Xia Hunt - The Children of Ostara Tarot

Wooden Wheel of the Year Stretch goal UNLOCKED! Plus more art!
8 months ago – Mon, Apr 01, 2024 at 11:50:49 PM

Hand-painted Wooden Altar Wheel of the Year(s) have been unlocked! 

Wow, okay, YAY! 

First of all, as always, THANK YOU to everyone who is supporting this. You guys are amazing. Second, I am sorry in advance for any typos, I have been working non-stop for days, I think I'm getting sick, and I am just exhausted. BUT! I am also SO excited to announce that the Wooden Wheel of the Year stretch goal has been UNLOCKED! YOU CAN NOW ADD THEM TO YOUR PLEDGE!

I was really hoping we would get this far. I was so hoping for it, in fact, that I already paid the initial down-payment fee out of pocket a while back to get these guys working on this reward early! I knew this amount of artistry would take a while, and I wanted to give the craftspeople as much time as possible to finish such a large order. I considered it a kind of...show of faith, or sacrifice, towards manifesting this goal. Now that we are here, I could not be more pleased! 

These hand-painted wooden wheels are 10" in diameter, and I have added the astrological decans to the design. In astrology, decans refer to the 10 degree subdivisions within each 30 degree zodiac sign, each of which is given 1 of the 7 classical planets as its own sub-ruler. The decans are  responsible for the astrological associations of cards 2-10 of the minor arcana, so this makes these wheels more accurate astrologically, as well as more relevant from a tarot standpoint. 

The Above and The Below cards are FINISHED. Finally.

The 2 EXTRA cards available only with the LIMITED GOLD EDITION "The Above" and "The Below" are FINALLY done! Here is a look!

As you can see, the two cards form one complete image when stacked on top of each other. There are symbolic reasons for this that inform the meaning of the cards, but let's save some mystery for the guide books, shall we? ;)

Also, I have decided to look into offering the complete image of these two cards as a print...as well as a set of altar cards with the entire collection of the major arcana (+ The Above and The Below) as add-ons...But I will have to see what the options are size-wise, as the illustration of both cards is not a standard size print. So more on that later! 

Thank you all again so so so much, and now I need to go to bed. 

Much love and good night

-Xia

We broke 100k!!!! Also! Coin art is done!
8 months ago – Mon, Mar 25, 2024 at 04:16:29 PM

Hello everyone!

WE BROKE 100K!!!! Wow, this means so much cool stuff will happen--but first let me say THANK YOU...and share some new artwork!

Thank you all so much for your patience as I catch up on our unlocked stretch goals! I have just finished the Earth/Air and Fire/Water divination coins. They still have to be approved by the manufacturer, but... without further ado, here are the designs! 

The Fire coin features a salamander inside the elemental glyph for Fire, surrounded by flames and held up by the sun! It was believed in European antiquity that salamanders were born from the flames, and capable of starting or stopping fires at will. For this reason, spirits of fire were referred to as "salamanders." These lizards make many appearances in old alchemical art to depict the fire element and it's ability to purify as well as immolate. This coin represents the element Fire, which in turn represents our spirit, or life/animating principle. It is our drive, motivation, ambition, and desire. When we experience an intense wanting, after all, we describe it as a "burning desire". When we "light a fire beneath someone", we mean to say we are motivating them and getting them to act! 

The water coin depicts a white koi fish inside the elemental glyph for water, with waves in the background and the moon and stars overhead. The moon is often associated with the elemental water due to her part in controlling and portending the changing of the tides. The element Water represents our intuition, emotions, and the subconscious. Like the tides, our feelings undulate. Like water, our emotions are renewing and necessary, yet easy to drown in. Like the moon, our intuition offers us peace and clarity in darkness and yet waxes and wanes beyond our ability to control. Fish were seen as messengers of the subconscious, due to their elusive nature and grace within the mysteriously deep element of water.

The Earth coin features a tulip flower inside the elemental glyph for Earth, with a mountain background that subtly takes the shape of a "mother goddess" figure towards the peak. The climbing ivy around the borders represents tenacity and a flexible sort of strength, whereas the tulip represents prosperity and grace. The element Earth represents the material world and all its resources and obstacles. If we are to weather the storms of life and climb our proverbial mountains, we must strive for strength and grace, flexibility and durability.  

The Air coin features feathers floating inside the elemental glyph for air, with stormy clouds underneath and lighter clouds on top. Here, the rising sun is just beginning to break through the darkness. Air represents our thoughts, intellect, and logic. Like feathers, our thoughts are many and weightless and yet they can wing us over complex feelings or past overwhelming physical obstacles... However,  despite the insight offered by reason and logic, it is a double-edged sword. Not all winds carry us upward. some are warm, but many can spiral you around like an unending tornado, or chill you to the bone. 

So that's that! If you want these, you can add one or both of these coins to your pledges by choosing the "single coin" option add on, or add the complete set (in which case they will be automatically included).  At the end of the Kickstarter, you will be able to specify which finishes you want (gold, silver, or copper) as well as coins (if you choose individual ones). 

Guidebook for the coins?

Someone asked me if there was a guidebook for interpreting the coins. The answer is: No, there isn't...yet! So far, I have just been writing up the individual meanings on my site for each coin ...But since all 8 coins are intended to act as a set of Witch's runes when used together, I think it is time to write one up! So after I finish The Above and The Below cards, I will be writing a little guidebook that you guys can add on to your coins, if you like. It shouldn't be too expensive to have made, but more on that once I figure it all out! 

WE UNLOCKED THE UPGRADED "ALTAR BOX!"

