Hi my beautiful souls! The season of The Pentacles is upon us in the Tri-State area. We find our days getting shorter and nights longer. We look to the trees to paint the skies with vivid yellows, burgundies, and browns. This is the time to harvest all of our efforts in preparation for the Stillness and Contemplation that the winter time presents. October in particular is a special month because it is the time of Samhain where we find the veil thinnest. To honor this time I wanted to publish an article I had the honor to do with the very talented Fabio Listrani creator of the deeply mystical Night Sun Tarot. Fabio has created a deck that is deeply unique and filled with very old symbolism, leaving us a tool that builds a bridge to usher us into the Air Age of Aquarius.
-HERU JEROME
Interview
Fabio Listrani, creator of the Night Sun Tarot
Fabio Listrani has created a cast of characters that are equally balanced within Shadow and Light. He has brilliantly used ancient symbols from Alchemy, I-Ching & the Nataraja to create a tool that is magical. I found an instant and heartfelt connection with this deck. It will become a mainstay in anyone’s collection.
Worthy Tarot: Tell me about yourself, where are you from & where are you currently? How have these locations influenced what you do creatively?
FL: I am an artist and graphic designer with several years of professional experience doing different kinds of illustration work, including comic book covers, artwork for bands, concept art and well Tarot. I come from Rome, Italy (I’m currently living here) and that has largely influenced my creativity. Rome is full of a history that is rich in art, cultural & historical heritage. My work and creative approach in general, even if developed with modern media and thematic, often reflects classical influences by religious aestheticism that I draw especially from our Baroque sculpture. It is not a coincidence that my work is a fusion of 3D, sculpture & digital painting. Moreover in Italy we have an important “responsibility” towards the origin of the Tarot. This is the reason why I was drawn to Tarot, because since I was a child I wanted to make my contribution to its legacy.
Fabio Listrani, creator of the Night Sun Tarot
What drew you to Tarot, what aspects of your energy have found their way into your deck? How does this make your deck unique?
FL: I don’t know if my deck may be considered unique, but my approach in its creation and conception was absolutely free from any other direct and specific influence to any other deck. Simply put, I just tried to create a “real” modern deck that incorporates references or elements less “obvious” that work well from my point of view in explaining and exposing the complete meaning of the cards. This is why I chose images such as the I-Ching for my Wheel of Fortune or the Nataraja for the World Card.
This is a more holistic and global approach that I could not find in other Tarot decks.
I have also tried to give different and more positive visions for some of the cards that are traditionally considered to have bad reputations. I was able to do this in connection with their meanings. For example, my version of the Death Card is a pregnant woman. I also introduced progressive and evolutionary aspects like the symbol of eggs, flowers or the recurring presence of some characters. Take a look at how the two fauns on the Devil Card evolve in the Sun breaking their chains or the Hermit administering the union or disjunction in the card of The Lovers. These are all aspects of my energy and my personal vision of Tarot, art and life in general.
We are entering an Air Age which is associated with thought. When you examine air it can blow everything around that is not tethered. People are trying to find their footing and light as they enter this age and are drawn to the magic and spirituality of the Tarot. The face of the tarot just like our new age is changing, how do you feel your deck lends to this revolution?
FL: I can say that my deck can certainly be used at different levels of depth. Instinctively you can follow the feeling evoked by the images in the cards, but with a more enlightened approach and use of rational thought. According with the new Air Age, you can delve more deeply and find new connections and ideas.
This is why I wanted to include astrological, cabalistic and esoteric attributes into the graphics. However, I wanted to expand on these concepts. If you look carefully at my cards you can also find the sacred geometries corresponding to the cards or references to the Seals of Solomon.
So if moved to, you can let the air blow on my deck and see where it will lead you!
What inspires you and how was that inspiration incorporated into your deck?
FL: I am a very curious person and I’m a total believer of a “cultural nomadism”, so I love to study and borrow symbolic motifs from Western and Eastern cultures. For this reason I like to read a lot, from novels to various kinds of essays. This is the biggest source of my inspiration, for illustration as well as work within the Tarot. I am also a musician, so I cannot overlook music as another great source of inspiration!
If you could use a film, artists, novels to make your dream Tarot deck what would that be? (I have a couple NeverendingStory Tarot, Pippi Longstocking Tarot, Julie Heffernan Tarot like please now!!!!)
FL: Oh well in this specific case, I don’t need to dig out from my dreams because many artists, filmmakers or writers that I love and admire, have already developed and produced Tarot decks. For example the awesome collaborations by Jodorowsky and Moebius on the comic “The Incal” have produced a Tarot deck which was inspired by it. There are also some of my favorite artists such as HR Giger or the Italian Artist Sergio Toppi who have created wonderful Tarot decks over the years.
Would you ever create another deck, think about this one as I know 78 cards are a huge undertaking!
FL: Yes, creating the Night Sun Tarot was a very huge effort for me and I would have never thought about making another one but…. I have received a proposal in this direction so…. Who knows? Ha Ha….
If someone is interested in your deck how would they get a hold of you?
FL: My deck is produced by Lo Scarabeo, one of the biggest Tarot produces in the world. So it’s very easy to find it on their website or on the web, Amazon is a great resource. Otherwise it should be available in any esoteric library.