THE ARTIST DECODED TAROT FAQS
The Artist Decoded Tarot launches tomorrow, Tuesday, June 18th, 2024.
To get ahead of the conversation that will likely occur due to the sensitive nature of the artistic medium that was partially used for the card designs, I wanted to put together a list of FAQs for everyone to have as a resource.
Whether you’re new here, a fan of Amenti Oracle: Feather Heart Deck and Guidebook, or have found my work by another means, like a podcast or some meme magick on Instagram, I wanted to offer some context for some of the “why.”
Yoshino and I recorded a podcast explaining our thoughts and feelings, which you can listen to below.
Photography by Graham Dunn
But, without further ado, here’s a list of Frequently Asked Questions about The Artist Decoded Tarot.
THE ARTIST DECODED TAROT FAQS
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Yoshino and I have been friends since 2017, and he first approached me with the idea for this deck in the summer of 2022. I was fascinated by the concept and where we could take it together through this collaborative effort.
At that time, he and I were really interested in the early stages of this technology, and we spoke about it together briefly here: Decoding the Artist Within
When we were thinking about naming the project back then, we threw around a lot of different ideas. But, eventually landed on The Artist Decoded Tarot because of Yoshino's podcast, which is of the same name and started in 2015, which he describes as:
"I started this series as a means for exploration, an exploration of self, and an exploration of the perspectives of other artists.
This series is an unabridged documentation of conversations between artists. Dedicated to breaking down the barriers we tend to set up in our own minds. I want to inspire future creatives to have the courage to explore and experiment. This is about making dreams a reality and not about letting our dreams fall to the wayside.
My intention is to give my audience a sense of real human connection, something that feels rich and organic.
When I was thinking of a title, I thought of the word 'movement.'
In relation to the Renaissance period in art, my goal for this program is to signify a rebirth of consciousness towards the way we look at contemporary art."I realize using this as the title of our deck may suggest we are trying to "decode" artistry, but that would be a massive and futile effort, akin to trying to explain the mechanics of what makes a joke funny or what makes art "art" in the first place.
But, we viewed this project as a conversation between artist and technology, spirituality and creativity, tarot and the map of human "meaning."
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This deck is for spiritual seekers who are interested in the intersection between technology, mysticism, creativity, and esoterica.
This is for those who are drawn to novel imagery and dreamscapes from the mind of an artist in conversation with the imagination of technology.
Simultaneously, this is not for those who will judge a book by its cover and are open to a deeper conversation on the themes explored.
You may enjoy this if you've read books like Techgnosis by Eric Davis, Modern Occultism by Mitch Horowitz, or Quantum Psychology by Robert Anton Wilson.
If you're a fan of visual aesthetics dreamed up by artists like Danielle Noel, Sara Shakeel or Sofia Crespo this deck may also appeal to your preferences.
To note, it may also be worth exploring this website to explore more artists who are having similar conversations around this medium: AI Artists.
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This is a question best answered by Yoshino, so I will refer back to our recent interview with RP Mystic, and share his words:
"The Artist Decoded Tarot was born from a combination of AI image-making and digital collaging/painting using Photoshop. While experimenting, I found myself deeply fascinated by their potential. I often pondered a mix of questions: What will the next generation of art-making look like? How does our creativity evolve from using these tools? And more importantly, how will integrating with AI inevitably change our brains?
Whether we realize it or not, AI is altering our perception of reality in ways that were previously inconceivable. These ideas belong to the realm of science fiction, and while they can be unsettling for some, technological evolution also invites us to explore new horizons, challenging us to redefine our boundaries and potential."
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I have been concerned about the evolution of this technology for over a decade, and I've written about some of my experiences in the space on Rolling Stone's Culture Council Blog.
I believe the conversation around AI needs to be addressed head-on, but it also requires a lot of nuance.
In the two years since this project was dreamed up, AI has become even more integrated into our lives at a dizzying rate.
It will become increasingly difficult to distinguish what is real from what is not in the next five years.
Already, we are seeing the consequences of AI-generated imagery fooling older generations online and how disorienting that has been for many.
We are going to begin to see colossal waves of "technological unemployment."
We are already living in a new reality that is completely different from what life was like, even pre-pandemic.
Perhaps I have an insane way of thinking, but in many ways, I looked at The Artist Decoded Tarot as a “Trojan Horse,” as a means of confronting the relationship between art and technology -- and to, ultimately, get offline and find inspiration in the tangible.
"It's the witch, not the wand." - Sarah Zucker
I worry that the core intention, which was to inspire readers to create in the analog world and remember their own power as creative beings, may be lost in gross generalizations and the discourse on AI as a whole. Most negative feedback, thus far, seems to have come from those who haven’t read the guidebook - or tried any of the creative prompts therein.
Personally, I have mixed emotions about AI.
I see its utility as a way to learn faster, grow, and evolve as a creative human being. I see its utility in better communicating in languages I am not fluent in and broadening my connectivity to the world.
They have also helped me become a better writer, not by writing for me or as me but by helping edit grammar, punctuation, and formatting and by giving critical feedback without bias.
