by welkin » 10 Apr 2018, 11:30
I have found that the smaller, situational scenarios of the Minor Arcana appear in literature quite frequently, essentially because they occur in real life quite frequently. In a way you could say this is why literature and the tarot are both so effective, and transcend the time they were created - they speak of something universally human, things frequently occurring in real life - whether one wears a toga or sneakers, is a visible minority or a snob.
Having internalized these forms and meanings, one starts to see them all around. And if an area of focus is large enough - like the works of Dickens - if one meditates on the question, all kinds of versions of the cards appear. the question then, for me making the deck, becomes more technical - which character or event to choose to best highlight a given card's meaning? how to include all the major, most well-known characters and also give appropriate representation to every main work of Dickens? how to work in real-life events into the deck, and - ideally - how to do that alongside literary characters and events, incorporating both just as the author incorporated his real life into his literature? While these questions are the hardest work of the project, they are also the most rewarding. That's where you know if you have something, or you just can't make it work - and I think I mentioned that so far, of the decks I've made, the Dickens deck has worked with the Tarot structure - and, indeed, elaborated on it - the best.
The artwork comes after - and is the most purely enjoyable. but then my background is in art, and it comes naturally.
As for music - i cheated a bit. For the Beatles, I incorporated aspects of their lives for the cards. simply using music - like the Dorian mode or the C to Am shift - would be weird [but probably fun].
You mention Trollope - that's my mother's favourite writer. I read widely, but my own special interest is 20th Century European writers. It can be a trick finding areas of interest which I have an affinity with and which would also suit the Tarot and that other people might be interested in. I don't make these decks for a job, but because it interests me and becomes involving and ultimately edifying. People have suggested certain money-making deck ideas to me, and while I can see they'd be popular, I'm not interested enough and just can't bring myself to do it.
Yes, all the decks are available. I keep the website addresses as simple as possible:
shakespearetarot.com
beatlestarot.com
goldenageofhollywoodtarot.com
charlesdickenstarot.com
As much as I like Bach and Handel - I have wide-ranging tastes in music - your mom certainly made the best decision and got the lion's share of the deal, taking the Beatles, Leonard Cohen, and you!
I have found that the smaller, situational scenarios of the Minor Arcana appear in literature quite frequently, essentially because they occur in real life quite frequently. In a way you could say this is why literature and the tarot are both so effective, and transcend the time they were created - they speak of something universally human, things frequently occurring in real life - whether one wears a toga or sneakers, is a visible minority or a snob.
Having internalized these forms and meanings, one starts to see them all around. And if an area of focus is large enough - like the works of Dickens - if one meditates on the question, all kinds of versions of the cards appear. the question then, for me making the deck, becomes more technical - which character or event to choose to best highlight a given card's meaning? how to include all the major, most well-known characters and also give appropriate representation to every main work of Dickens? how to work in real-life events into the deck, and - ideally - how to do that alongside literary characters and events, incorporating both just as the author incorporated his real life into his literature? While these questions are the hardest work of the project, they are also the most rewarding. That's where you know if you have something, or you just can't make it work - and I think I mentioned that so far, of the decks I've made, the Dickens deck has worked with the Tarot structure - and, indeed, elaborated on it - the best.
The artwork comes after - and is the most purely enjoyable. but then my background is in art, and it comes naturally.
As for music - i cheated a bit. For the Beatles, I incorporated aspects of their lives for the cards. simply using music - like the Dorian mode or the C to Am shift - would be weird [but probably fun].
You mention Trollope - that's my mother's favourite writer. I read widely, but my own special interest is 20th Century European writers. It can be a trick finding areas of interest which I have an affinity with and which would also suit the Tarot and that other people might be interested in. I don't make these decks for a job, but because it interests me and becomes involving and ultimately edifying. People have suggested certain money-making deck ideas to me, and while I can see they'd be popular, I'm not interested enough and just can't bring myself to do it.
Yes, all the decks are available. I keep the website addresses as simple as possible:
shakespearetarot.com
beatlestarot.com
goldenageofhollywoodtarot.com
charlesdickenstarot.com
As much as I like Bach and Handel - I have wide-ranging tastes in music - your mom certainly made the best decision and got the lion's share of the deal, taking the Beatles, Leonard Cohen, and you!