My starting point for ‘If Wishes Were Horses Tarot’ was several fold: I wanted to find a way to put into one place ideas and concepts around horses and nature that have appeared in my drawings in recent years, including ‘If Wishes Were Horses’, which if you know my work you will know has gone viral several times. For some reason the drawing really seems to resonate with folk, which I still find astonishing and lovely. I have used the image as the artwork for the backs of the cards. Lastly, my motivation to create a tarot deck was the inspiring artwork of Pamela Coleman Smith, the artist responsible for creating The Ryder Waite Tarot in 1909.
The artwork of Pamela Coleman Smith (1878 – 1951) nicknamed Pixie, to my mind is extraordinary! Her draughtsmanship, imagination and iconography flawless. I have included her portrait on The Wheel of Fortune Card as a ‘thank you for the inspiration’ and in recognition of the fact that her name has been excluded for over a century. The Ryder Waite Tarot named instead after the publisher and author of the booklet. There is a new trend to call it The Waite Smith deck now, which is a little justice for her. Pamela Coleman Smith is the only human to feature in ‘If Wishes Were Horses Tarot’ – a kind of ‘every woman’.
I have also included her name and sigil on the Wheel of Fortune card, as well as my name. It is the only place in the deck that I have signed in full using Ki instead. Ki is my nickname since the age of five, coined by my five year old best friend and next door neighbour, Nicola.
‘If Wishes Were Horses Tarot’ won’t be available to post out until mid to late January 2025, however it is available to pre-order! I have added a link below. How about being one of the first to own and use this new tarot deck? Initial stocks are limited! A huge thank you to everyone who has already placed an order. Your early orders massively help to launch new projects such as this. I am very, very grateful and beginning to feel a tad excited rather than the nervous wreck I was feeling last week! I guess we all get like that when things are close to our heart.
To honour how important early orders are, I am going to design a certificate to say that you own a first edition of ‘If Wishes Were Horses Tarot.’ This first print run is limited. An idea inspired by the first person who bought a deck yesterday.
The Wheel of Fortune is the first card that I am sharing. I chose this card so I could tell a little of Pamela Coleman Smith’s story.
The end of her story is sad – after her death her possessions were sold to pay her debts and it is likely she was buried in an unmarked grave in Cornwall. I’m sure that if she hadn’t died in obscurity her grave would be a place of pilgrimage for tarot fans in this day and age.
Her artwork is her amazing legacy.
Sending love and best wishes
Kirsten
To PRE – ORDER
I’ve added 2 product listings to my website to account for the difference in postage costs between UK and USA. I’ve added the extra postage onto the price of the cards as my website charges a flat rate. Postage has been added at cost.
UK and Europe horse and tarot lovers click here
USA/ Canada/ Australia horse and tarot lovers click here
