The Wickwillow Tarot formerly the Stained Glass tarot

[rylla]

my favorite so far! I'm looking forward to this deck, and is so good to hear that is going to be a 78 cards deck! for me a majors only just doesn't do it (feels incomplete)

[Mallah]

Thanks Rylla. Once I'm done with the World, I have to go back and fix up the Star, (it needs the most) the Magician's face, some stuff on Justice, and probably tweak the Moon card; I've already been sketching things for the minors, too. Hoping to start The World tomorrow...

[Mallah]

This is my birthday; and so it's highly auspicious that I finish my majors today!

There's nothing at all original about this image, other than fitting it to the style I've been working in. The Classic image stands. A profound one. My "personality" card, but D.O.B. reckoning.

I started this project a year ago...though it was fermenting within for several years before that. This is the second tarot i've done...and will move on to doing the minors soon.

The majors really didn't take a year. I did the first 7, then set them aside to record a CD...and came back to them in January...at which time i went back and rehashed almost all the images, before proceeding on...so in some ways, it's only been since the latter half of January...

I'm not an artist by any means...when I look at some of the art that exists on this site, and has been poured into the cards over the years. I've developed what skills I have to serve the need of making tarot cards...I'm more of a Tarotist. Back in the day, the taroist would hire an artist and then dictate his/her vision (Ozzie Wirth, Arthur Waite, Aliester Crowley...) I have preferred to stretch myself further by growing my skills by doing this.

I cannot urge you enough to create your own deck, whatever your art skills may be. We live in an age of specialization..."let the musicians make the music, the artists make the art...." Used to be FOLKS did this stuff. Some of us still do. Don't sell yourself short and not take on this project....if you want to learn yourself, if you want to learn Tarot, there is NO BETTER WAY than to pull the images out from inside and look at all of them under a microscope and say "why THIS image and not THAT?"

There are numerous "traditional" images that i left out of my cards. Some cards i changed entirely. Some merge various traditions. Further, if, in the future I don't "like" a card, I can just change it!

I am very much looking forward to printing and using these...for my own purposes, if not to sell/barter. I'm a ways from being able to do that...but my minors will go quicker. And i've decided, for now, to plunge ahead with a "pips" set of minors, becasue that's what stokes my coal.

[Babalon Jones]

Happy Birthday Mallah!! And congrats on finishing your Majors!

The Ascension card came out really good, I think it wth the Lovers and the Devil are my faves so far. Hope your birthday is awesome, and many happy returns!

[Mallah]

Thanks, BJ!

[EllieP]

Judgement is out of this world, Mallah. Fabulous!

[Mallah]

Thank you. I learned a lot drawing it. Taking a little breather here before launching into the minors....

I am "previz-ing" the whole thing...sketching out various wands, cups, coins, etc to figure out exactly what I want to do with it. Most decks have all the cups (for example) on all the cards (except perhaps for the ace) looking the same. The Thoth is one of the exceptions to that rule. Personally, I find the Thoth to be really garish...and I wonder if that's why... but I'm willing to consider having different cups on every card.... maybe... lots of thought has to go into it.

You will notice, with the majors, there are no numbers and no Titles. It's going to stay that way. The Thoth has those annoying keywords on them. I don't like any words any where.

Just thinking the whole thing out.

[Mallah]

Rings will be my "coins/discs" suit. The rest will be the standard: Wands, Cups, Swords.

This gives you an idea of what I've been aiming at all this time: the minors! The rest will be very much in the same vein...highly ornamented, like "illuminations" or stained glass. Each suit will have a different color scheme.

Rings can show gemstones...and ornamentation of all kinds.

Anyway, here's the Ace. It's my reccomendation, when viewing, to Reduce the image to about 3x5... (ctrl minus in windows....hit it about 3 times to get it down to about poker card size.)

[Mallah]

I've been gone for awhile; I got a permit to read cards on a public outdoor mall for the month of May, and that took up all my spare time; it was a good time to break from this project for awhile. They do the permits by lottery, and i wasn't picked for June, so i'm back on doing this now.

The Two of rings. I decided on rings as my "earth" suit...basically a coin, but with space inside for images and whatnot. Slighly different feel to doing them as rings, but adding a nice dynamic.

Basically the image was an improvisation...sort of interesting what came out. I think I'll try to do the pips this way...sort of improvising on the geometry, in effect, saying "look what TWO can do!

I'm putting the astrology on there, cause I'm trying to learn it, and I think it adds a lot to the cards.

The meanings keep coming for this one...they include the "traditional" but there are a number of others emerging...what do YOU see?

[EllieP]

I am soooo glad you're back. I knew where you were but feared the deck might get neglected or even ditched, and I like it so much.

Love the Ace.

Now the two - what do I see? Immediate impression is that when two of anything get together (people, events, things, timings etc) power is released to make things happen. Or else sparks if the result isn't quite as intended. But even sparks can be dynamic and resource-making if they're harnessed.

Probably lots more, but someone else will write something soon!

Upwards and onwards