Cards will be available for pre-order over on my Etsy
Seedling Tarot Cards
By Jesika Kula
The Seedling Tarot Deck was inspired by a love of nature and the wonder of the tarot card. Historically, both plants and tarot have been used as a means of communication. Although spiritual in nature, one does not need to find themselves spiritual to enjoy tarot cards. While it’s true, some do use the deck as a means of connecting to a higher power, research has shown that simply interacting with the cards can be a great tool of self-reflection and aid in improving the state of one’s mental health.
As the cards present a different meaning or situation in each card, by asking a specific question, the cards prompt an answer that may have otherwise gone undiscovered, allowing the user to develop a sense of situational perception, and in some cases a greater sense of empathy.
MY ROLE
Research
User Interviews
Survey
Illustrations
Product Design
COMPANY
SFU - IAT 499
Final Project
MENTOR
0 - The Fool
Card Meaning
In the world of classical Greek mythology, Eros, the god of romantic love was often pictured as carrying around a white rose. Eros was also a notorious trickster and was often thought of as the carefree and difficult to control god. As such, roses today have taken on the meanings of love and passion.
Where the meaning alters, however, is in its colour. The white rose can be read as a sign of passion paired with naivety, representing one who's not yet confined by the hard reality of experience. Like the white rose, the Fool represents a state of delirium, frenzy, and intoxication. Not necessarily bad, but chaotic in nature, for better or for worse.
In reverse, this card takes on its more negative meaning, representing an inflated ego or a false sense of confidence. This can lead to carelessness, negligence, and apathy.
The Project
Over the course of the semester, and with the ultimate goal of completing IAT 499 with a project I can continue to produce and sell. I set out to determine if the Seedling Tarot Deck, would be a well-received solution to the lack of botanical decks in the metaphysical community. The process involved researching the cards and plants and defining my proposed customer segments.
From there it took a lot of time to cross-reference the symbolism and meanings of the 72 cards in a tarot deck with the complex historical, cultural, mythological, medicinal, and magical meanings of various plants.
I then began the arduous process of pairing plants with cards and sent surveys out to individuals in my proposed customer segment, looking to gauge how intuitive the match of cards are, and get feedback on design elements. The survey also allowed me to sort through feedback based on gender, age, familiarity with tarot cards, and comfort level of plant knowledge.
From there I conducted a couple of user interviews to confirm my hypotheses and moved forward with the creation of the artwork and the copyrighting for the meanings of each card.
If you’re interested in learning more about the research and seeing all 22 of the major arcana cards, you can check out my portfolio.