Snowland

The Dog Days of Winter

Speed skating, 1877-style!  From Peterson's magazine.

The First Ice of the Season

A crack in the ice from Peterson's magazine, 1861.

Jingles All the Way

An orphan boy warms hearts on the outskirts of Snowland.  From Peterson's magazine, 1873.

The First Snow

A little girl experiences her first snowfall in this illustration from Peterson's magazine, 1873.

Gathering Christmas Mistletoe

This illustration is from Peterson's magazine, 1869.

Lost (and Found) in the Snow

This illustration is from Peterson's magazine, 1867.

A Chariot Caught in a Snowstorm

This snowbound chariot is from Peterson's magazine, 1862.

Harvesting Fresh Icicles

This illustration is from Peterson's magazine, 1862.

Feeding the Snow Birds

Feeding the snow birds, from Godey's magazine, 1877.

Howling Winds: A Rescue at the Outskirts of Snowland

From Godey's Magazine, 1859.

Mischief in Snowland

An illustration from Godey's Magazine, 1861.

Slipping Away to Snowland

An illustration from Godey's Magazine, 1854.

It Is Fairyland, It Is!

Naturally flocked with fresh snow and icicles, this fairyland Christmas tree appears in Good Housekeeping, 1903.

Mr. North Wind Came Shouting

From Good Housekeeping, 1911: "Mr. North Wind came shouting and blew them along."

A Ten-Gallon Straw Hat

An illustration from The Illustrated Magazine of Art, 1853.

Bringing a Snowman to Life

This scene from the heart of Snowland comes to us from The Saturday Evening Post, 1917.

Speaking of snowmen, here's a frosty take on the Tarot Magician:

http://mysteryarts.blogspot.com/2008/12/tarots-enchanted-snowman.html

The Snowdrop Becomes the Page of Cups

I love the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, and several of them feature frosty landscapes and snow creatures.

One such story is "The Snowdrop", which I felt would make a marvelous Page of Cups for our Snowland Tarot.

I consider the Pages "Fool-like", in that they are often naive, premature, spontaneous and youthfully exuberant. In "The Snowdrop" by Hans Christian Andersen, the lovely white flower emerges while the snow still covers the ground.

Below is the inspirational photo for The Snowdrop card:

And below is Ron's anthropomorphic rendering of the impetuous Snowdrop:

-- Janet, SnowlandTarot.com

Snowland Mousepads 50% Off!

Hi all!

Zazzle just emailed me saying that they're running a 50% off all mousepad special! This means that you can get any Snowland mousepad for half off! Click here to go to our Boyer Art mousepads section.

Just use code MOUSEPADFFHS to get your 50% off. However, this is a 4-hour special, and ends at 4 PM EST (1.5 hours from now).

I've just created a Carousel mousepad, but if you'd rather have another Snowland image that's not pictured, hurry and email me and I'll create it for you! You can see all the images in miniature at SnowlandTarot.com

-- Janet

 

 

Snowland's Version of a Tempest in a Teacup

From Munsey's magazine, 1909.

 

I love this adorable image discovered by Craig Conley, our intrepid Snowland scout and curator!

-- Janet

May the Wind Always Be at Your Back

A Snowland gust from Everybody's magazine, 1919.

Thanks, Craig, for this awesomely wintry image!

-- Janet

Sliding Into Base, Snowland Style

From Our Boys and Girls magazine, 1870.

Huge thanks to our Snowland curator, Craig, for another frosty image!

-- Janet

Withdrawing a Bundle from the Snow Bank

This lovely piece is from Oliver Optic's Magazine, 1874.

Much gratitude to our diligent Snowland curator, Craig, for another lovely image!

-- Janet

A Warm Glow on the Outskirts of Snowland

A compassionate invitation from Our Boys and Girls magazine, 1871.

Thanks for this sharing this lovely image, Craig!

The Carousel - Snowland Tarot's Version of the Wheel of Fortune Card

Ron just completed The Carousel, our version of the Wheel of Fortune Tarot card. 

Isn't it lovely? At card #45, it's my new favorite!

You can see all completed cards in miniature at SnowlandTarot.com. Don't forget to "like" us at Facebook.com/SnowlandTarot!

