Journey Into Egypt by Julie Cuccia-Watts (pre-orders available)

[Chiriku]

Pre-order time has arrived

Many of us have been waiting with bated breath for the new creation of Ms. Cuccia-Watts.

The time of pre-orders has arrived and I encourage everyone here, whether or not they plan to get this deck, to check out the video chock-full of superb images from this forthcoming deck.

To see the video (and I believe you won't regret the 2-3 minutes you take to view it), and/or to pre-order, go to her site:

http://www.newmoontradingco.com

I am not affiliated with her deck(s) in any way. I am just an appreciator of her work for the past 15 years.

This is a paraphrase of some sentiments I shared with the deck author:

The Journey into Egypt Tarot's online video is more evidence to support my suspicion that Ms. Cuccia-Watts is the most talented artist in tarot.

To say nothing of the intellectual effort behind these great undertakings...so different from the substance-"lite" nature of the majority of decks in the market.

Miraculously, Ms. Cuccia-Watts progressively tops herself, from deck to deck, decade to decade. Constantly adding to her own knowledge and ours, building upon it, learning what is worth keeping and where change could be most valuable.

I sense that she isthat rare tarot artist and deck creator who lives and experiences personally, for himself or herself, the internal growth that tarot has to offer us. This can't help but come through to her audience as we use her decks.

As is usual with her decks, the Journey into Egypt Tarot has too many outstanding cards to name, but some of the Majors that stuck in my head after one viewing of the video were The Sun (an inspired interpretation), The Hermit, the High Priestess, the "laughing" Justice continuing the tradition from her past two decks, the Fool, the World.

Overall, in my opinion, the luminous triumph of all Cuccia-Watts's decks is her numbered Minors. No other decks of my experience (and I have a tidy little collection) offer Minor scenes of such visual *and* emotional richness and complexity.

There are some fine artists in the tarot community. And there are many more deck creators who deeply feel their decks, who love and are committed to the tarot, and who pour themselves into their decks in a way that reaps great dividends to the dedicated tarotist.

But in my opinion and according to my personal taste barometer, there are far fewer people who fall into both those groups-- that is, who are both fine artists and deeply-felt tarotists in their own right. Ms. Cuccia-Watts is among this small cadre, and I am grateful for her continued pushing of both her own and our boundaries.

Some will point out that the systems underlying some of her decks have been flawed in some way. I don't know about others here, but I am more impressed with those who reach higher and make attempts or ventures of greater scope and who experience bumps along the way than those who play it safe and do so to predictable perfection.

And that, fine art aside, is the key strength with her work, I think---it is "along the way." There's a journey here, a progression, a cumulative narrative. Isn't that an analogy for tarot itself? Or for our lives?



.

 

[akirafist]

WOAH why is it $90?

 

[Chiriku]

why is it $90?

Dunno.

Her last deck, the MAAT, was around 75 USD, I think. I had to make some sacrifices in order to buy it and it turned out to the be most significant purchase of my 15 years in tarot.

But I am circumspect when it comes to high-priced decks. After careful consideration last year, I chose not to buy a deck that would have put me out something like $125 including shipping, but it wasn't really because of the price. I ate cereal and milk for a week to buy the Maat and I am prepared to do the same for other decks that appeal strongly to me. I just didn't see enough in that other deck last year; it had a very accomplished "face" but I didn't feel there was enough soul and substance in it to merit the sacrifices I'd have to make to own it. Cuccia-Watts' decks are nothing if not soulful and substantive.

I don't care for the cardstock that was used the Maat, and that's what she intends to use for Journey Into Egypt, I understand. While on the plus side, it was flexible, it was also very shiny and "inorganic" feeling, not really a pleasure to handle. And the images in the original edition (as opposed to the small print-your-own Maat, which I also personally assembled for myself) were ever-so-slightly blurry.

So, I am not thrilled with the production of the deck(s). But they are so superior in conception and artwork that they are, to me, worth the high prices.

