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 Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 2:28 pm
I've been reading standard tarot cards for almost 6 years now. Even now, the "traditional" meanings of each card are hard to remember buuuut I've also learned that its 100% about intuition. As readings have come and pass, the traditional meanings I had painstakingly tried to remember have been turned into vague umbrellas of what each card -could- mean.
Still, I have my issues. Being a visual-oriented person, I pick up symbols and meanings from the images on the cards. Naturally, the pictures have to appeal to me; the easier they flow in my eyes, the better I can read them. Because of this, I own...~tries to count~ like 20 decks...and if you're as poor as me, thats not a good thing.
So, why not create my own? I told my boyfriend about the idea and let me tell you, he seemed horrbily shocked despite his laughter. "I'm surprised you havent thought of that yet, Mer." As it happens to be, I am artistically inclined (no, I wont do Gaia art for you, sorry. No scanner), and have the chump change for a few poster boards* and some paint. Why not? AND, why not post up some instructions for other people who wish to make one, as well as update about this fun little journey?
Lets Begin!
At the very least you'll need:
-Poster Board, or heavy paper/card stock
-Paint
-Pens and Pencils
You might also want:
-Magazine/newspaper clippings
-Art from online (Very good if you arent the best with a pen/pencil)
-Glue
-Other...craft materials. I frown greatly upon glitter, but you may not...
*Poster board, though flimsy in one big piece, is actually quite heavy and thick. This GREATLY influenced the style of my deck, as 78 tarot-sized cards make a stack thicker than my hands can shuffle. While Byron (the boyfriend) suggested shuffling the deck in two chunks, I rather like just the one deck, and cut out about 60 cards (in case I screwed up or wanted to add more.)
1)For starters, You'll want to design the backs of the cards. The easiest way I've found, is to paint one side of that poster board in whichever colors you like best. I put on some flow-y, rock music and made this mess that looks like a combination of sunset and twilight, perfect whee . Now, I wanted to jazz it up a bit more than just the color, but you may wish to leave the back just the wa it is. I made a diamond shaped stencil and sponge painted yellow-gold on the back of each card, and in the center, drew an eye similar to the one in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Impa and Sheik wear it). I figured that looked pretty gypsy to me, as it incorporated all the right colors and what looked like a Nazar (evil eye amulet). You may want to add a border, I really didnt feel like it XD
2)If you havent stenciled out the cards and cut them out before decorating the back, do so now. I took a normal sized card and traced around it on a scrap peice of paper to make a stencil. Then I laboriously traced out 78 cards on two peices of poster board before cutting them out. I suggest you -really- consider how many cards you want before doing this, as I did a TON on unnecessary work scream .
3) Now, you should have as many cards as you need, with the back already complete and the opposite side blank to draw on. I -did- draw a thin border around the edges on this side, just to make it look pretty but Im not sure if I wanna keep it or not just yet. You might want to go in order, I started drawing The Fool and decided that I was more in the mood to draw The Lovers.
-This is where you can get really creative. Themes work well, but I decided that for my own deck, I would just make it so incredibly random. The cards need to appeal to you, so...if you're into Renaissance stuff you may want to draw them with a nod to the period, or hell, draw transformers or dinosaurs. Just keep in mind what the card i trying to convey. Heres an example.
I'm drawing my cards with a few people I know. I have a friend who uh...uses a certain herb to erm...chill out, yeah thats a good way of putting it. Anyways, turns out he happens to have a dog, so I decided "Hey! He can be the Fool!" He likes Lord of the Rings and Drizzt, so I drew him as an elf, sitting on a hill with one of those extra long pipes, and his faithful Lab sitting next to him. The Fool card represents starting a journey (which he sorta embarks upon when he exhales), being carefree and motivated, and in high spirits (Sorry, had to laugh at that one). My friend reminds me of that card, so...there we go. Now, my ex loves cars and travelling, I might draw him as the Chariot....you see where I'm going with this.
4)When you're finished with the artwork, I -strongly- suggest protecting both sides of each card with laminate or contact paper. Contact paper that is slightly matte makes the cards easier to shuffle, but hey, you might like the gloss of laminate.
And voila, you have you're own deck of cards!
Just as a side note, this will be YOUR divination system, so it can be tooled around your tastes and constraints. I dont dislike the suits of Tarot, but I like working more with archetypes and ideas similar to the Major Arcana. Decks with cards like that are referred to as Oracles, and sometimes are easier to read/create (You'd be surprised to know how many readers in my area use such decks). Oracles arent limited solely to the Major Arcana, or archetypes, perhaps you like working with the elements, and want to make a nature based deck. Or, you loooove pop culture, and want to make a system off of that. Just keep in mind that each card needs a meaning, even in the meaning is "nothing".
Also, since you'll be crafting your own cards, a LOT more energy will go into them as opposed to going to the store and purchasing a mass produced deck. While both options are great, as years go on, you may find you want a deck that's a bit more "special", and perhaps one from your own hands will fit that criteria.
Hope this was useful, and you create a beautiful deck!
.;*I'll keep ya posted on which cards I'm doing, ideas, and things I've discovered along the way in my "Tarot Journal" forum. Go check it out!*;.
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:56 pm
ok, jajaj I posted on the divination topic, that I wanted to create a deck of oracle cards based on the esoteric kabballistic use of the hebrew letters, twenty two, considering that the great arcana has twebnty one tarot cards I think..........thanks to this post Im getting to work right now, and this may also be helpful on the path Im trying to understand...judeo christian magick, planing to write a book on the theme as well....thank you!!!!!
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