Witchcrafting: Crafts for Witches

Tarot Cards

Merry meet.

The long months of darkness that stretch before us are a good time for a long project. One to consider is making your own deck of tarot cards.

Among my decks is one that was a project from an ATC (artist Trading Cards: miniature works of art about the size of a playing card) group for pagans; each member designed two freestyle cards and made 40 copies of each on heavyweight paper. The organizer collated the decks, giving one to each person who made two cards and keeping two decks for the effort. (The photo shows a sample of the cards.)

Participating in it made me realize that you can have limited artistic talents and not be able to draw –  and still accomplish such a project by cutting and pasting. Access to a camera, scanner and Photoshop offers more possibilities.

If you want the backs of the deck to be blank, start by cutting 78 cards to the same size. If you’d like the backs to have an image, copy that picture onto one side of the paper, fitting as many as possible on one sheet. There’s no reason you can’t make your cards round, triangular or square.

Now, begin to work your way through creating the deck in whatever manner best suits you. If you make one card a day starting in early November, you’ll be done by Imbolc, even if you skip some days. Start now and make one card a week and you’ll have a deck done by Beltane the year after next.

Using art books, calendars and magazines, collect your images, enlarging or reducing items as necessary to fit your card. Use an archival glue to affix the images, pressing in pages of a book while they dry. (I sometimes slip the cards between pieces of waxed paper inside the book or use a photo album with the protective sheets between each page as an extra precaution.)

When dry, trim so the edges are smooth and uniform. Coating fronts and backs of the finished cards with a spray acrylic finish such as Krylon or brushing on Mod Podge will protect them. Cards can also be laminated.

When you’re done, you’ll have a very personalized deck that you’ll be able to use with ease because you’ll have taken the time to get to know the significance of each card and selected images that will remind you of its meaning.

Merry part.

And merry meet again.