Ace of Coins

Element: Earth; witches

+ Riches and happiness, good fortune

– Wealth that corrupts

Growing up the term “witch” was applied to a female presenting villain. Personally, I gravitated to how powerful a witch seemed and wasn’t too hung up about their moral standing. Besides, if those kids hadn’t been gnawing on her house then maybe they wouldn’t have wound up in the oven?! The lessons of fairy tales came down to, “be an asshole, get treated like and asshole.” 

In adulthood, it became clear that the label of “witch” along with “devil worshiper” was applied to certain people as a method of social isolation. It has always been clear to me, whether I had the words to explain it or not, that this practice of casting people out is a fear-based decision and symptom an inability to control other people—an exercise of scared tyrants. 

Those are the thoughts I took into this suit and my reason behind its witches. It is the least horrific suit in this horror deck. These witches are people who get by on their intuition, connection to the earth, and knowledge of the bounty Nature provides.

My witches are practical and grounded folk who trust their craft and uses the world around them to do right by others (who aren’t assholes). There is not much discussion about ritual or tradition found here. Instead, I strove to create portraits of powerful people who would be classified as “evil” based on presentation or the knowledge they possess. 

In the Rider Waite deck, the suit of pentacles makes the connection between Earth and gardens with money or financial success. I continue this association as an ode to Pamela Coleman-Smith’s illustrations but I parted ways with Arthur Waite on the somewhat singular focus on material wealth, job prospects, and business success within my version of this suit. Just as the journey for each witch varies in their practice, so does our path to success. Our destinations cannot be compared.

What really matters in this life is, do you have enough? Enough support, love, and room to grow into the person you are capable of being. The person with these things is the true millionaire. 

Ace cards are the pinnacle of the suit. They are the potent example of everything that is to come.  If this card winds up in a reading, depending on what else is around it could be a beginning of a new path or opportunity. Maybe it’s a warning to look at the forest for the trees.

Two of Coins

Pronouns: They, them

+ Balancing good news and managing success; the “self-care” card; what it means to “live your best and most authentic life”; A return on an investment

– Upsetting the apple cart; denial; financial imbalance (too spendy or too thrifty)

This was one of the first cards I created for this deck. When beginning this project I couldn’t decide which card to draw so I grabbed a tarot deck from my own collection and it was the first card I pulled. 

Being faced with a card about balance before starting a large project like this one felt prescient. 

Growing up I liked “boy” things and “girl” thing but learned to hide whatever seemed shameful. I couldn’t be too girly because that’s weak. I couldn’t be too “boyish” because it was too butch. The girls turned their nose up to video games and the boys didn’t believe that I was any good at them. Even into adulthood people question who I am and what column to place me in. When I had a shaved head and road my bike everywhere, I was a “hot dyke”. When I got my nails done and ordered a pumpkin spice latte, I transformed into a “basic bitch”.

“Oh, this is the closest I’ve been to a straight girl!” A woman says to me while helping me adjust a bike helmet. “How you do know I’m straight?” I respond.

Looking back I wish I would have just taken the shop class I wanted to take or openly enjoyed a boy band—but the pressure was real and I wasn’t ready to deal with it. I treated youth as a test. Once I passed through I could leave and never have to deal with it. Unfortunately, that’s not how life works. Running from the past is futile because it is what shapes you without permission.

This card is a self-embrace and a promise. At the end of the day, you’re the one who suffers when you don’t accept who you really are. Just don’t be an asshole about it and you’ll be fine. 

The Saturn on their choker is a symbol of death. Death is a transformation, allowing something new to begin.

Three of Coins

+ Cooperation; a reminder to think inclusively and work the empathy muscle (and maybe not assume things of others); a mindset reset; teamwork makes the dream work; social relationships

– Discord or infighting; cliquishness; choking

This white hydrangea is flowering at the top but wilting underneath. When a plant dies, it’s because it’s basic needs are not being met. Lack of water, sunlight, and nutrients from the soil deprive the plant and it withers away. People are a like plants. We want to think we can go it alone but in truth, we need one another to survive. People we will never meet help us get through each day, something that has become more apparent during the time of COVID-19.   