I am simultaneously terrified and inspired.
There is so much potential, both good and bad. But, I think overall it's a big gray area right now.
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I believe that bold new territories will lead to many bold conversations that require nuanced thinking and clear ethical guidelines.
After Bing's ChatBot, Sydney, caused an onslaught of concern and negative press, see: A Conversation with Bing's Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled, Bing setup a failsafe that will stop conversations that ask about its sentience, and have increasing limitations on chat sessions.
ChatGPT and other GPT models are still (quite dangerous) works in progress. They often make errors and flat-out "lie."
The science behind these technologies is by no means perfected or close to it.
With Generative AI and how these systems train, there will be a steep learning curve.
Some of the greatest issues at hand stem from unethical data collection, lack of consent, questions of copyright, and devaluing the humanity of art by sourcing work from the computer instead of hiring a human being.
The conversation will require nuance, transparency, and, hopefully, new systems that offer sustainability in practice and application.
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The project took over a year to finish and almost two years from pitch to production.
Traditional publishing works months, and often years, in advance. The work you're seeing today began in 2022.
The decks you'll see from me in 2025 and 2026 were created in 2023 and 2024.
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The guidebook took a year to finish, and is 175 pages.
It begins with an artist's statement from Yoshino, and a foreword by PEN Award-Winning author, Mitch Horowitz.
Within the booklet there's a brief overview of the "key symbols" including the sephirah from The Tree of Life, The Four Kabbalistic Worlds, The Tetragrammaton, The Cherubic Aspects and The Zodiac Signs, Elements and Planets.
Every card in the Major and Minor arcana has a key of its correspondences, the upright and reversed meaning, and a creative prompt, asking you to "imagine" something through an artistic practice.
There are a ton of esoteric and pop culture references, with the intention of offering universal appeal and new ways of seeing the particularities within this system and the ways we perceive the world around us.
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In Hebrew, Kabbalah means "receiving," and the Tree of Life can be considered a way of receiving "God" -- which are three very loaded letters that I (personally) perceive as unbridled creativity.
“It is easier to gaze into the sun, than into the face of the mystery of God. Such is its beauty and its radiance.” — Hildegard of Bingen
In the Rider Waite system of Tarot, each card in the Major Arcana corresponds to a Hebrew letter, which relates to a different "Path of Wisdom."
Upon closer examination, we can find that each letter relates to the number and then to the archetypal form and lesson imbued within each of the cards.
Incorporating a more "magnified" view of the esoteric layers was a way to "decode" what is hidden in plain view and offer new pathways to receive deeper insight into the Fool's journey of understanding The World.
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In our upcoming deck, BE NOT AFRAID, Natalee Miller and I explore "Biblically Accurate" angels and the Celestial Hierarchy.
Within the Celestial Hierarchy, the Cherubim are a class of angels that are closest to "The Creator."
These are not the cute, adorable cherubs you're used to seeing in marble statues or Fiorucci t-shirts. Instead, the Cherubim are psychedelic/otherworldly figures. They are tetramorphs with four wings and four different faces (a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle).
In Western Esotericism, these four faces relate to the four fixed zodiac signs. The lion represents Leo, the eagle represents Scorpio, the human face represents Aquarius and the Ox represents Taurus.
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Tarot and Oracle Cards, regardless of the decks that speak to you, are a veritable "choose your own adventure" game.
If you're a fan of the Amenti Oracle and want to try this deck, you can use them together in readings however you deem appropriate.
Perhaps you'd like to experiment by pulling an Amenti Oracle card as a general "temperature check" for the situation at hand. Then, to get greater clarity for the story you're navigating, you can pull some cards from The Artist Decoded Tarot to go deeper into the layers of meaning.
IE: Maybe you'll pull "I Advance Through My Own Abilities" from Amenti Oracle, and then your Artist Decoded Tarot spread includes The Ace of Wands, Queen of Swords, and The Magician!
Or vice versa! Pull a few tarot cards for insight, and then end your reading with one oracle card to summarize the theme or affirmation that can help carry the lessons forward.
IE: Maybe you'll pull The High Priestess, The Moon, and The Queen of Cups from The Artist Decoded Deck, and then pick "I Follow My Inner Guidance" from Amenti Oracle.
Play, explore, and find whatever way you'd like to make this practice your own. Use the cards together, separately, or not at all.
The choice is yours and yours alone!
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Yes, absolutely!
Our upcoming deck, BE NOT AFRAID Oracle, will debut in 2025. This forthcoming work explores Biblically Accurate Angels, the Celestial Hierarchy, and apocryphal angelic lore in our signature "esoteric, but make it Vogue" aesthetic.
Natalee and I are not only collaborators, but she is also one of my best friends, and I hope to have the blessing of continuing to collaborate with her on more work in the future.
The Artist Decoded Tarot was a one-off collaboration with Yoshino that explored new territory in concept and aesthetic language.
If there’s anything I may have missed, please feel free to comment, and I will add to this list. This is by no means exhaustive, and I am sure it will continue to evolve as time goes on.