No, this isn't the story of that elusive, archetypal, original Tarot, designed by some mysterious magician centuries ago. Instead, it's the story of my own Bright Idea Deck -- and it's a cautionary tale, especially for those of you who are interested in designing and publishing your own decks someday.
Here are some insights into the little deck that could have -- and should have -- found a larger audience than it ever did.
Continue reading "The Best Little Deck They've Never Heard Of" »
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?
Have I mentioned how much I love writing for the team at Lo Scarabeo?
Riccardo, my primary contact there, and the other folks at Lo Scarabeo work very differently from their U.S. counterparts. More and more, deck publishers here in the States focus on decks tied to market trends. (To be fair, they have to take this approach. The American Tarot community is very small, and publishing funds are tight.) The Italians, on the other hand, will actually publish decks just because they "think this kind of deck ought to be out there."
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