I’ve started (for fun) designing a bird inspired tarot deck, I only plan to do the major arcana at the moment and I’m making a heavily inspired by the Raider-Waite tarot deck, with my own interpretations in addition.
The fool is the first card in the major arcana, often unnumbered but I chose to start with ‘0’ and symbolises the beginning of a story. The journey of the fool is represented as his journey through the mysteries of life.
The fool in its upright position can be associated with positive journeys, willingness to start afresh and to learn and open oneself to fresh opportunities, delirium and extravagance.If selected in the reverse position, the fool can represent taking dangerous risks and acting rashly, vainly and with apathy.
For my interpretation I chose a white stork, storks are known for their long migrations throughout the year and in several cultures are seen as representing the human spirit’s journey to the afterlife. In this way I thought it was an appropriate representative of the fool as they are known for their journeys and like the fool, can be seen as guiding the reader on a journey. I chose to keep the representation of the rose present in the Rider-Waite deck as well as the motif of leaving safety to the unknown and possibly dangerous. The Fool is associated with the element of air, which is why a bird in flight also felt appropriate.
I have planned our several more cards, though I might not complete them. This is a project for fun, but I will continue to post them as they are created.
The Art of Katie Whittle 