Mona Lisa Tarot

Not long ago, the folks at Lo Scarabeo approached me with an idea: would I be willing to help develop a Mona Lisa Tarot?

"Hmmm," I thought. "An entire deck, based on a single painting?" My main fear was that the deck would be too repetitive, or that, after hours and hours of research, we would discover the background material wasn't rich enough to support the development of an entire deck. I was also having a great deal of trouble grasping the concept: what, exactly, did my Italian friends want to see in a Mona Lisa Tarot?

I sent them one of my wacky letters, exploring possibilities. "In your minds," I asked, "which of the following is closest to what you'd want to see in a Mona Lisa Tarot?"

a) a Rider-Waite deck with Mona Lisa's head stuck on each of the Major figures,

b) a deck exploring the mysteries and lore surrounding the painting,

c) a deck illustrating the history of how the painting came to exist, who the model is, etc.

d) a deck exploring popular culture's take on the Mona Lisa over the years

The answer that came back -- a fusion of Options B and D-- launched some of the most fascinating research I've ever been involved in. As it turns out, there's enough controversy and mystery surrounding the Mona Lisa to spawn dozens of decks!

So: I soaked up all that information, worked up a really detailed proposal (including descriptions for what would appear on every card, and why), and sent it to Riccardo. Some sample cards included:

Trump 0 - La Gioconda (The Italian name for the Mona Lisa.). The Mona Lisa herself, where the mystery begins and ends. After exploring all the questions and stories, in the end, we find ourselves back where we started from: the painting itself.

Trump 1 - Leonardo. Like the Tarot Magician, Leonardo channeled divine inspiration to manifest his vision in the physical plane.

Trump 15 - Salai. Gian Ciacomo Caprotti, Leonardo's pupil, companion, and (likely) lover for more than thirty years. His nickname ("Salai") means "Devil." His association with forbidden desire links him to Leonardo's shadow side. Certain critics have suggested the Mona Lisa may, in fact, be a young man in drag; could it be "Salai?"

And so on. My goal was to reinterpret all the Tarot's Major and Minor cards in terms of Mona Lisa lore and history, and the deck proposal was the most complete and thoroughly researched I've ever sent to any publisher. I was totally convinced that everything in the deck was a right and on-target as it could be.

And it was marvelously, gloriously, completely "off the mark." In other words: it wasn't what they were looking for at all.

Talk about a "Tower moment!"

This happens -- rarely, thankfully -- and all you can do, as a deck designer and Tarot author, is pounce immediately on the situation and get back on track as quickly as possible. Fortunately, the Italians are perfect, flexible, and understanding partners ... so, just six emails later, we were able to pin down where my initial proposal had fallen short.

As it turns out, Lo Scarabeo was more interested in publishing a Mona Lisa deck that would shatter all expectations one might have of such a deck. The deck, they said, should transport the user into that mysterious landscape behind the Mona Lisa. Who lives there? What role does Lisa play in that imaginary, fantasy world? What other characters does she encounter? What is the history of the place? How does it change over time? What secrets does it hold?

So: back to the drawing board -- or the word processor, in my case. This version of the deck required an entirely new approach on my part: I had to spend a great deal of time meditating on the Mona Lisa, moving past her all-too-familiar image, and exploring the landscape behind her in search of adventures that would correspond with the themes of various Tarot cards.

The research I'd done wasn't wasted, though ... in fact, I was able to use it to inspire characters, conceive an alternative or parallel history for Lisa's world, and build a unique and disturbing story line for the deck to follow.

The resulting Majors have already been approved and sent to the artist; the team is now reviewing my suggested script for the suit of Wands. We're moving ahead ... and the project is really pushing my personal limits. I love it!

There's a life lesson in all of this, too: attachment to an idea, no matter how beautiful and complete that idea is, can really hinder growth and development. In this little exercise, I was forced to set aside a dearly loved script that I'd invested hours in; in life, we're often challenged to set aside dearly held beliefs that we've cherished (and sometimes despised!) for years.

The key to growth and forward movement? Being willing to set those first responses aside, take a deep breath, and embrace a new direction.

You won't be able to buy the Mona Lisa Tarot for ten months or more ... but you can carry this little lesson away with you right now, for free.

Thanks for reading. Have you ever had a huge setback that taught you an important lesson, or that, with hindsight, was good for you? If so, please consider sharing your story in the comments here -- you never know how your experience might inspire or help other people.