This is not your typical Tuesday afternoon. Intrigue is in the air as a beautifully illustrated deck of playing cards is laid out on the table. On one is smiling Rukmini adorned with flowers, her eyes full of devotion, while on the other Yama is atop his buffalo, his mighty stature ready for revenge, rising from the circle of fire. The familiar characters of Indian epics are fascinating, but they bring with them questions and life lessons.
Proceed with caution, as the deck in question is an ‘Oracle’.
Titled Wisdom from Hinde’s epic, this brilliantly illustrated deck-and-book set by artist Rahul Das features 50 cards and a small booklet that describes the characters’ arcs (for lack of a better word). Mahabharata And Ramayana,
For the skeptics, this is a fun retelling of India’s own epic, replete with anecdotes and stories that we all grew up listening to. As far as believers are concerned, it attempts to do more by asking questions and offering solutions for the twists and turns life sometimes throws up. And for those who need reassurance, it provides words of affirmation.
One of the cards of Wisdom from the epic of Hind | photo credit: special arrangement
Psychologist Pankhudi Agarwal, who is from Chennai, and refers to herself as a “mere channeler”, is the brain behind this deck. A tarot reader who has several decks published says, “The epics of Hind were written for everyone, even those who are not initiated into the world of tarot. One focus was definitely self-help. Two, the more independent you are and the more you learn to help yourself, the less likely you are to be exploited. Third, it was very important to me to bring Indian knowledge in medicine to the world and claim it as Indian.
He believes that much of the new age philosophy of medicine and healing comes from ancient Indian wisdom. “The new-age tarot market is currently worth $1.2 billion, and India isn’t very significant in it right now,” she says, adding that when she was a young reader, even though some decks referred to Indian deities, it was Disappointed to see that they were not by Indian creators.
Psychologist Pankhudi Agarwal, who is from Chennai, and refers to herself as a “mere channeler”, is the brain behind this deck. A tarot reader who has several decks published says, “The epics of Hind were written for everyone, even those who are not initiated into the world of tarot. One focus was definitely self-help. Two, the more independent you are and the more you learn to help yourself, the less likely you are to be exploited. Third, it was very important to me to bring Indian knowledge in medicine to the world and claim it as Indian.
He believes that much of the new age philosophy of medicine and healing comes from ancient Indian knowledge. “The new-age tarot market is currently worth $1.2 billion, and India isn’t very significant in it right now,” she says, adding that when she was a young reader, even though some decks referred to Indian deities, it was Disappointed to see that they were not by Indian creators.
In the epics of Hind, the first cards he made with Rahul were Kali’s Wrath and Kali’s Awakening: “I learned so much from these stories that I thought maybe this deck should be an oracle. Even people of my generation are ignorant of such stories unless they are mythology enthusiasts,” she says.
For each card, the booklet begins with an explainer on how to read the cards, summarizing the story, followed by questions to ask yourself and actions to take, rounded off by a closing message. goes.
dream come true
The publisher, US Games Systems Inc., is run by Stuart R. Kaplan, who popularized the Rider-Waite tarot deck. “So to be published by him was more than a dream come true for me,” says Pankhuri, working on her third deck.
Swagatam, his second deck of tarot, is not for the uninitiated, although it does come with a DIY booklet guide. Based on the Indian philosophy of birth and death, it will release in India by March.
Minor Arkana Swagatam’s (secret) cards designed as a “crash course on the Indian subcontinent” have all aces as currency, two as gems, three as flavours, four as colours/natural colours. , five are weapons, six are as festival, seven are as geographical elements, eight are as tree, nine are as flower, ten are as season, page are as dance, knight is as musical instrument, Queens as animals and kings as layers of existence.
You don’t need to believe in tarot and oracle cards to enjoy Epics of Hind. For the skeptics among us, Deck imaginatively uses art to tell stories. All you have to do is choose a card.
Wisdom from the epic of Hindam available on amazon.in