Fly Me to the Moon

When I buy a new tarot pack, the 8 of Cups is one I always look for before purchasing. I have a lot of history with this card, so in my own tarot set, I needed to get it right, visually.

When I woke up this morning, I was a little concerned that my deck was looking like a pack of 78 portraits, but on reflection, I feel a little less bothered. Thinking about it some more, I thought back to the very early Marseille cards from centuries ago. The beauty of those cards was in their simplicity, and despite the elaborate and scenic modern packs available, the Marseille and Visconti cards are still a favoured option for many readers today. My second thought was of my first intention. Even though it is wonderful to have had so much interest and support in this project, my initial brief was to do something which I liked and can use. Whether my cards are user-friendly on a wider scale or not, I would say that I am still addressing that initial desire in what I am creating.

The 8 of Cups is a card of moving on. In my own previous experience, it has predicted a friend's untimely end of work within a specific job, and my own mother's retirement. When the 8 of Cups arrives in a daily draw or reading, it suggests a need to leave something behind. Quite often, a person is dissatisfied and something is missing. The card advises them to make a drastic move in search of whatever this is.

I don't usually go on to MSN these days, but this morning I logged in. While there, I saw that my friend Pete was online, so I gave him a wave. We havn't spoken in a while, so it was nice to catch up. Since meeting online some years ago, Pete has considering relocating. For one reason or another, this desire was stunted a couple of times, but today, he announced that he will be moving to Brisbane in March. Knowing how much this means to him, I was really pleased to hear his news. It also got me to think about my deck, and in particular, the 8 of Cups, as a card of packing up and moving on.

Most versions of the 8 of Cups are pretty bleak. A solitary traveller throws one last glace at some kind of recognisable structure as he leaves it behind and makes his way towards an unknown future. Even though Pete will be leaving friends and family behind, I wonder if a card such as this needs to appear quite so negatively. There is warmth in deciding to seek out something we desire, which is why I have added bursts of citrus oranges and yellows to my own version.

In my illustration, Pete is smiling. I had a few different resource photographs for my drawing and in some he was a little more serious looking, but because I am so pleased that he had made a decision to move, I chose the happier of the bunch. Behind him flies a hot-air balloon. It is this balloon which will take him to his new destination. Brightly coloured and surrounded by magical stars, this vehicle will help Pete find what it is that is missing in his life, once and for all.

My Other Half

Initially, I wasn't quite sure how this card would work out. I thought of using my parents to begin with, some couples volunteered themselves, and I also considered using my current boyfriend. Just before my final drawing, I even mocked up a photo of myself with the iconic Joe Dallesandro, but none of the options felt right.

In the past I had designed another Lovers card using twins. The original idea had come from seeing a design by Graham Cameron in his 'Phantasmagoric Theatre Tarot'. He placed two identical looking lovers on the same chair. When I suggested that I might use myself as my own lover in this card, a friend shrugged and commented "Hmm. Makes sense. Use the person you love the most". One for the ego!

As much as this card is about love, it is also about choice, which is why one of the characters has blond hair. He represents a different avenue. I got the idea of using conjoined twins from a film I own called Brothers of the Head. In my illustration, these guy's arms are hidden behind. It might seem that they are tied together in more ways than one.

I am really happy with this card. The colors make it for me. Also, in contrast to some of the others, there is enough symbolism to get most people's mind's working.

Decisions, decisions ...

For this card, I made decisions, and then at the last moment, I changed them.

Initially, the man in this picture was blindfolded like the woman in the original Rider Waite version of the card, but by the end of the drawing, I felt that he didn't look right and decided to show his eyes instead, contrary to tradition.

The 2 of Swords is a card of stalemate.You might think of it as a 'gone to lunch' sign or a road block. It tells us that a decision needs to be made, but at the time of reading, this is not happening. When this card turns up in a spread, it could suggest a resistance to change or someone who can not decide on how to move forward. It can also represent someone who is either sticking their head in the sand or avoiding something important.

The model for this card is my partner, Daz. My reason for choosing him is a little tongue in cheek. Since we began dating a couple of months ago, I have consistently mocked him about his inability to make decisions. This usually concerns the things we organise to do together. So that I don't always get my way and we do things which he enjoys as well, I try to get him to make choices as often as possible. Putting him in this card will hopefully be a good reminder for him.

Even though I chose to remove Daz's blindfold, I have acknowledged a little traditional symbolism. As you might see, I subtly tucked two swords into the fabric of his jacket, and round his neck, he wears an upside-down 'question mark' as a silver pendant.