At 99,999k, we unlocked The Wooden 2-Deck Altar box--an upgraded version of the Apothocarry boxes currently available. 

Unlike the apothecary deck boxes, which hold 1 deck and 6 herbal tins, this UPGRADED wooden Altar box will be more than twice as big, holding 2 decks below, and 8 herbal tins on top...AND have an additional 4 empty compartments to hold your insense, crystals, coins, and whatever else. The only issue with it is...I don't know how much they will cost. 

Because it was only just unlocked, I am still working out the details with the craftsperson making them, so we don't have a price nailed down ...and that means I can't list it as an add-on quite yet (since I don't know how much I need to charge for them!). He is going to get me some prototypes and price quotes ASAP, and as soon as that is all figured out, I will add it to the add-on list and let you know! 

Here is an updated look at the design

We had to move the long skinny compartment down, so that it could hold a 9" intense stick, and that meant moving the tins up...so as you can see, we are still working things out! I will keep you updated as I get more information. 

Once again, thank you all so much for your patience and continued support. It means so much to me, and I hope you are all as excited as I am about the new stuff! 

Sigil Keychain designs done!!
8 months ago – Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 09:22:49 AM

Hello again!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend…and that you will all also enjoy this update!

We have come so far in such a short amount of time, I am so honored you have all chosen to embark on this path with me. I am so grateful to each and every one of you. So far we have unlocked several stretch goals that I had not yet designed, and I am finally able to share those with you now!

New Sigil keychain lineup!

I have finished the designs (and affirmations) for the new keychains! Here is a look at them all together! They are all now currently available as add-ons. 

 The Lucky Sigil Keychain!

The Luck Sigil keychain features a four-leaf clover, with a nazar, or evil eye talisman at its center, and the alchemical symbols for the four elements decorating the top, bottom, and two sides. In between the elements are alternating patterns of the pink and white clover flower. The clover is the plant chosen to represent the magician card in The Children of Ostara, and that is because the trickster planet Mercury (which The Magician card is also associated with) rules it! Mercury is a known patron of all those looking to turn the wheel of fate in their favor—from witches and magicians, to merchants and travelers.  The four-leaf clover is a well-known symbol of luck, but it’s flowers are also powerful talismans. The pink clover flowers are said to aid in financial issues of every kind and entice good favors from others, while the white flowers break hexes, and purify energy. these are added to the sigil in the artwork to ensure we attract our luck and and keep it too!

The affirmation is “I am very lucky; I attract serendipitous windfalls of good fortune.”

The Lovely Sigil Keychain

The Love Sigil Keychain displays the alchemical heart, simultaneously overflowing with, and transmuting, emotional energy. This is a motif that I just love, and so some of you might recognize it from my coin set as well. There are also 8 stars in the artwork, 4 inside the heart, and 4 outside, representing the cyclical nature of the external feeding and informing the internal and vise versa.

The affirmation is  “I am loved, loving, and lovable; I attract, create, and emanate beauty.”

The Protection Sigil Keychain

The protection sigil is based around my slightly more elaborate take on the traditional nazar, or evil eye talisman, which is said to protect its owner from evil spirits and the power of their enemy’s malicious gaze. The eye also represents consciousness, vigilance, and the power of focused will and personal perception. The first step in protecting oneself is “keeping your eyes open”, after all! As a representation of our focused will, the eye also represents our own mental and psychic barriers, ready to catch and throw back those bad vibes to their source! My evil eye design also has the 8 pointed star, this time made from the negative space of the four elemental triangles in its center. This represents a limitless and eternally renewing source of inner power and protection. I wanted to have all the bases covered, and nothing does that like drawing in the four elements X the four directions!

The sigil affirmation is “I am protected; all negative energy is returned to its source.”

The wealth sigil features an 8-pointed star with the elemental symbol for earth at it’s center. 8 in numerology represents infinity, limitlessness possibilities, expansion, ambition, manifestation, and growth. It is considered an incredibly lucky number, and the 8-pointed star is a common motif among powerful goddesses such as Venus, Ishtar, and Inanna. Sometimes called “The Star of Prophecy”, the 8 pointed star represents the four elements X the four directions, ensuring that nothing lies outside the scope of possibility. The earth element at the center focuses this limitless potential toward the pursuit of material comfort and abundance. What is wealth, after all, if not the resources we need to fend off feelings of scarcity?

The affirmation for this one is "I am wealthy; I attract an endless flow of positive opportunity and prosperity."

And although these are all just art-work designs, here is a reminder of how the protection sigil came out! They are all 3" long!

These sigil keychain designs have been sent off to the manufacturer for proofs, so we should be hearing back from them soon. Lately, I have been very impressed with their ability to capture the detail of my work, so I am not worried in the least.

 Did someone say, "Extra cards"...?

And…one last surprise. Here is an IN PROCESS look at the extra cards, The Above, and The Below, from The Gold Limited Edition of The Children of Ostara! PLEASE NOTE, THESE ARE VERY ROUGH SKETCHES!! THEY ARE NOT DONE. Of course, I am eager to bring them to the same level of finish as all my work, but I liked where they were going, so I decided to share a sneak peak with you all here! As a reward for reading all these updates!

So, my plan is for the images to read well and stand alone, but also come together to create one "complete image" when positioned like so! It is a lot more work to do it this way, but I hope you will appreciate the effect.

 On to the coins!

So, I think that’s all for now. I’m going to work on the Earth/ Air and fire/water divination coins. Hopefully I will have art of those sometime next week...and then I will get back to finishing The Above and The Below cards!

Thanks again for your patience and support, and I hope to have more news for you soon

Many blessings,

-Xia