Description
About the Deck:
Watch the full unboxing + walkthrough here: https://youtu.be/-lFV6Xo-e9E
The Genius Garden Tarot is a 78-card tarot deck that invokes your Genius and channels it toward the cultivation of an authentic, creative life. Each of us holds the power to sew and nurture the seeds of our truest becoming, and the Genius Garden Tarot is a tool we can use to awaken that power and infuse it into everything we do.
I hand-painted the Genius Garden Tarot in my cozy attic studio over the course of thirteen months. I blended acrylic paints in primary colors to alchemize the deck’s color palette, and I painted those colors on a tan mixed media board to add depth and texture to the illustrations. The choice to paint nearly every aspect of this offering was highly intentional—as technological advancements pull us further away from analog means of creation, the soul-shaping process of “hands in the clay” creativity is threatened. It’s my personal belief that the process of creation is just as important as the product of creativity, and if we cede that process to algorithms, we lose vital opportunities for growth and self-discovery.
I created the Genius Garden Tarot as a means through which its readers may activate and channel their distinct animating spark—that divine light within them that desires nothing more than free dynamic expression. Although working with the cards by themselves achieves this aim, practicing the Genius Invocation Ritual included in the guidebook will help readers deepen their bond with the deck and generate subconscious associations of truth, openness, and authenticity. In other words, the ritual “unlocks” the Genius within and lets it speak through the reader as they study and interpret the cards.
The cards in the Genius Garden Tarot are inspired by those in the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, but are interpreted in ways that highlight the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. For example, the Death card nurtures the first seedling of rebirth, and the Chariot card champions the idea of finding balance through surrender rather than willpower. Although the world of the Genius Garden Tarot isn’t without its challenges, it embraces those challenges like a tree that’s seen many seasons: with strength, humility, empathy, and wisdom.
Although I created this deck with the express intention of awakening your Genius, it can be used just like any other 78-card tarot deck. I showcased simple, vibrant imagery because I believe it’s the easiest to read with, and I included lots of negative space to draw the reader into the vast, sublime world of the Genius Garden Tarot.
About the Guidebook:
The Genius Garden Tarot guidebook is a 100-page perfect bound book measuring 4″ x 6″. It includes an introduction, an “Invocation of Genius” ritual, four original card spreads, and 78 empowering messages for each of the cards. In many ways, the guidebook is its own oracle, offering insight, perspective, and calls to action rather than lengthy descriptions of traditional meanings.
To give you an idea of what the guidebook includes, here’s the entry for the Fool:
A figure dauntlessly launches off of the edge of a cliff, head back and heart forward. They trust in the universe enough not to look down—they know they will land right where they are meant to. Each time they’ve encountered this precipice, they’ve backed away in fear and apprehension. Today is a new day, however. The hopeful glow of the rising sun emboldens them to run and leap with all of the enthusiasm they can muster. Faith and trust are the forces that keep them aloft.
The next step on your soul’s journey is a leap, and it’s waiting for you to take it. Dive into the vast unknown with strength and grace, Beauty. Be brave and meet your challenges head-on. There’s a calling rising within you that won’t be ignored, and the more you resist it, the louder it gets. The time to act is now, so leave off stalling and go for it!
Trust that you have everything you need to navigate the challenges in store. Trust in the guidance of your Genius, that divine inner light that animates and inspires you. And finally, trust in the inherent benevolence of the beautiful cosmic expanse—it will take you where you’re meant to go.
Journaling Prompt: What fears, uncertainties, or insecurities are holding you back? How might a “genius leap” silence them?