Sims Tarot 78

This blog is going to be used as a progress record for the new project I'm embarking on. It will also include posts and information on Tarot. I was commissioned by a friend to combine her two favorite things. If you are interested in owning this deck feel free to let me know. If you'd like keep up with me on my witchy tumblr is @hopewitchywonderings and my sims tumblr is @sulsulAaha

[thewatcherstarot]

How and why?

Well it all started as an off hand comment my friend made. We were chatting about the sims 4 and other nerdy thing. She said something along the lines of “do you think there is a tarot deck made with sims or something.” So we did some quick Google and Tumblr searches and found out that there is one free deck but she wasn’t a fan. We also saw a few people recreate a specific card or two but not a whole deck. So she asked if i was up for a challenge and i said why not.

It will do me some good I think. It’s a great opportunity to improve my editing skills. While I am not a super experienced with tarot reading, it is a subject that fascinates me and I am learning more and improve. With her help and extensive research I believe i have a good understanding of the basic 78 tarot cards. My wish is not to offend anyone or misrepresent the meaning of the cards.

So what are your plans?

Well I’m glad you’ve asked. So for simplicity sake I am basing it off the Rider-Waite decks. It seems to be most popular and I want it to be a deck easily accessible by all. I will try to include some imagery from the original deck; however, there will be some artistic liberties taken.

The deck will include:

Major arcana

Minor arcana(all four suits)

All the artwork as mentioned will be created using sims designed by me with the help of Custom Content clothes or object. Then they will be edited with Gimp because this college student can’t afford Photoshop.

My estimated time frame will be 4 months or so. That’s because i really want to do a quality job with the art work and over all design.

Interested yet?

Great if so feel free to follow this Tumblr for updates and photos of my progress. If I gain enough interest I may put together a kickstarter campaign for pre-orders and offer other cool things. Tell anyone else that maybe interested.

Future plans

Well at the moment I have a few but lets get this deck out of the way first. I may create a “free deck” using iconic characters from the Sims 4. Since they’re copyrighted I legally can’t profit from it. There are also ideas for creating cards with different themes. Currently the deck I’m working on will have a midieval theme. There’s plenty of ideas no need to worry.

[thewatcherstarot]

Alot has happened since I was commissioned by my friend to create this deck. I've moved several times and production had been put on hold. However, now that my life is a bit under control I'd like to start this idea up again. This is a project I'd like to complete more for myself than anything.

[thewatcherstarot]

Making progress! Devil card done

[thewatcherstarot]

untouched photos from today’s shoot. should the lovers be naked or clothed? I am still debating.

Reason for: To me having the couple naked is a symbol of vulnerability, openness, and freedom. Within any relationship romantic or otherwise there needs to be a certain level of intimacy…and no not meaning sexy/romantic, but a level of familiarity and trust. The nakedness of the couple brings me back to the idea of the garden of Eden when the world and humanity were new. 

Against: Seeing the naked human form can make some people uncomfortable and I want this deck to be approachable. When it comes to publishing I may have a problem with getting this card printed. Also, it is possible to convey the same message/ideas above without the sims being naked. Through various posing and lighting, one can still achieve a level of intimacy between the couple.

I suppose at the end of the day I shouldn’t care what makes others uncomfortable. It’s my friend’s deck after all since I am unsure if anyone else would be interested in a copy of this deck.

[thewatcherstarot]

I was considering offering prints of the tarot artwork for sale in various sizes. Good idea bad idea? Let me know

[thewatcherstarot]

Happy pride month.

[yimmygee]

my card for the @overwatchtarotdeck! i was assigned the 9 of wands and i drew ana, based on her fight with reaper in the comics

you can still buy a gorgeous deck!! check it out ✌🏼

upright meaning: persistence, test of faith, resilience

reversed meaning: fatigue, hesitance, paranoia

[caramujotan]

my piece and process for the @overwatchtarotdeck! i drew moira as the magician. 

there are still 15 days left (until june 30) for you to support the project on kickstarter and adquire a deck so please check it out!

[thewatcherstarot]

Love the art work of the deck so far. I believe itnis so important to support fellow creators. Check it out

[thewatcherstarot]

playing with the idea of changing the card layout

[thewatcherstarot]

Some fun editing I did of a possible photo for the Lovers tarot card.

[thewatcherstarot]

untouched photos from today’s shoot. should the lovers be naked or clothed? I am still debating.

