Asherah Tarot, originally the Sarah Magdalene Tarot

salamandrina

EDIT: New Tarot Blog:
http://sarahmagdalene.wordpress.com/

I've been uploading my cards to my blog for the last few months and thought it might be a good idea to post the link here. Feedback is always welcome!

Here they are:
Moderator note: The link no longer worked so it was removed
This is only a fraction of the cards I have painted, and I am still struggling to make decent online images from them. The paintings themselves look much better (if I don't say so...). I will try to post one there at least every fortnight from now on.

I painted the entire Major Arcana but I am unhappy with most of them, and plan to redo almost all of them. The Fool is one of the original set, but the Hermit and the Tower are the second round. You can see my style is changing all the time. And I am cursed by a lack of unity...none of them really go together. XD

Oh well. One thing I have realized now is that I do want to finish a pack (eventually). I had a crisis of sorts a few months ago, and stopped working altogether, but now I am re-inspired. I think 5 years of intense work had just worn me out totally.
 

yirabeth

I really like that Hermit.

A little confused by the blog part -- you like doing tarot art because it means something, but you don't want people to use it? hmm...LOL!

I think all art means something, if tarot makes you uncomfortable you can do non-tarot art and it can mean what you intend to portray...

~Yira
 

salamandrina

"you like doing tarot art because it means something, but you don't want people to use it?"

Oh well that was just the symptoms of the crisis I described. My blog is very much a notebook of the times, and the moods are fleeting and often paradoxical.

Art is always a bit uncomfortable, Tarot or not. And people almost always misunderstand it. Or interpret it to suit their own state of mind. I guess letting it go is the hardest part.
 

Celice

Wow such pretty artwork! I love it. It's kinda strange that you "don't want people to tell fortunes with your deck". Maybe you should paint something besides tarot then? Anyway I bet it would be a real hit and you would sell a lot of copies, it's a real shame you don't want other people to enjoy them as cards.
 

yirabeth

I can see where letting go may be hard...

I think with any form of art, it's always left to the interpreter of the purchaser, that's pretty much an uncontrollable factor. Unless you don't sell, of course, some don't :) But to "make it" as an artist...

~Yira
 

salamandrina

"Maybe you should paint something besides tarot then?"

I wonder why it bothers people that someone might have other reasons to make a deck? I am quite puzzled.

Maybe it seems strange but it is quite true that's not why I am painting them.
I am doing it purely to enlighten myself. That's what I realized. I still want to do it, because even if it is all a horrible failure commercially (I am quite useless in that respect), I still have so much to learn from it. Because I am tired of making Art without a narrative, if you like. And Tarot is the God of Narratives.
 

irmata

Awesome! I found your blog a few months ago when I was searching for unusual, striking depictions of the Queen of Wands for a blog post of my own :) The Tower is incredible; just incredible. It is so good to see that you are inspired to continue with this, at your own pace. Tarot is a wonderful tool for self-discovery, whether using the cards or creating them.

And the "emo" suit of Cups made me laugh :D

salamandrina said:
Because I am tired of making Art without a narrative, if you like. And Tarot is the God of Narratives.
HALLELUJAH! ;)
 

Alamaris

salamandrina said:
"Maybe you should paint something besides tarot then?"

I wonder why it bothers people that someone might have other reasons to make a deck? I am quite puzzled.
I'm puzzled too. I get a similar reaction with the paintings of mine that I don't sell -- people ask me, "Why's that one on your wall? Are you having trouble selling it?" I reply, no. "Well, what's the point of keeping it if it won't make you any money?" they say. I say, because I like it. I didn't paint it for someone else, I painted it for me.

Even if they'll never be made into a deck, I'm glad you're posting the images here where they can be appreciated by tarot aficionados! I'm blown away by your artwork, especially the Tower. What size is the original of that one? The detail just boggles me.
 

Maskelyne

Sara,

Those are great. You have to publish a deck - how else can any of us read your narrative? I agree, these are way beyond fortune-telling, but ... think of the fortunes they can tell.

David
 

brujaja

Thanks for sharing these Salamandrina -- your paintings are freaking beautiful.

I especially love the Tower's sky, and the Fool's foolscape.

I notice you assign a Hexagram to the Queen of Cups -- are you doing throws for particular cards, or did you find correspondence tables?



(If you were to print or sell digital files of these, I'd throw down. Just sayin. ;))