TAROT COLLECTIBLES
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Social Media
  • PDF CARD MEANINGS
  • Review Videos
  • Words
  • Store Policies Page
  • Colouring Pages
  • Twisted Tarot Tales Card Guide
  • What People Are Saying
  • Dead Waite Comments
Picture

Art and Manifestation

11/22/2016

1 Comment

 
In recent years I discovered that there is a belief that art can manifest things into being. I’ve read that this is also possible with writing. The Scottish graphic novelist Grant Morrison, in interviews, mentioned that he would find himself in the same kind of strange situations he would write about in his comic books shortly after penning them and putting them out into the world. It could be argued that some of these situations may have become self fulfilling prophecies. An example would be if you wrote about being out in the Mohave Desert and getting into trouble with a bunch of scorpions and after writing about it, flew out to the Mohave, wandered around for a few days and got stung by a scorpion. Naturally if you put yourself in that position it’s more likely to happen. If you wrote a fictional story about yourself winning the lottery, there’s obviously more chance of your “fiction” manifesting in real life if you bought a lottery ticket. In some ways these instances could be explained away as slightly self fulfilling, but there are other times when it seems we can say something out loud, write something, or even draw something and eventually it happens without really intending it to happen.
It reminds me of something the writer David Icke has said on occasion “Energy flows where attention goes”. I’m not sure if that’s his quote or if he borrowed it, but I think there could be something to that. I’m still not 100 percent sure how much I believe in it, and whether these things are “coincidence”. I know there are many who say there is no such thing as coincidence.
 
I’ll tell you a few personal stories that relate to this in my own life. For a few years I’ve held an interest in maps. I can pinpoint roughly around the time the interest in maps appeared. It was about 12 years ago when I first set foot on U.S soil.
Picture
The model Mayflower Ship in Plymouth Massachusetts, (Photo by James)
I know that sounds bizarre, but thoughts of Leif Erikson, Erik the Red and Columbus came to me and I wondered about the natives that lived there. I thought about the pilgrims who first stepped foot off the Mayflower. I went to the Appalachian festival and met people who lived in or around the mountains. That carried through to the next year, when I visited the U.S again. This time I was on a plane flight home from the U.S and I was flying over Greenland. Seeing the snow peaked mountains in the distance, all the way to the southern coast where you saw icebergs floating around in the sea surrounding it.
Picture
Greenland as seen from above (Photo by James)
It was a great scene, and from there I naturally thought about the people that lived there, which lead me onto the Vikings. Then I thought again about what it would have been like to explore these countries without travelling 400 mph through the sky. Instead of the 9 hour flight I was now used to between Ireland and the U.S, what would it feel like for the Irish travellers making their way to New York and Boston from Ireland during the potato famine? I bought books on exploration, including a huge book on the old maps from the exploration era; amazing maps created during the time the Europeans discovered the North American continent, the Australian continent and so on.
About 2 years later I drew a self portrait of myself studying a map of Ireland and the UK. It was more a representation of the fact that a lot of my communications with people happened to be through the internet and the frustration that comes with that as a young person. (continued below)
Picture
A "self portrait" of sorts on the left, and sketching out my very first map for my local town
It would be a further six years later before I got a call from Art Ward, a member of my local town’s community group. Art asked if I would be interested in applying to illustrate the town map. So I applied and got the job. Now the town map can be seen throughout the town in four outdoor areas and also inside the tourist centre. The map can also be found inside the brochure which is available in many places throughout town. Some years there are close to a million visitors visiting the area from all around the world, and you can imagine it gives me great happiness to see foreigners using my illustrated map.
Did all of this come about from my interest in maps and that I drew myself studying one? Is it just a coincidence? I don’t know. I can't claim there is anything mysterious to it. What I can tell you with truthfulness is that I had never put my artwork out there in regards to anything “map” related. Granted, Art, who is now my friend, happened to see a few Leprechaun postcards I’d illustrated in the local shops, but a few whiskey drinking leprechauns is quite a different thing altogether than planning out an illustrated town map. He didn’t even know I had an interest in maps. From the map in my hometown, I went on to illustrate a few more maps for other towns and groups.
Picture
Picture
Three of Pentacles from the Twisted Tarot Tales horror comic deck. The Artist draws and manifests a monster
The sceptic in me reminds me that I have drawn thousands of illustrations over the years, and of many diverse things. I’ve drawn cities, trees, cowboys, cats, dogs, robots, monsters, knights and maidens, fire, water, sea and sky. Hey, I’m about to draw a few Chinese Christmas decorations tonight. As an artist working from a script or on the advice of your co partner, or from a client’s plans, you will find yourself drawing things you never thought you’d draw. I think to myself; If I’ve drawn all these thousands of illustrations of such diverse things, wouldn’t they have manifested things into real life too? I mean, couldn’t it be argued that if I drew millions of dollars, then I would manifest millions of dollars into my life? I am still at that stage where I think there is “something” to this stuff, but not too sure exactly what. For example when I was younger I dreamed that my artwork would be found from Japan all the way to California. I envisioned people from Japan and California looking at my work and being inspired. It sounds like a lofty goal, but depending on which way you look at it, it has more or less came true.
We’ve had Japanese customers, and we’ve had customers from California buying our tarot decks, and Japanese and American tourists have picked up our illustrated town brochures here in Ireland. Without an exaggeration I can say my artwork has travelled to or been seen by people from the four corners of the earth.