-- Janet

On the Outskirts of Snowland: Lost and Then Found

Interestingly, there are two definitions of "stoop" communicated here: a stoop is a set of steps at the front entrance of a house, and to stoop is to incline the top half of the body forward.

The illustration is from Our Boys and Girls Monthly, 1873.

Thanks for this sharing this moving image, Craig!

From the Rooftops of Snowland

Here's the spirit of moonlit snowflakes on churchbells, from Munsey's magazine, 1896.

Thanks, Craig Conley, for another stellar find!

The Spirit of Snowflakes

Here's a snowflake spirit from Munsey's Magazine, January 1906.

What a lovely find by our wonderful Snowland correspondent, Craig Conley!

Snowland Word Search Puzzle

Here's a Snowland Word Search puzzle I made for you. Enjoy!

Y P L D E N F B S K D H A F E 
I L E B P X L G S D F R R K S 
D C L N A S U O W M D O A K I 
S E I I G Z R E Y N Z L I T B 
I N L C H U R U U E F S S L S 
G L E S L C I T N W P O I G L 
L Q K T U E E N O C R Z R N E 
O Q Y Q T L S N S F Z D A I I 
O C C H R I S T M A S Q L T G 
A R C T I C M G R O K A O A H 
R E T N I W L D N S I G P K Y 
E L U Y L G R E B E C I M S H 
S W H P U W W T Z L Y A H I S 
I P G L O V E F Y L G M R U D 
M X F V A A D R A V R H J F F 

ARCTIC
BLIZZARD
CHILLY
CHRISTMAS
FLURRIES
FROST
FROZEN
GLOVE
ICEBERG
ICICLE
IGLOO
MITTENS
PENGUINS
POLAR
SCARF
SKATING
SKIS
SLED
SLEIGH
SNOWFLAKE
TUNDRA
WINTER
YULE

-- Janet

The Loop 3-Card Tarot Spread

Our fearless Snowland scholar Craig Conley not only unearths frozen treasures for us to admire, but he also creates delightful pieces of art and contemplative systems! Look at this wonderful 3-Card Tarot Spread he's created for us called The Loop.

Of course, you can use this spread with an oracle deck or even Runes. If you decide to try this spread out, let me know how you fare with it. I'd love to hear your insights.

Huge thanks to Craig for once again obeying the Muse and making Snowland a brighter place!

-- Janet

Snow and Ice Photos on Pinterest

I've made a Pinterest Board dedicated solely to Snow and Ice. Check out all the beautiful pictures at this link. Enjoy!

-- Janet

Help Us Color Temperance!

Ron finished sketching the Temperance card for our Snowland Tarot project! Here she is below:

What colors do you think would look great for this image?

I had the idea of maybe a purple jacket, red scarf/belt, red boots, rainbow striped gloves and black pants. And maybe a red/green headband?

Feel free to share the colors you think would work well! We welcome your input on this card.

-- Janet

From This...to That - Snowland Tarot 4 of Cups

As most of you probably know, Ron has a 40-hour a week day job. Sometimes, ideas for cards strike him right there at work. So what does he do? Why, what any self-respecting creative would do...grab a tiny Post-It note! This doodle made at work...

turned into Snowland Tarot's 4 of Cups card:

-- Janet

Valentine's Day Giveaway on the Snowland Facebook Page!

I'm feeling a Valentine's Day giveaway coming on...

OK, here we go! Help us get to 400 likers on our Snowland Tarot Facebook page and we'll pick TWO random winners. The prizes? 1. Mousepad, mug, tote, magnet or poster of your favorite Snowland image 2. Signed limited edition CALLING card 3. One-card Tarot reading from Janet.

Just share our Snowland Tarot Facebook page on your OWN Facebook wall (and/or pages), via your blog, in Tarot groups, on Tarot discussion boards, on Twitter, at Google+, etc. to get the word out about our deck. Then, when we get to 400, I'll start a special thread on our FB page where you'll just say "count me in!"...and your post gets one entry for the random drawing. BUT, if you actually provide a link (or links) to all your "spread the love about Snowland Tarot" efforts...you'll get an extra entry for EACH link. Woohoo!

