Ritual Tarot
THE ART OF PRACTICAL MAGIC AND THE POWER OF RITUAL
The spirit of this project originated from a place of introspection, soul searching and exploration. I hope the imagery speaks to you and the cards offer you deeper insight and direction in these strange times in which we are living. Develop your own meanings. Design your own approach. Create your own ritual.
“A ritual is the enactment of a myth. And, by participating in the ritual, you are participating in the myth. And since myth is a projection of the depth wisdom of the psyche, by participating in a ritual, participating in the myth, you are being, as it were, put in accord with that wisdom, which is the wisdom that is inherent within you anyhow. Your consciousness is being re-minded of the wisdom of your own life.”
~ Joseph Campbell
In 2019, I began an extensive study into the world of tarot using analog collage methods. Every image was created exclusively using deconstructed books, vintage paper ephemera, scissors, razor blades and adhesive. The project was largely informed and inspired by the work of Pamela Colman Smith and Lady Frieda Harris; the artists who created the iconic imagery for the Rider Waite Smith Tarot and The Crowley Thoth Tarot. Two and a half years later, these 78 collages would become the Ritual Tarot.
My approach to constructing the cards was highly intuitive and my process unconventional, though I aimed to stay true to the tarot’s historical foundations within the context of my personal interpretation. It is my belief that each card in the tarot possesses a distinct personality. As I dissected and reassembled these traditional archetypes, a new visual narrative emerged; a language that speaks to the archaic but also holds space in the present. A voice that speaks to the human psyche - not with words but with images and symbols.
The Ritual Tarot follows the structure of the standardized Venetian or Piedmontese tarot: 78 cards; 22 Major Arcana: The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, The Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, and The World as well as the 56 cards of the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana cards are divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Each suit contains an Ace card, 9 pip cards or numerical cards and four court cards: Princess, Knight, Queen and King. The cards in the Ritual Tarot are nameless and do not feature titles or numbers. I felt that adding these elements would interfere with the integrity of the imagery. My intention behind this decision is to encourage those who use the deck to form a more intimate and intuitive connection with the cards.
