I'm new to tarot and am looking for some help

I'm starting a tarot deck, probably just for myself. I'm new to tarot, and so I'm still researching like crazy, but I would really like to hear experienced opinions of some of my ideas to know if I've got a correct interpretation. Just some guidance and suggestions.

I'm starting off slowly, time isn't an issue for me. Loving each and every card I create is, as well as creating some art that I will be proud of (I'm an art student of sorts, so that's half my reason for this project). The theme for my deck, at least as much as there is one now, is surrealism mixed with everyday events and some more extreme events. Well, here're a couple of basic card ideas:

Ace of Wands:
A side view of a young boy. He is crouched down on his toes (as if he might spring forward any moment, but is still deciding the details) into an almost fetal position. Out of his back is sprouting a plant/tree.

7 of Cups:
A young girl stands holding an empty birdcage. Everything around her is black except for her shadow, which is sky. In it she watches the bird fly away and cannot decide if it is an illusion or if she should follow it.

3 of Swords:
A hand is hanging down from the top of the card with the wrist and the end of the arm. It is neither identifiable as male or female. A strip of deep red cloth is loosly wrapped around down its length, trailing off of a finger. It’s end holds a silver razor blade, a sword shape is cut out of it. The blade is dropping to the ground, pulling the cloth ("blood") with it.

The Hierophant:
A very young boy sits cross-legged with a look of pure joy and triumph across his face. Both of his hands are outstretched and in his palm/between them is a perfectly finished rubics cube.
-or-
Same as above except it is clear that all the stickers were pulled off and hastily glued back on. The glue, tape, etc he used to do this are on the floor around him.


Honest opinions are welcome, I can take criticism! Also, if you've seen these ideas done before, could you point me in the direction of where so that I may change them? I'm hoping to create images that haven't really been done. Thank you!

Also, I've been toying with the idea of making my own paper for these. I'm not sure what type of paint, maybe high pigment watercolors and ink if I'd make my own paper. My default would be oil paints, but then I don't know what I'd use for paper. These will almost definitly not be computer images though.

IronSkyFalling said:

I'm starting a tarot deck, probably just for myself. I'm new to tarot, and so I'm still researching like crazy, but I would really like to hear experienced opinions of some of my ideas to know if I've got a correct interpretation. Just some guidance and suggestions.

I'm starting off slowly, time isn't an issue for me. Loving each and every card I create is, as well as creating some art that I will be proud of (I'm an art student of sorts, so that's half my reason for this project). The theme for my deck, at least as much as there is one now, is surrealism mixed with everyday events and some more extreme events. Well, here're a couple of basic card ideas:

Ace of Wands:
A side view of a young boy. He is crouched down on his toes (as if he might spring forward any moment, but is still deciding the details) into an almost fetal position. Out of his back is sprouting a plant/tree.

7 of Cups:
A young girl stands holding an empty birdcage. Everything around her is black except for her shadow, which is sky. In it she watches the bird fly away and cannot decide if it is an illusion or if she should follow it.

3 of Swords:
A hand is hanging down from the top of the card with the wrist and the end of the arm. It is neither identifiable as male or female. A strip of deep red cloth is loosly wrapped around down its length, trailing off of a finger. It’s end holds a silver razor blade, a sword shape is cut out of it. The blade is dropping to the ground, pulling the cloth ("blood") with it.

The Hierophant:
A very young boy sits cross-legged with a look of pure joy and triumph across his face. Both of his hands are outstretched and in his palm/between them is a perfectly finished rubics cube.
-or-
Same as above except it is clear that all the stickers were pulled off and hastily glued back on. The glue, tape, etc he used to do this are on the floor around him.


Honest opinions are welcome, I can take criticism! Also, if you've seen these ideas done before, could you point me in the direction of where so that I may change them? I'm hoping to create images that haven't really been done. Thank you!

Click to expand...

Hi IronSkyFalling,

I'm certainly not familiar with every single tarot deck out there nor every image there is, but, as far as I can tell, none of this has been done. As for correct interpretation...I can see how these ideas would fit with the card's meaning. I really do like your ideas and look forward to seeing them become cards.

Joy to you,
Maralee

Given the discussion on the Hierophant in the 78-weeks study, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts behind your Hierophant card. I love the idea of the child triumphantly doing the Rubik's cube, but don't see how it relates to tradition or institutional guidance. I could see that as more related to pentacles, somehow--handling/manipulating an object's puzzle to a successful conclusion.

The other cards' images work for my understanding of those cards.

Your deck sounds exciting. Good luck!

P.S. I grew up in Wichita.

