The Simplistic Tarot Project

Created by Kai H. A rethinking and redesign of the symbology of the Universal Rider-Waite Tarot deck.

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X – The Wheel of Fortune

Life Cycles, Karma, Destiny, Luck, A Turning Point

The Wheel of Fortune can be somewhat easy to learn but hard to understand. Its meanings are tied to its name – The Wheel, representing the cyclical aspects of the card, and Fortune – representing the balance of luck and destiny.  If you draw this card in a reading, be aware in the cycles around you; it may be time for the cycle to continue.  Do not dread the dark part of the cycle, for the light shall return as the cycle continues.

The ouroboros was chosen for its role as a symbol of life cycles as well as cyclical processes in general.  More known as an alchemical symbol, it has appeared in many cultures as either a snake, a worm, or a dragon eating its own tail.  The position of the four ouroboros gives the feel of a wheel, which each head positioned at a different quarter of the circle, as well as a sense of something deep and continuing with the way they seem to disappear off into the distance of the background.

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Delayed Cards

Hi guys, sorry for the delay on releasing The Wheel of Fortune.  I thought I had it scheduled, but it turns out I didn’t, and I haven’t had access to my computer for the past couple of days.  It should be coming soon!

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Cards

I already have descriptions for the cards I’ve made, so I’ll be posting the cards with their descriptions over the next couple of weeks.  These descriptions include more than just a description of meaning but also a description of the design choices made.  The first card has already been posted early to my Patreon for anyone in $1 or above!

In a week, expect The Wheel of Fortune to make an appearance.

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Kai H is creating Tarot Cards | Patreon

Become a patron of Kai H today: Read posts by Kai H and get access to exclusive content and experiences on the world’s largest membership platform for artists and creators.

Hi guys, I’ve opened up a Patreon for this project!  If you guys are able to support me, it would be much appreciated.  It would make my life a lot easier when it comes to this project.

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The original four cards I created over the course of my Capstone project.  I have others in varying degrees of progress, and I will be posting them as I finish them.

In order: Wheel of Fortune, Death, Star, Moon

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The Project Description

This project focuses on modernizing the symbology of the Universal Rider-Waite Tarot deck to make it more accessible to beginners.  The meanings used in the Rider-Waite deck were analyzed, and symbology related to each of the meanings was brainstormed and chosen based on the artist’s research and intuition.  These symbols were then sketched out in many iterations before a final design was chosen and inked.  From there, the final sketches were scanned and colored digitally before being printed out.  Descriptions of each card explaining the choice of symbolism were written and printed to accompany the final cards printed.  The goal is to continue this process and create a full 78-card tarot deck based on the Rider-Waite deck that has symbology more easily recognized by beginners, so that they have an easier time relating the meaning of the cards to the symbology depicted.

This is the description I used when presenting my project at the Capstone Fair for my Honors College.