We asked James Eads, creator of Prisma Visions Tarot (one of our favorite decks!) a few questions for this week’s WISE WORDS:

How did you first get introduced to working with tarot?

My initial introduction to tarot was actually through gig poster work. I created a print of a tarot reading which marked the beginning of Light Visons, a deck that I am rereleasing this month as it’s 5 year anniversary edition. Admittedly, a lot of what I know about tarot I learned through the process of creating a deck. I studied classical decks like the Raider-Waite deck along with contemporary decks that I admired to get an understanding of the symbolism and meanings behind each card as well as how they interacted together.

Tell us a little bit about creating the incredible artwork for the Prisma Visions deck.

Creating Prisma Visions was about a two year process, including the time it took me to develop the initial imagery of Light Visions that ended up inspiring the full color Prisma Visions. I began with the major arcana, my approach to these cards was for each piece to be strong enough to exist on it’s own, outside of the tarot world, as a work of art. The minor arcana was then created suit by suit in long panorama images. Each suit was created as a single piece and then was cut up into fourteen segments. I really wanted to be able to tell a story with the deck and also include a somewhat hidden art within it that the user can assemble on their own.

Any tips for someone who is new to tarot and is interested in using your deck?

Prisma Visions and Light Visions both come with a 100 page guidebook that is great for beginners. We go into a bit of detail about tarot in the beginning and then also offer a few ideas for spreads. I think as a tarot reader it’s important to become familiar with the deck you are using. There can be a lot of imagery that doesn’t come across right away yet can be important in a reading. For someone who is starting out I’d recommend doing a one card pull each day to get an intimate understanding of each card in the deck.

How can tarot help us make sense of the world right now?

The world can present itself as unmistakably bleak, especially because of current events. I think tarot is a wonderful way to lift your spirit because of it’s open endedness. There is a lot of room for interpretation based on what questions you are asking as well as your current view on the world and your self. I find that there is always a positive to take away from the negative, no matter how small it may be. With tarot you can get a lot of clarity on things that may have seemed obvious looking back. A lot of time the solution is staring you in the face.

To learn more about James and to see more of his work head on over to http://www.jamesreadsmerch.com.