Interview with Jess and Jacob, Creators of the Superlunaris Tarot

The Superlunaris Tarot is a beautiful tarot deck reimagining the imagery of the Rider Waite Smith Tarot created by Jess Schuler (she/her) and Jacob Schaffer (he/him), located in Vero Beach, FL. In personal readings I’ve found the Superlunaris to be very accurate and a pleasure to work with. It also is a deck that I find myself wanting to use more in readings for others. The imagery is a great mix of dark and light and feels accessible for a wide range of people.

"If we, as a community, can create and foster a welcoming and inclusive space, where all people feel safe, heard, respected in being themselves and in expressing their identities, then who is to say that this can’t trickle out into the society surrounding us?" -Jess & Jacob

 

We took some time to talk to Jess and Jacob about the Superlunaris Tarot and their new project the Superlunormand!  Read on for their reflections on creating an inclusive indie tarot deck, what that process looked like for them and ultimately, the many voices that spoke into the creation of this tarot deck.

Hi Jess and Jacob! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! What inspired you to create this deck?

Jess: After spending months and months looking for a Tarot deck that I felt resonated and represented the world I live in, I decided to try creating my own. It was a lot of fun to make artwork for Tarot being so true to my heart, but the process was taking so long and I started to get discouraged. Then Jacob decided to create a few cards of his own and they were so inspiring! We realized that by working together we could balance each other out and create something really dynamic. The project really took on a life of its own and we decided to share it on Kickstarter to see if it could become something bigger. 

I couldn’t help but notice the similarities in naming the Superlunaris Tarot Deck and your upcoming Superlunormand oracle deck? Can you say a bit more about this?

We created Superlunaris Tarot, the name of which is the Latin origin of ‘superlunary’ {super- (above) + luna (moon)}, which means situated beyond the moon, or belonging to a higher world. We are fascinated by the secrets of the universe and both live in lunar synchronicity. We created and launched the deck in synchronization with the lunar cycle, which provided many blessings to us. When we began the creation of the Lenormand deck, we decided to name it Superlunormand because visually it is a companion to the Superlunaris Tarot. Also, our friend Amanda Bell came up with the nickname ‘SuperLu’ for the deck (thank you Amanda!) and we just love that and wanted to keep that intact with the sibling deck! We’re just trying to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously!

Situated beyond the moon… so is the Moon a card that you are particularly attached to?

The Moon was the first card we created and it really set the tone for the entire deck. It’s one of the cards that Jess has always identified with, but the process of actually diving into the scene and creating the environment allowed for full immersion into that ‘Moony’ energy in a different way. When you’re building the scene for a card for hours at a time, sometimes that third wall can break down and you find your artwork blending into your reality. The creative process connects you to the energy in a different way. Whenever we initially thought a card might be difficult to create because we didn’t personally connect with it, we would find out later that the process itself would provide that bridge. 

Obviously, creating an indie tarot deck is a very personal effort. Are there specific parts of your identit(ies) that you feel are really reflected in your work?

Our method with each one of the cards was to dig deep within ourselves, putting ourselves back in moments of our lives when we experienced the specific energy of the card we were working on at the time. It sounds cliché but I think a piece of our identity is within each one of the cards in the deck. 

I think the work we created for this deck really caught us both by surprise, and reflected a part of ourselves that we hadn’t seen in previous work. Individually we create artwork that is stylistically pretty dark. The cards we created together are truly a breath of fresh air in comparison, and so much love went into each one. When we met, we were both stepping out of a very dark season and into one of rebirth, and I feel like this energy showed up in the art - the artwork reflects our renewed love and appreciation for life and it feels more like a celebration of the human experience. 

I really notice that sense of energy and hope that shows up in the work as well. It really sounds like the creative process was a way to engage in the emergence happening in your own journey. Were there any big learnings in the process of bringing your deck to print?

There is truly not enough space here to include all of the things we learned through the process, deck creation is a journey! Luckily for us, we are a part of a small group of creators who have been the greatest support network for us. I don't know if we would've gotten through the process without them, there is so much that goes into it! 

The main drive behind our creative process was to make a deck that represented the community that we are a part of, a deck that anyone could connect with. It is extremely important to see real life reflected in Tarot; Tarot is a microcosm of our Universe and representation is a necessity for its functionality. Any tool intended for personal development or empowerment is most effective when it is inclusive. 

One of our biggest learning moments came to us early on in the process when we were still brainstorming and creating the artwork. Our original intention with this project was to create a deck where everyone felt seen and one that felt welcoming to all. We initially thought we could accomplish this on our own with enough research, and we were wrong.

