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<section class="section"><p>:::::{#historyoftarot .has-images}</p>
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<h1 id="an-hypothesised-and-randomly-factual-history-of-tarot-cards">An
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hypothesised and randomly factual History of Tarot Cards</h1>
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<p>What follows is the story of a deck of cards and of all the
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more-or-less believable claims that were made about its origin. This
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brief history was complied following sources that attempted accurate
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historic recalling instead of the most commonly shared semiotic,
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occultist story. However, despite all efforts all the found sources
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told a convoluted story due to the misinterpretation of age, sources and
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authorship common in any ancient text on magic and mysticism (Dummett,
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1993). As such, the following text will recall the disproven stories
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that were told about the origin of Tarot, some factual sourced material
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and a modern description of its usage.</p>
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<p>When we talk about Tarot cards we are talking about a deck of playing
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cards composed of ten numeral cards and four court cards(Jack, Knight,
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Queen and King) for each of the suits, Swords, Batons, Cups and Coins.
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Alongside these more common cards Tarot includes 22 ‘trump’ cards with
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allegorical illustrations. The trumps form a sequence, usually numbered
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from 1 to 21, with the single card of the Fool being separated (Decker,
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Depaulis & Dummett, 1996).</p>
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<p>This specific deck of cards’ history begins at the bottom of a well
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in Norther Italy, in the 1440s, where we place its first appearance in
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history. From there we can easily find links to the common usage of
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these cards in Norther Italy, from Milano to Bologna e Ferrara (Steele,
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1900). These cards, initially called <em>Trionfi</em> and then
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<em>Tarocchi</em> are thought to have been intended to be used for card
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games, regardless of their occasional usage in future-telling (Dummet,
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1993). This finding helps us trace a factual beginning of Tarot but
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leaves an open question to how these cards gained their place as the
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primary tool used in modern occultism and mysticism for cartomancy. </p>
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<figure>
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<img src="Visconti-Sforza-Tarot.jpg"
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alt="Image of the First Tarot Deck" />
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<figcaption aria-hidden="true">Image of the First Tarot
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Deck</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p>While this is where the story began to intricate itself, it can still
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be seen that the first wide spread future-telling uses appeared in
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France in the 18th century. </p>
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<p>At this point the history of tarot beings to be influenced by what
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each fortune teller imagined the history of the cards to be. To fully
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disclose this I will first attempt to estimate the most notable
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occultists that used the cards and wrote historical notations about
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their deviance and then the stories they told about them.</p>
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<p>The first encounter we have between Tarot and magical theory and
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practice happens in the <em>Monde primitif,</em> an incredibly long
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essay about Tarot cards written in 1781 by Antoine Court de Gébelin.
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With this text, the pastor began what would be the endless repository of
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arcane esoteric wisdom within Tarot that will follow the cards for
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generations (Chisholm, 1911). In this text, Gébeling attributed the
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cards’ origin to ancient Egypt, a theory that is to this day shared as
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truthful. This belief was based on an erroneous link to “The Book of
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Thoth”, an ancient Egyptian text about magic that is believed to have
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been spread through Europe by Romani people. This belief was then
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substantiated by a similar essay by the by the comte de Mellet(Decker,
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). Promptly, a Parisian fortune teller named Jean-Baptiste Alliette,
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professionally known as Etteilla, having found these theories, adapted
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the esoteric view of the cards to his own uses. He switching his own
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practice from traditional French piquet cartomancy to the use of a
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self-made Tarot card deck. This deck was based on the previously shared
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Hermetic ideologies and was named “The Book of Toth”(same).</p>
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<figure>
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<img src="etteilla.jpg" alt="Image from Etteilla’s Deck" />
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<figcaption aria-hidden="true">Image from Etteilla’s Deck</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p>The next fundamental spin that was given to the cards’ background was
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down by Éliphas Levi, another French esotericist. Levi repudiated
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Etteilla’s theory and integrated a version of the cards that was closer
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to the original to his own Cabalistic magical system. However
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historically mistaken was Levi’s understanding of the cards’ travel from
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Egypt to Judea into Jewish tradition, it nonetheless revolutionised the
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cards in ways that live on till today. His Cabalistic theory about signs
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being letter, letters being absolute ideas and absolute ideas being
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numbers can be seen in even modern iterations of tarot.</p>
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<p>From here on over, Tarot’s journey speeds up as the cards leave
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France and become absorbed into new esoteric movements like
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Swedenborgianism, Mesmerism and spiritualism (Decker, Depaulis &
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Dummet, 1996).</p>
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<p>Before we make a jump through time to the next biggest relevant
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development of Tarot, I will share the last of the three false
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widespread theories about the origin of Tarot, the first two being Egypt
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and Judaism(despite its influence in modern tarot).</p>
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<p>This last theory is harder to trace back to one esoteric influence,
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but nonetheless claims a Chinese origin to the cards. Most likely, this
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is due to the similarity with the I Ching, a divination manual from
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around 1000 BC. The manual was grounded in cleromancy, the production of
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random numbers to predict divine intention. However, there is no
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traceable connection between Chinese cleromancy and Tarot divination.
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Modern analyses of Chinese Tarot divination draw direct correlation
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between Western occultism and Tarot divination, leaving little room to
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imagine any direct causation starting from China (Fu, Li, Lee,
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2002).</p>
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<p>For the purpose of this recalling but unsurprisingly for those
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familiar, the next big step will bring us to the late19th century in
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Britain, in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn was a
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secret society devoted to occult Hermetic Kabbalah and one of the
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largest single influences on Western occultism as a whole (Jenkins,
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2000). While the society itself had a wide curriculum, including
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astrology, alchemy and geomancy(soil divination), our only concern at
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the moment is with their links to Tarot cards.</p>
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<p>In 1909, two mystics and members of the Golden Dawn, A.E. Waite and
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Pamela Colman Smith published with the Rider Company a deck of re-made
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Tarot cards based on the society’s magic system. These cards, later
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known as the Ride-Waite Tarot(Dean, 2015). This deck was based on the
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Sola Busca deck, with symbolism being taken from Levi’s descriptions and
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Egyptian and Christian symbolism. This deck has become the paradigm and
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touchstone through which modern occultists think of Tarot. Between the
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distribution of this deck and the use of the cards in the Golden Dawn,
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it became axiomatic among followers many traditions of mysticism that
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the Tarot is an essential component of any occult science.</p>
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<figure>
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<img src="Rider-Waite_Pents.jpg"
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alt="Image from the Raider-Waite deck" />
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<figcaption aria-hidden="true">Image from the Raider-Waite
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deck</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p>Nowadays, Tarot is emblematic and incredibly wide spread as the most
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common future-telling method and device. Thousands and thousands of
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different formats exist, often falling under the category of Oracle
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cards and as such not having the clear formatting rules of Tarot but
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still implicating divination and self-reflection through the
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interpretation of allegorical illustration.</p>
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</section>
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<section class="section">
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</section>
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<section class="section"><h1
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id="superdeconstruction-a-text-adventure-game">Super(de)construction, a
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text-adventure game</h1>
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<p>My text-adventure game was (first and foremost a struggle and) an
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attempt to dive a little bit into the world of python and deal
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peacefully with the potential trauma of coding. The first unsuccessful
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try started by making a map on paper with all the possible rooms,
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corridors, spaces and the potential inputs of the player. It was proved
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to be a too ambitious plan though. So this was the time when the
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super(de)construction game was born! My intention was to make a fan
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fiction text adventure game(!) of the marxist superstructure theory.
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There are three basic rooms where the player can navigate : the
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Base-ment, the Apparatus and the Megaroom. People can grab specific
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“objects” from each room and check their inventory (for example you can
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have unpaidlabour, church, mostlywhitemen from base-ment, apparatus and
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megaroom respectively in the same bag!). The aim of the game is to
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accumulate enough points in order to bring eventually the revolution and
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win. The fermentation and the radicalization happen only in the
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base-ment. Will you be part of the revolutionary class?</p>
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</section>
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<section class="section"><p>:::::</p>
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<h1 id="colophon">Colophon</h1>
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<h3 id="photography-and-illustration">Photography and Illustration</h3>
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<p>Unless otherwise stated, all photography and illustrations in this
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publication are created by the same authors as the text. That which is
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below is like that which is above and that which is above is like that
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which is below, to do the miracle of one only thing.</p>
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<h3 id="digital-tools">Digital Tools</h3>
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<p>This book was created with the help of a collection of not-so-small
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and extremely sharp open source tools, to name a few; paged.js, pandoc,
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pdfimpose, pdftk, and our darling demon inkscape. So was the world
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created. From this are and do come admirable adaptations where of the
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means is here in this.</p>
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<p>###Printing and Binding Just lil old us.</p>
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<h3 id="fonts">Fonts</h3>
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<p>Work Sans by Wei Huang. Consolation by us.</p>
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<p>That which I have said of the operation of the Sun is accomplished
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and ended.</p>
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<p>:::::</p>
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</section>
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<section class="section">
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</section>
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<section class="section"><p>rituals_archive will go here</p>
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</section>
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<section class="section"><p>Introduction</p>
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<p>The last trimester was an attempt to understand the notions of games
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and rituals. Instead of introduction we will try to unravel this
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mysterious journey as well as keep questioning and collaging.</p>
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<p>We mapped the common characteristics and the differences between the
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latter in relation to ideology and counter-hegemony. We practiced,
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performed, annotated rituals that were connected (or not) with our
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cultural backgrounds while we questioned the magic circle. We dived into
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the worlds of text adventure games and clicking games while drinking
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coffee and talked about class, base, superstructure, (counter)hegemony,
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ideology, materialism. We discussed about how games and rituals can
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function as reproductive technologies of the culture industries. We
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annotated games- focusing on the role of ideology and social
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reproduction. We reinterpreted bits of the world and created stories
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with it (modding, fiction, narrative) while focusing on community,
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interaction, relationships, grief and healing.</p>
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<p>The eventual product of this process is a console, a magical object,
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a wooden container, a promising healing. How the unpacking of notions of
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games, rituals, ideology, superstructure in relation to the
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witch-hunting can become the midwiferies of a healing box? How practices
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of heal and care can work as counter-hegemonic acts that can cure and
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liberate our souls and bodies from patriarchical and capitalistic
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fetters?</p>
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<p>We didn’t manage to provide you with comprehensive and solid answers
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or conclusive statements. The truth is that this wasn’t our plan. Our
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intention was to create openings for debate or even conflict, to map a
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territory, to invite those who would like to join us.</p>
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<blockquote>
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<p><em>“What if you are playing tetris and the tetris gods give you
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something apart from the usual seven tetrominoes, like an unexpected
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pregnancy or the end of capitalism?”,(Steven)</em></p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>Starting with rituals we can claim that they can be understood as
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instruments in the struggle for the exercise of power. Organized by
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<em>repetition</em>, they (re)connect the individual to the collective,
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creating a vision towards a given perception of society. Participation
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in this creative act is determined by several factors, for example, a
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ritual’s function, its relationship to hegemonic power, a collective’s
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politics and objectives, etc.</p>
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<blockquote>
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<p>*“Ritual is a means of performing the way things ought to be in
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conscious tension to the way things are in such a way that this
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ritualized perfection is recollected in the ordinary, uncontrolled,
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course of things. Ritual relies for its power on the fact that it is
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concerned with quite ordinary activities, that what it describes and
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displays is, in principle, possible for every occurrence of these acts.
