Immediately the box is smooth to the touch, displaying The Fool on his search for what speaks to him. Da Brigh, the publishing company, has sent me their latest deck with artwork done by Victoria Iva. Iva is a Russian native (who now reside in Georgia), who is known her dark, imaginative, and faceless work that can be seen here.
Using shading and playing with light vs. dark, Victoria Iva takes inspiration from her love of the Underworld and combines tones, swirls, bodies and muscle to form scenes looking into the subconscious. Victoria has no fear of confronting demons, skeletons, and shades that might look nightmarish at first but looking deeper, she utilizes them to represent masculinity vs. femininity.
The deck itself is designed with durable stock that looks like black marble. Even touching it, you can feel the velvety finish that withstands water stains and repeated use over time. However, what's even more fascinating are the more abstract and not-so easy, direct translations that requires an intuitive reader or an art lover at heart to describe and play with the meanings.
The guidebook, too, is written by PhD Psychologist Philip Young who writes most if not all of Da Brigh's guidebooks. Together with his knowledge, research and interpretation of Iva's work, this guidebook offers helpful suggestions.
While the Major Arcana stays connected to the original translations, the Minors take the reader on a creative path to understand additional qualities and messages. Victoria Iva plays with her beliefs in spirituality showing the reader that even scary and macabre things have a light interpretation as well. When I think about it, it's actually perfect she utilizes horses and indescribable bodies to showcase her talent. Besides, once you truly dive into your subconscious, you realize most of our fears stems from our minds and that masculine and feminine are energies that cannot be defined just by bodies and genitals. Once you get pass the aversion to horror too, you'll see light doesn't just battle the dark but somehow manages to create a beautiful collaboration and is found within one another.
The following list showcases the cards from this deck I find most inspiring, attractive, and unique to tarot according to the Rider Waite-Smith system. Maybe you'll find a little more once you get through the examples.
Favorites:
Major Arcana
- The Devil : Pan is shrouded in darkness save for his one eye. He glares at the reader under a grey sky with a moon in the background that speaks volumes to me. Reminding me of the haunted house attractions I would go to around Halloween. This card from all directions wrangles with the feeling of getting caught or cornered by masked creatures, ghosts, and murderous villains in a maze. Yet, only the ability to tame fear itself can keep you moving and free from any disastrous thoughts and attachments that could ruin the whole experience and possibly create a scenario for the worst.
- The High Priestess: A skeletal figure stands in the moonlight. Truly imbued with messages of both light and dark, I love the fact she doesn't have a face but seems to be listening what both the light and dark tell her. And like the moon, she is the one to decipher it all and move from a space of knowing.
- The Magician: is most interesting because it reminds me of the Lich King in Lord of the Rings. These huge specters are shrouded and deadly like this figure in the Magician. Yet when Frodo puts on the ring, he sees who they were as the Lost Kings of old. Both in death and somewhat life, these beings literally pull the elements and those under them to their will no matter where they go, balancing fear and love with the work they set off for.
- Death: Literally a skeleton walking across a checkered field, blending in with the colors and heading for a destination. I find this interpretation brave for the reader. Too often people fear what Death means for personal reads. More than likely we jump to conclusions that somebody is going to die or be gravely ill. Yet I find the small light at the corner of the card inviting the reader to focus on the light instead of the actual process of Death. We don't always know at first what Death is looking for but one fact remains true is if it no longer belongs to you, Death has no problem taking it from under you.
- The Moon: The waxing and waning states provide a reflection on the marbled surface. May it be a reflection underneath the moonlight In the pool of oils and acrylics or just water. Regardless, this design makes you dream of the states in which we fluctuate between nurturing, idleness, and plain out emotional. This symbolism also adds to the passage of time.
Overall the Minors take the suits and plays with figures and shapes that look like body parts. But are they easy to define and play with?
Minor Arcana
- Swords: We do not see a whole face till we come across the King and Queen. Most of 1 - 10 portrays the swords vividly, occasionally leaving a few shaded in full black or white marking the train of energies in the meanings. One of my favorites is the Eight of Swords and Three of Swords. In three, the body is torn in half, revealing the light in the center of our bodies. Though we mourn regret, loss, and thoughts swirling over a person, place or thing, we forget we can stop the pain by focusing on the light inside and what is happening in the present. Why were we hurt in the first place? Eight of Swords is tied to a tree, with a swirl etched into the side of the face. The spiral digs into the mental hoops we go through when we are stuck or are limited by our past selves and beliefs. To me these two are the strongest out of the suits while the rest cuts close to traditional imagery.
- Spheres (Pentacles): Gravity seems to play a theme in this suit. Not only gravity but duality as well. Many times we see the spheres floating or meshed into a blending of black and white so we can see how the balance of materials and research is raw and conducted by playing with options but manipulated by perception and ideas. My favorite of this suit, the Three of Spheres that shows a large figure riding a unicycle while a smaller figure looks up asking to teach it. Balance, juggling, and always needing more is shown beautifully across suit.
- Wands : Playing with fire turns to resiliency in the desert. The Four of Wands strikes me as a very creative choice for the artist. She has a staircase leading to a speck of light at the top. So fascinating that the four is represented by a journey that escalates with every step and no matter how dark the step feels, you are sure to be on your way to freedom. Since four is a locked energy, I can see why Iva uses steps as the energy chosen during this stage. We prepare to lockdown or defend our power and true path, even while being swayed. But the true strength of this card is found in the boredom and ideas of how to keep moving.
- Cups: This suit grows barnacles on the bodies and turns the Five of Cups into a search while experiencing a drought. Even the King of Cups himself shows only what he allows as portions of his body are masked in shadows and revealed in light and parts of his face are missing. Yet the most interesting in this suit had to be the Knight of Cups where the reader sees mostly the horse instead of the body atop. To me this speaks volumes of this knight only caring about pacing and not quite involved with the complexity of their emotions just yet. Regardless, the quality of this suit certainly caters to the cups basking in a search of memories and reality.
Definitely a deck for a strong reader or someone who is looking for a loosely based vision. Though the guidebook makes it pretty easy to learn the Rider Waite-Smith information, the imagery will take a second to dig deeper. Truly a soul searching tool, this deck provides most insight best for personal questions, healing, and looking into further contemplation. Check the link below to purchase a copy.
The Black Tarot by Da Brigh
https://dabrigh.com
https://dabrigh.com/collections/tarot-decks-by-our-artists/products/the-black-tarot
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