And how's this for a super secret extra entry possibility? If you make a post here in the comment thread telling us WHY you like our Snowland Tarot...you get ANOTHER entry for our random drawing! (Just make sure you let me know on Facebook when you do, just in case the name you use here differs from the one you use on Facebook).

Remember, the link is http://Facebook.com/SnowlandTarot.com We hit 400 "likers"? TWO of you win!

Ready...set...go! (And thank you so much!)

-- Janet

Making Snow Bears

Rushing breathlessly through the door, our ruddy-cheeked Snowland scholar has just made it back from another expedition into the annals of time! This time, Craig Conley brings us some bears making a snow bear from the December 7, 1901 edition of Colliers Magazine. Awww!

Quite the little sculptors, aren't they?

Thanks, Craig, for another fun winter find!

-- Janet

Two Sides of the Winter Question

Our fearless Snowland scout and official eccentric scholar Craig Conley is back with another wintry find that he thinks would make a pefet 10 of Wands card (and I agree)!

Plucked from the 1913 annals of Colliers Magazine, this poignant image titled Two Sides of the Winter Question shows how winter can be a jolly, sleigh-riding time for some...but a burden of  survival for others.

Thanks, Craig, for this touching find!

-- Janet

Ron and Janet Boyer Discuss Snowland Tarot

Hi everyone!

I'm thrilled to announce that I'm beginning the New Year by starting my very own radio show, Janet Boyer Live!

Janet Boyer Live! will feature interviews with authors, book discussion, reviews, commentary, advice, personal empowerment tools, classes and much more.

For the inaugural show, Ron and I will be discussing our Snowland Tarot TOMORROW, 1/1/12 at 1 PM EST! Click here to go to the Snowland Tarot show page. You can listen right on your computer or via telephone at the number listed.

If you'd like to call in to talk to us or ask questions about the deck, please send me a private message on Facebook at http://fb.me/JanetBoyer saying you're calling in and the number you'll be calling from. If you're not already my friend there, you'll have to send me your request.

We hope you can join us on New Year's Day for our live show, but if you can't...no worries! The show will available on the show page and through iTunes for download.

Happy New Year!

-- Janet

The Little Match Girl

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson never fails to choke me up.

You can read the original story from the Hans Christian Andersen Center at this link. Below is a short film that was made by Disney, but looks to be a Russian production. (Incidentally, The Little Match Girl will be the Page of Wands card in our Snowland Tarot).

-- Janet

A Christmas for the Birds in 1874

A lovely wintry report just in from our intrepid scholar and adventurer, Craig Conley!:

From the outskirts of Snowland comes this charming scene of a miniature Christmas tree in a window box for the winter robins. The caption reads, "Free winter quarters -- the little birds at the window."  From Frank Leslie's Pleasant Hours magazine, 1874.

Thanks for your fearless reporting, Craig! Snowland is richer because you're out there in the tundras, chasing down sundry frosted jewels for our blog readers!

-- Janet

Yummy Cookies!

The latest image from our Snowland Tarot deck is the 9 of Cups. Doesn't it make you hungry for cookies?

Some of the keywords and phrases associated with this card include: Satiety, Feasting, Relishing, Indulgence, Pleasure, Gluttony, Enjoying the "Good Things" in Life, Sensuality, Gourmand and Gluttony.

Interestingly, some Tarotists call the 9 of Cups the "Wish Card", indicating wish fulfillment and dreams coming true. But you know what they say...be careful what you wish for! We included the shooting star on the cookie jar as a nod to this popular interpretation.

But notice the juxtaposition of the snowman child reverently wishing upon a star (or, perhaps praying or giving thanks for what he has)...and the child wolfing down cookies. "Too much is never enough" or "too much of a good thing" comes to mind.

However, puritanical thought and even some Christian traditions prohibit or frown upon reveling in the senses--including eating, drinking, laughing and dancing. Some Christian denominations like the Church of Christ disallow instruments in their worship, preferring the human voice. (Not sure what they do with the Scripture saying "praise Him with the tambourine" and such, but...there ya go).

