Art: Oracle and Tarot Decks
I began using Tarot and oracle cards as prompts for my daily writing practice several years ago, at a time when I was struggling to move forward with my novel in progress. Rather than seeing cards as a prediction system, I just pulled a card and used it as a writing prompt, a starting place for a little story or memory or reflection. Over time I studied the design and meanings of the traditional Rider Waite Smith deck, a variety of contemporary Tarot re-imaginings, and a wide range of oracle decks. From there, creating my own deck designs and texts seemed a natural next step.
Some of the cards in this slideshow come from a series created exclusively from artworks in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, once my home away from home and still one of my favorite places on earth. I allowed each card to emerge organically as I reflect on its particular associations as well as the source artworks I create it with. My goal is to represent several media, locations and centuries in each piece, allowing images from different cultures to speak to each other in unexpected ways.
Other cards shown here are from a deck inspired by my favorite women writers. Each woman’s life, process and works suggest not only a particular archetype but also the myriad ways in which female creativity manifests.
Current projects include a deck focused on women's creative clarity and another inspired by a classic novel. Images for those aren't public yet, but I'll keep you posted.
The slideshow here will play automatically; hover over an image to pause it and click to enlarge it.