Dreamland Tarot Decks: Unusual Versions, Infinite Visions

VISIONS AND VERSIONS, AND THE MAGIC OF HANDMADE DECKS

I now have a number of versions of the Illuminated Tarot. All of this has evolved as I have been making special custom orders. The decks that I make with hand painting and glitter are works of art, beyond just a deck. They also seem to carry special qualities of energy. Perhaps the following from an email of one person who has one will explain it better.

"My friends are still marveled at the illuminated tarot you did for me three years ago. Three of them insisted that you can feel the deck radiating with energy when they touch the deck, and they meant literally they feel energy coming from the deck. I cannot say for certain, but they are into spiritual and meditation things more than I do, and they said so at different settings. it wasn't as if one started i felt energy, and the rest said we did too. there were other decks around, and they didn't feel a thing." ...After hearing this I asked if I could share it here on my web page....

"Regarding my friends' experience, feel free to share with your fans. I am only reporting what I have heard, and I don't have their gift. My tarot teacher was the first one to tell me that she felt energy radiates off your illuminated tarot, and her experience is different than my two other friends who felt energy off your illuminated tarot. while my two friends felt energy in the form of light electric shock, my tarot teacher felt a much a much stronger sensation starting from her finger and went up to her top 4 chakras. Even after I told her that I have to go, cannot have her drain off all the energy from my illuminated tarot, her energy sensation stayed for hours. She referred to the experience as a spiritual sauna. I don't know why that's the case, but the three occurrences happened in a three year span with three different person, so apparently the energy is not disappearing like I had feared. I actually asked the last person to touch and feel my other highly valued printed deck, and he didn't feel a thing. That person is not even a tarot practitioner, he is into runes and shamanism."

WHAT ARE THE HAND PAINTED IRIDESCENT COLORS?

What you see in the video linked above just gives a suggestion of what the effect is actually like. It is all about light. The iridescent colors pick up the light and reflect it back to you, intensifying it. I use a kind of acrylic artist's paint with a superfine shimmering dust made from mica particles. Each color interacts and blends differently with the printed color beneath it so they are not just those colors. They make the deck brighter and actually add light, and give a luminous quality. Like iridescent butterfly wings, they are truly magical and are transparent, and blend in. It is not possible to really capture them in a photograph.

EXTRAS

IRIDESCENT; GLITTER ONLY; or GLITTER+IRIDESCENT

IRIDESCENT COLORS: A deck with the iridescent colors is not longer just a deck, it is a set of 78 little paintings. I have up-leveled my approach to the iridescents and am putting a lot more into it than in the past. I now also add true artist pigments to the iridescents and build up layers of transparent colors to achieve a totally luminous other worldly effect. The basic iridescent colors are transparent, but they catch the light and refract different colors, depending on what shade I am using and where I put it. They are made with pulverized mica particles, and have a truly magical effect.

GLITTER AND IRIDESCENTS I first paint with the iridescents, and then add glitter in addition on top of that. Glitter by itself is gorgeous, but when combined with the iridescents it is the ultimate magic. I use microfine glitters, they are nothing like the glitter you might have used as a kid to make Christmas decorations. I have posted a video of a glitter deck, but it only gives just barely an idea of what it is really like. It can not be captured with photography, because it also is about variation of intensity, and movement. You have to see it , so ask me for a sample if you are interested.

GLITTER DECKS: UPDATED March 31 2011

I actually paint with the glitter using a small paintbrush with details, like the individual swords and wands for example. With the glitter decks there will be a certain amount of the effect of the grain of the glitter showing when the light is not making it shine. The lamination molds itself over the glitter and the glitter will not come off. I have heard from people that my decks hold up very well with a lot of use. These decks are to be loved and used, they are full of life and energy. Even though my decks shuffle beautifully, I suggest minimizing poker style shuffling, where the cards are bent in the process of shuffling. There are other ways to deal with shuffling. One can lay the cards on the table face down and fan them, picking cards. Or there is the slip shuffle from one hand to the other. Your deck will last a lifetime if you take good care of it.

Each deck is unique, it is a work of art, a painting in itself, and I never paint the glitter and iridescents exactly the same. Over time I have fine tuned my techniques. I now only do a total full treatment with the iridescents, and I have been adding overlays using transparent glazes artist pigments added to the iridescent, like deep purple, true rose, giving unbelievable color ranges, that you only will see in a work of art, a painting, you will never see this kind of color in any printed deck. I am using techniques I would use normally in a regular painting. I am an artist and have been painting all my life, you can see some of my paintings on this web site. Before I can even start with the painting of a deck, just like with a canvas, there is a day when I "prime out" the deck and have to prepare it with a layer of clear medium on the front, and I also do the backs. Glitter and Iridescent decks are also on the backs, a layer of microfine glitter and iridescent added to the clear medium, so the backs sparkle and glow too. I never rush the work and I can only do so much, my prices reflect this.

I will send a free sample card to you so you can see what the glitter and iridescents are really like. The sample will not tell you exactly what a particular deck will be like, it is simply to give you an idea of how the effects work. If you go on to the forums on Aeclectic Tarot you can find some lengthy discussions of the decks by people who have them. Just search "Illuminated Tarot".

Crystal Fire Illuminated Tarot ref# 60
The Seven Chakras cards with glitter ref# 66 Eight cards, include one of all 7
The Seven Chakras cards regular deck ref# 65 Eight cards, includes one of all 7
Elemental Visions pocket size, with glitter ref# 63
Mystic Shadows, an Illuminated Tarot version ref# 61 I have posted pictures showing the entire deck.
Dark Crystal Glitter Baby Pocket size, with glitter and iridescent ref# 62
Chakra Mandala large size with heavy glitter ref # 20 22 card deck no titles
Radical Wirth ref# 50 Choice of pouches
Midnight Magic ref# 51 Large size major arcana only with black borders, no titles, glitter and iridescent.
Dark Crystal G l i t t e r O n l y ref# 55 Medium size, glitter (and lots of it), no iridescent.
Dark Crystal Rose ref# 56 Medium size, max glitter and iridescent.

Dark Crystal Rose Deep Illuminated ref# 54 sold I have posted pictures of the entire deck.
Radical Wirth Major arcana with glitter ref# 64 sold
Elemental Visions Tarot Deck A unique deck with multi color backs and borders, no titles! ref # 16 Sold!
Elemental Visions ref # 19 Medium size, special unique set. Sold!
Eternal Rainbows ref# 52 Sold! Large size colored borders and backs according to elements, no titles, glitter and iridescent. a unique set, 78 cards
Crystal Fire Glitter Baby Pocket size, with glitter and iridescent colors ref# 58 Sold!