Reason for: To me having the couple naked is a symbol of vulnerability, openness, and freedom. Within any relationship romantic or otherwise there needs to be a certain level of intimacy…and no not meaning sexy/romantic, but a level of familiarity and trust. The nakedness of the couple brings me back to the idea of the garden of Eden when the world and humanity were new. 

Against: Seeing the naked human form can make some people uncomfortable and I want this deck to be approachable. When it comes to publishing I may have a problem with getting this card printed. Also, it is possible to convey the same message/ideas above without the sims being naked. Through various posing and lighting, one can still achieve a level of intimacy between the couple.

I suppose at the end of the day I shouldn’t care what makes others uncomfortable. It’s my friend’s deck after all since I am unsure if anyone else would be interested in a copy of this deck.

[thewatcherstarot]

I was considering offering prints of the tarot artwork for sale in various sizes. Good idea bad idea? Let me know

[thewatcherstarot]

more raw photos from today

[thewatcherstarot]

untouched photos from today’s shoot. should the lovers be naked or clothed? I am still debating.

Reason for: To me having the couple naked is a symbol of vulnerability, openness, and freedom. Within any relationship romantic or otherwise there needs to be a certain level of intimacy...and no not meaning sexy/romantic, but a level of familiarity and trust. The nakedness of the couple brings me back to the idea of the garden of Eden when the world and humanity were new. 

Against: Seeing the naked human form can make some people uncomfortable and I want this deck to be approachable. When it comes to publishing I may have a problem with getting this card printed. Also, it is possible to convey the same message/ideas above without the sims being naked. Through various posing and lighting, one can still achieve a level of intimacy between the couple.

I suppose at the end of the day I shouldn’t care what makes others uncomfortable. It’s my friend’s deck after all since I am unsure if anyone else would be interested in a copy of this deck.

[will-o-the-witch]

Things to Consider in a Tarot Reading (Other Than Card Meanings)

It’s important to look at the meanings of tarot cards, but it’s very possible to pull even more out of a reading that individual card meanings. Here’s some other stuff you might consider bringing into your interpretation when it feels right:

🍄The position of the cards. This is why spread design can be so important! I’ve had instances where all the cards, in their positions, had the subjects looking or pointing towards one specific card. It was wild. What did it mean? Maybe nothing, but maybe something very significant, depending on the question!

🍄The visual element of the cards. Sometimes what’s depicted on the card can give more specific insight than the actual book meanings. The pictures were done that way for a reason, so don’t be afraid to give them their own weight! Also, sometimes the spread as a whole will have a flow of design (like when one half is much brighter than the other) or a specific card is WAY more colorful than the other cards on the table. Any of these could potentially carry meaning.

🍄Jumper cards. This is when a card pops out while you’re shuffling! I usually just put them back… UNLESS the question has already been presented, and I’m shuffling with that question in mind. Then, I keep them as extra advice, bonus cards.

🍄Reoccurring numbers. Maybe you do a four card spread for a friend, and you get the four of cups, four of swords, four of wands, and the Emperor! (IV.) What does that mean? What does the number four symbolize? Well, a lot of things, potentially, depending on what you study. Some tarot designs incorporate the Kabbalah’s numbered paths in the tree of life, others go with numerology. Maybe, the number four just means something special to you or the querent in particular.

🍄A bunch of cards in order. I’m not talking about when you forget to shuffle. I’m talking about when you give it a really good shuffle and you still get the ace, two, and three of Pentacles all in a row. This can be seen as a sign of progression, or that the events are all much more closely connected than anticipated. It can also mean it happens over a shorter period of time than normal. It’s up to you, your cards, and the contexts.

🍄Proportions of different features. Maybe you’re doing an obstacle spread, and your obstacle is something like the nine of swords. That’s pretty nasty, but if all the other cards in the spread are Major Arcana, then it’s probably not going to be that difficult to surmount. The reverse can also be true. Additionally, a high number of reversed cards in a spread typically signifies a lot of confusion, conflict, and turmoil.

🍄Reoccurring symbols. Beyond just the four suits, because that’s a given! But maybe your spread shows a lot of cards with images of fire, people dancing, or birds. Do these mean anything to you or the querent? What do they typically symbolize?

🍄Any hiccups or unusual events during the reading. Once I had a querent pick up a card to examine it, drop it, then pick it up and put it back reversed. Since it was the overall outcome card, I interpreted that as a heightened ability to change her own fate in this given situation, since she had turned the card from quite a bad omen to a good one. Sometimes little accidents like dropping cards, accidentally shifting them, or laying out the spread wrong are meant to be there and add to the meaning!

