Anima Vera: an introduction to handmade oracle cards
How do you introduce a project that's been on your mind (and on and off your drawing board) for at least
a decade? Contrary to what some might believe, projects like this oracle deck don't find you fully formed. They start as nothing more than a few loose sketches, some interesting brush strokes and a sense that this could be more than just a personal project. And so this one hibernated in a drawer until now.
The small art forms have always been my creative escape and a way to counterbalance my career as a graphic designer. As the years went by, I started to think that I could marry the two and create a useful and beautiful object. What you will see throughout this page is a series of photos of a prototype, because the goal is to print the deck. I am not sure how many cards it will contain or which symbols will be included; I am letting inspiration take it where it may.
This is an artist-made oracle deck.
Its artwork draws on everyday objects and folklore, and it comes with no set meanings, so the interpretation is entirely yours.
The artwork is inspired by everyday-life objects, notions and folklore, and I strive to make those symbols as universal as possible. The published deck will not have meanings attached to the cards. You will have full autonomy and, if all goes to plan, a handy notebook to write down your own rules and interpretations. I find working with any type of cards is a deeply personal and intimate practice that should be unbound by rules, arbitrary meanings or the burden of providing prophecy. So for all intents and purposes, it’s all in your hands. If you like it as a design object, an intuition training tool, or you just want to burn it, I am fine with that.
Until the cards come off the press, I've decided to create a digital oracle deck preview, currently featuring the first 10 cards, with updates coming as soon as I finish any new designs.
