Holographic Oracle Deck

‘Crystals & Energy’ is a holographic oracle deck exploring a range of energy sources through the magical (mystical) nature of crystals as energy-storing matter

‘Crystals & Energy’ is a holographic oracle deck exploring a range of energy sources through the magical (mystical) nature of crystals and minerals as energy-storing matter.

Lidia and Artemis, Special Issue 20 guest editors, asked us to modify an oracle deck of our choice. We, Cara and Boyana, prototyped a holographic oracle deck where a type of crystal is coupled with a type of energy resource in a single card in an attempt to talk about the global energy crisis we are facing today. It (the deck) provides an educational experience through the use of a DIY prism and complimentary audiovisual materials, together serving as an immersive learning environment.

After a quick research, we decided to couple Aquamarine and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) which we thought would fit nicely as a first example of such a card.

Why Aquamarine? It looks like water that has been crystallised; stored energy; compression; solidified; being put under pressure or exposed to a specific temperature so that it changes its state (from liquid to solid). Why LNG? It is natural gas that has been liquified; compressed; liquified; being put under pressure or exposed to a specific temperature so it changes its state (from gas to liquid); stores energy that can be channelled later.

Then, we wrote a short poem weaving the two elements into the everyday narrative. Later this poem served as a script to create a voice narration (one-minute-long audio piece) that went into the video creation process. Although the final text is a slight deviation from our initial idea, we felt inspired by the conversation we had with Steve earlier that day. He talked about his childhood memories of collecting rocks in notebooks, perhaps similar to what geologists do when they document their discoveries. He also mentioned a few things about caverns and a mine (later turned into a museum) located near the city where he used to live.

To visualise the card, we used a hologram video maker app. The process was easy and fun. All we had to do was simply find a hi-res image of the Aquamarine crystal on a black surface and upload it into the app. Lastly, we made a model of a pyramid prism so that we can demonstrate the prototype fully. To get the full holographic effect, we had to put it on top of a phone screen and play the video, which we uploaded on YouTube and embedded the link onto a website.

We saw in this prototype a potential to provide new knowledge, create an engaging and fun learning experience around energy sources, and add a sense of magic to everyday life. By combining these different elements, we were hoping to create an unusual experience that can help people better understand and appreciate the importance of energy sources and sustainability. It will be interesting to see how our prototype evolves and what kind of impact it could have on people’s perceptions of these topics.