Finally going public...

Hi all!

After lurking a bit around on this forum, and in the background working on my own Mandala Tarot deck, I have finally decided to go public, too.

My concept was born while doing my very first card for the AT Community Project - the Sun. (recently my second card, the 10 of cups, has been put up there, too)

I am thinking of a Mandala Tarot, painted with gold and silver gouaches on black paper, a quite "simple" deck, with both obvious and hidden symbolism.

My obvious problem is going to be the digitalising of the metallic paint, as by scanning or taking pictures, this will be lost to some degree. For the moment, I am doing my best with my digital camera until I find a better solution.

Next week, as soon as I have connected and activated my new broadband, I will have the possibility and space to set up a little website wher you can visit the work as it progresses.

For now, you'll have to be content with a picture attached here

Looking forward to feedback

Love
Simone

Nice job Simone!

After witnessing your handiwork on mandalas first hand, I look forward to seeing more cards. The mandala you made Gardener was awesome - we were just looking at it this evening when SongDeva stopped by.

Post more when you can (broadband definitely helps!).

Dan

Simone - wonderful to see you joining in this forum and going 'public' with your cards! Your use of gold and silver on black is very striking! Hope to see more of your cards once you get your web site happening.

CreativeFire

That's great Simone,

I look forward to watching your progress.

Good luck!

~

CreativeFire said:

Simone - wonderful to see you joining in this forum and going 'public' with your cards!

Click to expand...

Just got to echo CreativeFire that it's good to see you go public. There's a courage involved in bringing your work to the light of the public that seems to show through the resulting works.

Do you plan to make these yourself, Simone, or will you be looking for a publisher?

One of the great things about the Aeclectic Community Tarot is the number of people who decided to create their own decks after taking part.

I have already told you my thoughts Simone, but I want to go public too.

I love the idea behind this and it's simplicity, I think this will be a great deck for meditation and I particularly like to hear your thoughts and reasons behind each card.

I love it!

Very nice Simone and very striking in it's simplicity. Good choice of colour combination.

All the best,
Ruby7

Wow, what a resonance! I did not expect this, especially as I still had not posted my thoughts behind the card… Thanks! I'll just fit in here the (slightly amended) text I wrote to accompany the card for the Community Project. I re-read it and I think I cannot express better what I meant:

"The Sun on this card is the generator and sustainer of life, and the two figures acknowledge and celebrate this fully. If the properties of the Sun are not acknowledged and respected, it can grow to a menacing and destructive fiend (symbolised by the angles that appear in the Mandala). The Sun can only be friendly because it also creates the shadows that allow us to protect ourselves from too intense light and heat.

The Sun is a card that celebrates life and happiness, the sun gives and nourishes life, in fact, only the existence of the sun makes life possible. Without sun, no life. The sun makes people feel more alive and happy.

If the Sun card turns up in a reading, you can celebrate a success, and I would recommend not to forget the source of it. Where does it come from, what has helped you achieve it? Be grateful and respectful to it, don't forget it. Stay humble, but enjoy and celebrate it fully, nonetheless.

Spiritually, the Sun card means a breakthrough in the development of the inner light, parts of your life have been illuminated and enlightened. You are on the right path, be full of joy and celebrate this new state of being.

On the other hand, if you expose yourself to the sun for too long, you not only risk a sunburn, but dehydration and eventually death. So the sun is not only the giver, but also the taker of life. This card reminds us that on our paths, we have sometimes to cross shadowy parts. In fact, the sun itself gives us the possibility of rest by creating the shadows with its very light.

On our soul quest to the light, we sometimes forget that shadows are necessary. Until our own light has been remembered fully, it is necessary to remember that clinging stubbornly to ideals without acknowledging realities of imperfection will in the end only retain us from developing."

Recently, I did the Fool card, and will attach it to this post.

For the Fool, I wanted to get the simplest kind of Mandala I could imagine that still conveyed some feeling of path and going on a journey.

As my Mandalas reveal themselves to me only during creation, I realised after starting out that this one could look like a tunnel or a mountain, depending on the way you look at it. This Fool (I like my little side effect of him seeming to look into the tunnel or up the mountain, it also only came out during creation) can choose the direct path or go around in a circle which could eventually lead him to the same place.

This symbolises that whenever a journey is started, the path taken is eventually unimportant, every path leads to a destination.

The Fool is travelling very light, he has very little baggage, which will enable him to be as flexible as can be and forces him to be as confident as possible. But he already has to have this confidence to be able to set out like this. He knows that he will lack nothing but maybe company, and there is the little playful dog who is just as excited to get started as the Fool is.

I hope you like it. There is a difference between those cards though: the Sun card is still the one I did with metallic markers. But I encountered the little problem that I seem to never be able to get the same brand of markers twice and they all have a difference in colour, so after trying out a bit, I am now working with gouache paint. I will eventually have to redo the Sun, but I have other plans in mind that have priority!

And, Tom, I have just completed the Lovers card, I'll send it to you today!

Love, and thank you all again! It is great to get encouragement and feedback!

Simone

Simone, you know my thoughts as well on your deck idea. I personally think it is terriffic!!

I always loved your Sun and I really like the Fool too!!! Fantastic job on it. I actually find it soothing to look at.
I am so glad that you decided to go public with this, but I was surprised with all the other things you have going on right now that you moved the project to the forefront so quickly.

I have every confidence in you my friend

Simone,

Congratulations on the start of an excellent Tarot deck! I really like the dynamic energies that the simple design and color scheme engenders. Looking forward to the new cards as they take shape!