oracle: Tarot for Lost Souls

In this DIY Oracle, you'll learn how I used an app on my iPad to create Tarot for Lost Souls, a 22-card tarot Major Arcana deck.

IDEA 
One of my favorite apps is Uface (Unique Face Maker). It allows you to make cartoon-like avatars with many different expressions. After playing with Uface for several months, I wondered if I could create a personal deck of tarot Majors using the faces I was creating. Some of the cards seemed easy because they already represented "people" like the Empress, Magician, and Hermit. But what about the Wheel of Fortune or the Chariot?

I have a tumultuous history with tarot majors. Many, many years ago, I had so much trouble interpreting their archetypal energies within the context of everyday readings that I finally removed them from my tarot decks. This led to my decision to read playing cards almost exclusively. Creating this deck has helped me to see these archetypes through my own eyes, not through a book interpretation. In my hero's journey, The Magician is a con artist, the World is a beauty queen, the Star is a sensitive massage therapist, and Strength is a tired old woman.

I can clearly witness my personal and cultural filters in this deck too. For instance, I realized that I made the Justice and Tower cards with similar symbols.
 

 

As an African-American, the symbolism of the afro hairstyle, the sucker punch, and the Black Power fist in the Justice (equality, fairness, (in)justice) and Tower (destruction, chaos, brutality) cards is not lost on me. But what's surprising is that I wasn't conscious of putting such similar symbols in both cards until I saw them together in a spread. This goes to show you that creating a deck like this is a highly intuitive process. It's also a personal reflection of you, your biases, and all of your filters of experience. I think that's why the name, Tarot for Lost Souls, struck a chord with me. Putting these archetypes together into one deck helped me see all of the lost parts of myself.

Some of my lost (and found) selves

ART

The cards are black and white. The images were created using the ios version of Uface app, which is also available for Android. I then used another app, Tiled, to add a black frame for the bottom. After uploading to PrinterStudio.com, this area was used to include the card name.

Step 1: Create the face in Uface app

The Uface app is easy to use. Once you open the app, you decide whether you wish to create a face using the app's presets or start with a photograph. If you wish to work with the presets, you select the male or female icon.

If you wish to use a photograph, tap on the camera + face icon under Gallery. Creating faces from photographs of yourself or your friends will really personalize your deck. Here are some faces I created based on photos of myself and a few co-workers:

What I LOVE about this app is the choices! So many choices! You can change the face shape, hair, eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth. Plus, you can add accessories like hats and glasses, and jewelry (female) or mustaches (male). Color can also be added to every feature. In the screenshot below, I've colored the hair light brown.

There are also backgrounds (hearts, musical notes, storm clouds, etc.) which help tell your character's story, and hands can be added to show action.

When you're happy with how your avatar/archetype looks, save to the Gallery. When ready, you can download it to your Camera Roll.

The app will save with the Uface logo at the bottom right of the image but I always do a square crop to crop this out.

If you don't want to make physical cards, you can stop after this step and add all of your images directly to your camera roll in their own folder. Then, when you have a question, close your eyes and tap on a random image. Whatever you select is your answer. I call this lazy divination but it works almost as well as shuffling cards. 

Step 2: Add title frame to the bottom in Tiled app

Next, I pulled the image into an app called Tiled. It's a collage maker app. What's great about it is you can customize your own collage. I use a customized collage for making most of my decks. It's the one that's highlighted in the screenshot below.

Once the square Uface image is pulled into the top of the collage, you can add color to the bottom part of the collage (see screenshot below). Save it to your Camera Roll. Now it's ready for uploading at PrinterStudio.com.

Step 3: Finish in PrinterStudio.com

I'm not going to give an entire PrinterStudio.com tutorial. You'll have to go in there and play around. But here's a screenshot showing you how to add text to the bottom of the card. In the screenshot below, I've added the word FOOL in white letters using the Markerman font.

METHODOLOGY

Since this is a Majors-only deck, I use it the same way I would any other tarot deck. I know many people think of a Majors-only deck for spiritual readings, but I don't use this deck in that way. The images are so informal, the deck lends itself to everyday readings. I have been amazed by the breadth and depth of my readings with these cards. They are very easy to interpret in all kinds of spreads.

SAMPLE READING

Dee has met a new guy who seems loving and attentive but she feels uncertain about him. She wonders, "Why do I feel like I can't trust him with my heart?"

The Why? Why? Why? Spread

Card 1 = What you think is happening. This card shows your perception of what's going on.

Card 2 = Unconscious desires. What do you really want in this situation? There are often unconscious desires blocking you from attaining what you really want and from seeing things clearly.

Card 3 = What's actually happening. This card reveals the truth of what's going on, often in contrast to what you think is happening.

Card 4 = Your contribution. What is your role in this? This card reveals an action or mindset that is contributing to the problem and keeping you in a cycle of confusion.