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But it relies, as well, for its power on the fact that, in actuality,
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such possibilities cannot be realized.(Smith,1980)*”</p>
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<p><em>“Ideology talks of actions: I shall talk of actions inserted into
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practices. And I shall point out that these practices are governed by
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rituals in which these practices are inscribed, within the material
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existence of an ideological apparatus(...)Ideas have disappeared as such
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to the precise extend that it has emerged that their existence is
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inscribed in the actions of practices governed by rituals defined in the
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last instance by an ideological apparatus”,(Althusser,1970)</em></p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>Similarly, videogames create worlds. Often, those worlds mirror our
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own, reproducing certain ideals and values as norms through their
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narrative, game play, design. This trimester we explored world-building
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characteristics found both in rituals and videogames. We critically
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considered those worlds, identifying the key points and elements through
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which specific videogames and rituals circulate political, cultural and
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social values. While this world-building might be interpreted from an
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angle of implicit and explicit bias rooted in hegemonic values, we
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investigated the generative, creative possibilities of such
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characteristics.</p>
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<blockquote>
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<p><em>“The main task of mass culture is to create, reproduce, and
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manage particular kinds of subjects — workers, consumers, individuals,
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citizens —required for current conditions. To perpetuate their own
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existence, mass media must succeed at representing the violent coercion
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of capitalist systems as natural laws: Of course you have to pay rent to
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live inside; of course you have to buy food to eat; of course you have
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to work if you want to survive. The production of a fungible, disposable
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and migratory working class requires the alienation and atomization of
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communities into individuals, which involves destroying the village,
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kinship structures, indigeneity, and many other previous forms of
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meaning-producing structures, leaving a gap which ideology must fill.
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While the fundamental structures of domination — racism, patriarchy,
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heterosexuality, etc. — form the bedrock of this ideological apparatus,
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the complexity of the always expanding and changing capitalist system
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requires an equally flexible set of subsidiary tools capable of rapidly
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adjusting ideology en masse. In general, media emerge not to meet the
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demands or desires of individual users but to accommodate what the
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predominant mode of production requires.”,(Osterweil,2018)</em></p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>Our intention was to look into rituals and their overlap with video
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games as a way to explore "forbidden" or otherwise lost knowledge erased
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by oppressive systems (e.g. witch hunts). Understanding games and
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rituals as gateways to alternative ways of relating to Nature, each
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other and (re)production of life, labour, etc, we played together by
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writing fan fiction and spells, developing rituals, analysing and
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creating games together.</p>
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<blockquote>
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<p>“S<em>ims as just social reproduction: some values are certainly
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given by the game (make money to buy nicer things, progress in your
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career by doing tasks that improve your skill, charisma is a skill but
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not kindness) , but also ideology is put into the game by the player.
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The player chooses what to reproduce and often share in the "gallery" or
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on social media. Community being so important in this game then means
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that the crux of the social reproduction is happening when the choices
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you have made in the game are broadcasted. Did you create a
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heteronormative white thin nuclear family that made a lot of money? or
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did you choose to play differently?“,(Ada)</em></p>
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<p><em>“The Communist Party of Second Life (CPSL) aims to be a Marxist,
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internationalist and revolutionary organization for all communists in
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Second Life. The CPSL aims to spread understanding of Marxism among SL
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citizens, to organise support in SL for the class struggle in RL,
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including all struggles of the working class against imperialism and the
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bourgeoisie, its state and wars.”,(Lydia)</em></p>
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<p><em>“The act of the modder’s appropriation of the pre-existing game
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is also similar to Michel de Certeau’s cultural ‘poaching’.De Certeau’s
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everyday bricolors make do with remixing the privatized spaces and
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products of consumer society that they find themselves inhabiting and
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using. Rather than being passive consumers, ordinary people invent
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varied subversive tactics for stealing back the given of everyday life.
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De Certeau writes, ‘Everyday life invents itself by poaching in
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countless ways on the property of others’.”(Schleiner,2017)</em></p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>Meanwhile, we went through the witch as a magical practicioner, as a
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resisting body, a border figure. <em>“Federici presents the witch”as the
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embodiment of a world of female subjects that capitalism had to destroy:
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the heretic, the healer, the disobedient wife, the woman who dared to
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live alone, the obeha woman who poisoned the master’s food and inspired
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the slaves to revolt.” Behind the witch hunt, she uncovers a joint
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effort by the Church and the state to establish mechanisms of gendered
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control of bodies that immanently resisted newly instituted regimes of
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productive and reproductive work”(Timofeeva,2019).</em></p>
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<p><em>“Sorcerers have always held the anomalous position, at the edge
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of the fields or woods. They haunt the fringes. They are at the
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borderline of the village, or between villages. But sorcerers not only
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exist at the border: as anomalous beings, they are the border itself. In
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other words, the borderline passes through their bodies.”,(Deleuze,
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Guattari,1980)</em></p>
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<p>How the understanding of the witchs’ hunting that happened a few
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centuries ago in relation with the figure of the witch as marginal,
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rebellion entity can shed light on the contemporary witch-hunting. How
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this knowledge can provide us with tools of empowerment, emancipation,
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resistance and make us reimagine counter-hegemonic practices of
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collective care and healing?</p>
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<p>Console is an oracle; an emotional first aid kit that helps you help
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yourself.</p>
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<p>Console invites you to: open the box and discover ways of
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healing;</p>
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<p>Console provides shelter for your dreams, memories and worries.</p>
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<p>Face the past and encounter your fortune.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Console gives you a new vantage point; a set of rituals and practices
|
|
|
that help you cope and care(of yourself and of the others)</p>
|
|
|
<p>Console asks everyday questions that give magical answers.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Console invites you to self reflect, explore your subconscious, spin
|
|
|
the wheel of fortune (and pick a card), explore what is possible beyond
|
|
|
what is obvious, guide you into... [the future and past], creates
|
|
|
stories …</p>
|
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<section class="section"><p>:::::</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>They who dream of drinking wine may weep when morning comes; they
|
|
|
who dream of weeping may in the morning go off to hunt. While they are
|
|
|
dreaming they do not know it is a dream, and in their dream they may
|
|
|
even try to interpret a dream. Only after they wake do they know it was
|
|
|
a dream. And someday there will be a great awakening when we know that
|
|
|
this is all a great dream.</em></p>
|
|
|
<p><em>And when I say you are dreaming, I am dreaming, too.</em></p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>Zhuàngzi</strong> <strong>莊子</strong></p>
|
|
|
<h1 id="preface">✧ Preface</h1>
|
|
|
<p>Have you ever woken up feeling like there is a word, at the tip of
|
|
|
your tongue, in a language you don’t quite understand?</p>
|
|
|
<p>It’s the same feeling you may have felt when a dream has left too
|
|
|
quickly once you woke up, like a regretful lover. You grasped and
|
|
|
reached but it was gone and you have forgotten something so
|
|
|
fundamentally important that your stomach has caved into itself.</p>
|
|
|
<p>This deck of oracle cards invites you to go back into that cave, that
|
|
|
pit, to the start of that word. Tarot and oracle cards are always tools
|
|
|
for self-exploration, but the Oracolotto will guide you to explore
|
|
|
deeper, into the subconscious realm of your dreams.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Oracolotto includes twenty-one cards and one guidebook. The cards
|
|
|
follow the paved journey of Tarot’s major arcana, but do not be fooled
|
|
|
by the numbers, as they will not give you insight into the path. You do
|
|
|
not need any previous knowledge to use these cards, only the ability to
|
|
|
dream and a soul, yours or other.</p>
|
|
|
<p>The Oracolotto cards present illustrations of collective dream
|
|
|
archetypes, as delineated by Neapolitan tradition. While the cards
|
|
|
symbolically follow the traditional Tarot journey from the fool to the
|
|
|
world(minus the Emperor), they are based on the Neapolitan art form of
|
|
|
the Smorfia, intended not as the grimace but the dream interpretation
|
|
|
method.</p>
|
|
|
<p>The Smorfia is an ancient art form in which symbols and archetypes
|
|
|
from a person’s dreams are analysed and converted into numbers. To use
|
|
|
the Smorfia, one would thus recall every event, person and object that
|
|
|
appeared in their dream, and then use the extensive list of dream
|
|
|
archetypes to find the associated numbers. This may be used to find out
|
|
|
the meaning of your dreams or, most commonly, to find numbers to play
|
|
|
the lottery (Ricciardone, 1987; Zezza, 1835).</p>
|
|
|
<p>In this case however, the archetypes were used as a story telling
|
|
|
device, an exploration tool for imagination and self-discovery. You may
|
|
|
chose to use these cards in the two ways I have imagined, or create your
|
|
|
own.</p>
|
|
|
<ol type="1">
|
|
|
<li>The first, and the one I recommend, asks your soul to sit with the
|
|
|
cards, ask them a question, read the answer in the following pages and
|
|
|
find a language for new or old feelings.</li>
|
|
|
<li>The other way I have imagined requires you to keep the deck next to
|
|
|
your bed, or wherever you sleep. Once you wake up, while the dream is
|
|
|
still supple and alive, reach for the Oracolotto and try and find the
|
|
|
cards that resemble the dream most closely. This way you may give a
|
|
|
language to the unformed and find on the cards apparent truths.</li>
|
|
|
</ol>
|
|
|
<p>There is a possibility, that you have read thus far because you wish
|
|
|
to remember your dreams and connect to your subconscious, but feel like
|
|
|
you cannot. You may almost never recall your dreams or think that they
|
|
|
are random. If this is your case, I recommend that you use the
|
|
|
Oracolotto in the first way I have described, as the subconscious seeps
|
|
|
into our daily thoughts and feelings anyways. The deck may help you find
|
|
|
these patterns.</p>
|
|
|
<p>You may also choose your own path, disregard what I said and make
|
|
|
your own game, read old or future dreams or even play the lottery. The
|
|
|
tools are now in your hands.</p>
|
|
|
<p>:::::</p>
|
|
|
<div class="hide-on-web">
|
|
|
<h3 id="how-to-care-for-the-oracolotto">✧ How to care for the
|
|
|
Oracolotto</h3>
|
|
|
<p>You may have been told that objects do not have spirit and have
|
|
|
believed it. If you have, I suggest you tuck the inner skeptic into bed
|
|
|
and let the curious child out to play for the following sections. You
|
|
|
see, the Oracolotto, like any Tarot or Oracle, does not believe itself
|
|
|
to be an objects. In fact, it thinks that no object is just a thing, but
|
|
|
most exist in the spiritual plane as well. As such, all objects have a
|
|
|
soul, a spirit that connects to yours.</p>
|
|
|
<p>This particular one, the Oracolotto, has a playful and deep soul. It
|
|
|
asks to be cared for as if it was a living thing, more a plant than a
|
|
|
pet. It asks to be touched, used, cried on, laughed with. Most
|
|
|
importantly, it asks for a place to rest every night. I would also
|
|
|
recommend, at your discretion, to free negative intention from the cards
|
|
|
if you stumble upon it. This may happen if you do a reading for someone
|
|
|
who turns out to have bad intention, or just a very heavy painful load.
