Motherpeace Round Tarot Deck
1983
Karen Vogel, Vicki Noble and Lily Hillwomyn
USA
Art Medium:
Line drawings coloured using various media, possibly coloured pencil, watercolour, gouache and marker pens.
Description:
The first edition of line drawings by Vicki Noble was self-published by Karen Vogel in 1981. For the US Games edition these drawings were coloured by Karen Vogel and Lily Hillwomyn. The imagery was centered in the Great mother Goddess, but is perhaps more eco-feminist and inclusively multicultural than the Dianic or wiccan oriented decks of the Aradia or Daughters of the Moon. There are many references to classical mythology in the Majors, with design elements taken from Greek vases and sculptures as well as Egyptian symbolism. The Minor arcana mirror back to us aspects of various indigenous peoples. Vogel wants to express the idea that in an earlier age the world lived in matriarchal Goddess-worshipping communities which became overrun and destroyed by patriarchal invaders from cold northern climates who brought and imposed the idea of the Father-Sky god. This, perhaps, rather naïve view, resonated with the politics and rhetoric of the 1980’s and we can today see how the creators of this deck could be drawn to such a simplistic world view. Vicki Vogel pictured in her Minor arcana, these peoples associated to the East/Swords as the supposed indigenous peoples of Europe, South/Wands (Africa), West/Cups (Cretan) and North/Discs (pre-Colombian American indians). Although this deck has a strong political tone the expression of its artwork is gentle, with romanticed, inclusive and entirely positive images.
