How it all began, why it’s called “Spark”, and where we are going from here.
Six years ago today, I finished painting all the cards in the SparkTarot® Deck + Guidebook! Thank you so much to all of you who have used the deck, done readings and “talked Tarot” with me over the past six years. Even before I created the deck and guidebook, I was reading cards for some of you—and your early support of its creation was instrumental to the process.
What’s in a Name?
The “Spark” name appeared spontaneously early on but I didn’t realize its significance until years later. But before I tell you about that, let me tell you the story of the deck’s origin.
I had always wanted to paint a Tarot deck. Even as a kid, I made small decks of cards (I wish I had those now!) As an adult, I tried a few times, but it was hard to get past making six–ten cards before the energy to create them stopped.
How It All Began
But six years ago today, on October 14, 2019, I finished painting the 78th card in the SparkTarot® deck. I would take two more months to finish writing the guidebook and design the packaging, and I sent the deck, book, and package files to the online printer on December 14, 2019 in-between giving Tarot readings at the Winter Fair hosted by my son’s elementary school.
It was a journey that began March 14, 2019. The fact that the dates were all 14s seemed significant to me later and I looked up the numerology, which indicated change and a new beginning. (1) It felt additionally significant-feeling that it was exactly nine months from when I made the first painting to sending it all to the printer.
Sunset, Sunrise
I had been meeting with a friend for art days once a week and was working on a series of paintings that I wanted to become an oracle deck. I painted some so-so images at first, but looking back, they were pivotal in getting into the groove of regularly painting divination concepts. Eventually I painted about ten cards, and the later ones I am still really excited about. (2)
Then, early on March 14, at around 2:30 AM, my mom called me to tell me my dad was dying and I should go there. By the time I arrived 20 minutes later, he was already gone. I stayed with my mom until just before morning, then drove out to the ocean, where Dad and I had spent time together over the years.
The sun came up on my first day without him and illuminated the sky and water in a beautiful, peachy dawn light. When I went home I painted an Oracle card of that moment that I called “Dawn”, and went to sleep.
I woke up later that morning compelled to paint again but this time it was of a woman holding a golden cup at the ocean. The Queen of Cups — I had painted a Tarot card.
A New Deck
After that, I kept painting Tarot cards, randomly and intuitively. After I made about 12, I devised a system to choose the next one based on what was left. I wrote the names of each card on 78 sticky notes, then put them on the wall; the 12 cards that were already done, I moved to the left. Now I could choose my next one from the options on the right, moving the card’s sticky note to the left when I was done until they were all moved over.
Community Input
When I finished painting a card, I posted it on Instagram with a caption, and received valuable feedback while building a small following in the process. Those captions later became the seeds for what people wanted in the guidebook.
Months went by and I finally finished the 78 paintings, and began writing the guidebook and designing the packaging. The packaging was based on what I always wanted in a Tarot deck: Cards that aren’t too large or rigid, can shuffle easily, an included guidebook with simple interpretations, just enough historical context and a spread to use, inside a sturdy two-piece box where I can keep the deck and guidebook together. I asked followers which image they preferred for the cover and overwhelmingly heard the Ace of Wands!
The week before the winter solstice in between Tarot readings, I sent the deck off to print. The American games printer that I used printed their non-book items in China and the decks would leave the country literally the day before Chinese New Year closed everything on January 24 and then Covid lockdown really shut the country down right after that. The decks arrived by ship right before our own lockdown in March 2020, one year from when I first painted that Queen of Cups card.
During Covid, people found the deck online and so many people told me it was just what they needed then! I began doing online readings. Suddenly, the SparkTarot® deck was available in more than just my little San Francisco Bay Area community. It was being used all over the nation.
The Spark name
A couple of years ago my husband and I were talking about the deck and he said, “It’s funny that your father and grandfather owned an electrical contracting business and you named your deck “Spark”.
I hadn’t even realized it, it but it was true. I like to think it was my dad coming through a bit in that name, continuing a lineage of illumination in a new way :)
What’s Next?
The second printing of the deck is now here and available on my website, along with a few other treats including art prints of the cards and an introductory online Tarot class. Thank you for the past six years and I’m looking forward to many more years to come sparking creativity with all of you!
I’d since looked up the numerology for the number 14. It’s often seen as a number of change, communication, and balance, but can also represent a combination of strong individual energies. It’s derived by reducing it to a single digit. 1+4=5 The two individual digits (1 and 4) are also significant. The number 1 signifies new beginnings and leadership, while the number 4 represents stability and structure. Maybe it was my Dad’s supportive energy helping me create a new beginning.
The Paintings from the original oracle card paintings will eventually become the SparkRitual® deck, and are available in the SparkTarot® shop as prints right now!