Card 5 = Expectations. This shows the expectations (positive or negative) that you hold related to this issue. There is usually a strong connection between this card and the unconscious desires.

Card 6 = What is needed for greater clarity. Contrast this card with your contribution. It shows a skill needed to see the situation more clearly.

Card 7 = Overall guidance.  This card shows the best way to proceed.

Before going into each card individually, I look at the spread as a whole and see if there are any visual comparisons/contrasts to be made. What similarities can be seen in the Unconscious Desires (Tower) and Expectations (Justice) cards? What differences are seen in Cards 1 and 3 (Magician and Fool) or Cards 4 and 6 (Devil and Temperance)?

What you think is happening

In this deck, the Magician is a trickster or con man. You may think this guy is too good to be true or that he's pulling a fast one on you. Do you believe this guy is conning you? Do you think he's untrustworthy?

Unconscious desires

The Tower shows a sucker punch from left field. Is there some part of you that doesn't want this relationship to work? Sometimes, we get so accustomed to dealing with crap that it becomes comfortable and we don't know how to live without it in our lives. This card shows an unconscious desire for difficulty.

What's actually happening

The Magician represented a con artist but the Fool shows this guy is really sincere and perhaps a little naive at heart. He's hopeful and full of big dreams although he may not be realistic about how to achieve them. 

Your contribution

The Devil shows you may be acting out or acting impulsively,  doing things to get attention or push him away. Your uncertainty about this relationship may be causing you to be rebellious and immature in this relationship.

Expectations

This card shows you're expecting trouble. Justice snarls and raises her power fist...she's ready to fight for her rights. But in this context, it's all wrong. Justice in this position suggests you're expecting that you will need to defend yourself in this relationship. Compare this card to Tower (Unconscious Desires). There's a lot of similarity between these two cards visually. In the Tower, the guy is getting punched. In this card, the fist is already up to defend against such infractions. Questions to consider: Why are you on guard? Why do you expect to get sucker-punched in this relationship?

What's needed for greater clarity

Temperance shows that moderation is needed for greater clarity. Contrast this card with Devil (Your Contribution). While Devil is radical and extreme, Temperance takes the opposite approach by being calm and dispassionate. She wants to see all sides of the issue and remain as neutral as possible so she can make a wise assessment based on the facts as they are actually presented. She stays focused on the present, not the past or the future.

Overall Guidance

The Sun is giving you a thumbs up which means everything is fine and it's time to go for it.

DIY Oracle: life path cards

UPDATE!! Now Available....Life Path Cards for purchase! I created a new Life Path Cards deck for the public. It's a 54-card large size deck (3.5" x 5.75") featuring a wide variety of paths that metaphorically reflect your life path. Read this blog post to see more photos. 

Purchase Life Path Cards

HERE

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This is my first DIY Oracle post. In this series, I'll show you how I create new oracles from the planning phase to the production phase. My intention is to share all my secrets and let you know exactly how I create oracles from start to finish. I have three decks currently available for sale, but I have many more decks I've created for personal readings. I hope you will be inspired to create an oracle of your own.

Life Path Cards

IDEA
The original idea for this began with an idea to create a meditation deck, featuring nature and landscape photos that I could simply gaze at with the hopes of bringing more peace and calm to my life. I had hoped that looking into the photo would elicit a sense of actually being out there in nature (especially since I'm way too lazy busy doing computer stuff to actually take a walk!!). I made my first set of meditation cards and I thought they were great. What I noticed is that I was really drawn to the photos featuring a path or road. I could envision myself walking along the path and I began to tell the story of what lay ahead. I quickly realized I wanted an entire deck of paths. But where to find so many photos of paths?

ART
I believe if you ask for it, you'll find it, eventually. I looked everywhere for photos of paths and finally stumbled across a free stock photo website called PhotoRack.net. I found my paths under the INDUSTRIAL & TECHNOLOGY > Roads section. I selected images that featured a good mix of paths, highways, rural roads, curves, tunnels, etc. I also wanted a few cards to feature people or animals so you would have something to encounter along the path. Normally, I would do a little photo editing in some of my apps but since this is just a personal deck, I didn't tweak any of the images.

PRODUCTION

I used PrinterStudio.com to make 54 poker-sized cards with black borders. The black borders allow the eye to be drawn into the photo. This deck may work better with a larger size, but I decided to get the poker size because I like to have decks I can easily fit into my purse.

The bordered cards also work well because they allow you to add text at the top. Each card is numbered so that I can find specific cards easily and have a way to distinguish them instead of writing, "Long, winding path through the woods" or "Wide path down the highway."

PrinterStudio.com has a drag and drop interface which is pretty simple to use and doesn't require you to be too tech-savvy. You simply upload your images and then drag and drop them into place. My personal deck cost a total of $8.99 to purchase on PrinterStudio.com. I don't ever incur shipping fees because I order several different decks at a time. If you purchase more than $30 you can use the coupon code SHIP30 for free shipping on any order.