I hope this gives you some ideas! Feel free to add more. What do you interpret alongside the cards in a reading?

[drauu]

my tarot card project is finally picking up! hopefully, when I get the proof prints, I’ll make the rest of the deck and be able to sell these soon

[thewatcherstarot]

Some more progress photos. Not sure if these will be the final cards but this is where I am at currently.

[thewatcherstarot]

I think i may redo the death card...and ive already redone the devil. At this rate the project will take years

[thewatcherstarot]

Some more progress photos. Not sure if these will be the final cards but this is where I am at currently.

[catastrophezine]

IT’S FINALLY HERE!

The CATastrophe Warrior Cats Tarot Deck Kickstarter is LIVE! This deck contains an unbelievable 78 original cards by some of your favourite Warrior Cats fanartists featuring a ton of characters! Just, like, so many characters!

There’s also a special deal for backers who grab more than one deck- some of the leftover bonus material from the original CATastrophe! But that’s not all- for early bird backers, there’s EXCLUSIVE bookmarks using card art from the set! These are limited, however, so grab ‘em while you can!

From everyone at CATastrophe, thank you!

Back this project on Kickstarter!

[thewatcherstarot]

Its so good to see others succeeding in geting funding for their projects.

[thewatcherstarot]

Some more progress photos. Not sure if these will be the final cards but this is where I am at currently.

[hillbillyoracle]

Why the Major Arcana Aren’t Majorly Useful (And How to Make Them Moreso)

The Major Arcana are often my students’ favorite part of Tarot Cards – and that’s fair. They’re usually the most highly illustrated cards in a deck and since they have no parallel in playing cards, they often seem more mystical.

But my incredibly unpopular opinion is that they are not terribly useful.

When a person asks for a reading, they generally want to know some version of what’s going on now and how things will end up. The function of the Major Arcana doesn’t align very well in answering those questions as they often speak to self-development on a very high level.

Not every person who comes to you asking about their love life will be wrestling with all the lessons inherent in the Tower card. They’re more often than not going to hear that a new relationship is developing nicely, that a break up is imminent, or that their baggage is causing problems.

So how do the Major Arcana fit into a reading then?

The Major Arcana as a Journey

There are two key ways I use Major Arcana in a reading.

The first is as an insight to where in the “cycle of enlightenment” a person is/was/will be.

The Major Arcana can be read as the Fool’s journey to enlightenment or self-actualization. The first 10 cards represent the Fool’s development materially – learning skills, gaining power, and losing it all. The second 10 follow their journey for deeper meaning and satisfaction with life – the actual nature of justice, identity, and the universe. The Fool and The World are two sides of the same coin. Only someone who’s seen the true nature of the World can know what a Fool they are. And the cycle repeats.

Learning the Major Arcana in this context can help you better remember them narratively.

Practice: Place your cards out like the diagram. Read each of the meanings of the “material” Major Arcana cards, imagine the Fool becoming each of the figures in the cards, and write a summary of the events. Then do the same with the “spiritual” Major Arcana Cards.

 The Major Arcana as a Series of Teachers

The other way I work with the Major Arcana is through understanding them as a series of teachers and gifts. This works well when they show up outside of an action or time oriented slot in a reading.

This is probably closer to how most people I’ve seen read them and I definitely still use it.

Practice: Meditate on the lessons of each Major Arcana card. Summarize how you would teach that lesson to another person and write it down.

 The Major Arcana as Dualities

This one has limited usefulness but I still find it comes in handy when I need to better explain why a card has shown up in the reading to a querent. Sometime this is best done by beginning to “read vertically” – something I’ll cover in a future post – with the Major Arcana.

Say the Empress shows up in a reading in the past slot. Knowing that she is 3 in the material sequence and 3 in the spiritual sequence is Death, I can begin to explain that the reason this card has shown up here is because of the cycle of death and rebirth and the querent in the past was at the beginning of that cycle either as a steward for someone else or their own (re)birth. It adds a bit of depth and perspective.

I use this more for some pairings than others. Sometimes this doesn’t work perfectly but it can be a useful lens to look at them through.

Practice: Take each pair starting with 1 and 11. Read their meanings and see if you can sense their dual nature. If you do and it seems useful, jot down some notes about how the two relate to each other.

I hope this helps! If you have any questions, let me know!

*I never claim my way is the one true way. Take what is useful and leave the rest.

**If you wind up using this stuff in another setting, I’d really appreciate it if you could cite me. This is my art. Don’t steal, please credit.