I’ve been fascinated by tarot cards lately, but not just any deck – I wanted something with a bit of history and depth. That’s when I stumbled upon the idea of tarot decks inspired by mythology. It just clicked – combining the symbolism of tarot with the rich stories of ancient myths? Sign me up!
So, I dove headfirst into this project. First things first, I needed to pick a mythology. There are so many cool ones out there – Greek, Norse, Egyptian, Celtic, you name it. I spent days just reading up on different mythologies, trying to figure out which one resonated with me the most. Each pantheon was a new rabbit hole to explore, and I think my search history was full of gods and monsters for a while!
Eventually, I settled on Greek mythology. I’ve always loved those stories, and they seemed to fit really well with the structure of the tarot. So, with my chosen mythology in hand, I started the real work: figuring out which god, hero, or creature would represent each card.
This part was tough! I made a huge list of all the Major and Minor Arcana cards and started brainstorming. For example, for “The Emperor,” I immediately thought of Zeus, the king of the gods. But then, “The Empress” was trickier. Hera? Demeter? Aphrodite? Each one brought a different vibe to the card. I ended up going with Demeter, because of the fertility and abundance aspect of the card.
I went through each card like this, making notes, crossing things out, and rearranging my choices. It was like putting together a giant, complex puzzle. I wanted each card to really capture the essence of both the tarot meaning and the mythological figure.
- The Fool: Icarus (taking a leap of faith, but maybe a bit too recklessly)
- The Magician: Hermes (communication, skill, maybe a bit of trickery)
- Strength: Heracles (duh!)
- The Lovers: Eros & Psyche (a classic love story with some trials and tribulations)
- The Tower: The Fall of Icarus or the destruction of the minotaur’s labyrinth (a sudden upheaval)
Here’s a little sneak peek of some of the matchups I came up with:
Once I had my list, I felt pretty good! It took a while to get there, but I think it was worth it. Then after deciding on all the card meanings, I did a few test readings using a normal tarot deck but imagining the Greek figures in place. It felt good, but I knew I needed some actual visual representation of these.
So I started sketching! It was really fun bringing these characters to life in my own style. And you know what? This whole process has been such a blast. I’ve learned so much about both tarot and Greek mythology, and I’ve got a cool, unique deck in the making. It’s not just a deck of cards anymore; it’s a collection of stories, a piece of art, and a testament to the power of combining old traditions in new ways.
I’m still working on the artwork, but I’m so excited to eventually have a finished product. It’s been a real labor of love, and I can’t wait to share it with others. Maybe I’ll even inspire someone else to create their own mythology-inspired deck. The possibilities are endless!
