Back in December I had a mad-wonderful idea.
What if we made a queer tarot deck where individuals chose their own cards – cards which had special significance for them in their queer-life-journey – and made that card?
And then what if I got on a plane and went to the US and, like, met up with some of those people and photographed them and together we made this amazing tarot deck full of queer stories, and where every card was a photograph of that person being their card?
That would be pretty cool, huh?
Ambitious. But why the hell not?
So I announced this plan, and you responded! 24 stories were submitted to the project that week and it was so incredible, reading through them. You are such a bunch of amazing people.
However, as is extremely typical of me, I hadn’t quite thought this through. I’m due to be in the US for the start of March, which didn’t exactly leave much time for a) collecting 78-plus stories covering every card in the tarot, b) applying for funding to do this (because let’s face it, I don’t actually have five grand to spare right now) and c) generally doing this whole awesome project or the amazing contributors any justice at all.
So. Back to the drawing board. (If there was ever a phrase I’d like to reserve for my gravestone…)
Let’s start small (ish.)
Let’s start together.
Let’s start by collecting those stories, in a place where everyone can see them, read them, be inspired by them.
And then let’s see what happens.
And if this grows into something big (which I really think it could!)…then let’s think about making a physical deck. About funding. About travel.
It’s never easy for me to climb down from the top of a big tree I dashed up in a flurry of excitement and energy and ‘yes totally that’s genius let’s do this now!’…but climbing down is something I very often have to do.
I don’t mind.
Cos look what’s here on the ground! A beautiful, simple website just waiting for your stories.
This one’s for all the queers…
Go share your story:
queertarot.com
LOVE!
Beth xx
I’m a 30-something writer, artist, tarot reader, and perpetual explorer of the space between thought, feeling, and action.
I believe that spirituality and ritual are for everybody. I’m about the journey, in all of its messy, non-linear, chaotic iterations. I am excited by anticapitalist business and living with my whole entire self present. I use tarot cards to bring forth hidden truth, and ritual to affirm my commitment, over and over, to my ever-shifting path.
Hi Beth, this is a lovely idea! Can’t wait to see how it turns out. Have you seen this black and white hand drawn deck on Etsy? It’s called the Wayward Tarot and is meant to be more inclusive. The more queer friendly decks, the better, I say! https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/185701052/the-wayward-tarot-deck?ref=sr_gallery_19&ga_search_query=tarot+deck&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
Oooh thanks for sharing! That’s *such* a cool handmade tarot deck… (and now I’m exploring a lovely new etsy shop when I should be working… 😉
Oops, sorry! 😉
Sometimes I get super discouraged when my big dreams have to be started from something smaller, but it’s always worth it! It definitely forces you to be creative and think outside of the box, which I think you are brilliant at doing. 🙂
I can’t wait for these stories!
So glad to see this post and the new site!
I think the best projects *do* change as they grow, and I love that this one is a collaboration!
Ha ha, I’m a fine one for climbing big trees, too! So long as you find a way forward…