Studio Closeup #74

I’m in-between? in the midst of? a couple of projects right now and decided to share some of my current collage studies with the world. I may or may not make an oracle deck of some type out of some of these, I haven’t decided yet. Right now they’re individual pieces in a side series called “Everyday Bird People”. What are those guys doing when they’re not part of a tarot deck holding court? I know I’d like to see that.

Edbp 01

Series: Everyday Bird People #1
Title: “I Split My Pants When I Tried To Dance”
Media: Collage, Watercolor
2025

Edbp 02

Series: Everyday Bird People #2
Title: “Have A Seat”
Media: Collage, Watercolor
2025

Edbp 03

Series: Everyday Bird People #3
Title: “I Lift Weights”
Media: Collage, Watercolor
2025

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Studio Closeup #73

In all of my excitement of completing the art for The Bird People Tarot, I forgot to post the last three cards from that deck! The last three are rather gloomy. I didn’t plan that but they do bring up some good talking points all the same.

Pentacles 5
Minor Arcana: 5 of Pentacles

Upright Meanings:
Down and out
Feeling abandoned
Wasted talents
Material trouble, poverty
Material obstacles to a love affair

Reversed Meanings:
Disorder, confusion
Better health
Heartache
Confusion
Emotion

Knives 9
Minor Arcana: 9 of Knives

Upright Meanings:
Despair
Upsetting premonitions
Self loathing
Unfounded fears
Anxiety

Reversed Meanings:
A new dawn
Help in near future
Regrets
Slanderous gossip
Spiritual struggle

Wands 5
Minor Arcana: 5 of Wands

Upright Meanings:
Conflict
Physical activity
Bickering
Self doubt
Princess and the pea

Reversed Meanings:
Petty squabbling
Favorable changes
Contradictions
Submission
Conciliation

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Studio Closeup #72

This September is eclipse season with the first one being tomorrow September 7th and a new moon partial solar eclipse on September 21st. In honor of the lunar holidays, I’ve posted the newly completed Moon card from The Bird People Tarot. I had always thought that this card represented Cancer placements as Cancers are ruled by the moon, but turns out that The Moon card actually represents Pisces placements. The Chariot, of all things, is the card that represents Cancer. Who am I to argue with ancient decisions.

This upcoming lunar eclipse on Sunday is stationed in Pisces which is super fitting because The Moon card represents Pisces placements which are water signs (as are Scorpio and Cancer). I tried to convey the element of water through the blue background color. The blue line is my interpretation of the river which symbolizes the subconscience. Being a Pisces placement myself, I’m super curious how the energy of this moon might affect me.

The crustacean emerging from the water represents “coming into conscienceless” and the possession of intuitive abilities, which is true of those born to water signs. The dog and the wolf represent how our wild side bends with our tame side. The dog on the left represents the tamed, dimmed version of us and the wolf on the right is wild and spiritual.

When The Moon card comes up in a tarot reading and it’s upright, something is happening behind behind the scenes that will eventually come to light. Past conditioning affects present behavior and you should attend to your dreams, feelings, hunches, and intuitions now. Upright, this card is about synchronicity, intuition, dreams, mystery and symbolism.

The Moon card reversed in a reading can sometimes indicate that the darker and more negative aspects of the moon are present in your life. It could represent confusion and unhappiness - you want to make progress, but you are not sure what is the right thing to do. The moon reversed also indicates that you are in an intuitive period or you have recently battled confusion, anxiety, and self-deception.

If the oceans and tides are affected by the phases of the moon, how can humans not be affected too. Please keep well during this lunar season. It’s supposed to be pretty spectacular.

18 The Moon
Major Arcana: #18 - The Moon

Upright Meanings:
Hidden enemies, false friends
Nostalgia
Deep instinctual forces
Intuition
The entertainment industry

Reversed Meanings:
Step into the light
Beneficial changes
Hidden matters come to light
Silence
Covert motives

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Studio Closeup #71

Over the summer I’ve been checking out various folks that pull tarot cards and talk about them on Instagram. I’ve been doing this to not only learn more about the cards and how others interpret them, but also how they deliver said information; their “stage presence” if you will. There are some amazing people out there doing amazing work. A lot of truly hilarious individuals out there pulling cards and sharing their unique gift. I also like seeing and hearing about the art of the different tarot decks they use as I would never run across some of these incredible decks otherwise.