As with all cards in the Tarot, there is a continuum of Light and Dark, Helpful and Detrimental, Constructive and Destructive. There are no "bad" or "good" cards in the Tarot, despite what you may have heard. Each has a spectrum of meanings and import, and can be taken to an extreme. The middle way, balance, is the key.

How do you interpret the 9 of Cups card? What do you think of our Snowland Tarot version of this card. And, most importantly, what is your favorite cookie? (Posted recipes get bonus points and our gratitude!)

-- Janet

Snowman Mannequin - Thoughts from Noah

As I was prepping the borders of the finished 8 of Swords card on my computer, our son, Noah, peered over my shoulder at the completed painting.

“Do you think the snowman with the hat will cut his strings?” I asked him.

Immediately Noah replied, “After a decade on strings, he probably doesn’t mind it anymore.”

Interesting…I thought.

“Why did the girl cut her strings?” I asked.

“Freedom”, Noah said.

“But why did she cut her strings, but the other marionette didn’t?”

Again, Noah had a quick answer for me: “Because maybe those strings were uncomfortable to her”.

Hmm. Talk about “out of the mouth of babes” and untainted wisdom…

“OK, but what about the artist’s mannequin doll? It doesn’t have strings. Why did it want to leave?”

Without hesitation, Noah says, “He doesn’t want to be in the workshop”.

“But why?” I pressed further.

“Because he wants to see things that no toy has seen before", he answered.

And there you have it. 

What about you?

Do you think the snowman with the bowler hat will cut his strings? Why or why not?

Why did the girl marionette cut her strings? What about the artist’s mannequin?

Where might they be going on a snowy evening?

-- Janet

Throwing a Snowball at Cupid

Our resident jewel-finder of days gone by Craig Conley has found another treasure! This is Throwing a Snowball at Cupid from Frank  Leslie's Popular Monthly magazine, December 1892. Wouldn't this make a fantastic Lovers card for our Snowland Tarot?

-- Janet

Grandpa Snowman Marionette - Poem by Jo Ak

Here's a lovely poem written by Jo Ak, one of Snowland Tarot's delightful Facebook friends and blog visitors, based on Ron's 8 of Swords image:

Grandpa Snowman Marionette

Here I sit on a wooden sill
I dream of what it's like to be real
My eyes might blink a thousand times
No longer hiding the pain I feel deep inside
Unblocking icy tears that longed to flow
On to frosty cheeks that are white as snow
Nimble fingers would release my restrictive ties
That held me captive for all my life
Capable legs would carry me out the door
Never to come back to this store
If only my heart once so cold
Would allow me to let my dear friends go

Not only is Jo's poem an imaginative take on what's going on in the image, but it's also an apt encapsulation of the challenges inherent in the 8 of Swords card.

Thank you, Jo, for allowing us to post your wonderful poem!

Do you have a story, poem, caption or other artistic take on one of Snowland's images? (You can see them all in miniature at SnowlandTarot.com, or larger versions at our Facebook page). If so, feel free to drop us an email, make a blog comment here, post to our Facebook page or Tweet us at @TeamSnowland.

-- Janet

Impermanence (But I'll Be Back Again...Today!)

In the beloved TV cartoon of the same name, Frosty the Snowman sings, "I'll be back again some day..."

Even though the Snowland Tarot card Impermanence (at right, painted by Ron Boyer) shows a melting snowman, it appears that he is already back...in the form of a winking cloud and running brook!

This gentle image replaces the scary-titled Death card in the Tarot, helping both kids and adults deal with the circle of life...including impermanence.

-- Janet

Starflake from Century Magazine 1917

Our awesome pal Craig Conley has unearthed this gorgeous starflake drawing from a 1917 issue of The Century Magazine. Isn't it just breathtaking? Thanks so much, Craig!

 

-- Janet

Playing with Images #1 - Grandpa Snowman Marionette and the Snowmonaut

I'm excited to share a new feature here at Snowland called Playing With Images! These interactive creative games are geared towards fiction writers, poets, storytellers, artists, musicians, Tarot readers--anyone inspired by imagery in their work (or play!).

The first one involves a conversation between Grandpa Snowman Marionette and the Snowmonaut:

  

What do you imagine the Grandpa Snowman Marionette saying to the Snowmonaut? What would the Snowmonaut say to the Grandpa Snowman Marionette? What advice would each give to one another? What encouragements? Warnings?