|
|
|
It may also happen if you use them alone in a moment of intense sadness
|
|
|
or anger. In these cases, I recommend finding a way to release these
|
|
|
feelings from the cards, by leaving them out to breath, or holding them
|
|
|
in your hands while thinking positive thoughts.</p>
|
|
|
<h3 id="how-to-do-a-reading">✧ How to Do a Reading</h3>
|
|
|
<p>Set an intention to begin. You or the person you are reading for will
|
|
|
ask a question, out loud or in your mind as you shuffle the cards. You
|
|
|
then have two options: either spread them out or fan them, and choose
|
|
|
one card at a time with your dominant hand; or place the whole deck on a
|
|
|
surface and run your fingers alongside it until you feel like splitting
|
|
|
the deck and picking a card. Do it however you wish, the important thing
|
|
|
is that you let your intuition guide you to a card.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Lay it in front of you ( the “How to Lay Out the Cards” section
|
|
|
follows). Turn the card over and feel, hear, see, and intuit its meaning
|
|
|
in relation to your question. Refer to this guidebook for
|
|
|
interpretations. If you give readings to others, it is always a good
|
|
|
idea to keep a record of your own readings, as messages for others do
|
|
|
usually weave together with those for you. Sometimes cards will”jump”
|
|
|
out of the deck while you’re shuffling. These cards are trying to get
|
|
|
your attention. They’re part of your reading, or perhaps the entire
|
|
|
reading. In any case, know that they’re important messages to be
|
|
|
heeded.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Alternatively and if applicable, you may choose one card and place it
|
|
|
on your altar or under your pillow at night to bring in deeper
|
|
|
understanding.</p>
|
|
|
<h3 id="how-to-lay-out-the-cards">✧ How to Lay Out the Cards</h3>
|
|
|
<p>.One Card Spread</p>
|
|
|
<p>A single card can be used for several purposes:</p>
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
<li>Draw a card in the morning for guidance about what you need to know
|
|
|
that day.</li>
|
|
|
<li>Draw a card after you ask a question. The one you pick is your
|
|
|
answer.</li>
|
|
|
<li>Draw a card to help further explain your dream.</li>
|
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
<p>.Three-Card Spread</p>
|
|
|
<p>A three-card spread can also be used in a couple of different
|
|
|
ways:</p>
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
<li>Draw three cards representing what you need to know in general
|
|
|
terms.</li>
|
|
|
<li>They may represent the past, present or future.</li>
|
|
|
<li>Or answer questions about three issues, such as career, love and
|
|
|
friendship.</li>
|
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
<p>If you wish to find a more fleshed out narrative, you may choose to
|
|
|
do bigger spread. Information about those can be found in any book about
|
|
|
tarot or online.</p>
|
|
|
<h4 id="dream-well">✧ <strong>Dream well!</strong></h4>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-coffee"><strong>✳ 42. the coffee</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: beginnings, unformed potential, taking a risk, answering a
|
|
|
‘call’, trusting in the universe, overcoming self-doubt, embracing
|
|
|
uncertainty.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Coffee is brewing, yet to be poured on the empty cup on the counter.
|
|
|
A spiritual guide sits patiently, urging you to begin, while the sun
|
|
|
shines outside a closed window. On the side, enormous snowdrops have
|
|
|
blossomed, indicating the first tentative steps of spring.</p>
|
|
|
<p>While the Coffe is number 42, this card comes before the others. Like
|
|
|
an unhatched egg it contains all the potential for the journey. The cup
|
|
|
is empty, but you are urged to pour it, to drink it and to being the
|
|
|
journey. A spiritual guide urges you forward. Like the prophet Muhammad
|
|
|
who was given coffee(قهوة) by the Archangel Jibreel, you are also urged
|
|
|
to begin.</p>
|
|
|
<p>The Coffee upright in a reading tells you it is now the time to be
|
|
|
naive and courageous. Set on a new adventure and do not worry about the
|
|
|
consequences. It is time, the coffee is ready.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>If the Coffee appears reversed, it is a warning. The coffee will
|
|
|
spill and it may burn your or others. Be cautious about disregarding the
|
|
|
consequences of your actions. Your eagerness for freedom and new
|
|
|
beginnings may have harmed others of yourself. Now, you are being asked
|
|
|
for consistency and patience. There is a time to be brave and to set off
|
|
|
on new paths, and a time to be reliable and patient-wisdom lays in
|
|
|
knowing the difference.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 0. the fool.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: all signs, the
|
|
|
universe.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-two-spinsters"><strong>✳ 66. the two spinsters</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: magic, manifestation, setting intentions, directing energy
|
|
|
consciously, willpower, concentration, having all the resources you
|
|
|
need.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Two old women stand before a table, one pointing to above and one
|
|
|
below. Their eyes glow with mystic powers and if they have appeared in
|
|
|
your dreams you may feel their power radiating. This is particularly
|
|
|
powerful card. While looking at it, reject what you have been told about
|
|
|
the emotional loneliness of spinsters and focus on their ability to spin
|
|
|
a magical web. These women are appearing to you at an important time, at
|
|
|
the moment when you may choose your own path. You are now fully able to
|
|
|
manifest your desires. The Spinsters are showing you the power you hold
|
|
|
and asking you for intense concentration. There is power in your focus
|
|
|
and dedication, now is the time to channel all your resources to
|
|
|
achieving what you wish.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>If the Spinsters have appeared reversed, is is a sign that you are
|
|
|
ignoring your own powers. You no longer see two crone magicians who have
|
|
|
chosen the path of spiritual power but instead two unmarried older
|
|
|
women. Do not be fooled. The power is in your hands, your potential lays
|
|
|
dormant underneath your doubts and lack of self esteem. Trust in your
|
|
|
ability, trust the Spinsters to weave you back to an active role within
|
|
|
your own life.<br />
|
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 1. the magician.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: gemini & virgo.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-bride"><strong>✳ 63. the bride</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>. keywords: intuition, subconscious, higher wisdom, knowing something
|
|
|
you can’t explain, stillness, meditation, spell-work and ritual.</p>
|
|
|
<p>The Bride sits in silence in an underground cistern, two eyes closed
|
|
|
and a third one opened. Upon her head two crescent moons hold the globe.
|
|
|
She is alone, but does not appear to be waiting. The Bride is a figure
|
|
|
of divine wisdom, feminine mystery and intuitive knowledge. She is the
|
|
|
guardian of the unconscious and she is meeting you. By receiving this
|
|
|
card you are being gently led deeper, or asked to go deeper. To artists,
|
|
|
she is the representation of creative potential. The bride has little
|
|
|
care for the material as her powers lay in the true nature of emotion.
|
|
|
Let your intuition lead the way, quiet the chatter of the rational and
|
|
|
logical.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>If you are facing a reversed Bride, is is an indication to examine
|
|
|
where you are ignoring your gut. Perhaps you have let your thinking mind
|
|
|
run loose or have not been listening to your gut. You have even be
|
|
|
overvaluing other’s opinions or acting too hastily. Whichever is it, it
|
|
|
may be time to be still, reflect and meditate on your intuition.<br />
|
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 2. the high priestess.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: cancer & pisces.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-mother"><strong>✳ 52. the mother</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: maternal figure, familiar love, abundance, life force,
|
|
|
strong protection, dignity.</p>
|
|
|
<p>The Mother sits on a throne in the middle of the river of life force,
|
|
|
a crown upon her head a sword in her hand. In this iconography she is
|
|
|
Juno, Roman goddess of marriage and family. As such, she sits near a
|
|
|
pregnant cow and a peacock eating a pomegranate. Around her nature
|
|
|
thrives. She is the embodiment of femininity and the bringer or life and
|
|
|
growth. Her energy is both nurturing and fiercely protective. She is
|
|
|
appearing to indicate that she is looking after you and your growth. She
|
|
|
is abundant and as such so will your expression be, both creative and
|
|
|
sensual. Deep fulfilment awaits.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>The Mother has appeared reversed. Juno’s warlike nature is more
|
|
|
active than her nurturing side. Your seeking of protection is keeping
|
|
|
your from true love and joy. You were guarding yourself, and while you
|
|
|
were in the right to do so, it is now time to let your shield down. Your
|
|
|
emotional crops are thriving, you have put in the work. Let go of your
|
|
|
war, lean into joy and love.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 3. the empress. </p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: libra.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-church"><strong>✳ 84. the church</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: belief systems, ancestry, study, tradition, conformity,
|
|
|
learning about the past.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A priest stands in front of you, one hand to invite you and one
|
|
|
towards the divine. On his shoulders sits a church, the door slightly
|
|
|
ajar. On the bottom, you may see keys. The Church cards beckons you
|
|
|
inside a mysteries sacred place. In Christian belief, a church is not
|
|
|
only where religious community meets but seat of Divinity itself. I
|
|
|
invite you to the Church card as such, and disconnect it from its
|
|
|
Christian imagery. It stands in the place of any established social
|
|
|
structure, spiritual tradition or source of ancestral knowledge. It is a
|
|
|
teacher, a leader, a guru of past memory. If the Church has come up in
|
|
|
your reading, its indicating a need for deeper meaning or knowledge.
|
|
|
Will you use your key to follow the paved road and find out who paved it
|
|
|
and who walked it before you?</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>The Church is upside down. Its integrity is questioned, the status
|
|
|
quo stumbles. The pressure of conformity weighs heavy, others’ belief
|
|
|
systems hang above your head. This card is now urging you to move.
|
|
|
Tradition can be a teacher or a jailer and in this case, it is trapping
|
|
|
you. It may be time to shake your ancestors wishes away and start anew,
|
|
|
upon a path you paved yourself.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 4. the hierophant.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: taurus, libra &
|
|
|
capricorn.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-upside-down"><strong>✳ 69. the upside down</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
<li>.keywords: love (of all kinds), making heart-centred choices,
|
|
|
compassion, partnerships and relationships, equilibrium, harmony.</li>
|
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
<p>Two hands reach for each other, the space between them filled with
|
|
|
light and eyes. Around their wrists roses are growing. There is an
|
|
|
obvious story being told, of two souls meeting in companionship.