The next strange thing to happen was the following. As family members often do, they’ll ask you if you’re working on any new projects, or what you’re currently working on now. This particular family member was not impressed that I had been working on a tarot deck, which I completely understand. From a religious perspective, most tarotists already know that most Christians do not look too kindly on anything tarot related, and this family member was very interested in working his way up in the church. Knowing this, and knowing his reaction from the first deck, I didn’t think there was much point in mentioning something that you know beforehand is going to annoy them. At the time I was working on the second Tarot deck, Simply Deep, and I knew that by my mentioning work on a second deck, it would ruin the mood. Who wants to ruin the mood at a family get together if they can avoid it? So I did what anyone would do in that situation who wasn’t really working on anything other than the thing they can’t mention…I told him I was working on a children’s book for someone in Rhode Island. It was a lie of course, and yes, part of me feels bad about it, but I also didn’t want to say I’m working on nothing. For my family, working on nothing would be as bad as working on a Tarot deck! So why Rhode Island? Why the tiniest state in the U.S? Your guess is as a good as mine.
I didn’t know anything about Rhode Island and chose it randomly. A couple of years later I struck up a friendship with Christine online, who, at the time of the “lie” about the children’s book, I did not know, and flew out to meet her in Rhode Island. Of all the places she could have come from, she came from Rhode Island (Ok so she may have been born in Massachusetts but has lived in a town basically bordering R.I and has spent much of her life around Rhode Island). A coincidence? Possibly.

So what about the children’s book? Well, as strange as this may sound, this year I started doing work for a client who lives in Rhode Island, and who has asked if I would illustrate a few of her children’s books. This lady comes from an area situated about 7 miles from where Christine was living at the time I met her. (both ladies didn’t know each other until when we began working on projects together).
Picture
Art and words merge. A "self portrait" of Christine and I before we met. When I was much younger I did not know that there was a whole belief system based on the idea that we can manifest things into our lives through art and writing. Art and writing can be used for meditation and to envision things. Some create "vision boards" for that very purpose.
Again, this may be a coincidence but out of all of the states in the U.S I’ve never worked on a children’s book in any one of them, except for Texas, and that was years before I’d told my little white lie to my family member regarding Rhode Island. It remains to be seen if I actually do illustrate this lady’s children’s books, but I really hope so. If she still wants me to do so, it will be after the project I am currently working on for her.
Picture
One of the labels I illustrated for LuckyClover13.com
I think that manifestation is a powerful thing. I am sure that if being able to manifest things like this is “real”, then you will also have manifested things in your life too. These instances may not come to your mind straight away, but if you think about it you might be surprised how many things have happened in your life after some serious thought; things that may have happened that you did not actively strive for. Many of these things that have happened to me have been blessings, but I have not necessarily “earned” them. However maybe earning them is not important. Maybe appreciating them when they come is what it’s all about.
 
When I illustrate the candle labels for LuckyClover13.com I try to visualise the desired outcome of each candle. So for example the “lucky money” labels, I envisioned what it would be like walking down the street and finding a 100 dollar note! For the Prosperity labels, i imagine just that; a prosperous life, not just in a financial sense but having prosperity in love, in life, in happiness too, since these things are as important as being financially secure. I imagine the person wanting to manifest that money and prosperity should probably do the same but I think as the artist, putting good vibes into the image could do no harm.
 
This comes completely by coincidence while writing this article, but over at Luckyclover13.com Jacqueline currently has an offer on all orders over $101.00. Free shipping from now until Thursday. (U.S. and Canadian residents only) Nice!

Since I have yet to manifest that one million dollars, (hey, i'm working on it!) as a freelance artist I am always available for work on your projects.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you have any personal experiences of manifesting things into your life through song, art, meditation, writing or other? Do you have any tips on how to create the greatest possible manifestations? We'd love to hear from you!
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

Horror Tarot: Card Connections Part 3

11/14/2016

0 Comments

 
Welcome to Part 3, the final part to our Horror Tarot card connections. Please ignore the error in that #13 should really have read #12 and so on.

Click here to see Part 2, and here to see Part 1.

