There have been a number of new Tarot Kickstarter projects lately, and today I’m writing about another one.
It’s called The New Tarot and was designed by Warren Tusk and illustrated by Leslie Minnis.
What’s particularly interesting about this deck is that the creators don’t consider it just another version of the traditional Tarot, but rather as a sequel, or maybe a Tarot Pt. 2.
The New Tarot examines what might happen after the Fool graduates through the enlightenment of the World card. It looks at where he goes once he gets out into the ‘real world’ so to speak.
Tusk describes his deck as being ‘calibrated for outward-focused queries concerned with tangible goals and interactions between people….”
And in order to achieve his new vision, he’s come up with twenty-one new Major Arcana, including cards like Sanctuary and Fellowship.
The Minor Arcana has been completely revamped as well. No Cups, Coins, Wands, or Swords. The New Tarot explores life through the Suits of Keys, Chains, Masks, and Tomes.
Though I’m not convinced that the traditional Tarot is lacking when it comes to questions of a tangible nature, I think The New Tarot is an interesting idea, and hope that Tusk and Minnis raise the funds they need to make it happen.
Take a look at their video promo below to see what you think.
And visit The New Tarot Kickstarter page to see some of the cards, and to find out what goodies they’re offering to people who donate.
This Kickstarter project is meant to support a band. But it’s not their music I’m most interested in. It’s the fact that this band wants to publish a Tarot deck.
Cash Pony, a San Francisco area rock-fusion band is trying to raise money to professionally record their first full-length LP, Carpel Tunnel Vision Quest.
But not only are they trying to raise money for recording, mixing, and mastering, they need the funds to print album artwork, and a small deck of Tarot cards.
The deck is being drawn by artist Chris Russell, and is inspired by the songs on the album and the spirit of the Tarot majors.
Songs like Omphalos, Native DNA, and Seek Truth seem to describe energies similar to the Emperor, The Empress and Judgment.
And there’s one called Price of Eggs picturing a giant glowing egg hovering above a land mass of sorts.
I can only imagine what the song’s about, but the card brings to mind the Fool ready to burst out of nothing and into the world.
This deck reminds me a little of Morgan’s Tarot, an oracle deck from 1970 that I especially like. It doesn’t follow the rules, but it makes a lot of sense.
To hear Cash Pony you can go to their website or watch the video below. And if you’re thinking of donating, visit their Kickstarter page.
Knighton is the creator of the Tarot of the Dead and has been illustrating The Healing Tarot, due to be released by Schiffer Publishing in 2013.
But it’s the Stolen Child Tarot she’s working on now. Named for and inspired by one of her favourite Yeats poems, The Stolen Child, this deck is somewhat non-traditional.
Instead of man-made objects, she’ll be using items found in nature as her symbols. Antlers have become crowns and animal skins are robes.
And replacing all adults in the deck will be changeling children, fairy-like creatures that have embraced different parts of the natural world.
Knighton is looking for help in publishing a limited majors only edition of the deck through Kickstarter. She’s hoping a full 78-card version will be next.
If you’re interested in helping her out, visit her page. You can get yourself a copy of the deck, and even have your own personal totem included in its imagery.
Here’s another Tarot Kickstarter project that looks interesting…
It’s April’s Army Tarot Project and features 25 artists from across the world coming together to create 78 original cards.
All participants are fans of the website Regretsy.com, who’s catchphrase is, ‘Where DIY Meets WTF’. And they’ve invoked that spirit in the creation of their deck.
They’re working in a wide variety of mediums – paint, pencils, pixels, fabric and clay. And you might say they’ve taken liberties with the traditional Tarot suits.
Instead of the familiar Swords, Cups, Wands and Pentacles, they’ve opted for Tools, Genitalia, WTF, and Whimsicles (F*ckery). And yes, that’s how they spell Whimsicles.
The adult nature of this deck might not be for everyone, but it looks really fun to me. You can see some of the cards and artist discussions at their collaboration space. And watch the video below to meet some of the people involved.
April’s Army is trying to raise money for production costs and they’re accepting pledges until August 4. For as little as $20 you can help get the deck finished and get your own copy as soon as it’s back from the printer in November.
Visit their Kickstarter page to read more about the deck. And consider supporting it. When regretable crafting meets Tarot, it’s something to celebrate.
There’s a Tarot film in the works. And after three and a half years, 22 different groups of people, and a journey across the United States, it’s almost done.
Maybe you’d like to help co-directors Zeljko McMullen and Severiano Martinez get it through editing and post-production?
‘We Are Fools’: A Visual Poem dedicated to the TAROT is one story with 22 parts. The actors were given bare bones direction in order let their own experiences fill in the meaning behind whatever card they were depicting.
Watch the clip below to see some of the film, and to hear what Zeljko McMullen has to say about it.
Then visit the Kickstarter page to help them out. They’ve got lots of ‘awards’ for those who do.
Here’s another interesting Tarot project looking for some funding …
This time the theme is Tarot and music, and the project is called The Aleatory Arcana.
I can’t pretend to understand the musical theory behind what Anthony Bockheim is attempting, but it’s got something to do with the Russian composer Alexander Scriabin and his Mystic chord.
Bockheim has become entranced with the twelve tone matrix and serial music. It’s all about pitches and orders, rows and interval relationships. Too confusing for me, but he explains it all on his pledge page.
What I do understand though, is that he’s trying to use this system to musically represent the 22 cards of Tarot’s Major Arcana. And that really interests me.
In the video below, you can hear how he hears the Six of Swords. As he says himself, it’s not particularly easy music to listen to. But if you give it a chance, you might find a brand new Tarot landscape to explore.
As with all Kickstarter projects, gifts are offered to people who donate. A particularly fun one is for those who offer $100 or more to this project.
If you do, Bockheim will send you a personal three card reading in musical form, with score and music file. He won’t tell you the meanings of the cards, but lets them literally speak for themselves.