|
|
|
However, this is a card about balance and choices too. The Upside Down
|
|
|
is a reference to love and the two sides of a coin. When this card
|
|
|
appears it speaks of love and strong bonds. It is asking you to choose
|
|
|
love, to make heartfelt, loving, compassionate choices. The Upside Down
|
|
|
is a simple card, asking you to choose. Listen to your heart and follow
|
|
|
it.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>Due to the nature of this card, up is down and down is up. However
|
|
|
you pull this card, it is showing you both the Yin and the Yang. In this
|
|
|
case, however, a sourness is prevalent. The eyes look away, giving you
|
|
|
space to work out and identify within yourself why a committment has
|
|
|
turned sour. Your inner voice is unbalanced. Use your heart for your
|
|
|
choices and seek out harmony.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 5. the lovers.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: gemini.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-bird"><strong>✳ 35. the bird</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: focused <em>action, s</em>elf-belief and confidence,
|
|
|
commitment, drive and determination, hard, passionate work,
|
|
|
assertion.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A chariot flies across a starry sky with two half moons. Inside it, a
|
|
|
man dressed in Roman armour with the head of turtle dove looks straight
|
|
|
at you, welcoming you with one hand. This is the card of control and
|
|
|
victory. The Bird has control of his own fate but it will help you with
|
|
|
it too. It directs you to assert your will with mastery, careful
|
|
|
practice and self-discipline. It reminds you of your own courage and
|
|
|
your strength, an encourages you to direct your energies towards the
|
|
|
stars.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>When reversed, the Bird is spinning further and further out of
|
|
|
control. It may be due to an attempt to control too much, or an
|
|
|
underdeveloped assertiveness. Loosen the reins, redirect your chariot.
|
|
|
Some things are beyond your power to change and some others are just
|
|
|
waiting for your confidence and hard work. Assess which is which and
|
|
|
begin riding.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 6. the chariot.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: cancer.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-breasts"><strong>✳ 28. the breasts</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: inner strength and courage, dignified resistance,
|
|
|
emotional labour, heart.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A naked woman covered in flowers looks to the side, casually taming
|
|
|
the lion in front of her. Behind her, a natural landscape opens up. Do
|
|
|
not be fooled by her gentle appearance, for she is not effortless. Her
|
|
|
strength lies in her heart as this is the card for Breasts. Emotional
|
|
|
weakness is discarded as patriarchal concept, as the Breasts are showing
|
|
|
you a dignified taming of the wild through your heart. Emotion can
|
|
|
steady your demeanour and your inner strength powers you. This indicates
|
|
|
positive emotional labour of your own ferocity and expression of pure
|
|
|
emotional strength. Go to towards your own chest, to the place of pain,
|
|
|
anger, greed, and fear in your life. Acknowledge where these things live
|
|
|
within you and own them, pour love all over them.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>The lion is now overpowering as the Breasts appear upside down. This
|
|
|
is an indication of weakness, your strength feeble as your
|
|
|
self-confidence lessens. Your emotions are no longer a power but an
|
|
|
overwhelming force that you cannot control. Do not let anger or pain
|
|
|
dictate your choice, find your strength once again.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 7. strength.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: leo.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-crying"><strong>✳ 65. the crying</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: introspection, solitude, retreat, working things through
|
|
|
on your own, claiming space and time for you, self-guided or guided
|
|
|
study.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A figure cries in a cocoon underwater, wrapped in a cape of their
|
|
|
hair and algae. They are holding themselves, as their tears make their
|
|
|
way up. A light shines from their hands. This figure is in deep
|
|
|
introspection. The Crying card is not a negative card, regardless of
|
|
|
your own view of tears. It indicates a need for comfort and solitude. It
|
|
|
is asking for a moment of introspection, the only thing that may lead
|
|
|
you to true self discovery. Once you have expressed your pain and truly
|
|
|
felt it, you will gain better understanding.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>The tears fall upon you as the Crying card is reversed. You have
|
|
|
relied on yourself too much and over-isolated. The cocoon has served its
|
|
|
purpose, now the time for solitude is over. You may let others in or
|
|
|
leave your safe space altogether for the time for crying is over.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 8. the hermit.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: virgo.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-set-table"><strong>✳ 82. the set table</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: positive luck, change, predictions and prophesies, feeling
|
|
|
like something is ‘destined’ to happen, an interconnected bigger
|
|
|
picture.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A table is set with plates spelling out the ancient names for tarot
|
|
|
and wheel. In the center of the table you can see water, soil, air and
|
|
|
fire. Around the table sit the four fixed signs, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio
|
|
|
and Aquarius. Three eyes, symbolising the three Fates oversee the table.
|
|
|
This is an incredibly auspicious card to pick. Like the table, your
|
|
|
destiny has been set, the tempo will crank up as your personal vision
|
|
|
develops into reality. This card is asking you to accept your fate, but
|
|
|
also take responsibility for it. The table is set but it is up to you to
|
|
|
serve.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>The Set Table has been turned the wrong way. This indicated elements
|
|
|
outside your control that are spinning your fate. Luck has not been on
|
|
|
your side and you may have found yourself unhappy with your
|
|
|
circumstances. Take a moment to analyse what could have happened, are
|
|
|
these elements toying with your luck internal or external? Is there
|
|
|
someone to blame, if yes, who is it? Whatever you find, trust that the
|
|
|
Table will be set again, and out of darkness a new light will be born,
|
|
|
informed by your discoveries.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 9. the wheel of fortune.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: aquarius, leo, taurus &
|
|
|
scorpio</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-lament"><strong>✳ 60. the lament</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: truth, logical thought, objectivity, binary thinking,
|
|
|
justice, fairness, balance, accountability, social justice principles,
|
|
|
intersectionality.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A woman, justice, walks the steps out of darkness, a lament
|
|
|
distorting her face. In the Lament, you can see justice wearing white,
|
|
|
carrying a sword on her waist and holding scales, with a heart on one
|
|
|
end and a brain on the other. Her blindfold stays on as her piercing
|
|
|
eyes penetrate through the truth. It is her cry for truth, her lament,
|
|
|
that propels her forward. This card calls out to you. Every action has
|
|
|
an equal reaction but it is often expression of injustice that brings
|
|
|
justice forward. It is the Lament that leads to balance, believe that
|
|
|
your expression of injustice is worth sharing.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>When the Lament appears reversed it indicates a flawed system, an
|
|
|
hidden truth or bias. This injustice may have been committed against you
|
|
|
or by you, but however it happened the scale are not balances and soon
|
|
|
they will be as someone faces consequences. It also begs for a
|
|
|
re-establishing of a balancing perspective on your side. Look at the
|
|
|
issue from both sides, hear the Lament.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 11. justice.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: libra.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="purgatorys-souls"><strong>✳ 85. purgatory’s souls</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: passivity, cost, holding back, patience, allowing events
|
|
|
to unfold, meditation and mindful practice, inner peace,
|
|
|
self-acceptance, overcoming ego</p>
|
|
|
<p>A man dangles, his foot loosely tied with rope, his wings closed by
|
|
|
his sides, his braid falling beyond sight. Next to him other people
|
|
|
hang, in the same situation. What we see are Purgatory’s Souls, intended
|
|
|
as the souls of people who are in a state of temporary punishment and
|
|
|
purification as they have died in a state of grace but are not yet ready
|
|
|
for heaven. Let the souls be of inspiration to you, in their state of
|
|
|
acceptance, as it is not their work that will send them to heaven. They
|
|
|
are, just like you, ready for peace and joy. What you must do now is
|
|
|
fully succumb to your situation, release. You see, if the soul was to
|
|
|
trust the flow of events and let go, he would realise he had wings all
|
|
|
along. A brazen metaphor, a simple reminder that it’s not time to
|
|
|
struggle for control. Trust the universe, trust yourself and let go.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>As Purgatory’s Souls appear reversed, they tell a different story.
|
|
|
They are not hanging but anchored to the soil. You are pulling yourself
|
|
|
further down, digging your heels in on a decision that has to be made.
|
|
|
Your inaction now is pointless, it will just delay the inevitable. The
|
|
|
souls already can fly, the punishment has been lifted and yet here you
|
|
|
still are. You must face your inner turmoil to move on.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 11. the hanged man. </p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: pisces.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-talking-dead"><strong>✳ 48. the talking dead</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: the ending of a cycle, letting go and saying goodbye,
|
|
|
ritual to honour change, not resisting, honouring the seasons of
|
|
|
life.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A deer’s skeleton lays on a blooming prairie. Close by, another deer
|
|
|
looks into the sun that is rising above the hills. The Talking Dead card
|
|
|
is a deeply sensitive one, invites a gentle approach. It does not
|
|
|
symbolise necessarily literal death but more so a positive harbinger of
|
|
|
change. The death has already happened, and the deer’s spirit is ready
|
|
|
to move into the coming day. The Talking Dead tells you it is time to
|
|
|
let go of old habits, ways of thinking and of the buried. This is the
|
|
|
only way to allow for more rewarding patterns. Resisting change will not
|
|
|
bring you joy at this stage, you must embrace transformation. There is
|
|
|
no other way, a profound experience is awaiting you, let the resting
|
|
|
lead you.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>If the card is reversed it appears that the Talking Dead is being
|
|
|
forced still. Changes are frightening you and you may be resisting them.
|
|
|
Your life is now stagnant, the sunrise is eternal as the sun never
|
|
|
reaches the sky. Trust that change will lead you wherever you need to
|
|
|
be. It is not a matter of avoiding what has happened, but rather of
|
|
|
learning to live with what it brought in the hope that better things lay
|
|
|
ahead.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 12. death. </p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: scorpio.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="warm-soup"><strong>✳ 48. warm soup</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: balance, harmony, blending of dualities, seeking the
|
|
|
middle path, not making extreme decisions, taking a non-binary attitude,
|
|
|
testing the waters, self-care, grace, gentleness.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A large, winged, genderless dark figure stands in the sea. On their
|
|
|
forehead shines a triangle enclosed in a square, representing that
|
|
|
humans are bound by the Earth and natural law. The figure is taking
|
|
|
water from the sea but as they pour it into the bowl, it transforms into
|
|
|
a bowl of steaming soup. This card gives insight into the nuances of
|
|
|
balance. Wherever something is taken, something else must be given. The
|
|
|
figure is taking from the sea to deliver you the Warm Soup. See the
|
|
|
figure as if it was keeping a close eye on how well you handle
|
|
|
dualities. Keep to the middle path, do not make extreme decisions. You
|
|
|
may someone who tends to have a peaceful nature or someone who swings
|
|
|
between extremes. Either way, now is the time to test the waters of
|
|
|
gentleness, give back what you have been given and ask for what was
|
|
|
taken.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>The Warm Soup now pours upwards from the ladle. Something has been
|
|
|
thrown off balance in your life. The coming times require meticulous
|
|
|
care of balance. Equilibrium has to be restored once again. The costs
|
|
|
may be too high for what you are receiving from the universe. You must
|
|
|
reconsider your choices, find the weak point that has thrown off the
|
|
|
balance and adjust it.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A <strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 13. temperance.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: sagittarius.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-devils"><strong>✳ 77. the devils</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: bondage, addiction, materialism, destructive behaviours,
|
|
|
harmful cycles, choosing to get free, or choosing not to get free,
|
|
|
confronting fear, committing to your own freedom.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Above a reversed pentacle five little devils dance naked, holding a
|
|
|
chain that leads to a circle of light containing a key. The Devils
|
|
|
symbolise what keeps us bound and trapped. It is a small circle that
|
|
|
contains you, a metaphorical jail to which you do not yet have a key.
