#sam guay
1/21 The Magician - What inspired you to make a tarot deck?
Would you believe me if I told you the very first thing that sparked my love of tarot was a kids show? I’m sure some of you share my experience of watching Cardcaptor Sakura as a kid. I barely remember any of it now, but I do remember drawing my own Clow Cards and being inspired by their magical designs. I ought to go back and rewatch the series sometime. Growing up, my best friend’s mother would occasionally let us pick a card from one of her decks and tell us about it, and my friend had a deck of his own. It wasn’t until much later, when I was around 14 or 15, that I received my first tarot deck. The Lunatic Tarot reminded me a bit of the Clow Cards with their elongated shape and distinct manga influence, I still have the deck and it is very loved.
As my interest in art and tarot grew my influences expanded. In highschool I was constantly watching for updates on Stephanie Law’s Shadowscapes tarot and she remains a major influence on me today. If I could go back and tell little-me that one day I’d meet Stephanie and receive advice from her as I worked on my own deck, little-me would probably screech with joy (big-me still does, on the inside).
In college I collected decks, researched the history of tarot, and studied the cards with an amazing woman who has become one of my most beloved friends and mentors (Heather, owner of stones, and the model for The Empress card). I wrote my thesis on the tarot, specifically its role in reclaiming mythical thinking as a tool to attend to our psychological needs alongside logical thinking. These explorations of tarot laid the foundations for what would become the Blood Moon Tarot.
Question for you: What are you passionate about and what inspired you to pursue it?
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