Holding these decks in my hands for the first time was a surreal moment—one that marked the culmination of years of ideation, design, and refinement. Now, as I prepare to share them with the world, I want to go beyond the decks themselves and offer insight into the intention, process, and purpose behind their creation.
Every aspect of these decks has been thoughtfully designed to serve as more than just a set of cards—they are tools for self-reflection, intuitive connection, and personal growth. From the cardstock and finishes to the artwork and messaging, my goal was to create an experience that feels both timeless and accessible, honoring tarot’s rich history while making it approachable for modern readers.
The Backstory
My relationship with tarot began long before I started reading professionally in 2020. For years, I read for friends and family, offering guidance and reflection through the symbolic language of the cards. When they encouraged me to offer readings publicly, I hesitated. But during the pandemic, I witnessed how deeply people were craving clarity and connection. Tarot is a powerful tool—not as a method of fortune-telling, but as a way to explore possibilities, reconnect with our intuition, and make sense of our inner world.
Still, there was a limit to how many people I could support through one-on-one readings. I wanted to create something that would allow anyone, anywhere, to engage in self-inquiry—without needing a tarot reader to interpret the messages for them. I wanted a deck that could stand on its own, offering intuitive insights in a way that felt personal, accessible, and actionable.
The desire to create a tool for self-inquiry wasn’t new. Nearly a decade earlier, I developed a guided journal under the name The Painted Moth—a structured journal with exercises that helped people process their thoughts, emotions, and limiting beliefs. I sent early copies to a few therapists and psychologists, whose patients found them helpful, but it never felt quite right to me. The journal felt too rigid—as if it was trying to lead the user rather than allowing them to meet themselves exactly where they were.
Years later, I realized what was missing—Tarot. Tarot offered what that journal lacked—fluidity. Instead of guiding people through predefined prompts, tarot created a space for self-inquiry to evolve. It provided a dynamic approach to self-reflection, serving as a mirror to reflect what’s already within us—helping us gain clarity by guiding our own questions rather than prescribing answers. It helps us pause, ask better questions, and reflect with honesty. That realization became the seed that grew into VIA and PAX.
The Intention
I spent a long time wrestling with how to create something truly different. The tarot market is saturated, so it was important for me to design a deck that would make an impact—not just visually, but as a functional tool for self-reflection, self-trust, and actionable insight.
I took a step back and asked myself: Who was I designing this for? And in that moment, I realized I wasn’t making this for just anyone—I was making it for people like me. I thought about my past self—the version of me who struggled with self-doubt, uncertainty, and feeling disconnected from my intuition. What would I have needed during that time? I wanted to create something for those who longed for a practice that felt grounded, intuitive, and approachable—a tool that could meet them exactly where they were on their journey.
Through my own lived experience, I’ve come to believe that trauma causes us to mistrust ourselves, severing the connection to our inner voice—our intuition. When that connection is lost, it becomes difficult to trust our decisions, often leading us to seek external validation rather than our own wisdom. In working with tarot, I found it to be a powerful tool for reconnecting with that inner voice—a way to rebuild self-trust, piece by piece. Because tarot isn’t about searching for answers outside of ourselves; it’s about learning to listen, reflect, and trust what we already know deep down.
The Decks
I designed these decks to work together as companions on your inward journey.
VIA is derived from Latin, meaning “way” or “path,” and PAX means “peace.” Together, they symbolize a pathway to peace—offering a personal journey toward balance and clarity, with tarot as your guide.
While each deck can stand on its own, they were created to complement one another. You can work with just one deck depending on your focus, or use them together to deepen your practice. They’re intentionally designed to clarify one another—VIA can help you reflect on the underlying energy or lesson, while PAX can offer the intuitive insight needed to move forward. Whether you're drawing a single card or building layered spreads, the two decks speak a shared visual and energetic language that makes them easy to integrate.
I wanted to create a tarot experience that embodied the balance between reflection and intuitive insight, providing practical yet inspiring guidance for personal growth. These decks are more than just a set of tools—they’re mirrors, guides, and gentle reminders that everything you need is already within you. One invites you to pause; the other, to move with clarity. Together, they offer a rhythm for navigating life—one that honors both stillness and momentum.
VIA Tarot
I designed VIA as a tarot-oracle hybrid, blending the structure of traditional tarot with the accessibility of oracle decks. Each card includes an affirmation to shift perspective, an actionable keyword to provide focus, and a journal prompt to encourage deeper reflection. My goal was to create more than just a deck to pull cards from—I wanted to offer a tool that supports self-inquiry and helps you realign with your inner truth through intentional practice.
From the beginning, VIA was crafted to help you slow down and reflect on your life’s journey. I chose a duo-tone color palette rooted in calming earth tones—muted hues that feel grounding and restful to the eye. The deck is centered around the idea of duality—light and dark, action and stillness, uncertainty and clarity—and the language on each card is written to help you explore those contrasts and find your own sense of balance.
The lino-style patterns in the artwork resemble both fingerprints and topographic maps, quiet symbols of your unique path and evolving inner landscape. Like a fingerprint, your practice is wholly your own. And like a map, tarot can guide you—gently and intuitively—through whatever terrain you’re navigating.