|
|
|
This card cautions you against finding blame, and refers instead to that
|
|
|
which is constrained by ourself, our subconscious and direct choices. Do
|
|
|
not let ideas, people or situations absorb you so intensely that it
|
|
|
causes you to ignore other relationships.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>The Devils being upside down immediately reveals the bondage, you are
|
|
|
aware of your own chains. The unhealthy and trapping dynamics in your
|
|
|
life are finally emerging to the light. Caution, as this does not imply
|
|
|
freedom but may entail further temptation to crawl back into your own
|
|
|
trap. This is a time that needs your complete attention, use your
|
|
|
newfound awareness to open the chains, escape your metaphorical
|
|
|
jail. </p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 14. the devil.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: capricorn.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-storm"><strong>✳ 83. the storm</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: revolution, disaster, shock, mourning, blowing apart old
|
|
|
structures, demolition of the status quo, toppling systems of power,
|
|
|
potential, rebuilding after disaster, a blessing in disguise as a
|
|
|
disaster, rehabilitation, regeneration.</p>
|
|
|
<p>An ancient pine tree towers in the night. Above, the all-seeing Storm
|
|
|
is unleashing lightening, cutting the tree down as birds escape. The
|
|
|
Storm, as the name suggests, is a complicated card to receive. It
|
|
|
indicates a profound disruption, a complete reset of the known. The
|
|
|
situation may seem grim at times, but it is fundamental that you
|
|
|
understand that the change that will be brought is undeniably ultimately
|
|
|
positive. You may not believe me at first, as the event that this card
|
|
|
indicates is a demolition and toppling of a structure that can feel
|
|
|
quite devastating. However, new growth will come from this and the old
|
|
|
cannot last forever lest it become decrepit. Remember well that when the
|
|
|
Storm appears in front of you, you are not the tree but the doves
|
|
|
escaping.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>In this situation the Storm that topples the pine tree is coming from
|
|
|
within. The issue is within your response to the situation, your worries
|
|
|
within your own head. Your perception is bringing you great pain. Take
|
|
|
care not to become a vortex of negativity, you must be mindful of your
|
|
|
own feelings and take responsibility of how your responses affect you
|
|
|
and those around you.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 15. the tower. </p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: scorpio & aries.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="christmas"><strong>✳ 25. christmas</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: hope, love and support, coming home to yourself,
|
|
|
self-care, healing, being true to yourself, being guided by your
|
|
|
intuition, integrity, honesty,a positive new start or new vision.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A Christmas tree sits lit by candles, next to a window. On the
|
|
|
windowsill sits a still warm cup of cocoa, framed by the view of an
|
|
|
enormous star illuminates the snowy field. Christmas is a card of hope.
|
|
|
A time of renewal, comfort and homely-ness lays ahead. It is now time to
|
|
|
leave the hard times behind. The star shines alone through the window,
|
|
|
filling the landscape with positivity and opportunity. It is</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 16. the star.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: aquarius.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="blood"><strong>✳ 48. blood</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: shadow work, getting in touch with your wild nature,
|
|
|
listening deeply to your intuition, secrets, signs and symbols,
|
|
|
non-rational, witchcraft, magic and spell-work, lies and deception,
|
|
|
deceiving yourself, wearing a mask.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A wolf drinks from a pond of blood. Close by, a wild dog turns away
|
|
|
from the pond to face the moon that illuminates all around them. A crab
|
|
|
floats on a leaf, rising from the subconscious. The Blood is telling you
|
|
|
that all is not what it seems. Unsettling as a nightmare can be, this
|
|
|
card allows your inner wildness to be seem. The Blood represents
|
|
|
witchcraft, spell-work and occult arts of any kind. Do not be fooled by
|
|
|
the blood, as nobody in this figure is harmed. The moon shines its
|
|
|
silvery light on the elements within reality that are dishonest and
|
|
|
manipulative. Uncomfortable questions have to be asked and it may by
|
|
|
just someone just mad enough to think of them. Things are strange, it is
|
|
|
okay to feel disorientated. It is not time for answers now but for wild
|
|
|
magical practice.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>When reversed, the Blood shows a moon shining in the front. The inner
|
|
|
confusion is clearing. However, you may find find yourself deprived of a
|
|
|
mask you are not ready to let go of. Manipulation has been exposed,
|
|
|
wether you were the victim of perpetrator. While things will soon be
|
|
|
lighter, now they will first be heavy. Mental health struggles as the
|
|
|
truth comes forward and you initiate a process of complete honesty with
|
|
|
yourself.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 17. the moon.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: pisces.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="laughter"><strong>✳ 19. laughter</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: positivity, saying yes, joy, practicing gratitude,
|
|
|
success, things coming together, life’s simple pleasures, allowing
|
|
|
yourself to simply be, connecting to a dynamic life force.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Two children laugh in harmony on a horse, holding each other and a
|
|
|
waving flag. The sun shines on them and sunflowers are growing around
|
|
|
them. Laughter is an undoubtledly positive card. It represents
|
|
|
enthusiasm, growth and victory. Your good choices will pay off, you will
|
|
|
laugh again soon as victory is so close you may taste it already. Joy
|
|
|
will fill your heart and life will once again seem light-hearted and
|
|
|
effortless.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>Laughter is reversed, but do not panic. Victory is just not as close
|
|
|
as you thought it would be. A setback has brought you back into a
|
|
|
quieter place. There is a key element missing before you may achieve
|
|
|
that state of perfect joy. The effort will now need to be given to
|
|
|
finding once again things that make your heart swell up with joy, the
|
|
|
things that make you walk so light you feel you may just fly away.
|
|
|
Follow them and soon Laughter will come back.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 18. the sun.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: leo.</p>
|
|
|
<p>keywords: hope, love and support, coming home to yourself, self-care,
|
|
|
healing, being true to yourself, being guided by your intuition,
|
|
|
integrity, honesty, a positive new start or new vision.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A Christmas tree sits lit by candles, next to a window. On the
|
|
|
windowsill sits a still warm cup of cocoa, framed by the view of an
|
|
|
enormous star illuminates the snowy field. Christmas is a card of hope.
|
|
|
A time of renewal, comfort and homely-ness lays ahead. It is now time to
|
|
|
leave the hard times behind. The star shines alone through the window,
|
|
|
filling the landscape with positivity and opportunity. It is</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 16. the star.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: aquarius.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="laughter-1">**✳ 19. laughter*</h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: positivity, saying yes, joy, practicing gratitude,
|
|
|
success, things coming together, life’s simple pleasures, allowing
|
|
|
yourself to simply be, connecting to a dynamic life force.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Two children laugh in harmony on a horse, holding each other and a
|
|
|
waving flag. The sun shines on them and sunflowers are growing around
|
|
|
them. Laughter is an undoubtedly positive card. It represents
|
|
|
enthusiasm, growth and victory. Your good choices will pay off, you will
|
|
|
laugh again soon as victory is so close you may taste it already. Joy
|
|
|
will fill your heart and life will once again seem light-hearted and
|
|
|
effortless.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>Laughter is reversed, but do not panic. Victory is just not as close
|
|
|
as you thought it would be. A setback has brought you back into a
|
|
|
quieter place. There is a key element missing before you may achieve
|
|
|
that state of perfect joy. The effort will now need to be given to
|
|
|
finding once again things that make your heart swell up with joy, the
|
|
|
things that make you walk so light you feel you may just fly away.
|
|
|
Follow them and soon Laughter will come back.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 18. the sun.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: leo.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-gossiping-woman"><strong>✳ 18. the gossiping
|
|
|
woman</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: liberation, freedom, casting off shackles, laying down of
|
|
|
old baggage, total accountability for self, integrity, honesty,
|
|
|
forgiveness, allowing yourself to move forwards.</p>
|
|
|
<p>A woman with rollers in her hair stands on a balcony, looking down,
|
|
|
where a swarm of butterflies is emerging from the darkness. This is a
|
|
|
lofty card, as, like Lament and the Set Table, it carries the theme of
|
|
|
accountability. In this particular case it talks about being honest and
|
|
|
thorough about yourself. The Gossiping Woman sees all of you and calls
|
|
|
you to do the same. It is holding a mirror to your entire life,
|
|
|
successes and failure. You must face the Gossiping Woman to liberate
|
|
|
yourself and fly towards freedom. To move forward unencumbered it
|
|
|
requires acknowledgement of the present moment and everything that it
|
|
|
carries.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>The Gossiping Woman now may not see you. This is an indication that
|
|
|
you are refusing to acknowledge the hurt or pain that was caused to you
|
|
|
and the one that you have caused yourself. However, you must own
|
|
|
mistakes and let them be just that. When the Gossiping Woman is
|
|
|
reversed, it is asking you to find forgiveness, for yourself and others.
