Patrick Valenza – Crazy Moon Tarot Automatic translate

The author’s unique Tarot of the Deviant Moon deck was created by Patrick Valenza using various forms of photographic manipulation. (The link above ↑ has images of all the cards in the deck with a description of the meaning of each card).

Each card began with a complete drawing. The work was scanned into a computer, where the artist applied various photographic textures. Most of the clothing worn by the inhabitants of Mad Moon was found on 19th century tombstones. The author bent, twisted and repurposed his photographs to become coats, boots, hats and accessories. One of the most interesting parts of building the deck was "hunting" for certain textures, tiptoeing reverently through the cemeteries of eastern Long Island, New York. The background buildings were created from photographs Patrick took of a local abandoned asylum. Rotten doors, windows and walls became castles, factories and cities.

The stylization of the characters was influenced by ancient Greek art, but Valenza gave them a somewhat abstract character. He decided to paint them in the style of flat playing cards, creating intense light and shadows. The figures were then placed on a detailed background.

As the work progressed, different styles emerged, and soon the characters became the moon-faced creatures depicted on the cards.

The symbolism of the deck is taken from childhood dreams and imagination, which passed into the author’s adult world. He always saw the melancholic side of life and sought to express his visions through the characters he created. The moon has always been Patrick’s psychic friend. As the guardian of the night, she feeds his dreams and casts a strange tint on the way he sees the colors of reality.

Nothing had a greater influence on his work than the Tarot itself. Patrick first discovered Tarot at the age of nine. He was fascinated by the unique characters he saw on each card and studied the artwork intensively. His favorites were old 19th century decks and medieval decks. While his classmates were drawing what children usually do, Patrick was busy creating his own little pictures of a fool or a magician. Over the years, he made many attempts to create his own deck, but each time he was unable to finish more than a few cards. He kept the ideas from his early random creations and brought them to life here in Deviant Moon.

This deck was physically created over three years ago, although its creation took at least thirty years. It is not only a testament to Valenza’s art, but also a record of his life. — This story of the creation of a unique work of art is told by Patrick Valenza himself in a small book that is included in the set.

The deck was originally published by US Games Systems in 2008, with a borderless edition released in 2014. The size of the cards is 7x13 cm, they are slightly longer and narrower than usual.

The card paper is laminated, good quality, and easy to shuffle. The reverse side is dark brown with a creamy moon pattern and a golden craquelure texture. The cards are framed with a 6mm white border across the entire card on the front and back. The elements of the suit are represented in the illustrations, and the Roman numeral representing the card number is located in the upper center of the image. The name of the major arcana is in a gold field under the framed image (the latest edition of the deck has no frame). There is a description of the images, as well as values ​​in vertical and inverted positions.

Valenza abandoned the iconography of the early Victorian Tarot and the influence of the Golden Dawn and created something different. This is a new evolution of the Tarot, where images excite the senses, and the cards become alive and active. This is one of those decks that doesn’t require a book, the art exposes the meanings of the cards for all to see, it’s a feast for intuitive readers. Although the faces of the characters in Deviant Moon are mechanical and mask-like, the actions they perform describe the meanings of the cards. Textures and details add extra depth and there’s something new to discover at every turn.

The deck consists of 78 cards - 22 major arcana and 56 minor ones. The Major Arcana have retained all traditional names. Justice is in position VIII and Strength is in position XI. Court cards are Page, Knight, Queen and King. Suits – Swords, Wands, Cups and Pentacles. What makes this deck special is that the author describes each suit in the context of society. Keeping this in mind as you read will help you understand the motivation behind the thoughts, feelings, and actions depicted in the cards.