This learning moment occurred when we made a mistake with the artwork for the Queen of Cups card, which features an indigenous person holding a vessel. The original vessel that we illustrated was intended for fire, not water, and was not something that we should’ve included without the consultation of an indigenous person. This was a real wake up call for us, which we are extremely grateful for. We learned that inclusion in its truest sense is only possible through meaningful consultation with people of the experiences, ideas and backgrounds that we wished to represent. After some time reflecting, we decided that if we were going to move forward with the project, we would need to have a different approach. 

We were able to reach out to the Shaman that was featured in the Queen of Cups card via the photographer that took the stock image that we drew her likeness from. We communicated our intentions, sent her the new design, received her blessing and sent the Shaman and the photographer a donation in return for their time and wisdom. We were working with a small budget, but we decided that if the project was funded, we would use some of those funds to make a donation to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, an incredible Native-led nonprofit dedicated to ending violence against Native women and children. We began working with some amazing people within the Tarot community who consulted with us and assisted in assuring that all people featured in the deck were represented respectfully and in a beneficial way, which is something we could not have done on our own. Our new approach made for a much more deep and beautiful experience. We had the blessing of connecting with and learning from people around the world, and one of our consultants, Joaly Nicole of queenmachete.com, is now working with us on a companion book for the deck. 

Thank you for your vulnerability in sharing that. There can be such a wide gap between good intentions and the actual impact we have. It can be so easy to withdraw or become defensive but instead you treated it as a teachable moment and acted to close the gap between intention and impact by involving the voices of those who needed to be included. 

What other challenges did you face in the process of creating the deck? 

Thank you for framing it that way. Everyone is on a unique learning journey based on their own identities and experiences, and we’re all going to make mistakes, but we also hold the power to learn from those mistakes and make decisions that are aligned with supporting people. Accepting responsibility for any harm we caused and being open to continued learning closes the intent-impact gap and assists in subverting systems of oppression. We’re extremely grateful for the people who provided this learning experience for us. 

I think the biggest challenge for both of us has been the vulnerability of putting ourselves “out there”, as we are both private and introverted people. It’s been a practice! There are so many authentic and vibrant people in the Tarot community who fully and openly express themselves and allow themselves to be seen, which has inspired us to embrace vulnerability and step out of our own comfort zones a bit. 

The words vulnerability and community really stand out to me in what you’ve shared so far. I’m struck by the way that being vulnerable and putting yourself out there is an important aspect to participating in community. Is there anyone specific you want to thank for their support in bringing this project to life?

This deck would not have been possible without the help of so many people, and words cannot express how grateful we are to each and every one. It was a blessing to be able to collaborate with the talented and wise people who helped make it possible. We send daily heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Joaly Nicole (of Queen Machete Tarot), Nailotl Méndez, Shaman Ixchel Ome Mikiztli, Arzoo Soni (of Quiet Mind Arzoo), Rosi Linares and Jennifer Ward. We are also so grateful for everyone who backed the project and brought it to life, all of the incredible folx who are present and share their experiences with us on social media, and all of the creators within this community who are so willing to share insight and lift each other up. This community is remarkable and we feel so lucky to be a part of it!

What do you hope the Superlunaris tarot brings to the world of tarot?

We hope that this deck, and all other inclusive decks that are being created, give everyone a true sense of belonging in the world of Tarot. If we, as a community, can create and foster a welcoming and inclusive space, where all people feel safe, heard, respected in being themselves and in expressing their identities, then who is to say that this can’t trickle out into the society surrounding us? If we start with the community that is closest to our hearts and work to make this a space that promotes and protects all humans, maybe we can inspire others to carry these messages outside of our community as well. 

For those just finding their way into tarot, what advice do you have?

I think a lot of people beginning their Tarot journey don’t realize that learning the Tarot is a life-long process that doesn’t have a final destination. Learning the original symbology is a great way to start, but connecting with each card on a personal and intuitive level adds so much to your practice. For us, one of the best ways to connect is by picking a card a day and journaling how that card’s energy showed up for you that day. It enables you to identify your own personal experience with each card and the many ways that the card’s energy can show up in life. 

That’s definitely a good practice that I notice is great for beginners as well as lifelong tarot enthusiasts. There’s always new layers of meaning that emerge as you continue to connect to the cards.  Ok, so before we go, I heard you are working on a new project. Can you tell us anything about it?

We are still balancing our full-time jobs along with our creative goals so we work slow and steady on our dreams whenever we can. For right now we are mainly focused on the companion book for the Superlunaris Tarot deck, which we’re hoping to have printed before the end of the year. We’re also working on the Superlunormand and the book that goes with that deck so we can launch that project on Kickstarter this year as well. 

 

We can’t wait to see this new deck!

Let us know when the Kickstarter goes live and we’ll make sure to share it with everybody here!

In the meantime, the second edition of the Superlunaris Tarot deck is currently available in Jess and Jacob's Etsy store and to EU customers from Indie Tarot.