To take this a step further (for those of you up to an artistic challenge!), write a story, poem or song involving these two characters. If you're a Tarot reader, the Grandpa Snowman Marionette is the 8 of Swords card from the Snowland Tarot, while the Snowmonaut is The Star card. How might those cards or associations interact given these images?

 

Have fun, and I can't to see what you come up with!

-- Janet

Help Out Snowland Tarot and Get A Signed Card and Bookmark

As some of you may know, Ron and I haven't received an advance for our work on Snowland Tarot. Yet, we still must buy art supplies to make it happen (wood, gesso, paints, frisket, brushes, etc.). I just spent $40 at Dick Blick's online art store for just a few things, in fact. Ack!

Well, I thought I'd extend an opportunity for you to donate to our cause! Just go to the upper right of my blog, click on the light green Tip Jar (it's via PayPal) to donate any amount. Those donating $10 or more will get a signed 5 x 3 1/2 inches card of CALLING, professionally printed on sturdy stock, and a signed bookmark. And, of course, our thanks!

Just put your address in the PayPal message section and we'll get your signed mini-print and bookmark right out to you! If you forget, no worries: just email me through my main site at JanetBoyer.com.

Thank you so much for supporting this special project of ours!

-- Janet Boyer, Amazon Top/Vine Reviewer, author of Back in Time Tarot, Tarot in Reverse (Schiffer 2012) and the Snowland Tarot (Schiffer 2013). Featured in Tales of the Revolution: True Stories of People Who Are Poking the Box and Making a Difference (A Domino Project eBook edited by Seth Godin)   

Cold Sauce with the Christmas Pudding from 1894 Issue of The Century Magazine

Our steadfast and fearless Snowland historical scholar Craig Conley has dug up yet another treasure from bygone days! This image comes from from a 1894 issue of The Century Magazine:

 
Beautiful, isn't it?

If you haven't already, you really must visit Craig's site at OneLetterWords.com! He's one of the most original, fascinating and entertaining guys in the world...I kid you not. Thanks again, Craig, for providing Snowland with these wonderful images!

-- Janet

Snowland Tarot Artist Journal #1

Ron says:

I was always drawn towards more sophisticated, adult-oriented art and design. At age 5 or 6, I remember being completely entranced by the simplicity, elegance and functionality of a Zippo lighter. I had seen these lighters somewhere and I tried to recreate the shape out of aluminum foil. I also remember being fascinated by small electric motors at a young age—a penchant for gadgetry that remains today.

-- Janet

The Maiden, The Snowman and The Sun - From 1897 Issue of Life Magazine

Here's two more pictorial gems from Craig Conley, Snowland's official historian and quirky scholar. This pair of images comes from from a 1897 issue of Life Magazine:

 
 

Aren't these awesome? Craig, you're the best!

-- Janet

Ron’s Playlist (So What DOES An Artist Listen to While He Paints?)

With over 500 songs on his Sansa Fuze, Ron admits that not every song sounds ideal when he’s in the midst of painting. Enjoying music while working more than not, Ron has a shortlist of songs that always feels like “soul grub” no matter what he’s painting (click on the links to hear the songs or watch the videos!):

Sixpence None the Richer -  ANY song!
Enya – Caribbean Blue and Orinoco Flow
Jimmy Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower
Olivia Newton-John – Magic
Police – Bring on the Night; King of Pain; Message in a Bottle; Spirits in the Material World
Billy Joel – Downeaster Alexa
Scorpions (With the Berlin Philharmonic, from Moment of Glory) – Send Me an Angel
Fuel – Innocent
Frida – There’s Something Going On
Pat Benatar – Love is a Battlefield
Madonna – Hollywood
System of a Down – Roulette; Hypnotize
Evanescence – Taking Over Me
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
Gary Numan – Cars
Ace of Base – Cruel Summer
Sting – A Thousand Years
Tears for Fears – Shout
Nirvana – Most of the Unplugged Album

Below is a super-cool version of Madonna's "Hollywood" (one of the songs mentioned above) that includes a video montage of Rider-Waite Tarot cards!

 

-- Janet