THE FINAL CARD: The Wheel Goes Endlessly 'Round

In the Seven of Rings, the carousel spins continuously, in all conditions, day and night, Going Around and Coming Around, bringing you a bounty that reflects the effort that you have put in.

PRE-ORDERS for the Full Deck are now online through KICKSTARTER!

Click here to go to the page.

I saved this one for last, not only because it's one of my favorites, based on a photo that I have enjoyed for many years, but because I hope it bodes well for the deck. With this last card, it seems to me now that I have put the wheels in motion. There's still much in the way of maintenance and cultivation to perform, but the thing has now taken on a new life of its own; it's begun to spin, so to speak, it's begun to grow... and with any luck there will be a harvest in the form of a finished deck that I made.

I hope you've enjoyed these "reveals" as much as I've enjoyed designing the cards. It's not the end, completely, there are still some odds and ends that need posting here, but now having come this far I turn you over to the people at Kickstarter, where we can hopefully make this thing happen. I want to thank everyone for their kindness and enthusiasm, which I must say has been a real light for me through some dark times. Thank you all. And now, onward into the future, with the world spinning beneath us and the skies rolling by.

-- Freder.

www.ducksoup.me

Is the Circus coming to YOUR town?

Upon arriving in a new town, the Circus first set up its tent and prepared itself for the public -- and immediately after, they marshaled their forces for a Grand Parade down the town's Main Street, just to show everyone that The Circus Had Arrived.

PRE-ORDERS for the Full Deck are now online through KICKSTARTER!

Click here to go to the page.

If you want the circus to come to YOUR town in the form of this deck, you'd best hie yourself over to Kickstarter via the link above. If the project isn't funded, the deck won't be published...

This is the penultimate card. Only one more reveal remains. I'm a little bit sad about that.

It was a complicated card to make, using five separate elements and trying to blend them into what I;d hoped would be a seamless whole. I can see the seams, though. Still, I'm happy with how it turned out.

This is a card of Enterprise. All of your investments, strategies and entrepreneurial hopes have begun to pay off, and your ship is on its way in to port. At least, that's the classical image. For the purposes of this deck, the Arrival Parade was the only metaphor that worked for me.

NEXT UP: The final card, the (almost) final reveal: One of my fave finished designs, The Seven of Pentacles.

-- Freder.

www.ducksoup.me

Bottom of the Deck

I'm still not entirely happy with this one. After literally hours playing around with the colors, the colors still bug me... although it's better than it was when I first "put it down."

PRE-ORDERS for the Full Deck are now online through KICKSTARTER!

Click here to go to the page.

The ten of pentacles is the last card in the deck, the  last card that I "finished," but not the last card that will be revealed here. I have two left that I've been saving.

Most often, the card has ten pentacles superimposed over a multi-generational family scene, It took me years and years to realize this, but the pentacles are normally arranged in a pattern that reflects the Kabbalah Tree of Life. I 've done some reading on the Tree of Life, and I have to say that even now my understanding of it is pretty vague. I get the principle, but all the Hebrew names and all the details of what they represent are kind of lost on me. I know this is something I've got to work on.

For my version... there really are ten rings in the picture, and instead of (or in addition to) sort of representing the Tree, I wanted to put the viewer inside the tenth ring. Inside that ring there are also two generations of Circus family: while Grandfather one tamed lions, and still nurtures a baby, daughter has adopted dogs instead... and dresses them up as more exotic animals. I'm not sure why, unless it is a symbol of faithfulness, but dogs have always factored into this card since Waite-Smith's version. Who am I to distance myself from that legacy?

NEXT UP: The Three of Wands.

-- Freder.
www.ducksoup.me

Daybreak Express

In the late 19th / early 20th centuries, Circuses took to the rails. This sea-xhange both extended their reach and limited their scope. It presented new opportunities and precipitated several disasters. For now, this Circus is Moving On... whatever happened at their last gig is now behind them; ahead of them is another night in a New Town, rife with possibilities and rubes to be plucked.

PRE-ORDERS for the Full Deck are now online through KICKSTARTER!

Click here to go to the page.

This Train is On The Move: because the big news for today is....

The Deck is Complete.

I expect there will be a few revisions and refinements between now and when it goes to press, if it goes to press, but as a basic piece of work.... all the cards have been created. The Little White Book has been written and typeset. The deck's tuck box has its initial design in place. The Tarot of the Zirkus Mägi, Edition One, MK I, is In The Can.

Later today I will reveal the box design by way of an update over at the Kickstarter page. Just three card designs remain to be revealed here over the next few days. Later in the week, the cover for the LWB (and perhaps a peek at its interior) will go up at the Kickstarter project. From here on through next month, most updates will be happening over there. If you really want to see this deck come to life, be sure to pre-order your copy at Kickstarter -- and tell all your friends in the tarot community!

Thank you all -- I've been overwhelmed in the past week for all of the kind words and support you all have given this deck.

-- Freder.
www.ducksoup.me