When Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas Tarot was published, I
jumped to purchase it immediately. I have wanted one my entire tarot
career, and since it was officially licensed I thought it would be a
great opportunity for the mass market to have a new popular deck. With so many people being afraid to explore their shadow selves or deck styles that are darker, this deck can bridge that gap and bring a safe place for the hesitant to explore without feeling threatened. The mood in the illustrations is great, and to my surprise the deck reads really well for witchcraft or a spiritual path. With so many inanimate objects present and the underworld appearance, many of my readings have had symbolism pertaining to the spirit world, subjects of divinatory origin and magic in practice. I think it would be very useful for someone who practices hoodoo/conjure to pick these cards up and see what the cards have to add to their lifestyle. 🔮🌙🔮⚡
A few days ago my mother took a set of flights to come meet me. It was the first time we had seen one another since December 24th, 2019. It had almost been a year. The days leading up to the trip were anxiety-inducing. We mailed her out a hazmat suit, subjected her to quarantine and to a covid test prior to her arrival. Finally, the drive over to the airport felt like an eternity.
FFXIV has been a journey. I finally did it! I became a full fledged Black Mage. I just beat Leviathan, which was my favorite eidolon in previous Final Fantasy games. He looks more like a monster than an elder, sleek and creepy. It's nice when the healers are on top of their stuff. Leveling characters up takes forever, but I've finally gotten both my FFXIV black mage and my World of Warcraft Priest past level 50. It took a long time because I don't get to log in daily. I haven't even begun taking World of Warcraft screen caps yet. Since I'm not big on story I didn't think it would make much sense. I find the most enjoyment comes from winning new gear and mounts, going through dungeons.
Moon Crystal Tarot 2nd edition by Alexandra Aquilina (aka ScreenGirl.) ScreenGirl is a printer and illustrator from Malta, based in Berlin, Germany. You will be delighted to hear the vast majority of the Sailor Moon cast is present in this deck, and that includes the amazing villains! I was so delighted to see how inclusive this deck is. Look for your favorites! My all-time favorite star of the show is Wicked Lady, and I was delighted to find her in the Moon card. It is almost as if this deck was made just for me! The card stock is nice. It's buttery, yields very little. Seems sturdy, feels great to the touch. These cards are not slippery, they are totally matte and it makes the artwork really pop. This project took three years to complete. 🌙✨
Out of all the Malpertuis decks, these cards have my favorite edges in matte dark gold. A limited edition of 1000 copies. Card dimensions are 70mm x 120mm, printed on 350gsm art paper and finished with UV varnish. The rustic feel of Neil Lovell's collaged style fits the setting quite perfectly. It portrays a historic culture with dazzling architecture and artisanry. You really must experience it to understand its magic first hand. The Jemaa el-Fnaa will stay with me forever. 🍊🍍🍌🌿🌾🍃🐓🐪🐫
This is Neil Lovell's Malpertuis Lenormand, the first one he made. He started making it in 2014 with the intention of it being a companion deck for the Tyldwick Tarot. It is the second deck I bought from Neil Lovell. Since Neil Lovell ended up not making the deck narrative and mysterious, he decided not to echo this deck's predecessor's name. He states that this is an intended cousin, and this is why it is called the Malpertuis Lenormand and not the Tyldwick Lenormand. This project took about a year to complete. I got two copies of the first print. Of course I did. It's a beautiful sight.
The Tyldwick Tarot is the pioneering project of the Malpertuis brand. It was envisioned and created by Neil Lovell, a creative artisan I wish I would have spent more time corresponding with. He was an amazing artist and academic, incredibly intelligent and with an eagle eye for beauty. He breathed life into very special projects, illustrations that take you to places near and far, as well as places that can only ever exist in your imagination. The masterful use of color, pattern and what I think to be digital collage creates spaces that whisper information to you. How wonderful that the whispers are personalized and meant to advise you on your own life, and the lives of your sitters. I regret not asking Neil more questions about his projects, I took for granted the aspect of time. But he will live on in his card decks. He found magic in the world and he had the tools to harness that magic to make it a utility. I wonder where these places are, and if the people walking through the halls or casually standing by the fountains know that we use these places to derive meaning and convey moods or mindsets. Probably not, but there lies part of the magic. ✨
Signing in, basking in the afterglow of my birthday celebration.
I spent the day before listening to and loving the new Ghostemane album titled Anti-Icon. The album consists of 36 minutes of rage, sadness, being fed up with reality, and very dark content. As somebody who anticipated the release for months prior, I felt the album justified my seemingly endless wait. All of the subsequent listens filled the rest of the details in. I've already got my favorite lyrics from the songs. I've been listening to it since it came out and it has done my spirit a world of good. 💀💜
The Legend of the Wizad Laird Lenormand by Neil Lovell of Malpertuis arrived today. I knew what the package contained immediately when I saw the Malpertuis logotype on the label. I hugged the package to my chest after I pulled it out of the receptacle. Mine at last, a Lenormand
deck I thought I would never ever have the pleasure to handle. I acquired the deck in both the full and poker sizes. The full size is the same as the Old Arabian Lenormand. The poker size is the same size as the Malpertuis Lenormand.
There is no loss of detail despite the different format. Upon closer
look, the poker size was reformatted to also fit the entire image in the
frame. And they both look stunning. What a sight! I think this deck conveys a somber mood beautifully. It feels stormy and autumnal. A great deck for when moods shadow your insides. 💬💭🐳🐋🌑🌑
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