If you had told me 20 years ago that I’d spend a weekend trying to fashion a DIY tarot cards in my living room, I’d probably have said, “Yeah, that sounds about right.” Tarot as a means of divination is not something I’ve ever really considered and any knowledge I had of it has been peripheral until a month ago. In much of Europe they are simply used to play games, but instead of the 52-card playing cards familiar in the US, there are 78 total. Both decks have shared origins. Looking at the various styles over the centuries sent me down a rabbit hole of research. It reminded me of the nights I spent in the family library reading about Egyptian mythology in the World Book Encyclopedia.
The Rider-Waite deck, featuring the artwork of Pamela Colman Smith, is one of the most common decks out there. One thing I didn’t care for were the color schemes. One weekend I started playing with watercolors and making my own colors.

My preference was for an ethnically neutral version, so all the figures have blue and green skin.
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