METHODOLOGY
Every good divination tool must have an accompanying system or methodology. It's wise to have figured out your method before you create the oracle but of course the method will develop as you use the tool.

Each of the Life Path Cards reflects an aspect of your life journey. You can see your past, present and future life path. The cards can also be used to reveal your career and love life path.

This is purely a visual deck. There aren't any words to describe each photo or qualities that are assigned to each card. The goal is to simply imagine that you are on this path.

Questions to consider when pulling a card:

• What kind of path is it? Wide? Narrow? Twisty?
• How would you feel while walking along this path? Relaxed? Fearful? Unsure of your direction?
• Are you going uphill or downhill?
• What's right in front of you? What's in the distance?
• Where do you imagine you're going?

Consider the symbolism of the path. For instance, a narrow path shows your choices or opportunities narrowing. If the path curves and you can't see ahead, you may be caught off guard by an unexpected turn in your own life. 

Is the sun shining? There is optimism and a positive outlook. Is there fog or haze along the path? You may not be seeing things clearly. Do the trees along the path offer a shady respite? Or do they act as stern sentinels.

A dark tunnel may show you feel trapped and can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. A mountain in the distance may signify an obstacle or perhaps reaching a milestone. A snow covered path signifies frozen emotions and a need to find a safe, warm place in the world. Traveling a desolate road suggests you feel alone and lost.

Paths showing wide expanses of land suggest life is opening up to you. Highways reflect a busy lifestyle while meandering paths through the woods represent finding your own individual way of living.

SAMPLE READINGS

Life Path Reading

Past life path (where I’ve been)–Out in the middle of nowhere.

This looks like a desolate road, an old highway out in the middle of nowhere. I don’t have an especially warm feeling about this one – just makes me feel lost, hot and wandering. I feel like I might be hitchhiking. All the telephone poles create a certain monotony that makes me uneasy. There are cars in the distance but I can’t tell if they are coming or going.

This seems to describe a long stretch of my life — lost and wandering — where I felt I was out in the middle of nowhere, unsure of where to put my talents and energies…just hitchhiking along trying to figure out where I fit in. Cars in dreams usually symbolize your direction in life and how you’re moving through it. In this image, the cars suggest I wasn’t sure what direction I was headed in….couldn’t tell whether I was coming or going.

Present life path (where I am now)–Taking the scenic route
This is a pretty path with lots of pretty flowers and plants to look at. It looks like a car or something has made a well-worn path here. We’re going around a curve and I can’t see that far ahead but it looks like more of the same pretty flowers. Very scenic although a bit hazy. Actually, it looks like there’s a clearing up ahead.

At this time, I AM taking the scenic route. Even though I’m working on a million projects and I’m in school, life is pretty easy right now because I have the luxury to focus on what I want to do. I’m a little bit more focused on where I’m headed but things are still a bit hazy. Just realized I used the word “pretty” three times which suggests things are NOT as pretty as they seem.

Future life path (where I’m headed)–Coasting downhill
Wheeee! Going downhill on roller skates is how this feels…like I’m sliding down this path very quickly. I like the surroundings but it doesn’t look like I’ll have much time to look around since I’ll be passing by so quickly. This reminds me of a zoo for some reason. I imagine the animals are in pens just behind the bamboo. Everything looks very gated and closed off to the side of the path but in a subtle way. It’s like saying you’re not supposed to see all this behind the bamboo curtain. Up ahead it looks like a wide open area but I can’t see that far.

The zoo doesn’t sound good BUT I really like zoos so maybe it’s a positive omen. I’m hoping once I get out of school things will take off career-wise in some areas I’m shoring up now. I am having trouble “seeing” what the future might bring because many of my projects depend on other people to help move them along. I do like that the path appears clear of any debris or lines. It makes me think of starting with a clean slate or not having any obstacles in my way – sounds good!


Career Path Reading

My past career path
I’m on a highway out in the country, traveling pretty fast as miles of green pastures zip by. There is a hill on either side so right now I can’t see much of the scenery around me. I’ve been traveling pretty fast down my career path but haven’t really been able to enjoy the scenery around me. This card is like having tunnel vision, very focused on moving forward but not really enjoying life.

Card 2 — My present career path
This is a pretty path full of pink flowers. The color pink always reminds me of compassion and healing so perhaps this relates to my current career as a reflexologist. It looks like this path branches off up a hill and around a curve. Compared to the highway I was just on, this path becomes quite narrow when it branches off. This card suggests I will be branching off in a new direction that is narrower in scope, perhaps specializing in a particular area.

Card 3 — My future career path
Bridges signify transitions to me and on this path the bridge leads to the city. I take this to mean that in the future I can expect a career transition which will allow me to reach a wider audience with my skills and talents.

Are you ready to make your own oracle?