 

[juliecucciawatts]

Journey into Egypt is now available for pre-orders

In the summer of 2009 after my second trip to Egypt and a dream download where I saw a rapid fire Egyptian tarot deck flip thru 78 images before my eyes...I finally had to admit to myself I would do another tarot deck. I had decided to do a purely Egyptian deck based on the Real Sky Astrology Robert Bauval had embarrassed me over. I thought it would consist of just doing a slight adjustment to the MAAT Tarot slipping the cards back one sign. What I discovered about the ancient Egyptian calendar sent me on an unexpected adventure. After 4 years of intense realization I invite you to join me on my Egyptian adventures. Through the lens of the multiple cultures that were influenced by Egypt. We will explore precession and the zodiac according to the ceiling at Dendera using the Age of Aries as an allegory for moving from one age to the next.

Pre-order Journey into Egypt Tarot today for a May 2013 delivery:
http://www.newmoontradingco.com

Study group starting here this week.

 

[juliecucciawatts]

Journey into Egypt Prices

WOAH why is it $90?

To address the $90 price tag on Journey into Egypt Tarot. It is the same as MAAT. Over the 7 years since MAAT came out postal increases made the price go up. The original $85 including shipping and handling of 2006 has increased for both decks. It has gone up $5 in 7 years.
I have done what I can to make this affordable for people. The work I do is an unpaid investment on my part without pensions, 401ks, healthcare benefits or any promises for me ...and yet I am perhaps foolish enough to follow the muse where it leads. I am by no means under contract with any patrons and do this at my own risk. I can totally appreciate all the hardships that it would take to invest $90 in a single item. I have done the work out of sheer wonder and without expectations of outcomes the work fills me up and has and is my agony and my ecstasy. I may very well be out of my mind for doing such a project but in 26 years of following this path I have no regrets for not having the "things" others can afford because I can't take any if that with me. The work on the other hand takes on a life of its own and remains.
Namaste,
Julie

 

[weaver]

Hi Julie! Your new deck is beautiful! Does the Journey Into Egypt deck come with any support material like a LWB or full sized book? If not, will that sort of thing be made available to deck buyers?

In looking over your website, I see that a paperback book can be ordered separately from Lulu. To the extent that I can tell (and I may very well be wrong), it looks like it may be more about the inspiration and making of your stunning new deck rather than support the use of the deck and the revised system you have employed.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[daphne]

That`s beautiful, indeed. Congratulation, this is truly work of art!

I am also interested in a book, is it included in the price?

There are some many pictures that depart from "traditional" aspect, a book with artist take on thing would be eagerly expected.

 

[juliecucciawatts]

Book for Journey into Egypt Tarot

There will be a guide books available in an assortment of flavors to suit every need. I will offer a general guide book in a paperback form. I may also offer this book in hardcover. All tarot book are sold separately and printed on demand via Lulu.

Right now there is an Artist's Journal edition full color with a blow by blow daily account of the creation of this deck. This edition gives the card story and meaning of the card as well as the inspiration and the images of the work in progress. This book is really pricey but it is especially for the collectors. Called Journey into Egypt Tarot An Artist's Journal.

There is also a coloring book with black and white line drawings of all of the tarot images meant for coloring this book has 13 bonus pages of the ungraded Dendera Zodiac symbols.

The guide book due out at the time of the deck will be formatted similarly to the MAAT book available in paperback it will be less expensive than the MAAT hard cover guidebook.

Next year I also plan to offer a workbook/activity book as well as a Teacher's guide.

There will not be a LWB with the cards however there will be study groups on forums here and on Living Tarot as well as ebook versions of the guide book available by this summer.

Fully illustrated Study groups have already started on Ferol Humphey's Living Tarot.

 

[EyeAmEye]

Wow, this deck looks awesome indeed.

 

[juliecucciawatts]

Thank you!