About
“The Tarot Collection”
The Tarot Collection…
was inspired by my evolution toward self-empowerment through tarot reading. It’s a symbolic tool that I love to use to explore and strengthen my relationship with my intuition. It’s my personal practice in both deciphering messages about the present moment and building self-trust in order to feel the most empowered to live my life fully and authentically. With this collection, my intention was to channel that empowered energy into wearable art that reflects some of my favorite messages from the deck. I hope they are as empowering to those who wear them as they are to me.
It is comprised of 12 hand-painted and embellished vintage/ second-hand (faux and genuine) leather jackets. The designs on the back of each jacket are reinterpretations of 6 of the 22 Major Arcana cards; they represent the life lessons and big archetypal themes that influence our lives and soul's journey to enlightenment. I used these themes and my own experiences in the design process.
I was first exposed to Tarot during a major transition in my life and the “bird’s eye view” of archetypal themes really resonated with me. The end of a painful long-term relationship (Death card), and the beginning of a new life in a new city (The fool). I realized my core issue was a lack of self-trust, (The High Priestess), and that I needed to focus on my relationship with self (The Lovers), in order to feel whole again (The Sun). I focused on my feminine side and my art (The Empress), faced my ego (Strength), and reflected on my actions and impact on others (Justice). I found the cards incredibly helpful in the process of becoming aware of my conscious and unconscious cycles and awareness is power. I hope the collectors of these designs feel the empowerment
I chose the 6 cards intuitively, meaning I began designing by following a warm heart-centered feeling. If images and ideas flowed, I continued with the design, and if they didn’t, then I would moved on to the next card. All of the art I create is part of this practice but this project was especially fun because I didn’t know which cards would end up in the collection. I didn’t know which cards I would “pull” so, the whole experience of making them really felt like a deep and healing tarot reading.
I think that being a Ukrainian immigrant in NJ with newly divorced parents, and a frugal art supply budget fueled a lot of out-of-the-box creative thinking, DIY jeans, clay bake jewelry, and up-cycled creations. Painting exclusively on vintage and second-hand jackets is creating something special from what we already have and not only is that sustainable for our planet but it truly feels like home.
The Cards and Meanings
The Lovers card represents the harmony of dual energies and invites us to embrace all aspects of the self and therefore the other.
The Strength card represents graceful mastery over our fears and invites us to tame our ego and tap into our personal power.
The Empress card represents powerful feminine energy, the alignment of mystical realms and natural cycles on earth, unconditional love, and nurturing energy. It invites us to tap into our creative flow to see the abundance that exists all around us.
The High Priestess card represents great personal power and a deep and profound knowledge of what is right for oneself and invites us to trust our intuition.
The Justice card represents the universal law and balancing force of cause and effect. It invites us to examine our actions and their potential relationship to the collective consciousness.
The Sun card represents enlightenment, wholeness, and energized, child-like enthusiasm. It invites us to trust in and declare our authentic self.
♥