|
|
|
It will be hard work and possibly take a great amount of time, but the
|
|
|
Gossiping Woman watches and is rooting for you to be able to free
|
|
|
yourself of this burden.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 19. judgement.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: scorpio.</p>
|
|
|
<h2 id="the-good-wine"><strong>✳ 45. the good wine</strong></h2>
|
|
|
<p>.keywords: completion, a sense of wholeness, knowing who you are in
|
|
|
the world, having a sense of place, feeling deeply connected to all
|
|
|
things, reaching your goal, celebration, jubilation.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Three friends are celebrating, drinking Good Wine and dancing on the
|
|
|
world, surrounded by a crown of vines for victory. One holds a flag and
|
|
|
another a wand, bringing your journey to closure. This is the end of the
|
|
|
road, the last card in this deck. The spiritual guide that brought you
|
|
|
Coffee now has brought you here. The completion of the cycle and the
|
|
|
celebration that comes thereafter. You have changed and grown and now
|
|
|
the energy of wholeness shines. Soon it will dissipate as life shifts
|
|
|
into a new beginning but for now, the Good Wine urges you to relish in
|
|
|
your successes. One day you will surrender again to the flow and
|
|
|
remember that you are the same person that started this journey, filled
|
|
|
with infinite possibilities.</p>
|
|
|
<p><em>Reversed</em></p>
|
|
|
<p>The Good Wine may not be drunk yet, completion is not within reach
|
|
|
yet. The end seemed in sight but you tried cutting corners and there is
|
|
|
still work to be done. The result will only bring fulfilment if the
|
|
|
effort has been thorough and earnest. Keep dreaming, keep working and
|
|
|
soon the Good Wine will be yours.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> tarot correspondence: 20. the world.</p>
|
|
|
<p><strong>✳</strong> zodiac correspondence: all signs.</p>
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<section class="section"><div id="documentation-of-game-and-rituals" class="has-images">
|
|
|
<h1
|
|
|
id="documentation-of-games-and-rituals-kick-off-sessions">Documentation
|
|
|
of Games and Rituals, Kick off sessions</h1>
|
|
|
<h2
|
|
|
id="we-are-looking-at-rituals-and-their-overlap-with-video-games-as-a-way-to-explore-forbidden-or-otherwise-lost-knowledge-erased-by-oppressive-systems.">We
|
|
|
are looking at rituals and their overlap with video games as a way to
|
|
|
explore “forbidden” or otherwise lost knowledge erased by oppressive
|
|
|
systems.</h2>
|
|
|
<p>On Rituals and Traditions What is a ritual? And tradition? What makes
|
|
|
a ritual “ritual” and how does it differ from the traditions? Or are the
|
|
|
two the same thing? What do rituals and traditions mean through the lens
|
|
|
of culture, location and time? These and other questions we asked
|
|
|
ourselves and one another during the first few collaborative sessions of
|
|
|
this Special Issue. For hours, we kept talking and reading about the
|
|
|
commonalities and differences between the two. There’s a lot to explore!
|
|
|
We went down memory lane and shared a lot of memories, childhood
|
|
|
recollections, and personal stories. Perhaps, dear reader, you have your
|
|
|
thoughts on this too?</p>
|
|
|
<p>But let’s enter a parallel universe!</p>
|
|
|
<p>On Game and Play What is a game? And play? What makes a game “game”
|
|
|
and how does it differ from the play? Or are the two the same thing?
|
|
|
What makes a game? It is the rules, the limitations, or perhaps the wins
|
|
|
and losses. Do you really need to win in order to play? Or were you
|
|
|
being played? To try to answer some of these questions we read and
|
|
|
annotate collectively the chapter “Defining Games” of the book ‘Rules of
|
|
|
Play - Game Design Fundamentals’ by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman. What
|
|
|
we discovered was that games and rituals alike are the gateways to
|
|
|
alternative ways of relating to Nature, each other and (re)production of
|
|
|
life.</p>
|
|
|
<p>We played together by writing fanfiction and spells, developing
|
|
|
rituals, and analysing and creating games together. What emerged as a
|
|
|
tangible result from all these discussions is this experimental
|
|
|
publication you are holding in your hands right now. We named it
|
|
|
Console.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Transition to the weekly rituals: Another thing that came out of our
|
|
|
first two sessions was the ONE SENTENCE RITUAL. Each week for 6 weeks in
|
|
|
a row, we wrote down a ritual of our own and took turns in performing
|
|
|
the ritual from the list. Coffee fortune-telling, Hard drive
|
|
|
purifications, Collective eating, Sound meditations, and Talking to
|
|
|
Worry dolls, made us reflect on the content of the week and on our lives
|
|
|
also.</p>
|
|
|
<p><img src="Candlestarotjoysticks.png" alt="Candles Tarot Joysticks" />
|
|
|
<img src="Cookies-Questions-Tea.jpeg"
|
|
|
alt="Cookies Questions Tea.jpeg" /> <img src="Game-ritual-graph-2.jpeg"
|
|
|
alt="Graph" /> <img src="map.jpeg" alt="Map" /></p>
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<section class="section"><div id="wheel-of-fortune" class="has-images">
|
|
|
<h1 id="the-wheel-of-fortune">The Wheel of Fortune</h1>
|
|
|
<h2 id="a-tool-for-self-inquiry">a tool for self-inquiry</h2>
|
|
|
<p>The Wheel of Fortune (not to be mistaken with the tarot card) is a
|
|
|
tool for self-inquiry that you, dear reader, can engage in a daily,
|
|
|
weekly or any frequency that suits you best. Beware, the game can be
|
|
|
played individually or in small groups.</p>
|
|
|
<p>The main components of the game are a virtual spinning wheel,
|
|
|
accessible via this link here https://issue.xpub.nl/20/wheel, a deck of
|
|
|
20 photo slides, a notebook, and a pen(cil) to store the potential
|
|
|
insights you might find for yourself.</p>
|
|
|
<p>To start the exercise, you need to visit the website on their devices
|
|
|
and spin the virtual wheel. The Wheel of Fortune spins for quite some
|
|
|
time, and then it gives you a random question. Take these questions as
|
|
|
an invitation to an explorative conversation with yourself. The list of
|
|
|
404 questions is carefully collected, modified (where needed) and
|
|
|
presented to you through a random web generator. Psychotherapists,
|
|
|
philosophers, writers, and students from XPUB 2023 are among the authors
|
|
|
of this long list of sentences ending with “?”.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Another collection that can help you delve deeper into your inner
|
|
|
world is a deck of photo slides. Hopefully, these captured memories of
|
|
|
other people, paired with a random question on the screen, would evoke
|
|
|
new emotions or prompt you to imagine possible futures.</p>
|
|
|
<p>The use of collective resources in this piece highlights the power of
|
|
|
collaboration in creating works that encourage people to engage in
|
|
|
self-reflection and introspection, making it a valuable addition to any
|
|
|
art publication that explores the human experience.</p>
|
|
|
<p>The use of collective resources in this piece highlights the power of
|
|
|
collaboration in creating works that encourage people to engage in
|
|
|
self-reflection and introspection. As such, it may contribute to any art
|
|
|
publication exploring the human experience.</p>
|
|
|
<p>Courtesy to: Casey Horner (https://unsplash.com/<span
|
|
|
class="citation"
|
|
|
data-cites="mischievous_penguins">@mischievous_penguins</span>)</p>
|
|
|
<p>Reference list: “The Myth of Normal. Trauma, Illness, & Healing
|
|
|
in a Toxic Culture’, by Dr Gabor Maté Nadia Piet and Sandra Reeb-Gruber,
|
|
|
https://nadiapiet.com/know-thyself/ The School of Life WNRS, We’re Not
|
|
|
Really Strangers</p>
|
|
|
<p>Excerpt from the 404 Questionnaire: What do you want? Why do you do
|
|
|
what you do each day? What do you think you’re here for? What are you
|
|
|
doing with this day, today? What are you searching for? What are you
|
|
|
looking at? Have you learned something new today? This week? What
|
|
|
filters would you apply to your mood right now if it was an analogue
|
|
|
film frame? Is this what you really want to do or it is your way of
|
|
|
delaying your realisation? What would your day look like if you were a
|
|
|
pirate? If you could be any animal for a day, which one would you choose
|
|
|
and why? If you could be any animal for a day, how would you experience
|
|
|
the world differently? Do you speak horse language? (wild question) If
|
|
|
you were Kim, who would that person be? (wild question) What does your
|
|
|
body need today? What does your mind need today? What does your soul
|
|
|
need today? If your life was a treasure hunt, what would you be
|
|
|
searching for? What is your personality? What would a person that loves
|
|
|
you tell you if know you’re suffering? If you were in search of a new
|
|
|
identity, what clues would you need to find it? If you could see the
|
|
|
world through the eyes of any animal, which one would you choose and
|
|
|
why? If you were a pirate, what kind of treasure would you be searching
|
|
|
for? If you were a pirate, what obstacles would you face on your
|
|
|
journey? If you owned a boat, to which destination you would go first
|
|
|
and why? Think of your favourite food. How does it make you feel when
|
|
|
looking at it? And when eating it? What is one “yes” that you’ve been
|
|
|
ignoring lately? What advice would you give to someone else who is
|
|
|
experiencing loss? What emotions have you been experiencing lately? How
|
|
|
has my relationship with others changed in the last 5 years? How have my
|
|
|
thoughts and beliefs about life and death changed in the last 5 years?
|
|
|
What positive memories can you hold on to about a person you’ve lost?
|
|
|
What activities or hobbies bring me comfort in times of grief? How can
|
|
|
you take care of yourself during difficult times? What were the 6 things
|
|
|
you wanted to be when you were a kid? What is time? How can you describe
|
|
|
it? What is beauty? How can you describe it? What is happiness? How can
|
|
|
you describe it? What is love? How can you describe it? What is faith?
|
|
|
How can you describe it? What is hope? How can you describe it? What is
|
|
|
fear? How can you describe it? What is play? How can you describe it?
|
|
|
What is a ritual? How can you describe it? What is a game? How can you
|
|
|
describe it? How does your body feel when you are in pain? How does your
|
|
|
body feel when you are in love? How does your body feel when you are
|
|
|
anxious? Do you talk negatively to yourself? Are you mean to yourself?
|
|
|
If yes, why? If not, also why? Think of all your past partners. What are
|
|
|
some qualities and traits they had in common? Is sex usually the best
|
|
|
aspect of a relationship or the worst for you? What do your friends say
|
|
|
about your partners? Did you ever have any kind of unwanted touch from a
|
|
|
friend, a partner or a family member? Did you ever have any kind of
|
|
|
unwanted touch from a stranger? What does sex mean for you? How does sex
|
|
|
make you feel? What words, metaphors or images do you associate with
|
|
|
sex? What is your attitude towards your body? Do you have any tendencies
|
|
|
for self-sabotage, procrastination or self-doubt? Have you tried to get
|
|
|
advice, help or guidance from professionals? Do you sometimes feel like
|
|
|
a victim? How much sex is normal for you? Were your first sexual
|
|
|
experiences positive or negative? How did you learn about sexuality?
|
|
|
What are your values around sexuality? What losses have you experienced
|
|
|
in your life, and how have you coped with them in the past? What
|
|
|
self-care practices can you incorporate into your daily routine to help
|
|
|
you cope with grief? What self-care practices can you incorporate into
|
|
|
your daily routine to help you cope with anxiety? What new perspectives
|
|
|
have you gained about life as a result of loss in the past? What
|
|
|
triggers your feelings of grief, and how can you manage them when they
|
|
|
arise? How has your sense of identity been affected by a loss? How can
|
|
|
you stay connected to someone you lost even though they are no longer
|
|
|
physically present? What role does forgiveness play in your healing
|
|
|
process after experiencing loss? What can you do to take care of your
|
|
|
physical health during times of grieving? How can you create a support
|
|
|
network that will help you through difficult times? What have your
|
|
|
friends taught you about friendship? What have your friends taught you
|
|
|
about life? What have your friends taught you about love? What have your
|
|
|
parents taught you about friendship? What ideas have changed your life?
