A look into the future

AJ said:

I'd pay good money for a set of those earrings!

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ROFLMAO!!!!

I hear ya girl !!!!

Ciro has that gift of blending elegance, drama and flourish ......very Italianate......the mystery of the mask, the drape of the cloth.....the ability to depict the essence of female "Hauteur"..............what I would love to see is a bit more of the tragic and a healthier dash of menace.

This is a thread I'll be watching VERY closely...

Soooooooo, not being an enabler or anything you know ......... but ........ is there actually a pre-order list being set up Ciro??? Eager bunnies need to know

Absolutely stunning. There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said.

I'm so glad you are thinking of doing another deck. I vote for "gypsyish" , darker, theatrical-anything you've got. I'm sure there will be no shortage of buyers due to a saturated market- just look at us. We could have 2,000 decks and still be begging for just one more.

Good luck to you and... don't make us wait too long.

Happy New Year, too.

cirom said:

I'm confident (well maybe not confident, but at least hopefull) that there will be sufficient visual content, not just detail or subjective style, to get your tarot and meditative teeth into

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Good, because that is the only thing it is missing. That woman seems so real to me I tried to start a conversation with her! How beautifully you captured that expression! Amazing.

I would love to see more 'wand' and 'queen' symbolism. That is what I draw from when reading. Each time a certain card comes up in a reading, a different aspect of the card may jump out at me and that is what I focus on.

cirom said:

Ironically of course I'm a little concerned that the further I go in that direction the more one risks alienating other tarot enthusiasts who don't react as well to that look and feel and therein lies the usual dilemma of not be able to satisfy everyone. I intend to do what I did with the Tarot of Dreams, and I'll share certain number of card images during the production process with a select group of people for critique and feedback, and will as before consider their comments and possibly make modifications accordingly. But utimately as Mr Sinatra used to sing...one has to do it your own way.

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Please don't worry about opinions! Go with your gut. Even if everyone else screams otherwise, stick to what feels right.

One last request. Please don't make another $400 deck. I just can't do it and then I would cry

I can do $100 or $150 even if I plan for it, but never $400. Besides, I would be too afraid to read with a deck that costs that much.

Oh, would this deck also be digital and interactive like the TofD? Oh, how I would love that! I think some of the people at the coffee shop would love a new deck from you too. I have given a lot of people there your website.

Keep going Ciro! don't stop

Blessings,
Mimi

Mimers said:

Please don't worry about opinions! Go with your gut. Even if everyone else screams otherwise, stick to what feels right.

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I agree Mimers, but I think constructive critisism can be an extremely valuable asset; and one that I think is underated and not to be sniffed at. It could actually aid the project to some extent. Praise is lovely, I know, but in my own experience, I have found it beneficial to consider all kinds of critique. And often, it has been to my advantage, amongst the dizzy cries of 'I love it', to pay attention to more isolated voices that suggest challenging yourself a little further and not sticking within your comfort-zone. And it has always managed, even if seemed harsh at the time, to squeeze even better stuff out of me than I had imagined.

Ciro has put up with a lot of my opinions over the years [whether asked for or not] and I am sure he knows I hold a lot of respect for him and his talent. But throughout that time, I have gotten to know him well enough that I want to see him produce the absolute best he can. I make these comments because I don't want this to be just a slight echo of what he has already produced. And feeding little tarot mouths that are, often, hungry for just anything, isn't always the best motivator. They do not always provide the best appraisal of work, even if they are willing to shell out the cash. Of course, I am not speaking of people specifically; I am talking of the market, in general.

Of course, many here may think my opinion is a load of rubbish, so that makes everything I have said worthless

LB

LittleBuddha said:

Ciro has put up with a lot of my opinions over the years [whether asked for or not]

Of course, many here may think my opinion is a load of rubbish, so that makes everything I have said worthless

LB

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Well, while I don't always share them, I for one don't think your opinions are a load of rubbish, thats why I cross swords with you occasionally. If I did think your comments were rubbish, I'd probably just ignore you. Having said that your critisism of the Gilded over the years has sounded like a broken record ..... just kidding.

As for your comments in this particular case, namely to suggest that I aim for more than just an echo of my previous decks. Thats a valid point, and all I can say is that I'm ahead of you. While it would arguably be an option to produce just another deck and milk any good will from the Gilded and ToD, that really is'nt my intention and simply would'nt be of interest because even then it would still represent a lot of work which quite frankly would be better spent on my other illustration work (I do have a life other than tarot .

So when I commit to a project of this magnitutde it has to be to produce something which above everything else I am personally proud of and satisfied with. Then its reception by the tarot community is of course in the lap of the gods. Therefore on one level my aim is to try and improve on the imagery itself (illustrative style etc) and the other is to push the envelope in terms of symbolism and relevance as a tarot tool for reading and or meditation. The later being even more subjective and even more of a challenge. Once again I will admit to having inadequate academic tarot credentials compared to many members here and have approached my previous decks with a good sprinkling of intuition, and will do so on this occasion as well, but I hope as an indication of my seriousness in producing something of "tarot substance" rather than eye candy, I invited a select group (listed below) from the tarot community to participate in the project by serving as a feedback committe, all of whom I proud to say have accepted and will I'm sure provide a vast wealth of valuable critique, recommendations and general advice during the lengthy production process ahead.
Lee Bursten
Bonnie Cehovet
Mary Greer
Mark McElroy
Rachel Pollack
and our very own Solandia.

cirom said:

Once again I will admit to having inadequate academic tarot credentials compared to many members here

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Hahaha. Me too Ciro.

I just have a big mouth and too many opinions, lol.

Glad to read your post, and of course, I want you to fly. So of course, I wish you a happy and prosperous new year.

I look forward to seeing your forthcoming work. Even though I am not so into buying decks right now, I still get that buzz from looking at them. I hope that this one is the strongest yet.

Best, LB

Wow, Ciro! I'm glad to see you are thinking about making a new tarot deck. I like the start you've made and the hints as to the direction you are taking. Best wishes to you on the project!

(Oh, and yes, you can pencil me in for a pre-order, too! )

I have enjoyed reading this thread very much. I consider it to be one of my best Christmas presents to learn that Ciro is creating a new deck - a gift that was completely unexpected, as the best gifts often are.

One of the things I really liked about this thread is the honesty and enthusiasm of everyone who has contributed. Each person in their own way seems to have contributed to wanting the best for the new deck, and I would like to add my own voice to the rest of the well-wishers who have gathered here.

In a variety of media, including anime, video games, and other forms of entertainment, there seem to be a prevailing wisdom that darker, edgier works somehow have more to offer or allow us a greater insight into things. I can appreciate the difference in style and content, just as I can appreciate how milk chocolate is different from dark chocolate, but I have to disagree that darker works of art inherently "push the envelope" more than lighter works. In my mind, the mark of a mature artist is someone who can blend light and dark to produce a masterpiece that affords a given community a glimpse of something previously inaccessible or under-appreciated. Shakespeare's "The Tempest" comes to mind in this context. It certainly wasn't his darkest work, but I would argue that it was one of his most realized creations.

Like others, I very much would like to see Ciro produce a work that is significantly evolved from his previous decks. But my concern is less with referencing the past and more with how this new instrument will allow me to access my own truths and those of whom I read for. Producing something darker simply to vary the breadth of one’s portfolio seems as disingenuous as simply reproducing what has been done before.

I, too, am not classically-trained or academically-steeped in the traditions of the Tarot, but I do trust in my own ability to resonant with something of value. Given the passion and authenticity with which Ciro is approaching this new work, I have no doubt that this new creation will be something worthy of him... and of us.