First Post! Q: Adding NEW cards to your personally designed deck?

anju

I've been illustrating my own deck based off the basic Rider Waite deck, and the cards are coming out great! I had a dream a few nights ago and in it I had a vision of a card I didn't recognize from the deck, so the next day I conjured it up in my mind and illustrated it, and it turned out very nicely, very close to what I imagined.

akqB7IK.jpg


It's called "the Garden". Its description comes from the feelings I felt in the dream. It is the image/place/mindset/event/etc which you hold most dear to you. It is your place of belonging. It is fractal representation of you, your own likeness being mirrored and shown to you as something from the outside world. It gives you the feeling of having a heritage, whether it be genealogical or spiritual. It may be a scene from a past which your subconscious has brought with it to this life, an immortal memory which tethers you to the truth of the Good in all things.

I'm trying to figure out what it would mean reversed, strangely it's the same image.

Hmm. Thoughts? Major or Minor? Numbers? Has anyone ever added a card to their deck? Is it as simple as just... slipping it in? Thanks!
 

Tarot Orat

anju said:
Hmm. Thoughts? Major or Minor? Numbers? Has anyone ever added a card to their deck? Is it as simple as just... slipping it in? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Welcome! And wow, your artwork is amazing :)

It's not necessary to adhere exactly to the Rider-Waite images, a lot of decks don't do that, in fact. So if you want to use this as any of the 78 cards, you certainly can. (It would be a gorgeous Moon card.)

Some deck creators also do insert extra cards. Most famous is the "Happy Squirrel" (something of a joke based on a Simpsons episode), but it's also done with a more serious intent. The first one I can think of off the top of my head is the Templar Tarot: the first edition inserted one extra Arcanum, called the Magic Flute. The second edition inserted a whole extra set of Major Arcana with unique names and meanings!

I think you should do whatever feels right to you with your card....if it doesn't seem to fit as one of the 78 standard cards, an extra card would work well :)
 

dancing_moon

Welcome to AT, anju! :)

First of all, let me compliment you on the card itself - it's breathtaking. :heart: It would be nice to see the other cards in your deck.

Personally, I don't think one can just 'slip in' some additional cards into a Tarot deck - it has a very tight structure, and new cards would definitely be odd in it. There have been numerous attempts to do so, but IMHO very few of them have made any sense. If you want to add your own card to a Tarot deck, you need to justify its presence there, I think. Otherwise, you could, perhaps, try your hand at creating an Oracle deck?..

Best of luck with your deck! Hope you publish it one day, it's really neat. :)
 

anju

Oracle Deck huh? I haven't heard of that but I'm definitely intrigued. I feel the Tarot is structurally perfect, and if I wanted to insert something new I'd either have to truly find a place for it which resonates with the entire structure, or I'd have to see if it could replace any other cards.

Don't want to get too hokey here, but this image holds special meaning to me, and I know that in creating it I'm following something deep inside me, I just don't really know what to do with it hahaha :p. I'll do some investigating on Oracle decks too. Thanks for your kindness! I've been illustrating each card really just for my own better understanding of it. I get to notice everything and examine the various symbols and all that. Takes a lot of time, but it's a fun meditation to do.

http://i.imgur.com/NTX3tC8.jpg
...still need to add the water/fire/wind symbols to the table

http://i.imgur.com/2hBcQC6.jpg
 

Laura Borealis

I love your style, and the cards are beautiful. You could include the Garden card as a meditation card, maybe?
 

anju

Laura Borealis said:
I love your style, and the cards are beautiful. You could include the Garden card as a meditation card, maybe?
Click to expand...

I appreciate that :)

What do you mean by a meditation card? Like something separate from a deck, something I ponder on my own?
 

Laura Borealis

Hmm, I'm not sure really. Your description suggested it. I suppose I had in mind a card that isn't designated as an extra major arcana card, and wouldn't be used in readings, but instead for contemplation (although it certainly could be used in readings). It would make a lovely altar piece.

Or you could think of it as a sort of signature card. Sort of an acknowledgement of the place your creativity comes from.


I don't think it was mentioned above, but another deck with an extra card is the famous Thoth, with the extra Unicursal Hexagram card. Not all editions have it, but it's a six-pointed figure with symbolic meaning. I am not competent to explain it, I would probably just get it wrong, and it doesn't matter here anyway. But I know some people put it on their altar, some include it in readings (and I'm sure many just leave it in the box).
 

AJ

some decks these days have 2 lovers cards because people are more open about their sexuality these days. Those would be decks published for the public though, and since yours is private you wouldn't need to cater to the masses if you have some extra cards, only you.

The colors chosen for the original Rider-Waite have a great deal of meaning, as do the flowers and symbols on the clothing. It is a life-time study, you are well on your way.

I have the workbook to the original Mythic Tarot and it contains line drawings of the cards (majors only I think) for the reader to color in. I learned a lot doing that task.

Welcome to AT!
 
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