So here is number 11. Here's Serina the Sword Swallower piercing through to the Creepy Pasta inspired Jeff the Killer character in the Knight of Swords
Picture
Here's our Sheriff Justice card with the Alternative Hanged Man. How's that for bagging a man! How's that for roping a man in to do the dishes lol
Picture
Here's our Sheriff Justice again. She's managed to rope in a volunteer to give her a helping hand!
Picture
The Sword Swallower in the 2 of Swords pierces through into the Hanged Man card with its severed hand.
Picture
The High Priestess gets a hair raising experience as a jolt of electricity shoots through her from the castle. Perhaps she'll volunteer for Frankenstein's bride!
Picture
If you'd like to get a deck of our horror themed Twisted Tarot Tales for yourself, click here to visit the store, or watch the video below to see the cards in action.

If you have any card connections of your own, please share it with us in the comments below. We're only showing the connections we've found personally!
Picture
0 Comments

Horror Tarot: Card Connections Part 2

11/14/2016

0 Comments

 
Welcome to Part 2 of our Horror Tarot card connections, where we show you the the card combinations we've found so far in the deck. Many intuitive card readers find borderless cards helpful because often they create the kind of free flowing narrative where bordered cards, by their design, cannot.

Click here for Part 1

We continue with number 6 below, where we see the 3 of Pentacles merge with the Lovers card through the "swoosh". In the 3 of Pentacles we see a kind of mist as the spooky monster comes to life from the comic artist's drawing table. Though a simple mist in the 3 of Pentacles, it becomes the speed lines of the car crash in the Lovers card.
Picture
In example 7 we see the Sun card, when turned upside down, connects to the Queen of Pentacles. The sun rays merge  with the spotlights pointing to the gold loving 50 ft woman robbing Fort Knox.
Picture
Here we see our zombie hunting Granny G merge with the 7 of swords by means of the zombie hordes. While their color differs somewhat, we see in the foreground that the hands extend into the Romero's grocery store scene.
Picture
In example 9 below we see a corn connection. The mutant Satanto crop reaches the shelves of the supermarket in our Empress card, and here it is growing in the fields. Through the crop, through nutrition, we see a connection in the Empress and Knight of Pentacles card.
Picture
Here is a great example of how the cards occassionally connect vertically. the 2 of Swords and Alternative Hanged Man. While she holds two swords in the 2 of Swords card, it could be read as a rope, a connection to a net holding a powerless man. (or is he powerless? If only he'd reach for that knife at his side and cut himself free)
Picture
Did you enjoy these card connections? Click here to see part 3. our final installment of our Horror themed Twisted Tarot Tales card connections!

If you'd like to get a deck of our horror themed Twisted Tarot Tales for yourself, click here to visit the store, or watch the video below to see the cards in action.

If you have any card connections of your own, please share it with us in the comments below. We're only showing the connections we've found personally!
Picture
0 Comments

Horror Tarot: Card Connections Part 1

11/14/2016

0 Comments

 
Here's Part 1 of our Horror themed card connections. These were totally random instances were the cards seem to blend to create two scenes, sometimes almost seamlessly. First up is the alternative version Ace of Coins and our Lust card.
Picture
Next is the 5 of Swords and the Alternative King of Swords. The lighthouse beam shines across into the streetlights in the alt King of Swords
Picture
Here we have the 5 of Swords again, this time with the Knight of Wands, only this time the lighthouse beam meets the sun.
Picture
One of my favorites. The badly defeated man in the 2 of Pentacles reaches into the Ace of Cups through the Television in the hopes of snatching the little girl's popcorn! Yipes
Picture
The next set sees another play on the "hand reaching through the TV screen". Maybe the man in the Alt 8 of Cups card wants to feed the giant rat some popcorn!
Picture
Did you enjoy these? Want to see more? Of course you do! Click here for part 2

If you'd like to get a deck of our horror themed Twisted Tarot Tales for yourself, click here to visit the store, or watch the video below to see the cards in action.

If you have any card connections of your own, please share it with us in the comments below. We're only showing the connections we've found personally!
Picture
0 Comments

BORDERLESS TAROT CARDS GIVE LIFE TO READINGS!

11/13/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
here are two cards from the Chinese Propaganda Art Tarot (Formerly The Cultural Revolution Tarot )
Traditional Tarot decks are usually printed with a border, yet some people like to trim their bordered cards, creating a customised borderless deck where the edges of each image can be placed next to the edges of the following card, creating a scene from two images, or possibly three or four.