|
|
|
What subconscious behaviours are keeping you from the life you want? In
|
|
|
which direction has your life expanded in the last five years? Are you
|
|
|
afraid of being who you truly are? Have you adapted to a certain way of
|
|
|
thinking? Do you suppress your feelings? Have your thoughts been chosen
|
|
|
for you? Who do you trust? Why? Have you forced yourself to forget
|
|
|
something painful? What is art for?</p>
|
|
|
<figure>
|
|
|
<img src="wheel-wip.png" alt="Wheel website, work in progress" />
|
|
|
<figcaption aria-hidden="true">Wheel website, work in
|
|
|
progress</figcaption>
|
|
|
</figure>
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<section class="section"><p>i deleted it woops. i want to write a paragraph about my mindfulness
|
|
|
game here.</p>
|
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<section class="section"><div id="papa-louie" class="has-images">
|
|
|
<h1 id="papa-louies-ghosteria">Papa Louie’s Ghosteria</h1>
|
|
|
<h2
|
|
|
id="papa-louies-ghosteria-is-a-comic-like-fan-fiction-written-by-ada-irmak-and-boyana.">Papa
|
|
|
Louie’s Ghosteria is a comic-like fan fiction written by Ada, Irmak and
|
|
|
Boyana.</h2>
|
|
|
<p>Following the discussions we had about the texts ‘Notes on
|
|
|
Deconstructing The Popular’ by Stuart Hall and ‘Game Modding: Cross-Over
|
|
|
Mutation and Unwelcome Gifts’ from The Player’s Power to Change the Game
|
|
|
by Anne-Marie Schleiner, we split into groups and started dissecting the
|
|
|
ideology behind games some of us have played as children. To do that, we
|
|
|
utilised several prompts to help us examine the ideology that two
|
|
|
popular video games enforce through their narrative and gameplay. The
|
|
|
list of questions we needed to answer while playing the game includes:
|
|
|
What are the win conditions? If the game is quest based, what types of
|
|
|
quests are you asked to complete? What is the gameplay? What is the
|
|
|
narrative? How much space is there for alternative ways of playing this
|
|
|
game? What is missing? What type of relationships are you allowed to
|
|
|
form? What is the role of non-player characters? What are the
|
|
|
requirements for surviving the game? Which behaviours are rewarded? What
|
|
|
real-world values are reproduced in the game you are playing? How are
|
|
|
you situated in the hierarchy of the game? What change in status is
|
|
|
promised? What are you being trained for? What fantasies are lived out
|
|
|
or explored?</p>
|
|
|
<p>Our team, Irmak, Ada and Boyana, worked on the famous Papa Louie:
|
|
|
When Pizzas Attack. Soon after we started investigating the game, its
|
|
|
elements and modifications, we discovered that other people already have
|
|
|
done numerous fan fiction about it. We were bewitched by this the
|
|
|
multitude of stories fans have written and the really good memes they
|
|
|
have created about Papa and his businesses. Yes, plural. Freezeria.
|
|
|
Sushiria. Donuteria. Burgeria. PanCakeria. CupCakeria. Taco Mia. You
|
|
|
name it.</p>
|
|
|
<p>After spending some time analysing the ideology behind the game, we
|
|
|
discovered a few elements that reinforce the capitalist narrative, such
|
|
|
as the need to fight to survive and collect coins to purchase weapons.
|
|
|
In response, we decided to create a new version of the game with a
|
|
|
storyline that focuses on healing and coping with grief and loss, rather
|
|
|
than violence. Also, to link the new storyline to SI20’s topic we felt
|
|
|
like adding somehow ritualistic elements as actions during the
|
|
|
gameplay.</p>
|
|
|
<p>What we decided to change was the topic, purpose and outcome of the
|
|
|
game. Papa no longer fights to save his customers, but he deals with his
|
|
|
own loss and grief over what happened. Our version is promoting rest and
|
|
|
rituals for healing instead of revenge-seeking, violence and toxic
|
|
|
pizzeria culture.</p>
|
|
|
<p>We started by putting some keywords and suggestions on a blackboard
|
|
|
about “How To Cope With Grief” and “How to Use Rituals and Ceremonies to
|
|
|
Overcome Grief” to define what Papa Louie lost and what rituals could
|
|
|
help him heal.</p>
|
|
|
<p>We also liked the idea of making a comic-like storyboard that
|
|
|
visualises the new narrative for Papa Louie’s Ghosteria. To create a few
|
|
|
scenes depicting some of the 5 levels we outlined earlier, we used an
|
|
|
app called Papa Louie Pals. The images turned out pretty nice! Playing
|
|
|
around with the app was fun mainly because it allowed us to materialise
|
|
|
our idea in just a couple of hours.</p>
|
|
|
<p>The gameplay revolves around things Papa lost and the needs he needs
|
|
|
to fulfil. Different types of losses are organised into five levels of
|
|
|
the game: 1. loss of safety (innocence, physical safety) 2. loss of
|
|
|
community (clients, belonging) 3. loss of future (hope, dreams) 4. loss
|
|
|
of identity (dignity, making things himself) 5. loss of labour (money,
|
|
|
time, effort, pizza)</p>
|
|
|
<p>To cope with grief, Papa Louie performs various rituals to unlock a
|
|
|
new stage in his grieving process and heal from that loss. Rituals are
|
|
|
the actions players need to execute at each level.</p>
|
|
|
<p>And so our story goes like this: The Onion ring mafia kidnapped Papà
|
|
|
Louie’s clients, and he lost his Pizzeria. However, along with this
|
|
|
external change, he lost his identity as a pizza owner/maker. He is full
|
|
|
of grief and seeks ways to cope with grief and ease himself. He tries
|
|
|
different rituals throughout this process, builds his new identity and
|
|
|
overcomes his troubles.</p>
|
|
|
<figure>
|
|
|
<img src="papa-louie-story.jpg" alt="The Storyboard" />
|
|
|
<figcaption aria-hidden="true">The Storyboard</figcaption>
|
|
|
</figure>
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<section class="section"><div id="publishing-notes">
|
|
|
<p>Self-published by Experimental Publishing, Willem de Kooning
|
|
|
Academie, Wijnhaven 61, Rotterdam</p>
|
|
|
<h3 id="licencing-information">Licencing Information</h3>
|
|
|
<p>Copyright © 2023 TBC</p>
|
|
|
<p>XPUB is the Master of Arts in Fine Art and Design: Experimental
|
|
|
Publishing of the Piet Zwart Institute. XPUB focuses on the acts of
|
|
|
making things public and creating publics in the age of post-digital
|
|
|
networks. Find out more at xpub.nl</p>
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
<div id="title-page">
|
|
|
<p>#CONSOLE</p>
|
|
|
<p>####xpub special issue xx</p>
|
|
|
<p>Console is an oracle; an emotional first aid kit that helps you help
|
|
|
yourself. Console invites you to open the box and discover ways of
|
|
|
healing; Console provides shelter for your dreams, memories and worries.
|
|
|
Face the past and encounter your fortune. Console gives you a new
|
|
|
vantage point; a set of rituals and practices that help you cope and
|
|
|
care; Console asks everyday questions that give magical answers. Are you
|
|
|
ready to play?</p>
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
<div id="acknowledgements">
|
|
|
<p>##<3 this publication made possible thanks to</p>
|
|
|
<p>Lídia Pereira Artemis Gryllaki Manetta Berends Joseph Knierzinger
|
|
|
Steve Rushton Leslie Robbins Michael Murtaugh Sébastien Tien and Page
|
|
|
Not Found Anna Szaflarski Shana Moulton Bérénice Serra The Sun is its
|
|
|
father The moon its mother The wind hath carried it in its belly The
|
|
|
earth is its nurse</p>
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
<div id="toc">
|
|
|
<p>#Table of contents</p>
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<section class="section">
|
|
|
</section>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<section class="section">
|
|
|
</section>
|
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<section class="section"><div id="wheel-of-fortune" class="has-images">
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<h1 id="the-wheel-of-fortune---manual">The Wheel of Fortune -
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Manual</h1>
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<h2 id="manual">Manual</h2>
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<p>Console: “Welcome, my dear! This exercise is all about healing, about
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reconnecting with what is essential and authentic within yourself. By
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understanding the true nature of our suffering, we can evoke compassion
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for ourselves as we move through uncomfortable feelings on the path to
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healing and peace.</p>
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<p>Prerequisites: Before you begin, there are a few things you will
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need. Firstly, you must have a strong intention to commit to this
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exercise for some time. Secondly, find a quiet room free of
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distractions, and finally, get a notebook and pen. Handwriting will
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engage your mind more actively and profoundly, help you connect with
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yourself, and enable the tracing of your progress over time.</p>
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<p>I will be guiding you through a series of carefully selected
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questions written by different authors, some are well-known, and others
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will remain unknown. To begin the exercise, spin the Wheel of Fortune
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located at https://issue.xpub.nl/20/wheel. After a few seconds, a
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question will appear on the screen. Then, take a photo slide from the
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deck and try to think of an answer to that question by looking at it and
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the tiny film simultaneously.</p>
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<p>These photo slides are there to help you dive deeper into your inner
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world. Use them to explore moments in your life that you may not have
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fully processed or understood. As you reflect on these images and answer
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the questions, you may gain new insights and perspectives about yourself
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and your life.</p>
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<p>Enjoy the journey! Console”</p>
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</div>
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</section>
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<section class="section"><p>Some Gossip on gossip</p>
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</section>
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<section class="section"><div id="tetris" class="has-images">
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<h1 id="tetris-fantasies">Tetris Fantasies</h1>
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<h3 id="death-geometry-and-the-structure-of-the-individual">Death,
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Geometry and the Structure of the Individual</h3>
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<p>Tetris is a game where a single player is encouraged to organise the
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chaos given to them from above, a limited space for play of ten by
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twenty units leads to a limited ability to approach the perfection
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implied by the simple shapes that are encountered in the world (always a
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collection of four squares, in their seven permutations). The harnesses
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of time and gravity make perfection impossible in this world; instead
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the player can only attempt, approach, increase their efficiency. A
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life’s function approaching the limit, there is no way to win, only to
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get higher and higher scores, to live as long as possible through
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increased throughput. Death is inevitable in Tetris, and each passing
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block seems to come faster than the last. Why does it feel like
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everything just keeps getting harder?</p>
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<p>There are many squares to be organised in tetris, an infinite number
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apparently, but there is only one player organising them. Other people
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can only be seen by this individual in faint ghosts; their high scores
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that are there only to be beaten. And the current player can only hope
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to reach those people through leaving their own mark on the high score
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table. Employee-of-the-month, world’s-best-mom. But maybe there is an
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alternative, a world where there is more to each falling tetromino than
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simply an obstacle to be overcome, a problem to be solved. Maybe there
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is a story behind the fatal pixels, a bigger space than the 10 x 20 grid
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on the screen. Maybe there are humans out there with more to them than
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what they produce.</p>
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<p>This fanfic takes the form of a series of hand-drawn illustrations
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depicting fantastical tetris pieces, each of which is accompanied by a
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fragment of a story. The cards can be read and arranged in any order,
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intentionally removing the linear and framed limits of the original
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tetris, although the illustration and text on any one card have a
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relationship to eachother of some sort.</p>
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<p><img src="tetris-documentation-1.jpg"
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alt="hand drawn tetris fanfic" /> <img src="tetris-documentation-2.jpg"
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alt="printed fanfic: imagined four-sided realities" />
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<!--  -->
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<img src="tetris-documentation-4.png"
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alt="imagining a tetris without labour" /></p>
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</div>
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</section>
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<section class="section"><section id="fruitual" class="has-images">
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<h1>Fruitual</h1>
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<h2 id="text-adventre-game">text adventre game</h2>
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<p>Creating a text adventure game is no easy feat, I would say. It takes
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a lot of time, creativity, and trial and error. But the key to a great
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game is putting yourself in the player’s shoes and making sure there are
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plenty of fun twists and turns along the way.</p>
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<p>For my game, I decided to keep it simple and tell a linear story. I
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used a web engine called Twine (twinery.org, an open-source tool for
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telling interactive, nonlinear stories) to help generate the game’s
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storyline and adapted the script from a Bulgarian fairytale (“The Most
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Precious Fruit”). But things didn’t always go smoothly. When the python
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script started generating the wrong messages for players who strayed
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from the script, I tried to find solutions on StackOverflow, but it was
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all too complicated for me.</p>
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<p>In the end, the game took me around 6-7 hours to make, including
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writing, coding, mapping, editing, and lots of trial-and-error. It was a
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great learning experience, but it also taught me that game development