There is a card in the Fey very much like your description of the curled boy with a tree/plant growing out of his back.
Cool ideas though.

Imagemaker: I'm only an hour (give or take) from wichita

About the Hierophant; I was actually thinking of the card more in terms of being called The Wisest (like in the Fey deck. I've only seen the six sample cards here, so I wasn't aware of the similarity with my ace of wands idea. I got my idea when watching the end of Fern Gully (That movie makes me laugh every time) but I will definatly be changing that one now, at least partly.)

The rubics cube would be the difficult problem that he had to solve. It's a very human (worldly) problem, and a huge challenge for a child, but he has managed to do it.

I've been leaning more towards the one where he cheats his way through it (pulling all the stickers off and putting them on right) to show that he was so stubborn in getting it done, that he'd fix his problem in whatever way he could, and it ends up being done in a very childlike manner. It shows that sometimes there are two ways of solving things, and you must have the knowledge to pick the way you are capable of. This makes the boy very wise because he knew he couldn't solve it as he was supposed to, so he came up with his own solution.


Thank you all for your comments

IronSkyFalling said:

Also, I've been toying with the idea of making my own paper for these. I'm not sure what type of paint, maybe high pigment watercolors and ink if I'd make my own paper. My default would be oil paints, but then I don't know what I'd use for paper. These will almost definitly not be computer images though.

Click to expand...

I used to make paper and find this idea of your particularly appealing. Is it your idea to make this just for you or do you intend to make a lot of paper? The best paper I made was out of lint from the dryer. Pen, brush and ink worked well on it and I found I could put the colours in the paper in patterns as I made the paper. Amazing the colours of lint you can find in a public laundry.

As to your excellent ideas for images, just a couple of questions. Are you intending your deck to be a tarot deck or an oracle deck? I guess what I mean is what is your starting point?

Are you fitting card meanings to images or images to card meanings?

You might find it useful to find a card meaning before you draw the image.

I'd really love to do the homemade paper, but I'm second guessing that now. I'll just see what I'm still thinking of doing once I get past doing sketches.

I INTEND on doing a full tarot deck, much stress on intend. And I can't say I even really know what an oracle deck is. I've been reworking my ideas and have decided that to end up with the best deck I am going to try to go in order as much as possible, just not to the point of forcing myself to do a card with no ideas for it.

For the most part I come up with images after the card meaning, but sometimes I get such vivid images that I'll sketch them down and change them to work with my idea of a card if it fits. There are a few images that I have and would love to use, but I'm just not sure if they'll work for anything yet. I do like to keep things in mind though

Also, since you have experience with making paper (I'm just looking into it and toying around a bit) do you know the best way to go about it or any other tips?

Alright

1: I'm running with the storytelling idea. My tarot will be fantasy/surrealism based and will follow the fool. She will appear in at least most of the cards and change, grow and mature with every appearance. So will her belongings and her use of them.

2: It's anime styled. I didn't want or intend this, but with what's developed it's what's best for my tarot. It won't be blantant though, no huge eyes or back breaking boobs

I fixed my scanner, so I have the first sketch of the chariot card. I'll explain it and post a link to the picture in a minute.

The Chariot

I'm showing this card first because I felt like it, I am going mostly in order with creating them, but I'm not ready to show sketches of the others yet.

The bottom the card didn't scan, so you don't get to see it here. It was just the shoreline and a couple of birds I stuck in the corner as balance. They're actually floating along the coast, so that's the important thing.

I originally was going to put the fool walking in the sand alongside her. They would be conversing with the whale rider explaining her knowledge. I may still do this, but I decided that for this sketch I'd just get down a basic design. Another complication is I haven't figured out the lovers card very clearly and haven't figured how it will affect the fool yet. It could cause her to have a companion with her or something else very big and defining. So this is what I have for now.

I'm thinking about changing the birds in the corner (that you can't see) into crabs. It'd fit the card better. There will also be stars in the sky and possibly three moons instead of just the one really odd, currently confusing one.

Concept: In the desciption I used (Aeclectic's) it set this card at the ocean and spoke of going from air to water and back again a lot, so I went from there. This whale and the rider have defeated the ocean and have reached the air. Yet, they have the ability and knowledge to go back and forth now. They continue to float horizontally with the ocean because that is how you defeat and control it and, like in a chariot race, you must be parallel to win.
The pair is also in harmony together, the whale is the strength and the rider is the mind and direction. Together they create confidence and victory and perhaps the beginning of a journey of their own.

http://www.angelfire.com/indie/papermarionette/chariot1.PNG