It’s also interesting to me that you can tell who’s for real and who is not just by watching and listening to them for a few seconds through the internet portal because we’re all energy and you either feel that fact or you don’t. Energy doesn’t lie. I’ll admit I sometimes have trouble navigating around others because I can feel/read their energy first before they even open their mouths. And it can be terrifying if you have no idea how to manage that, let’s say, ability. It’s definitely a work in progress as I go along here on my life’s journey.

In other news, I officially completed my Bird People Tarot deck yesterday. I have shipped the art off to an online printing place to have a prototype deck made. Just one deck for now, as I want to see how this deck looks and feels printed out in the real world. If it meets all my dreams and expectations, I’ll have more decks printed and available for people to purchase on my website sooner rather than later. But first things first, I need to see how well this prints first. Estimated delivery of the deck (to me) is mid-late September, so I’ll see then!

I recently finished the Ace of Pentacles and thought I’d post that card with its other Ace mates in the deck today. As opposed to The Tower card, Aces are super positive and a welcome sight in a reading. The imagery is a hand (or wing in this case) grasping the symbol of its suite in the clouds, quite literally showing gifts emerging from the heavens. They show up representing a new opportunity, relationship, epiphany or idea. And because Aces are the first (the number 1) in each suite, they symbolize the start of a journey.

Pentacles Ace
Minor Arcana: Ace of Pentacles

Upright Meanings:
Perfect contentment
Accomplishment
A tangible beginning
A helping hand
Career change

Reversed Meanings:
Flawed financial foundations
Over-indulgence
Fool’s gold
Haste makes waste
A false start

Knives ace
Minor Arcana: Ace of Knives

Upright Meanings:
Strength in adversity
Freedom
Right timing
Achievement
Strength of purpose

Reversed Meanings:
Heavy-Handedness
Unclear thinking
Misdirected energy
Tyranny
Prejudice

Wands ace
Minor Arcana: Ace of Wands

Upright Meanings:
An adventure
New life
Optimism
Confidence
Enthusiasm

Reversed Meanings:
Can’t get going
Being too demanding
Loss of damaged goods
Abandonment
Unproductive work

Cups ace
Minor Arcana: Ace of Cups

Upright Meanings:
Good cheer
Invitation
Sensitivity
Emotional renewal
Peace

Reversed Meanings:
Instability
Unhappiness
Nobody loves me
Egotism
Conditional love

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Studio Closeup #70

Yes, I’m still making my Bird People Tarot Deck. I have one card left to complete yet for this deck that I have been avoiding because I want it to be absolutely perfect. Of course I do. Which is why nothing has been done about it yet. Yes, I see the pattern and I’m aware.

The Moon card is a very mysterious and spiritual card and I really want to use the right imagery to convey that. I have various collage pieces and bits collected already, but I’m still mining my magazines and books in search of something that’s just gonna “tie the whole room together”.

I haven’t had the urge to share my art, music or thoughts for a good while now because, frankly, the world and the internet with its various energies make me nervous from time to time. Why share my whimsical wares and musings while the world is literally and figuratively burning in the most volatile & vile energy I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. Then I thought, perhaps posting The Tower card would be the most appropriate thing I could share during this current “climate”. Climate means many things so apply that how you need to and to as many things as you need to (gestures everywhere to everything). And that’s what art and music are for. The peaceful yet mighty opposition to hate, racism, violence, tyranny and fascism. If you need to check in on me these days when I’m not playing total recluse, I’ve been also hanging out on Threads and Instagram. The other socials are too much for me and my levels of extreme sensitivity. Which is not a weakness by the way. I’m finally figuring that out about myself even though the current “climate” would like us to believe otherwise. And that goes for empathy as well in case anyone is wondering where I stand on that matter.

Back to The Tower card. Everyone freaks out when the Devil or Death card comes out in a reading but this is the card I would worry about depending on where it lands in the spread. Or at least that’s been my personal experience when I do readings for myself, or others. According to “my research”, The Tower card is one of the “change cards” but the changes are “sudden, unexpected and unwilling” and usually involves “breakthroughs and breakdowns, explosive tempers, arguments and occasionally, violence.”

More creepy stories later everyone! Please take care of each other out there.

16 The Tower
Major Arcana: #16 The Tower

Upright Meanings:
Destruction; ruin
Awakening
A traumatic experience
Unavoidable change
Shipwreck

Reversed Meanings:
(to a lesser degree)
Oppression
Chaos
Exile
Entrapment
Tyranny

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