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can be tough if you don’t have much coding experience. I had to approach
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it more from a writer’s perspective and figure out the coding later.</p>
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<p>I learned that game development is an iterative process, and
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sometimes your initial ideas might be more complex than what you end up
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with. It’s all part of the journey. Before starting this project, I had
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no idea text adventure games even existed, but now I’m happy to say I’ve
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made one in just a few weeks. Lastly, I would like to express my
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appreciation for the guidance and support provided by our prototyping
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tutors in the development of these projects.</p>
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<p>(“The Most Precious Fruit”,
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https://fairytalez.com/the-most-precious-fruit/)</p>
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<figure>
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<img src="twine-map.png" alt="Twine" />
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<figcaption aria-hidden="true">Twine</figcaption>
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</figure>
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</section>
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</section>
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<section class="section"><div id="holo-deck" class="has-images">
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<h1 id="holographic-oracle-deck">Holographic Oracle Deck</h1>
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<h2
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id="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
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& Energy’ is a holographic oracle deck exploring a range of energy
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sources through the magical (mystical) nature of crystals as
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energy-storing matter</h2>
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<p>‘Crystals & Energy’ is a holographic oracle deck exploring a
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range of energy sources through the magical (mystical) nature of
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crystals and minerals as energy-storing matter.</p>
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<p>Lidia and Artemis, Special Issue 20 guest editors, asked us to modify
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an oracle deck of our choice. We, Cara and Boyana, prototyped a
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holographic oracle deck where a type of crystal is coupled with a type
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of energy resource in a single card in an attempt to talk about the
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global energy crisis we are facing today. It (the deck) provides an
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educational experience through the use of a DIY prism and complimentary
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audiovisual materials, together serving as an immersive learning
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environment.</p>
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<p>After a quick research, we decided to couple Aquamarine and Liquified
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Natural Gas (LNG) which we thought would fit nicely as a first example
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of such a card.</p>
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<p>Why Aquamarine? It looks like water that has been crystallised;
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stored energy; compression; solidified; being put under pressure or
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exposed to a specific temperature so that it changes its state (from
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liquid to solid). Why LNG? It is natural gas that has been liquified;
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compressed; liquified; being put under pressure or exposed to a specific
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temperature so it changes its state (from gas to liquid); stores energy
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that can be channelled later.</p>
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<p>Then, we wrote a short poem weaving the two elements into the
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everyday narrative. Later this poem served as a script to create a voice
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narration (one-minute-long audio piece) that went into the video
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creation process. Although the final text is a slight deviation from our
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initial idea, we felt inspired by the conversation we had with Steve
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earlier that day. He talked about his childhood memories of collecting
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rocks in notebooks, perhaps similar to what geologists do when they
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document their discoveries. He also mentioned a few things about caverns
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and a mine (later turned into a museum) located near the city where he
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used to live.</p>
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<p>To visualise the card, we used a hologram video maker app. The
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process was easy and fun. All we had to do was simply find a hi-res
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image of the Aquamarine crystal on a black surface and upload it into
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the app. Lastly, we made a model of a pyramid prism so that we can
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demonstrate the prototype fully. To get the full holographic effect, we
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had to put it on top of a phone screen and play the video, which we
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uploaded on YouTube and embedded the link onto a website.</p>
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<p>We saw in this prototype a potential to provide new knowledge, create
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an engaging and fun learning experience around energy sources, and add a
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sense of magic to everyday life. By combining these different elements,
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we were hoping to create an unusual experience that can help people
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better understand and appreciate the importance of energy sources and
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sustainability. It will be interesting to see how our prototype evolves
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and what kind of impact it could have on people’s perceptions of these
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topics.</p>
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<p><img src="Aquamarine-Poem.jpg" alt="Aquamarine Poem" /> <img
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src="Diamond-holo.jpg" alt="Diamond" /> <img src="Earth-holo.jpg"
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alt="Earth" /> <img src="Jellyfish-holo.jpg" alt="Jellyfish" /> <img
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src="LNG-and-Aquamarine.jpg" alt="LNG and Aquamarine" /> <img
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src="UFO-holo.jpg" alt="UFO" /></p>
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</div>
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</section>
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<section class="section"><div id="fortnite" class="has-images">
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<h1
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id="sometimes-the-world-as-it-is-and-the-world-as-it-could-be-are-devastatingly-close-to-each-other.">Sometimes
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the world as it is and the world as it could be are devastatingly close
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to each other.</h1>
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<p>Is there any point in imagining something that is so similar to the
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nightmare we already live in? The future is a dream but it’s just that
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dream where you remember putting your keys somewhere, but where? You’re
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wandering around looking for them for what feels like hours. Whether it
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was real or not isn’t important, you were still there. Why do we stay
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here? What’s even here for us? If you don’t get them first, they’ll get
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you. Then you wake up and you still can’t find the fucking keys. But
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sometimes it’s sunny and you’re standing there and there’s something
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cinematic about the whole thing, is it worth it just to be there for
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that maybe. There’s really no difference between a dream about falling
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and a dream about flying.</p>
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</div>
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<div class="hide-on-web">
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<p>You search the entire planet, all seven planets, drinking every last
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drop, and still no fucking keys. You’re just watching the whole thing
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anyway so enjoy it, I guess. If you get the rifle you can use the scope
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on it to see things in the distance, but then again, maybe you don’t
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need to see that far. The start is always the best part. Maybe I left
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them in the bathroom? Can I help them, even one of them? They are all so
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busy killing each other I don’t think they can hear. The forests are
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beautiful here. One time I sat down with some of the bots and really got
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to know them. Until the players arrive they just sit there together,
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chatting. They’re really nice actually. And then a player ran up beside
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us, saw that we weren’t trying to hurt them, and left. Maybe they were
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helped, or changed somehow.</p>
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<p>The only reason I’m still here is because you’re still here.</p>
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<p>🚶</p>
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<p><img src="fortnite-10.jpg" alt="screenshot from Fortnite" /> <img
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src="fortnite-9.jpg" alt="screenshot from Fortnite" /> <img
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src="fortnite-8.jpg" alt="screenshot from Fortnite" /> <img
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src="fortnite-7.jpg" alt="screenshot from Fortnite" /> <img
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src="fortnite-6.jpg" alt="screenshot from Fortnite" /> <img
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src="fortnite-3.jpg" alt="screenshot from Fortnite" /> <img
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src="fortnite-2.jpg" alt="screenshot from Fortnite" /> <img
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src="fortnite-1.jpg" alt="screenshot from Fortnite" /> <img
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src="fortnite-0.jpg" alt="screenshot from Fortnite" /></p>
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</div>
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</section>
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<section class="section"><div id="tetris" class="has-images">
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<h1 id="long-time">Long Time</h1>
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<h2 id="six-sigma-fortune-telling">Six Sigma Fortune Telling</h2>
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<p>While the future cannot be predicted with certainty, present
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understanding in various scientific fields allows for the prediction of
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some far-future events, if only in the broadest outline. These fields
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include astrophysics, particle physics, evolutionary biology, plate
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tectonics and sociology. The far future begins after the current
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millennium comes to an end, starting with the 4th millennium in 3001 CE,
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and continues until the furthest reaches of future time. This timeline
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includes alternative future events that address unresolved scientific
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questions, and is in fact not six sigma accurate at all.</p>
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<p>This timeline (based on Wikipedia’s <a
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href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_far_future">Timeline
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of the Far Future</a>) claims to make accurate predictions far into the
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future at timescales that are difficult to comprehend; beyond our
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lifetimes, beyond the death of the earth, beyond the death of atoms. The
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scientific method claims to have an intense relationship to the material
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world which is “orders of magnitude” more accurate than other ways of
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interacting with and understanding where we are. The scientist often
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pits themself as “against” the fortune-teller, the tarot reader, or the
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mystic, and yet they make even bigger claims about our collective
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future. Is there any way to disprove the scientist’s method in their own
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mind?</p>
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<p>This web-based game attempts to highlight the uselessness of this
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approach. Sometimes a human can have no effect on the extreme truth that
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science offers, or to put it more usefully, sometimes science has
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nothing to offer humans. This timeline uses scientific and objective
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distance to avoid the most inevitable and obvious event in the future:
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your own death. Death is non-relational: no one can die in one’s place,
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and we cannot understand our own death through the death of others
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(Heidegger, Being and Time, 1962). Just like the scientist, the
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philosopher doesn’t have much to offer solace here. So where do we go to
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talk about death?</p>
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|
|
<figure>
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|
<img src="long-time-1.jpg" alt="The future" />
|
|
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<figcaption aria-hidden="true">The future</figcaption>
|
|
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</figure>
|
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</div>
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|
</section>
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<section class="section">
|
|
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</section>
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</div>
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</body>
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</html> |