These delicate flowers survive through cooperation. Together we can be beautiful but apart we die. A bit of empathy and sharing of resources can go a long way. When we hoard it doesn’t really work...

Four of Coins

Pronouns: He, him

+ Grounded; material stability

– Broadcasting wealth; assuming your influence is greater than it actually is; a reminder to fix the table before it topples over. 

Four is a number about stability—whether emotional or material. This witch is also a member of the Furry community and is confidently broadcasting their POV to the world (check out that selfie stick!). This card is an ode to people who share their stories so we can see the world from a different perspective. There is an entire genre within YouTube devoted to people breaking down their profession, lifestyle, culture, religion, or other life journey in hopes to better educate the rest of us. It’s a gift of modern technology but requires a bit of financial resources to do so.

Things are good for this guy. He’s confident and camera ready. Maybe that’s not you at the moment but it could be. Is this a call to map out a plan for your next steps. Start the project you’ve wanted to dig into.

Five of Coins

Pronouns: She, her

+ Money trouble; an injustice

– Find the window when the door slams shut

The five of coins has traditionally been about financial ruin. However, for practical witches, when the chips are down they get crafty. The witch here is huddled in her cloak, nose bloody from the last fight. Do not count her out though! The fight is only over when she says it is over. You can trust she is plotting the next step with her raven buddies at her side.

If this is the end of the line for a project, relationship, or other life event, that does not mean everything is over. No matter what, there the next day will come and you can take the next step. Sometimes focusing on the tiniest to do list (wake up, brush teeth) is the way to go until the next option materializes. Just don’t give up! 

It is this mindset that has kept me going during 2020. Some days, all I can manage is to check my email before going back to bed—but I still did something! The slump doesn’t last.

Six of Coins

Pronouns: She, her

+ “I can do anything while simultaneously crying”; slow perseverance 

– Not seeing your strengths or having hidden assets; a rebuilding

On more than one occasion, I have been humiliated or confronted with a failure that tore my confidence to shreds. After licking my wounds, I get back up and keep plugging away. This is quite literally the story of my entire art career. In art school I attended a silent critique after a bike accident and got the note that “Due to my recent head trauma, it was understandable that this painting was unsuccessful.” I have been rejected and made countless stupid mistakes (a poorly designed postcard that was sent back to the people trying to contact their local representatives for example). I take the note and work harder. (I grabbed the postcards, putting them in an envelope and addressed it correctly.) 

This figure is cut in half with a brain throbbing with anxiety but strikes a pose of resilience.  Things will not always go as planned. Take a breath and work it out—even when your heart is in a vice.

Seven of Coins

Pronouns: She, her

+ Casting a spell; make a play; testing your assumptions; building up to something magical and amazing

– Giving up before getting to the miracle; half-assing it

Sevens are always cards about transformation and change. This one in particular is about the joy of taking a chance. 

In the fantasy series, The Magicians, Julia Wicker is a “hedge witch”, meaning she has no formal training in magic but through her own persistence becomes  extremely proficient. Her storyline (and well, that whole series), is quite dark—it’s also not representative of working as a solo witch—but it was my first exposure to the self-study concept. 

This card serves as an ode to lone magic practitioner or tarot card reader. Instead of focusing on the hard parts though, this card illustrates a chance taken and ultimately rewarded. This spell caster is surrounded by abundance.

Eight of Coins

Pronouns: She, her or They, them

+ The apprentice; the diligent student; get to work, learn as you go

– Comparing your first draft to other people’s final draft; being in love with the reward and not the journey to get there

While I might be one of the few people who didn’t care for The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina credit must be given to the incredible art direction and over all witchy aesthetic of that show. The witch here references our love of watching witches learn. Whether that is Sabrina, Hermione, or even little Akko Kagari—we love to go to class with a witch. (This is likely due to the excellent world building potential in and academic story.

Regardless of where you are at however, this card reminds us to remain teachable and that effort is rewarded.

Nine of Coins

Pronouns: They, them

+ Diligent; Appreciation for hard work; known for trying

– Learning through failure; if you don’t succeed, come back from the grave and try again gal!

Michael Myers is not a witch per se but holds some kind of magic. He is a doer. That character has risen from the dead countless times to fulfill his destiny as a bringer of doom. Regardless of how you feel about