The first deck we ever created was King's Journey Tarot, a borderless deck, and since then we've created all of our decks in the same way, even producing a borderless Simply Deep Tarot. (This was originally a bordered deck which we agreed to allow Schiffer Publishing to print and distribute).
Creating one image out of two cards creates a scene which you can use to help for intuitive reading. Watch water flow from one card to the other, or see characters, which in one card are merely walking, leave various scenes and altercations when combined with other cards. A good example of this is the Fool card in a King’s Journey, where he is walking across a drawbridge. Combine this with the 3 of Pentacles, and suddenly he’s walking away from an accomplishment. Combine this with the 6 of cups and he’s walking away from a reunion.
 
We’ve designed all of our cards to be able to be read in this way. The shapes and connections that can be made when connecting two cards together are completely random, as in, they were not planned. Planning a deck of cards where every card connects to every other card in the deck would be next to impossible, but there are a surprising number of random connections in our decks, and we’ve included some of them in this blog.

To the right we see the King of Pentacles meets the 7 of Pentacles in the Chinese Propaganda Art Tarot. In the King we see the crop of barley, and in the 7 we see the corn merge with one another.
Picture
Picture
Coming from an agricultural background I admit it interests me to see these "farming cards" come together. On the edge of the King we partly see a combine harvester and in the 7 we see workers in the background with a few tractors.

If I had to sum it up I'd say that the best deck for reading about work and job prospects is the Chinese Propaganda Art Tarot because much of the focus is on manual labour jobs.  Yes, this deck does have more of a revolutionary / communist leaning than any of our other work due to the nature of the real life artworks we based the imagery on, but the amount of cards depicting work make it a great deck for reading about jobs, income and so on.

In the set of three cards below from the Chinese Propaganda Art Tarot, we see a water theme flowing through three of the cards. (Blog continues after the image)
Picture
Below we see the 6 of wands and the Temperance card, who just so happen to merge due to their brick walls.

The Art in the Chinese Propaganda Art mostly depicts a dreamy idealistic view of a communist China under Mao, and while many may disagree with the reality of the actual events of the Cultural Revolution during that time, this is a dreamy idyllic deck. It's overly optimistic because it is based on overly optimistic Propaganda. Lot's of smiley faces all round!
Picture
The Chinese Propaganda Art Tarot is not without its share of morbid cards, such is the nature of life and the time period the propaganda art is based on. Below we see the 4 of Swords combine with the 4 of Pentacles. In the 4 of Swords we see a barefoot doctor administer healing to a wounded soldier. I love this card because it combines a range of occupations; medic, soldier, and farmers (in the background). The card can combine with the 4 of Pentacles through the tree, where we see it branch into the pentacles card. In our card we see healing, even feeding through the bowl of water/soup/medicine, to starvation in the pentacles card connected to it.
Picture
To the right we see The Fool from King's Journey attached to the 7 of Spirit card. The card connects by the hill in the background, and again the Fool card is a great card as far as venturing off and doing one's own thing. When seen through borderless cards, it's easier to combine the cards together to see what exactly the Fool is thinking as he walks off from the scene.

We love hearing all the results that people get from our cards. This is also a great way of expanding your intuitive skills.
Picture
Picture
So far, it seems that Twisted Tarot Tales has the most connections out of all of our decks, but only by a few, and so we've saved the best for last. Like we mentioned earlier, The Chinese Propaganda Art Tarot is great for readings about employment. The propaganda tarot is to jobs what Twisted Tarot Tales is to working through darker issues in one's life. Twisted Tarot Tales is a dark deck, there's no doubt about it, but it's created in a comic book style friendly way. Let's face it, most people who seek out tarot readings do so because they have a concern of some kind.
Occasionally those concerns are deep. Some have deep emotional scars. Some have physical scars. We don't claim to be counsellors, but we supply the tools that help the counsellors in the same way a brick maker may not know how to draw out the blue prints for a house, but without him or her, the house simply wouldn't be.

Want to see our current sent of card connections for Twisted Tarot Tales? Click here to see what we've found

This is a great deck to pull out and read with when a client's issues can't be sugar-coated, and can't be ignored. Even the lovers card has an ironic twist with the lovers involved in a sort of "crash and burn" scenario. It's not a deck for everybody, and it wasn't supposed to be. Art is like food, or music; it’s a matter of taste. It also depends on what kind of clients you have and what way you conduct your readings.

A few people have called Twisted Tarot Tales an excellent tool for shadow work and working through personal issues.

Here's a video that we made earlier in the year when we released Twisted Tarot Tales.
Picture
0 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    James is the artist behind the illustrations on this site, maintains the website, writes the blogs and puts together the newsletter.

    Christine's work can be seen in the beautiful digital artworks in Fantastic Felines and the upcoming Christmas Lenormand.

    Archives

    September 2018
    October 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016

    Categories

    All
    Spiritual

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Social Media
  • PDF CARD MEANINGS
  • Review Videos
  • Words
  • Store Policies Page
  • Colouring Pages
  • Twisted Tarot Tales Card Guide
  • What People Are Saying
  • Dead Waite Comments