Hi friends! Today I have the absolute privilege of sharing an interview with Jennifer Dranttel, the creator of the Nomad Tarot. I’m sure you’ve seen this deck on Instagram – it’s beautiful, both simple and complex in its imagery. Jennifer is currently running a Kickstarter for the second edition of this deck just in time for its 5th anniversary, so if you’ve seen these cards and loved them, now is the time to hop on the train! Back the Kickstarter, then head back here and read this interview. (It’s okay, I’ll wait!)
☾ — ✨ january | ace of earth ✨ . . . #witchywoman #witchesofinstagram #witchy #witchlife #witchythings #witchaesthetic #witchery #modernwitch #eclecticwitch #greenwitch #alifeofintention #sacredspace #magictribe #divinefeminine #shadowwork #lightisthenewblack #radicalselflove #sacredfeminine #radicalselflovecoven #pagansofinstagram #paganlife #paganwitch #paganism #everydaymagic #witchvibes #witchesofig #justwitchythings #spiritjunkie #magiceverydamnday #nomadtarot
(Photo used with permission from @sheofthewildsparrows on Instagram!)
1. What was your inspiration for the Nomad Tarot?
I was inspired by the natural world around me (at the time I began the project I was living in a small town north of Seattle between the Salish Sea and the Cascade mountains), so I wanted to use those elements as visual cues, and basically began by just creating the deck I wanted to use. I wanted something that felt clean and graphic, with a modern interpretation of the imagery and the ideas behind the Tarot traditions. I tried to keep it simple and crisp, and mostly positive, in terms of the ways I hoped the cards would be interpreted. When I illustrated the deck I was still fairly new to Tarot, which I think actually helped me to create a deck that feels like looking at the Tarot with new eyes. It feels very fresh to me, very optimistic.
2. What drew you to tarot as an artistic medium?
Like you, I grew up very Catholic, so I’ve always been very attracted to religious iconography and imagery- layered and lush compositions where every element is highly symbolic. This is what first led me to research the Tarot, and what compelled me to begin illustrating the Major Arcana. I’d planned to exhibit them for an art show I was hanging in 2014- but once I finished those I couldn’t help myself and became obsessed with having the entire deck in my hands, and illustrated the Minor Arcana using “pip” cards in about three sleepless nights. I was drawn in by the many ways Tarot can be read and interpreted- and how the visual style of the illustrations, the imagery, the colour palette, and every tiny decision impacts the way a reader will feel about a card or a deck.
3. You say in your artist’s statement that your work is inspired by “traditions of healing, superstition and witchcraft, and their intersection with women’s history.” (I LOVE that.) How can we see this vision come to life in the Nomad Tarot?
Well, this research interest is incredibly personal, and it’s what first led me in the direction of the Tarot. As I began to finally embrace my reputation as a “difficult woman” (ie: someone with ideas, passion, and a stubborn refusal to be silent), I began to research stories of such women throughout history. And this led me to the interesting paradox of women’s connection with witchcraft. Those denied traditional routes to social, political, and financial power are often drawn to witchcraft and magic as a means of trying to level the playing field. But the other side of the coin is that accusations of witchcraft have also been weaponized throughout history to silence and punish headstrong, vocal, and powerful women. So I began to be really interested in the ground between these two ideas, in the way women can own their strength, can connect to the energy around them, and that’s when I started to be very interested in Tarot. For me, this deck nods to that, by using images of confident women, but also by connecting that power to the natural world. By connecting with the earth, women have been able to feel a mastery over their own bodies, which mirrors so many natural processes of change, growth, and rebirth. Men’s fear of women, of the mysteries of their bodies and the unknowable elements that come into play during menstruation, childbearing, and birth, has also always equated them with the mysteries of the earth, and he has tried to assert control over both. So for me the Nomad Tarot reflects that connection to the spiritual and physical aspects of nature.
4. What does your own spiritual practice look like?
My own practice at the moment I’d define as spiritual but not religious. I borrow bits from many traditions that I like, and leave the rest. My overarching philosophy is that I believe in a universal energy, being a good and kind person, respecting the sanctity and knowledge of the natural world, and trying to live my life to the fullest in every way. I use Tarot, I read horoscopes, I make wishes on birthday candles, I say Hail Marys when on turbulent airplane flights, and I believe in the swift retribution of Karma. I’m a bit of a mixed bag. I think Tarot is a great tool for self-reflection, kind of a framework that allows you to explore issues and questions that you are struggling with, or a way to look a little deeper at the world around you. I think people use lots of strategies and religious traditions to reach those same means, but Tarot has worked well for me.
5. What would you love for people to know about this deck?
I’d like people to know that I intentionally created the deck to feel simple, quiet, and if this makes any sense, gentle. I wanted the energy to feel very positive and introspective- I have interpreted every card as a positive opportunity for reflection and growth, and really think there are no “negative” cards- just different aspects to life that we need to address, explore, and ruminate on. And I have tried to reflect every Major Arcana as that aspect of our lives or our personality that we all have- so for me The Lovers isn’t about a literal lover, it’s about balancing male, female, and every other type of energy within ourselves. Every card is intended to facilitate looking within, and knowing yourself better.
6. Other than updates to the guidebook and artwork, are there any major differences between the two editions?
No, the artwork will be slightly altered and improved to reflect some changes I want to make- after working with the deck for nearly five years I do want to improve some small details that will make it easier to read and clearer in some of the intended meanings. But these changes will all be fairly minor. The biggest improvement will be in the guidebook, which will have beautiful full-colour pictures, more ideas for spreads, details about both the Nomad Tarot deck, but also more insights from professional Tarot reader Sara Galactica (https://www.saragalactica.com/) about how to use Tarot as a tool in your life for self- actualization and a deeper connection to the world around you.
You can find the Nomad Tarot on Kickstarter here! Thank you so much to Jennifer for taking the time to chat with me about this beautiful deck! Do you have the Nomad Tarot? Got any thoughts? Drop me a comment down below, I’d love to hear them!