PAX Tarot
With PAX, I set out to create a deck that honored the roots of tarot while still feeling refined and relevant. I’ve always found it difficult to connect with decks that feel too abstract or heavily stylized—my intuition responds best to imagery that stays close to the Rider-Waite-Smith system. So I designed PAX to feel both familiar and immersive, a bridge between tradition and personal insight that could support beginners and experienced readers alike. My hope is that it helps you connect with the deeper layers of each card, sparking intuitive insights while staying true to tarot’s rich storytelling.
Where VIA invites reflection and realignment, PAX helps you tap into your inner knowing—offering clarity in times of uncertainty and insight when you’re ready to move forward. The deck draws inspiration from the Renaissance, a period of reinvention, artistry, and transformation. That influence is woven into every detail of PAX’s full-color artwork—not just for aesthetic, but as a nod to a time when people sought wisdom through beauty, learning, and inner exploration.
Each image is designed to feel like a conversation with your intuition. The illustrations bring classical symbolism into a contemporary lens, creating a visual experience that feels both timeless and fresh. These cards aren’t just beautiful—they’re intentional. Every one is crafted to evoke emotion, spark reflection, and help you uncover the truths waiting just beneath the surface. Whether you’re navigating change, seeking direction, or simply checking in with yourself, PAX offers a quiet moment of clarity—a chance to tune in and respond with intention.
The Mindful Arcana
Years ago, I wanted to create a What Tarot Card Are You? quiz, but I struggled to narrow 78 cards into just a few results. Instead, I developed my own archetypes—ones that reflected the deeper, internal journey of transformation we go through when navigating a change. The idea sat on the shelf for years, waiting for the right moment, until I realized it fit perfectly into this deck.
The Mindful Arcana represents the cyclical nature of growth—because true transformation isn’t linear. Each archetype represents a pivotal stage in the journey: The Seeker gains clarity by asking the right questions. The Traveler embraces new possibilities with an open heart. The Explorer expands perspective through curiosity and experience. The Observer cultivates mindfulness by pausing to reflect. The Navigator channels newfound clarity into intentional action. These archetypes serve as guideposts—offering a grounded framework to help you move through your own process with intention, awareness, and trust.
The Renaissance
From the start, I envisioned PAX as a deck that felt both timeless and deeply rooted in history. The Renaissance period has always fascinated me—particularly its themes of learning, reinvention, and mastery. It was a time when art, science, and philosophy flourished, and people sought knowledge, beauty, and self-discovery.
What draws me to this era most is its spirit of renewal—a reminder that it’s never too late to grow, evolve, or begin again. That belief mirrors my own journey and deeply informs the message of this deck. For me, tarot is an extension of that same spirit. It’s a tool for self-awareness, reinvention, and inner exploration—a way to reflect on life’s biggest questions while continuously evolving.
The artwork of PAX pays homage to the elegance and depth of Renaissance art, making it not just a functional deck but also a visual experience that invites contemplation.
The Artwork
When I first envisioned these decks, the biggest challenge was execution. Illustrating over 85 tarot images was a monumental task—one that I knew wasn’t financially feasible, especially since I was entirely self-funding the design and development. While I regularly collaborate with artists, commissioning this scale of work would have cost more than I could invest upfront.
Generative AI made this project possible.
I understand the controversy surrounding AI in art, and I thought deeply about the ethical implications before choosing this path. From the beginning, I approached it with a clear intention: to create something both intentional and accessible—without compromising my values. I made a conscious decision to structure my prompts using public domain artwork, drawing from historical references rather than modern art styles or living artists. This was my way of being as thoughtful and responsible as I could be—ensuring that the imagery was rooted in history, not taken from working creatives.
Each image was then manually refined, edited, and adjusted to align with traditional tarot symbolism and the overall aesthetic of the decks. The process was not automated—it was highly hands-on and deeply considered.
While much of the imagery was developed through AI-assisted design, bringing these decks to life was also a collaborative effort. I had the joy of working with incredibly talented artists—Valeriia, who designed the floral patterns for the card backs and tarot cloths, and Sami, who helped refine the tuck box design and tarot cloth spreads. Their creative contributions added beauty, nuance, and cohesion to the final presentation, and I’m deeply grateful to have had their hands and hearts involved in this project.
From Concept to Creation
This project has been an exercise in trust—trust in my vision, in the process, and in the belief that something meaningful would come of it. Every decision, from the card size to the texture of the paper, was made with care. Every illustration, every word, every finish—intentionally chosen to create a deck that feels inspiring, grounded, and deeply personal.
As I prepare to launch on Kickstarter on March 29, I’m filled with both excitement and humility. This isn’t just a product launch—it’s the next chapter in a journey that began years ago with a quiet desire to help others reconnect with themselves. My hope is that these decks become tools that support you in your own journey inward—whether you’re seeking clarity, cultivating self-trust, or simply learning to listen more closely to your own inner voice.
If this resonates with you, I’d be honored to have you join me.
Thank you for being here—and for allowing this work to become part of your story.
With gratitude,
Kara
