Artist and oracle creator Sabra spent some time with us on Saturday, July 20th, and took over our dedicated space to showcase her oracle, Inner Alchemy, a powerful mélange of Alchemy and Jungian psychology that has left our customers fascinated.
The deck, a 52-card small oracle, immediately shows impressive line work and intensely colored figures, framed in alchemical details. Inspired by the work of alchemists such as Robert Allen Bartlett, the cards depict the 7 Base Metals, the 7 Chakras, the 4 Elements, Spagyric Plants, and Jungian/Popular Psychology. They are intended to work as catalysts for the reader's inner transformation and self-reflection. We were delighted to speak to Sabra and now share with you her words.
What inspired you to create your deck?
My artwork has always been quite poetic and allegorical, and I thought my style would really suit a Tarot or Oracle deck. I first created my own tarot deck called 'Small but Mighty,' which was based on small creatures in nature. But I really wanted to create an Oracle deck thereafter because it meant that I had a lot more creative freedom. I could choose a subject that I was into, and then roll with it and not have to be confined by the major and minor arcana structure that you find in the tarot deck.
I have always loved Carl Jung's psychological theories, and I wanted to create a deck that combined psychology with spiritual ideas. It was actually reading his book 'Psychology and Alchemy' that really set me on my way with my 'Inner Alchemy' Oracle because it meant that I could read up on practical alchemy but link it to psychological processes as well. I just thought that was an awesome theme to look more into. I am also in therapy, so I thought creating this deck may help facilitate more self-reflection along my therapeutic and healing journey, and hope that it does the same for others.
What are the major influences in your work?
I read a lot of books, and those books usually inform my artwork and vice versa. When I was reading up on practical alchemy and spiritual/psychological alchemy, I could then integrate what I had learned into the Oracle deck. Most of the books that I read are on the topics of mythology, ancient civilizations, psychology, philosophy, religion, theology, etc. I also love reading and writing poetry, so you will see a lot of that in my work. I like to create work with a deeper meaning, not just for decorative purposes.
For example, the art piece I just finished was inspired by the book 'The Conference of the Birds,' which is by Sufi poet Farid un-Din Attar. It was written in 1177 CE. In the poem, the birds of the world (12 featured in the artwork) gather to decide who is to be their sovereign, as they have none. The hoopoe, the wisest of them all, suggests that they should find the legendary Simorgh (featured at the top of the piece). The hoopoe leads the birds, each of whom represents a human fault that prevents humanity from attaining enlightenment. They must embark on 7 different quests to reach the Simorgh (the birds' equivalent of a God). I found this absolutely fascinating and a profound concept, and wanted to show my love for the poem by creating an art piece based on it. A lot of my work is usually inspired by spiritual ideas.
I also travelled for 4-5 years of my life and experienced a lot of different cultures. I created a lot of murals during that time in countries such as South Korea, China, India, Nepal, etc. I was hugely influenced by the cultures and environments around me, and this would then make its way into my artwork. I am not hugely influenced by other artists, so I don't really have a specific artist that I can say influences my work. My style is something that has developed naturally over time and has evolved from an authentic place, I would say. I can tell you what artists I like, but can't name any that I practice to be like, if that makes sense. If I were to name one artist who speaks to me, it would be William Blake. He was not just a poet but a visual artist as well, and often combined the two. I can relate to that in a lot of ways. Still, I don't really aspire to be like anyone else but myself.
What is the aim of your deck?
The aim of my deck was to create cards, images, and messages that would prompt the reader to self-reflect and self-develop. I wrote the meanings booklet in such a way as to encourage this. After each description, I'd write a set of questions to ask the reader to aid deeper introspection. For example, there is a card called 'Listen to Your Gut,' which is not just about listening to intuition. It is also about reflecting on one's food and drink intake and how that may be affecting one's mood or sense of well-being. One of the questions in the meanings booklet for this card was, 'Are there any positive changes you could make to your diet?' Another example would be the card that says 'Tend to Your Wounds,' meaning physical or psychological wounds. My hope is that this would prompt the reader to reflect on the areas of their life, past or present, that have caused them pain. This card may indicate that there is still some healing to be done in that area.
I think the deck can also help people learn a bit more about Alchemy as a practice and as a school of thought. I learned so much more about plant and metal Alchemy while creating this deck and reading up on the subject, and I would hope that the readers can learn a lot more about Alchemy too! I have included spagyric plant medicines, the metals commonly used in Alchemy, the 7 chakras (because Alchemy has a lot of crossover with Indian Ayurvedic medicine and Eastern philosophy), and the air, fire, water, and Earth elements. Of course, I included a salt, sulphur, and mercury card, where Thoth and Hermes are featured, as well as a few Jungian psychology cards and 'virtue' cards.
What are you favourite deck of cards? And do you connect to a card in particular?
As far as other tarot decks go, I love the Brady Tarot deck. I was in awe when I first discovered her deck. I was so in love with the artwork. The originals are all lino printed with numerous different colours. I just think the whole deck is so wonderfully done. Her style is seemingly quite similar to mine, so maybe that's an extra reason why it spoke to me so much. It was nature-themed too, and I just loved its earthy vibes. She's making an Oracle soon called 'The Oracle of Deep Time,' which I am really looking forward to.
Apart from that, I love the mini cat Tarot! It's very cute, and I love cats. I have three of my own, and I just love them. Bastet is my favourite Egyptian Goddess for that very reason.
My favourite card in the Tarot deck is 'The Sun' from the Major Arcana. It's number 19 in the Tarot deck, and this is my lucky number. I was born on the 19th of January, so I connect with it in this way. But I also love it because I perceive it as a very positive card. The sun, for me, represents joy, passion, wonder, and happiness. I also equate the light of the sun to pure conscious awareness too, and I don't think that's a bad thing to aim for. In Alchemy, the sun represents Gold and the Philosopher's Stone. This is the alchemist's main aim to achieve. That's why I love 'The Sun' card the most.
Sabra's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_s.kadabra_/
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