My tarot practice is an important part of my self-care practice, a way to engage in mindfulness both through my daily draws and through more involved readings. As my relationship with tarot has developed and deepened over many years, I have really come to appreciate what insights different tarot decks can bring to readings—from Pamela Colman Smith’s iconic imagery to modern interpretations from independent artists. Also, as a firm believer in the importance of “community over competition” (it’s so much more than a hashtag!), I am so pleased to share a crowdfunding campaign that I am proudly backing, the Hollow Valley Tarot. Co-created by Erin Alise @thehollowvalley (artist, illustrator, indie deck creator) and Davis Carr @meridiantarot (astrologer, tarot reader and author of the Guidebook), the campaign is up and running NOW — October 20 – November 10, 2021!
Longtime readers may remember that I spoke with Davis earlier this year as a part of my Tending the Hedge series (read the interview here). I deeply admire Davis’s work, and have been lucky enough to experience her magic firsthand through a tarot reading and in her absolutely brilliant 2020 course, Practical Astrology for Modern Witches, the latter of which was deeply formative to my understanding of astrology and its impact in my life. Now, I am so excited to support her co-creation with Erin!
Rich in symbolism and steeped in magic, the illustration of each card is based on a sigil created from a phrase of intention that captures the card’s essence. This deck is playful and creative, a modern take on the traditional Smith-Rider-Waite style deck. The Hollow Valley Tarot innovates on the traditional meanings by emphasizing symbolism, number theory and astrological correspondences. It breaks each card down into its component parts and uses symbols to help the reader to access the core essence of the card, outside the trappings of culture and societal expectations of what it “should” say. Perfect for beginners and more experienced readers a lot, the cards draw on symbolism to evoke the meaning of the cards through archetypes. Each deck order includes a full-length companion guidebook featuring descriptions of the cards, tarot theory, reading instructions, and more.
As part of this campaign, Davis and Erin have amassed a team of magical folk to talk tarot every day of this campaign! (Seriously, what a treat!) Join me November 3rd at 3 pm ET* (2 pm CT) when I’ll be talking with Davis about the Temperance card on IG Live. We’ll discuss the phrase of intention associated with the card, “I bring all parts of myself into balance,” as well as my own relationship with this Major Arcana magic. Save the date, and let’s make some crowdfunding magic!
*You’ll note I scheduled my date for after the 2nd Annual Halloween Sale— it’s still my number 1 focus through October, and I hope to see you there!
